I just saw your conquest on bluesky and wanted to know your intentions on why you drew it that way. Like how you explained your choices with the other 4. (I love the drawing by the way)
Conquest, as promised! For those wondering, there are only four horsemen of the apocalypse but Conquest is often replaced with War or Pestilence, so I decided to make a version of it as well.
Again, these are the reasons why I drew them the way I did.
The symbolism is for you to chose, there is no wrong answer.
CONQUEST:
-''You’re blinded by what you're meant to represent, clutching blank-slate children to be painted in your colors. The weight of your growing flag suffocates those you’re meant to protect, yet you can’t stand without them. Your horse stays still and only gazes into the past'' - My twitter explanation
-Yes, that is thread and needle, to sew more into their growing cloak/flag. It can be mistaken as a tool of help and union. It is also a reference to the bow and arrow the original Conquest horsemen has.
-Someone asked whether the needle is a symbol of re-sowing maps, altering borders. Good eye! Hence why there's thread lines across their cloak.
-The double-headed eagle commonly represents empires. I had a specific one in mind for this.
-The horse has radiation/biohazard symbology embedded into its skull. Those horns are meant to be a threat. Someone said it represents the ultimate conquest of mankind, which is a very interesting concept
-A variation of this design has been in my drafts for over 5 years but got re-purposed as Conquest
People added a lot of beautiful interpretations for this particular drawing. Especially those who speculate why I added a child in the drawing. I love to read through them and once again, it is a big surprise that people reacted to passionately to these designs. Thank you very much!
Many are wondering what's next. The deadly sins? The heavenly virtues? Tarot? Mythological art? I always have ideas
Hiii, I was just wandering if you wouldn’t mind blabbing about the symbolism and stuff behind some of your design choices with the horse men that you might not have mentioned. Like with pestilence and death specifically I feel like there’s a lot of symbolism I’m picking up on without fully understanding. Like with Death’s sickle, both a homage to the classic scythe and a nod to the “reaping/harvesting” of souls. And with pestilence I feel like there’s something that I’m skirting around without grasping. The multiple legs strike me as a deliberate similarity to insects, and if I’m right I think that the rider is bound in a body bag type deal, similar to how disease and pestilence is so often both spread through the improper disposal of body’s, and how wide spread pestilence leads to mass graves filled with disease and the horrible anonymity that comes with being just one face in a pit of hundreds etc? All of this is, ofc, to say that I’ve adored your series of the horsemen so far and would go absolutely rabid for some insight on some of your design choices<3
My horsemen of the apocalypse! I will add the original commentary and some extras, less about the symbolism and more about what brought me to design them the way I did.
The symbolism is for you to chose, there is no wrong answer.
WAR
I can't bring myself to represent war with a cool knight. It's horror. War is a bound child crowned with shrapnel, tied to a wounded horse that is being pulled forward by unseen people.
I've read a handful of books regarding war. A lost quote said that it should be shown as horror, it should make generals vomit, it should make you sick. I haven't seen war but my family has.
It was the first horseman I've designed, and it was in my sketchbook for months (maybe over a year, maybe even more) before I had the courage to draw it. I was really scared about how people would react to a mutilated child.
Recommended reading: The Red Crown - Mikhail Bulgakov, a short story about a man coping with the loss of his brother in the war
FAMINE
Someone who lived thro a famine shared that their head was only occupied with thoughts of food. Famine consumes your mind. All animals were eaten. Neighbors gave their pets away cuz they couldn't do it themselves. People walked around town as if in a dazed dream, slowly
Recommended reading: The Last Witnesses - Svetlana Alexievitch, a collection of testimonials of people who were children when WW2 began. Some quotes below;
'''A cat! A cat!' Other children saw it and started chasing it. The educators were local habitants, looked at us as if we were insane. In Leningrad there were no living cats left...A living cat was a dream. Food for one month...We talked about it, but they didn't believe us.''
''During the first year of evacuation, we didn't notice nature, everything that was nature provoked in us only one desire - taste to see if it's edible. Only a year later I noticed the beauty of the Urals''
''I dreamt of catching a sparrow and eating it...''
''A candle burns and the shopgirl cuts the bread pieces. People follow her with their gaze. Her every movement...with burning eyes...crazed...and all that in silence.''
''People walked slowly through the city like shadows. Like in a dream...a deep dream...As in, you see it, but you think you're seeing a dream. Those sluggish movements...floating...As if a person walked on water and not on land.''
''In Leningrad there are a lot of monuments, but one is missing that should exist. They forgot about it. The monument to the dogs of the seige. Dear doggy, forgive me...''
I don't like talking about it. It made no sense to draw Famine with a horse.
PESTILENCE
Based on the notes of a doctor who said the most frightening thing about viral disease was how it didn’t frighten. People didn’t know or didn't care. They lived and spread until it was too late and they became another name on the record
The clothing being made out of shredding plastic is no coincidence; pollution is a form of pestilence too
Recommended reading: Notes from a Countryside Doctor - Mikhail Bulgakov. Roughly translated quote below;
''Ah, I verified that here syphilis was frightening precisely because it did not frighten. That was why I evoked that woman.* I remembered her with a kind of affectionate respect: because she had been afraid. But she was the only one!''
*Early in the chapter, doctor mentions a woman that appeared in the clinic with a letter from her soldier husband, where he wrote that he had syphilis and told her she should go to the doctor too.
DEATH
Recommended reading: Voices of Chernobyl - Svetlana Alexievitch. The Death of Ivan Ilitch - Lev Tolstoi
“Death is the fairest thing in the world. No one's ever gotten out of it. The earth takes everyone - the kind, the cruel, the sinners. Aside from that, there's no fairness on earth.”
Death is the only horseman that doesn’t need to mount their horse; they will reach everyone eventually. Who is the saddle for then? Open ended question because this one you have to figure out personally
Many people pointed out how the horse is a Clydesdale. Good eyes! I purposefully asked a friend to guide me towards what type of horses are the sturdiest and most-friendly looking. I drew the horse grazing. It's not injured, it doesn't gallop. It's grazing peacefully because life moves on.
This is the only design that had a painting serve as a base - The Reaper, by Alexey Venetsianov. Not much or nothing at all is written about, I saw it in a book. It is a literal reaper but it haunted me, as if it's portraying more than a person.
The choice to make it a woman was due to a book about a crematory (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Caitlin Doughty) that connected women to death because everyone born is bound to die.
Ahhh, I don't want to give it all away. It's fun to figure things out. About them all. From the enviroment, to the movement, to the horses themselves. Many people even mentioned details that I did not notice and didn't add purposefully that were so inspired and amazing. I truly mean that the interpretations of the public enrich the works even more than my own words. And it's an honor to share that work with everyone.
This is a project analyzing and taking a look at the fashion design and application in the multimedia series, The IDOLM@STER: Shiny Colors. This section is about the gothic themed unit of the series, L'Antica! If you want to jump to a specific section, go here!
(This is a reprint of my thread on Twitter. I put it on Tumblr for easier reading and for archiving purposes. Enjoy!)
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INTRODUCTION
A revolutionary unit of the New World. The flame smoldering in their hearts become a “Song,” their lonely tears become a “Wish.” Clad in gothic dresses, they sing on for hope.
Members (from left to right):
Yuika Mitsumine (三峰結華)
Mamimi Tanaka (田中摩美々)
Kogane Tsukioka (月岡恋鐘) [center/leader]
Sakuya Shirase (白瀬咲耶)
Kiriko Yukoku (幽谷霧子)
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L’Antica (the Italian feminine form of “antique”) is an elegant & dark vocal unit that specializes in symphonic metal music. Their overall aesthetic & costumes incorporate Gothic and Victorian-era concepts, steampunk, and prominently features of other eras of history.
In Shiny Colors, all units are represented by a color of the rainbow. L’Antica’s color is a deep purple that mirrors their Gothic aesthetic. It’s a color full of mystery, intrigue, darkness, and emotion which perfectly encapsulates their music and overall concept.
Rather than their costumes having heavy symbolism like illumination STARS, L’Antica’s costumes are more clearly defined by their style inspirations. As per their name, their costumes are influenced primarily by 18th-20th century Western artistic movements.
Gothic refers to an artistic movement around the mid-late 1700s inspired by 12th-century architecture, a popular setting for Gothic fiction. It combines the supernatural, macabre & dark aura of Gothic literature with innate symbolism standing for psychological or social conflict.
The Gothic influence can clearly be seen in their costumes, featuring dark color palettes, Gothic lolita elements like ruffled skirts, and mysterious, sublime settings of supernatural or haunting concepts. Their costumes immerse the viewer in different strange worlds every time.
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The Victorian Era refers to the period of British culture under the reign of Queen Victoria (1830s-1900s), a popular historical aesthetic due to its iconic upper-class fashion & culture. It’s also an era of revivalism, related to movements like Neoclassicism & Rococo Revival.
Another revival movement that took place is the Gothic Revival, which brought back Gothic architecture and literature into popular culture mixed with values of sentimentalism. As such, Victorian Gothic art has a preoccupation with tragic beauty and symbology for loss and death.
A handful of L’Antica costumes are very inspired by Victorian-era fashion, culture, and art as well as elements of Gothic Revival; more details will be expanded upon in their individual sections.
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The most notable aesthetic that L’Antica takes inspiration from is steampunk, a genre of science fiction that imagines an alternate future with heavy use of steam engine or spring power and maintaining of Victorian-era visuals.
Other than their main/first unit costumes being heavily steampunk-inspired, it has heavy theming in almost all of their unit costumes; even their logo is a common steampunk element, a key in the shape of a gear.
Perhaps inspired by the Victorian Era being one of revivalism, a handful of L’Antica’s costumes are inspired by other Western/European historical eras. Additionally, eclecticism was a prominent concept during this time, mixing several stylistic influences to make unique designs.
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Symphonic Steam (シンフォニックスチーム)
“Symphonic Steam” is L’Antica’s main unit costume and is the most representative of their concept and aesthetic, featuring heavy Gothic and steampunk motifs. The name references them being a primarily steampunk-themed idol group.
The animation features the five girls inside and outside of a clocktower. The clocktower shares many features with real life Gothic Revival architecture, including steep roofs, pointed arches, ornate & lacey trims, and overall picturesque design.
The key points of “Symphonic Steam” are related to its major style inspirations, namely steampunk, Victorian Gothic, and Gothic lolita detailing. As this is their main costume, it greatly encapsulates their main influences and overall dark and esoteric feel of their music.
As with many idol costumes, “Symphonic Steam” uses the “similar look” concept to make L’Antica look cohesive & thematically the same while bringing out each of the members’ individuality. This graphics shows some key differences between them, revealing a bit of their character.
Just like their costumes, the animation also shows them in different places or doing different action in/on the clocktower to show off their personalities.
Kgane is center of the clocktower (center/leader), Mamimi is lounging inside (lazy, coy), Sakuya is posing outside (serious, model-like), Mitsumine is on top throwing her pocketwatch (smart, eccentric), and Kiriko is caged, riding to the top (fantastical, dream-like).
---
Faith of Treasure (フェイスオブトレジャー)
“Faith of Treasure” is L’Antica’s second unit costume. Like “Symphonic Steam,” this costume has very heavy steampunk theming. As such, the idols are acting as treasure hunters in an anachronistic Victorian city with steam technology.
Comparing “Symphonic Steam” to “Faith of Treasure,” both costume sport heavy steampunk theming. However, “Face of Treasure” is much lighter and fun in nature, leaning more science fiction/Victorian, while “Symphonic Steam” is dark and moodier, leaning more Gothic.
The key points of “Faith of Treasure” are its strong steampunk and Victorian stylistic influence as seen in the graphic. Additionally, the costumes suit their role as treasure hunters with the accessories and accents seen all over their bodies.
Along with the costumes, their animations point to each of the members being in a specialized role in their treasure hunter team.
Mamimi is a thief, having clothes with easy mobility, a gas mask for protection, and running with a bag. Sakuya is a fancy aeronaut with her sleek dress providing little resistance as she flies through the air. Yuika is a pilot or mechanic with her goggles & tinkerer’s tools.
Kiriko is just a citizen as her design is doesn’t have as many details as the other girls, having bourgeoisie details like her cravat & simple dress. Kogane has a gun & a larger sack; along with the items seen in the beginning with the map, she’s probably the leader.
---
La Rosso Grimm (ラ・ロッソグリム)
Translating from Italian to “The Red Grimm,” “La Rosso Grim” is L’Antica’s third unit costume. Taking a step away from steampunk, this costume set is heavily based on Grimms’ Fairy Tales and Gothic fiction.
The setting for “La Rosso Grimm” takes place in a Gothic castle where “five girls are lost,” with the live stage being a replica of the castle and its yard. Gothic castles were a popular setting for Gothic fiction as well as Grimms’ fairy tales due to its mystery & royal nature.
In fact, all of the animations for these costumes have an opening scene that mimics a fairy-tale passage with the mystery and darkness of Gothic fiction. These passages are also directly based off of Grimms’ fairy tales, like “The Raven,” “Snow White,” and “Cinderella.”
However, the biggest fairy tale influence that “La Rosso Grimm” uses is “Little Red Riding Hood.” Besides the obvious name allusion (“The Red Grimm”), the costumes have a hood, the setting is a castle in the tangled woods, and the members pose with wolves in their album cover.
Key points of this costume include steampunk elements as usual (but moreso as accents), a heavier Gothic and punkish influence, and “Little Red Riding Hood” theming in their construction and details.
Thank you for the kind words and tags…! Yes, I read all the tags; every single one.
My morning was almost always awful, but it’s different today. I went to work smiling, and I planned to buy a new tiny notebook for the new MP100 fancomic after I’m off from work tonight.
It feels good to have something to look forward to in life, no matter how small it is. Thank you.
Today’s Featured Artist on PaigeeWorld is @ hk017!
hk017’s art is so pretty and cute, not to mention that all their OCs are so precious. Their pieces are always so detailed and brings out the personalities of their OCs. Please leave them lots of love and support!
Discover this artist and more on PaigeeWorld! Find PaigeeWorld on web, iTunes and Android!
I want spoilers of the eighth novel of MSS (Kakushin Teki Heroism)
hello anon, sorry for the late reply
I’ve written the synopsis on the wiki already, in case you haven’t checked it, here is the link (http://mikagura-school-suite.wikia.com/wiki/ミカグラ学園組曲_VIII_-Kakushinteki_Heroism-) .
The two final chapter summaries, however will be added soon, along with the seventh novel synopsis, so please wait for it. :)
Whoa, end of August. College will start the day after tomorrow, I should do my best.
Nothing much happened in this month, really. However I went out with friends quite a lot and tried something new (practicing ice skating, going to another city, just to name a few).
Man, it's indeed been awhile since the last time I logged to my tumblr. I missed playing here and all of my tumblr buddies, too. But then, idk connection problem is always there since I changed my modem so I rarely log in here. The mobile version is not helping either o<--<
All in all, have a great day! See you on September.
tagged by pika09 and killing-art thanks!! (Whoa, sorry for the late check though orz)
1 - write your name in song titles
Kakushinteki Heroism
Akatsuki Arrival
Izayoi Seeing
2 - why did you choose your url?
it comes from my favorite song, Kokoro no Wakusei ~Little Planet~ (ED of Law of Ueki). As for 17, it’s my favorite number as well as my birthdate (July 1st).
3 - what is your middle name?
I don’t have last name, let alone middle name. No, seriously.
4 - if you could be a fictional/fairytale being, what would you like to be?
wahh... what indeed.. trashbender maybe
5 - favorite color?
teal, pastel orange
6 - favorite song?
songs that bring back memories and it never gets old every time I listen to it, bonus point if it still makes me cry after years.
7 - top 4 fandoms?
I’m currently playing Ensemble Stars, catching up BBC Sherlock, reading Mikagura School Suite, and following Tsuredzure Children.
8 - why do you enjoy tumblr?
It’s like roller-coaster ride to hell, thank you.
9 - tag 9 of your mutuals!
Nah, anyone who wants to do this, feel free for doing so!
How to ask a pixiv/deviantart artist if you could post their work in Indonesian
[WARNING: Long post ahead!]
So while I was browsing through Deviantart (and sometimes pixiv) I noticed that there are a lot of very talented Indonesian fanartists, especially in the Hetalia fandom. As a fellow Indonesian, there’s this urge to introduce their art to the rest of the world (read: tumblr). But as it turns out, most of their pictures are already floating around in the internet. Now, I believe you guys are already familiar to the term ‘reposting with permission’. But the available templates are mostly in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.
Then, if there are no Indonesian permission templates, how do you ask for permission? Well, use the usual English template of course!
No, not that simple. Sorry guys. There’s a reason why people make templates in languages other than English. Here’s why.
While most Indonesian artists are capable of using fairly good (or understandable) English, some of them may not be able to reply or understand complicated words. Furthermore, misunderstandings can happen if the artists themselves only have very limited vocabulary. So, to avoid that, people make permission templates in Japanese, Koreans, and other languages as well.
With that in mind, I decided to make an Indonesian permission template. This was taken from my message to an Indonesian pixiv artist and FYI, I was successful. She let me post her art on my tumblr, as long as I keep the URL intact. (But she already has a tumblr so I just reblogged from there instead)
So without further ado, here is my template:
Yth. Kak (insert artist name here)
Kakak, perkenalkan nama saya (insert your name here). Saya pemilik akun tumblr [insert your tumblr url here]. Waktu saya browsing galeri Kakak, saya tertarik sama salah satu (use ‘beberapa’ in place of ‘salah satu’ if you want to post more than one picture) art Kakak (insert pixiv ID(s) or picture URL(s) here) dan ingin sekali mengenalkannya ke tumblr melalui akun saya. Bagaimana menurut Kakak? Apakah Kakak merasa keberatan? Tentu saja, saya bakal mencantumkan URL illust dan profile pixiv Kakak.
Oh iya, kalau Kakak kebetulan mempunyai tumblr juga, apa nama akunnya? Barangkali Kakak ingin saya me-reblog saja langsung dari Tumblr Kakak
Sendainya Kakak mengizinkan, apakah kira-kira nanti saya harus meminta izin lagi kalau ingin repost gambar lagi?
Itu saja, Kak. Terima kasih atas perhatiannya. Mohon bantuannya ya Kak.
※ maaf, Bahasa Indonesia saya nggak terlalu bagus. Jadi, tolong jawab dengan kata-kata yang sederhana. [OK] atau [NOT OK] juga cukup.
Translation:
Dear (pixiv artist)
Kakak*, my name is (sender name). I’m the owner of (tumblr url). While I was browsing your gallery, one/several* of your illustrations, (pixiv illust id ) caught my interest and I would like to introduce it on tumblr through my tumblr. What do you think? Would you mind if I do so? Of course, I will also include the illust ID and the link your pixiv profile .
Oh, and by the way, do you have a tumblr? What is the name of your account? Just in case if you want me to reblog from your tumblr instead.
If you give me the permission, do I have to contact you in the future again if I want to post another illustration?
That is all. Thank you for your attention Yoroshiku onegaishimasu*
※ Sorry, my Indonesian isn’t good. so please answer using simple language. “ok” or “not ok” is fine too!
Some notes:
*this is actually a honorific, similar to Senpai. We Indonesians literally have hundreds of way to address somebody depending on the age, gender, and even the area we’re currently in. But I’m using ‘Kakak’ which can be used for just about every situation, gender, and even age provided that you don’t know the artist’s actual age.
*no kidding, this is the closest translation to that last sentence
* ‘salah satu’ means ‘one of the (illustrations)’ while ‘beberapa’ means several
And that’s pretty much it. Now all you gotta do is to wait for their reply. This is where Google translator comes in handy. I suggest you actually use the template. Artists would feel a sense of familiarity if you use their native language. Trust me on this one.
*Please let me now if this template helps you. Also, feel free to message me if you have any questions. I will answer you publicly unless you state otherwise. I really hope this post is useful to you guys ^^.
Don't think I've seen anyone ask this, so... ShiguEru and/or SadaHimi ship teases please? ;w; Thank you so much! (//was gonna ask KyoSei but I think someone asked that already?-)
Suresure~
ShiguEru (in mutual ways):
Both are really close from their childhood. Shigure really likes to give her presents or making parties for her ever since and Eruna always appreciated it. Both even had promised to get married once they become an adult (in which this one actually written by Shigure in Eruna’s yearbook in elementary school, much to Eruna’s distaste). However, the more they grow up, the more Eruna find Shigure is annoying and gross, so she deliberately distance herself from him.
Eruna actually worries about Shigure a lot, such as when she tricked her to buy lousy glasses and wonders if Shigure will mad at her or not (Book 6, Chapter 1); When Shigure’s condition getting worse after he activates Hero Time and made him can’t fight against her in the Midterm Battle (Book 6, Chapter 4); What will the aftermath of Shigure and Kyoma’s battle be, just to name a few. However, she acts as if there’s nothing happened, since she clearly knows that if Shigure knows she worried about him, Shigure will become over-excited, much to her disgust.
Eruna also admits that Shigure is the only one who understands her most (Book 3, Chapter 3).
There are times when they are getting along with each other, such as when they were shopping together (Book 6, Chapter 2) or talking about Shigure’s past in sister school (Book 3, Chapter 3).
SadaHimi:
Both address each other with suffix “~chan“. Though Himi does this to almost everyone, Sadamatsu is in a different case. Sadamatsu admits that he has quite close relationship with Seisa, his childhood friend, and yet he calls her Mikagura-san. Yet, he addressed Himi with her first name, so probably he is closer to her than Seisa.
Himi is prone to jump into Sadamatsu whenever she approached him. (Book 1, Book 5)
When Himi drunks on soda, she approaches Sadamatsu and almost stripped herself in front of him (which finally stopped by Katai before she manages to do it completely). Eruna noted that Sadamatsu’s reaction on that accident is interesting. – Book 3, chapter 3
When both meet each others, they could care less about their surroundings, such when Eruna asked for help to them to stop Otone and Kyoma’s misunderstanding, both of them were busy with their own world, while drinking tea and sat on zabuton which was brought by Sadamatsu. (Book 5, chapter 2)
Himi clings to Sadamatsu quite a lot when he’s about to give the congratulatory present to Eruna. She asked him playfully whether he brought cookies as presents for her or not. (Book 5, chapter 2)
When Sadamatsu done explaining the meaning behind Lupine flowers, Himi mimicked him, which made him slightly embarrassed when she asked whether she mimicked him well or not. (Book 5, chapter 2)
Before the battle beginsHimi: “Minatogawa-chan, how about the one who loses treats the winner everything they wants in the booth~? Himi really wants to eat cotton candy~“Sadamatsu: “..then if I win, I want apple candy. Ah, it’s tempting….“ (Book 5, chapter 2)
When the battle starts, Sadamatsu as if playfully teased Himi by crushing her two crystals and yet he hid himself behind the flowers, much to Himi’s discharge.
Sadamatsu: ”..I want the candy apple as promised… Do you want to treat others candy apple too, as my request..?”Himi: “No! I’ll just treat Minatogawa-chan only!”
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