how to draw horses(for the discerning horse girl)
i spent two years working in barns to give you this information. use it wisely
view all 16 parts under the cut!

@theartofmadeline
Stranger Things

PR's Tumblrdome
Show & Tell

#extradirty
sheepfilms
Aqua Utopia|海の底で記憶を紡ぐ

izzy's playlists!
Cosimo Galluzzi
occasionally subtle
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
DEAR READER
Not today Justin

oozey mess
Peter Solarz
taylor price
Sweet Seals For You, Always
h
trying on a metaphor
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@otori-tutorial
how to draw horses(for the discerning horse girl)
i spent two years working in barns to give you this information. use it wisely
view all 16 parts under the cut!
burning text gif maker
heart locket gif maker
minecraft advancement maker
minecraft logo font text generator w/assorted textures and pride flags
windows error message maker (win1.0-win11)
FromSoftware image macro generator (elden ring Noun Verbed text)
image to 3d effect gif
vaporwave image generator
microsoft wordart maker (REALLY annoying to use on mobile)
you're welcome
hot artists don't gatekeep
I've been resource gathering for YEARS so now I am going to share my dragons hoard
Floorplanner. Design and furnish a house for you to use for having a consistent background in your comic or anything! Free, you need an account, easy to use, and you can save multiple houses.
Comparing Heights. Input the heights of characters to see what the different is between them. Great for keeping consistency. Free.
Magma. Draw online with friends in real time. Great for practice or hanging out. Free, paid plan available, account preferred.
Smithsonian Open Access. Loads of free images. Free.
SketchDaily. Lots of pose references, massive library, is set on a timer so you can practice quick figure drawing. Free.
SculptGL. A sculpting tool which I am yet to master, but you should be able to make whatever 3d object you like with it. free.
Pexels. Free stock images. And the search engine is actually pretty good at pulling up what you want.
Figurosity. Great pose references, diverse body types, lots of "how to draw" videos directly on the site, the models are 3d and you can rotate the angle, but you can't make custom poses or edit body proportions. Free, account option, paid plans available.
Line of Action. More drawing references, this one also has a focus on expressions, hands/feet, animals, landscapes. Free.
Animal Photo. You pose a 3d skull model and select an animal species, and they give you a bunch of photo references for that animal at that angle. Super handy. Free.
Height Weight Chart. You ever see an OC listed as having a certain weight but then they look Wildly different than the number suggests? Well here's a site to avoid that! It shows real people at different weights and heights to give you a better idea of what these abstract numbers all look like. Free to use.
Homie gonna share this
hot artists don't gatekeep
I've been resource gathering for YEARS so now I am going to share my dragons hoard
Floorplanner. Design and furnish a house for you to use for having a consistent background in your comic or anything! Free, you need an account, easy to use, and you can save multiple houses.
Comparing Heights. Input the heights of characters to see what the different is between them. Great for keeping consistency. Free.
Magma. Draw online with friends in real time. Great for practice or hanging out. Free, paid plan available, account preferred.
Smithsonian Open Access. Loads of free images. Free.
SketchDaily. Lots of pose references, massive library, is set on a timer so you can practice quick figure drawing. Free.
SculptGL. A sculpting tool which I am yet to master, but you should be able to make whatever 3d object you like with it. free.
Pexels. Free stock images. And the search engine is actually pretty good at pulling up what you want.
Figurosity. Great pose references, diverse body types, lots of "how to draw" videos directly on the site, the models are 3d and you can rotate the angle, but you can't make custom poses or edit body proportions. Free, account option, paid plans available.
Line of Action. More drawing references, this one also has a focus on expressions, hands/feet, animals, landscapes. Free.
Animal Photo. You pose a 3d skull model and select an animal species, and they give you a bunch of photo references for that animal at that angle. Super handy. Free.
Height Weight Chart. You ever see an OC listed as having a certain weight but then they look Wildly different than the number suggests? Well here's a site to avoid that! It shows real people at different weights and heights to give you a better idea of what these abstract numbers all look like. Free to use.
So, we all know that I’ve been experimenting with getting rid of Mattel’s nasty head glue for years, now, and have settled on L.A.’s Totally Awesome in the US as my go-to product (CIF brand cleansers seem to work, too).
Here’s a link to a post with an overview and some other links: https://www.tumblr.com/imreadydollparts/708236837686214656/mattel-head-glue
I don’t have the patience to dig up all of the reference links but over time a chemist on a Russian forum did some chemical analysis on the glue, discovered it’s either 1 part of a 2-part epoxy, or was mis-mixed so that it could never set, and suggested Xylene as a cleanser to remove it.
Xylene isn’t a very friendly chemical (though a paint thinner that is xylene based is often recommended for deflocking MLP without messing up their paint) and an art conservationist decided to try a friendlier surfactant called Triton XL 114 which works on similar things as Xylene.
Triton XL 114, when just a few drops are worked into gluey doll hair like shampoo (you must rub, friction is key, and add a little water) obliterated the glue. Glue gone. No glue left other than a little tackiness at the roots, which makes sense because the hair is so dense, there.
It can be purchased here: https://museumservicescorporation.com/products/triton-x-114-1-pint
You want gloves.
Now, I don’t have a lot of glue headed dolls left. I sold them all because I didn’t feel like dealing with it, but I did get a little tube of Triton to test out because Totally Awesome treats glue head AND can deflock a My Little Pony without damaging her paint, and in the same vein of thought as Xylene to Triton, I hoped that Triton would work on G1 flocking glue, too! Having a single chemical that could strip flocking glue without hurting the factory paint would be really nice! T.A. does a decent job of it but I do often have to get out some acetone for thicker globs of glue.
I also dug up an old Venus McFlytrap head that had never been treated and a Goldie Locks head which I had used in a T.A. experiment some time back which was still gluey.
Well……. I have hard water, and we discovered that Triton doesn’t work nearly as effectively in hard water.
This is the same problem I have with products like Goo Gone. Goo Gone can dissolve the head glue, but I can NOT wash the Goo Gone out no matter how long I scrub with how much soap, because I have hard water.
After washing both Venus and Blondie were still rather sticky.
I did manege to grab a jug of distilled water, though, and it made a huge difference. Even with gloves on I could feel the surface texture of their hair change as the glue was washed away.
Very nice.
I did deliberately rub off Venus’s flocking (don’t worry it was already damaged) so I could clearly see how the glue was affected by Triton XL. It was not.
Regardless of what purity of water I used, Triton does not do anything to MLP flocking glue and cannot be used to deflock a pony. Boiling hot water knocks the flocking off well enough and also gave me a good view of Triton’s effect on the glue. No effect, just like Venus.
I used a little acetone here so you can see that the yellowing is the glue which didn’t come off.
So.
Is Triton XL 114 better at removing Mattel head glue than L.A.’s Totally Awesome?
The end results are about the same. You get clean hair that might be sticky still in denser areas.
-
Washing the hair with Triton doesn’t affect the glue remaining inside the head unless you get some inside the head and let it sit for a while. It’s kind of a pain to get out, again. You will have so many bubbles.
Again, the end result is the same as with a long soak with Totally Awesome. The glue that remains will have formed a crust on the outside of any chunks, and loose globs will come out or be easier to manually remove because the outer layer is no longer sticky.
-
Triton is faster at removing glue from the hair by a long shot. You might have to shampoo and rinse two or three times, but that’s still much faster than soaking for days to weeks in T.A.
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You need a lot less Triton to treat a doll head than T.A. since you’re using a drop or two per head instead of having to fill a cup with cleanser and then change it now and then.
-
Triton is less effective in hard water which might mean needing more washes and taking longer/more water to rinse, whereas T.A. doesn’t lose any efficacy in hard water and is very easy to rinse.
Distilled water greatly improves Triton’s efficacy and ease of rinsing.
-
T.A. will strip off flocking glue and Triton won’t. If you’re trying to clean up a doll head with flocking do NOT touch the flocking while the head is wet or it will come off regardless.
-
T.A. will dissolve rubber bands (been so happy that works…) and plastic hair ties and Triton doesn’t.
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T.A. is kind of stinky and Triton is scent-free.
So, honestly, neither is better at getting head glue out of Mattel doll heads, but both work.
If you enjoy the process of washing doll hair, don’t have the patience to wait, or maybe you can’t leave cups of concentrated cleanser laying around because you have kids/pets, you might want to go with Triton.
If you want a more hands-off, passive experience with removing head glue or don’t have time to stand around washing doll hair, Totally Awesome might be the best option for you.
Personally, I think both are pretty great and I’m just happy that there is something out there that works.
I am disappointed that it didn’t work for flocking, though. It would be very nice to be able to rub a nice soap into flocking and have that glue all just go away without taking the paint with it, wouldn’t it?
Fire Tutorial by kantakerro
CSP Brush Compilation
Some of my favorite csp brushes, I figured I may as well do one of these as well if anyone is interested
General Brushes
Lineart
CRO SAI PEN
ACHE & GANG PEN
DAE 12345 SET
Tuna G-Pen
SOIPEN
SU-Cream Pencil
Pom-a Pencil
Painting
Paint
Salmon Brushes
SOL
Soft fluffy paint (10cp)
Sharp Watercolor
PinGoshi dragging brush
ARTIST21 BRUSH PACK
Shading
Hair Pen
One-sided gradient brush
Other
Hair Highlights Mega Pack
Curly Hair Pen
Severely Braid Brush
Decay pen (10cp)
Graffiti Blood
Birdprints (10cp)
Animal pattern brush
Snake Scale Brush
Pixel Brushes Mega Pack
Simple Retro Halftone Brushes
Tools
Mirre’s Favourites
MaaBlur Brush
Motion Blur Brush
Erase Along Edge
Eraser to remove only protrude pen and overflow
No gaps close and fill + for erasing tool reference layer
Tool to remove without gaps
Close and fill tool without gaps
Regular pattern creations aids
The Only Perspective Grid You Need!
10 Kinds of 3D grids & Basic Shapes (10g, 500cp)
Horn Model Collection 1 (500cp)
Bones
Clothing
General
Easy Seams
Seam, double line
Stitch Brush
Tights Brush
Boots New 01.
String brush
Fluttering string pen Kai
Patterns
The Border pen
Easy lines
Hound’s Tooth Check_Set
Camouflage Pens
Greek Pottery Patterns
Traditional Korean Glysm Brush
Korea Old Moon Exchange 2 (10cp)
Korea Old Moon Exchange 3 (10cp)
Traditional gold leaf brush
12
Triangular Diamond Brush
Backgrounds
A brush set that draws clouds
Sputtering brush
Rain brush
Rain Brush Set
Shake/Flow Brush
Roughly waves and light sea brushes
Glowing waves (10cp)
Water description
A brush set that paints a meadow
Bramble
Rose Petals
Building group brushes for a distant distance
Window brushes
Raiku’s City Lights
Hand-painted/ Bookshelf Book & File Brushes
Dancing paper brushes
Fantasy Papers
Ledlights
Sparkling Fish Flock Brush (100g)
Birbs
Battlefield Dust Brush
Dust brushes
Sunlight brushes
Sunlight brushes (yes it’s different)
Ellipse blur brush
Effects
General Effects
Retro Effects
Retro Filters
VHS action set
Color-changing auto-action
Raiku RGB Shift
Gradient Sets
Empty color gradient set
Petitchery Set
Soft Atmosphere Gradient
Sea Gradient
Forest Memory Gradient Map Set
Waste World Gradient Map Set
Other
Ver.1.10.10 Default Sub Tools (May already be added during the update but if not, I highly recommend getting these!)
Jonas De Ro’s Photoshop Brush Pack (Since csp now supports photoshop brushes, I love to use these for backgrounds)
Mar-ka Photoshop Brush Pack (Some more really nice photoshop brushes)
(Paid) ByVegalia Black Hair Brushes: Gumroad Link, Etsy Link (Lots of options for programs as well!!)
Tf2 art style analysis
I looked at the main Tf2 comic and wrote down some features of the art. If you want to draw stuff in the Tf2 art style, this post is for you!
If you want me to look at any other features, tell me! I’m always happy to help.
Amazing site I just discovered that archives girls' games from the 2000s
They've archived games from Barbie, Polly Pocket, Monster High, My Scene... the list goes on and on! It's overwhelming how much they have!! I think they've archived nearly every game for every category they have. And the best thing is, it's all online and you don't need Flash!
www.numuki.com/games/girls/
Bless whoever is maintaining this site, seriously. The nostalgia I got from replaying these games was so intense.
nintendo is taking down the 3ds and wii u eshops next year
and they had this lovingly made totally not taunting message to leave about their virtual console legacy they’re destroying
(that they’ve, fun fact, taken down from their site now :])
this pisses me off so much because nintendo is AWARE we want their legacy of games put on their best selling system (literally, outside of the combined sales of every nintendo DS, lite, DSi, and XL, and the GB and GBC’s combined sales, the switch is at the top)
and yet they still do not care. it’s not about them not having this content either because 1 the wii u vc and 3ds vc. exist. and 2, even for stuff that isnt on the virtual console yet, we’ve been given internal proof from previous big nintendo leaks (namely the gigaleak) that nintendo does not mess around when it comes to keeping backups of their older content. its not a lack of money either, nintendo is literally one of the richest companies in japan. it’s just. a lack of caring
last thing im gonna say about this is that the 3DS and Wii U both have excellent, actively updated guides for softmodding them to run homebrew. the Wii and DSi do as well!
on top of that the emulation general wiki is an amazing resource for emulators for pretty much every generation of game system, including emulators for non game systems like arcade hardware, PCs, and mobile phones, along with emulators on game systems! so check the wiki out if you’re interested!
And if/when you do softmod your 3DS, gosh, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a site that safely and reliably hosted games for it, where you could even download them directly to your 3DS through a QR code?
another art tutorial post :) this time it’s for rainbow effects
Visible Mending
Introduction:
Visible mending is a decorative way to fix up an item. Instead of trying to make your mend as invisible as possible, the idea is to make it part of the garment's design.
Visual mending is not a single technique: it's more of a mindset. If you've got an item you love, it deserves to be mended, and if you're going to put that love into stitches, why not show them off?
That being said, there are some specific techniques that are popular with visible menders. Let's take a look!
Sashiko:
Sashiko is a type of traditional Japanese embroidery that is used to both decorate and reinforce fabric. In visible mending, sashiko is often used to cover up holes with patches or to reinforce thinning fabric. This technique uses a variation on the running stitch.
(Image source)
Some resources on sashiko:
SashiCo on YouTube: sashiko livestreams and information on the cultural aspect of sashiko.
Written tutorial by Upcycle Stitches.
Free sashiko templates by TheSpruceCrafts.
Fixing jeans with sashiko by Soluna Collective.
(Image source)
(Image source)
Embroidery:
Regular embroidery is also a popular technique to accentuate your mends. Check out my embroidery 101 post to learn how to get started. You can embroider patches, or use embroidery to hide or accentuate any stitches you've made to fix holes. Embroidery's also a great way to cover up stains.
(Image source)
(Image source)
Patches:
There are many ways to add patches to a garment. My tutorial on patches is a good place to start if you want to make custom-shaped patches to sew on top of your fabric. You can also sew your patch on the inside of your garment and have it peek out from beneath the hole you're trying to fix. Fun ideas for this are lace or superheroes.
(Image source)
(Source)
Darning:
Darning is a technique used to repair holes in fabric by using running stitches to weave extra fabric over the hole as to fill it up again. While traditionally darning is done in an invisible way by using the same colour of thread as your fabric, you can also use contrasting colours to accentuate your fix. Check out this written tutorial on darning by TheSpruceCrafts.
(Image source)
(Image source)
Conclusion:
Visible mending is a creative way to fix up your clothes and give them some personality at the same time.
You should be proud of the fact that you took the time and learned the necessary skills needed to mend your clothes! Show off what you did!
A fun side effect of wearing these obvious mends is that people will notice them. They'll remember your fixes the next time they're faced with a hole in their wardrobe, and it will make them more likely to try it for themselves.
These are just a few ways to visibly mend your garments. Want more inspiration? Check out Pinterest or r/Visiblemending on Reddit.
you’re hearing it more and more
Spotify Premium ad: “Imagine playing music without interruptions! Infinite skipping! Replay the song you want! And even do it offline? No ads! Whatever songs you want! For a small monthly payme-” Me: *nods, turns off Spotify and turns on my MP3 player and does all the things they offer, but for free and with songs they don’t even have*
For those of you who might not know how to do any of this:
To convert CD audio into mp3s, you just follow the steps here
To play mp3 files, you download an mp3 player like Winamp here and away you go
On mobile? There are plenty of free mp3 players for your phone available, too, so check them out
You don’t need to be tethered to an online streaming service for your music. Be free.
You can also rip audio files from youtube and find files all over the internet. It is far easier to come across great and lesser known music if you dont limit yourself to spotify.
when i was younger, you could literally put a cd into the computer, attach your mp3/4, open the files, and just drag the song files into your device files, and you’d have them.
I KEEP ON SEEING THIS AROUND AND PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT MP3S AND CDS AND ONLY 1 (ONE) MENTIONED USING YOUTUBE DOWNLOADERS AND HAVING THE MUSIC ON YOUR DAMN SMARTPHONE ARE YOU OK HOW ISN’T EVERYONE DOING THIS
wait a second, are you guys telling me your phone didn’t come with an in-built music player? how? is it an iphone thing? either way, your app store should have a good choice; test some before you stick to one. if you like to create your own playlists, you may want to choose AIMP, it has decent sound correction options too.
[I’m totally not offering help in using chomikuj.pl, it’s absolutely not the place I go to look for songs I liked]
So, let me guess– you just started a new book, right? And you’re stumped. You have no idea how much an AK47 goes for nowadays. I get ya, cousin. Tough world we live in. A writer’s gotta know, but them NSA hounds are after ya 24/7. I know, cousin, I know. If there was only a way to find out all of this rather edgy information without getting yourself in trouble…
You’re in luck, cousin. I have just the thing for ya.
It’s called Havocscope. It’s got information and prices for all sorts of edgy information. Ever wondered how much cocaine costs by the gram, or how much a kidney sells for, or (worst of all) how much it costs to hire an assassin?
I got your back, cousin. Just head over to Havocscope.
((PS: In case you’re wondering, Havocscope is a database full of information regarding the criminal underworld. The information you will find there has been taken from newspapers and police reports. It’s perfectly legal, no need to worry about the NSA hounds, cousin ;p))
Want more writerly content? Follow maxkirin.tumblr.com!
Assassins
“Below are selected prices that are paid to professional assassins by criminal organizations and drug cartels for a contract hit.
In Australia, the median price to hire a hit man is $13,610 (9,800 Euros), with the price going up to $83,000 (60,000 Euros) based on the task.
In Mexico, the cost for a low level assassin is $208 (150 Euros), and up to $20,832 (15,000 Euros) for a higher profile target like a police chief.
The prices paid in Argentina are between $3,749 (2,700 Euros) to $5,555 (4,000 Euros) per hit.
Government statistics in Spain state that 40 assassinations take place each year, with prices for the hit ranging between $27 (20 Euros) to $69,000 (50,000 Euros).”
So cheap! I always thought things like this would cost more than $1 million…
This is super useful to know!
and not just for writing!!
@katherine-rose
HOLY FUCK
HOW MANY HOURS HAVE I WASTED TRYING TO FIND HEROIN PRICES ON THE INTERNET WHAT A GREAT DATABASE
I needed this
Actually useful. Sometimes incognito isn’t enough.
and suddenly my life just became much easier
I’ve heard of this before but the GIFs made it better
saving this in case i get to some kind of mafia au 😩 😩
Words for Skin Tone | How to Describe Skin Color
We discussed the issues describing People of Color by means of food in Part I of this guide, which brought rise to even more questions, mostly along the lines of “So, if food’s not an option, what can I use?” Well, I was just getting to that!
This final portion focuses on describing skin tone, with photo and passage examples provided throughout. I hope to cover everything from the use of straight-forward description to the more creatively-inclined, keeping in mind the questions we’ve received on this topic.
Standard Description
Basic Colors
Pictured above: Black, Brown, Beige, White, Pink.
“She had brown skin.”
This is a perfectly fine description that, while not providing the most detail, works well and will never become cliché.
Describing characters’ skin as simply brown or beige works on its own, though it’s not particularly telling just from the range in brown alone.
Complex Colors
These are more rarely used words that actually “mean” their color. Some of these have multiple meanings, so you’ll want to look into those to determine what other associations a word might have.
Pictured above: Umber, Sepia, Ochre, Russet, Terra-cotta, Gold, Tawny, Taupe, Khaki, Fawn.
Complex colors work well alone, though often pair well with a basic color in regards to narrowing down shade/tone.
For example: Golden brown, russet brown, tawny beige…
As some of these are on the “rare” side, sliding in a definition of the word within the sentence itself may help readers who are unfamiliar with the term visualize the color without seeking a dictionary.
“He was tall and slim, his skin a russet, reddish-brown.”
Comparisons to familiar colors or visuals are also helpful:
“His skin was an ochre color, much like the mellow-brown light that bathed the forest.”
Modifiers
Modifiers, often adjectives, make partial changes to a word.The following words are descriptors in reference to skin tone.
Dark - Deep - Rich - Cool
Warm - Medium - Tan
Fair - Light - Pale
Rich Black, Dark brown, Warm beige, Pale pink…
If you’re looking to get more specific than “brown,” modifiers narrow down shade further.
Keep in mind that these modifiers are not exactly colors.
As an already brown-skinned person, I get tan from a lot of sun and resultingly become a darker, deeper brown. I turn a pale, more yellow-brown in the winter.
While best used in combination with a color, I suppose words like “tan” “fair” and “light” do work alone; just note that tan is less likely to be taken for “naturally tan” and much more likely a tanned White person.
Calling someone “dark” as description on its own is offensive to some and also ambiguous. (See: Describing Skin as Dark)
Undertones
Undertones are the colors beneath the skin, seeing as skin isn’t just one even color but has more subdued tones within the dominating palette.
pictured above: warm / earth undertones: yellow, golden, copper, olive, bronze, orange, orange-red, coral | cool / jewel undertones: pink, red, blue, blue-red, rose, magenta, sapphire, silver.
Mentioning the undertones within a character’s skin is an even more precise way to denote skin tone.
As shown, there’s a difference between say, brown skin with warm orange-red undertones (Kelly Rowland) and brown skin with cool, jewel undertones (Rutina Wesley).
“A dazzling smile revealed the bronze glow at her cheeks.”
“He always looked as if he’d ran a mile, a constant tinge of pink under his tawny skin.”
Standard Description Passage
“Farah’s skin, always fawn, had burned and freckled under the summer’s sun. Even at the cusp of autumn, an uneven tan clung to her skin like burrs. So unlike the smooth, red-brown ochre of her mother, which the sun had richened to a blessing.”
-From my story “Where Summer Ends” featured in Strange Little Girls
Here the state of skin also gives insight on character.
Note my use of “fawn” in regards to multiple meaning and association. While fawn is a color, it’s also a small, timid deer, which describes this very traumatized character of mine perfectly.
Though I use standard descriptions of skin tone more in my writing, at the same time I’m no stranger to creative descriptions, and do enjoy the occasional artsy detail of a character.
Creative Description
Whether compared to night-cast rivers or day’s first light…I actually enjoy seeing Characters of Colors dressed in artful detail.
I’ve read loads of descriptions in my day of white characters and their “smooth rose-tinged ivory skin”, while the PoC, if there, are reduced to something from a candy bowl or a Starbucks drink, so to actually read of PoC described in lavish detail can be somewhat of a treat.
Still, be mindful when you get creative with your character descriptions. Too many frills can become purple-prose-like, so do what feels right for your writing when and where. Not every character or scene warrants a creative description, either. Especially if they’re not even a secondary character.
Using a combination of color descriptions from standard to creative is probably a better method than straight creative. But again, do what’s good for your tale.
Natural Settings - Sky
Pictured above: Harvest Moon -Twilight, Fall/Autumn Leaves, Clay, Desert/Sahara, Sunlight - Sunrise - Sunset - Afterglow - Dawn- Day- Daybreak, Field - Prairie - Wheat, Mountain/Cliff, Beach/Sand/Straw/Hay.
Now before you run off to compare your heroine’s skin to the harvest moon or a cliff side, think about the associations to your words.
When I think cliff, I think of jagged, perilous, rough. I hear sand and picture grainy, yet smooth. Calm. mellow.
So consider your character and what you see fit to compare them to.
Also consider whose perspective you’re describing them from. Someone describing a person they revere or admire may have a more pleasant, loftier description than someone who can’t stand the person.
“Her face was like the fire-gold glow of dawn, lifting my gaze, drawing me in.”
“She had a sandy complexion, smooth and tawny.”
Even creative descriptions tend to draw help from your standard words.
Flowers
Pictured above: Calla lilies, Western Coneflower, Hazel Fay, Hibiscus, Freesia, Rose
It was a bit difficult to find flowers to my liking that didn’t have a 20 character name or wasn’t called something like “chocolate silk” so these are the finalists.
You’ll definitely want to avoid purple-prose here.
Also be aware of flowers that most might’ve never heard of. Roses are easy, as most know the look and coloring(s) of this plant. But Western coneflowers? Calla lilies? Maybe not so much.
“He entered the cottage in a huff, cheeks a blushing brown like the flowers Nana planted right under my window. Hazel Fay she called them, was it?”
Assorted Plants & Nature
Pictured above: Cattails, Seashell, Driftwood, Pinecone, Acorn, Amber
These ones are kinda odd. Perhaps because I’ve never seen these in comparison to skin tone, With the exception of amber.
At least they’re common enough that most may have an idea what you’re talking about at the mention of “pinecone.“
I suggest reading out your sentences aloud to get a better feel of how it’ll sounds.
“Auburn hair swept past pointed ears, set around a face like an acorn both in shape and shade.”
I pictured some tree-dwelling being or person from a fantasy world in this example, which makes the comparison more appropriate.
I don’t suggest using a comparison just “cuz you can” but actually being thoughtful about what you’re comparing your character to and how it applies to your character and/or setting.
Wood
Pictured above: Mahogany, Walnut, Chestnut, Golden Oak, Ash
Wood can be an iffy description for skin tone. Not only due to several of them having “foody” terminology within their names, but again, associations.
Some people would prefer not to compare/be compared to wood at all, so get opinions, try it aloud, and make sure it’s appropriate to the character if you do use it.
“The old warlock’s skin was a deep shade of mahogany, his stare serious and firm as it held mine.”
Metals
Pictured above: Platinum, Copper, Brass, Gold, Bronze
Copper skin, brass-colored skin, golden skin…
I’ve even heard variations of these used before by comparison to an object of the same properties/coloring, such as penny for copper.
These also work well with modifiers.
“The dress of fine white silks popped against the deep bronze of her skin.”
Gemstones - Minerals
Pictured above: Onyx, Obsidian, Sard, Topaz, Carnelian, Smoky Quartz, Rutile, Pyrite, Citrine, Gypsum
These are trickier to use. As with some complex colors, the writer will have to get us to understand what most of these look like.
If you use these, or any more rare description, consider if it actually “fits” the book or scene.
Even if you’re able to get us to picture what “rutile” looks like, why are you using this description as opposed to something else? Have that answer for yourself.
“His skin reminded her of the topaz ring her father wore at his finger, a gleaming stone of brown, mellow facades.”
Physical Description
Physical character description can be more than skin tone.
Show us hair, eyes, noses, mouth, hands…body posture, body shape, skin texture… though not necessarily all of those nor at once.
Describing features also helps indicate race, especially if your character has some traits common within the race they are, such as afro hair to a Black character.
How comprehensive you decide to get is up to you. I wouldn’t overdo it and get specific to every mole and birthmark. Noting defining characteristics is good, though, like slightly spaced front teeth, curls that stay flopping in their face, hands freckled with sunspots…
General Tips
Indicate Race Early: I suggest indicators of race be made at the earliest convenience within the writing, with more hints threaded throughout here and there.
Get Creative On Your Own: Obviously, I couldn’t cover every proper color or comparison in which has been “approved” to use for your characters’ skin color, so it’s up to you to use discretion when seeking other ways and shades to describe skin tone.
Skin Color May Not Be Enough: Describing skin tone isn’t always enough to indicate someone’s ethnicity. As timeless cases with readers equating brown to “dark white” or something, more indicators of race may be needed.
Describe White characters and PoC Alike: You should describe the race and/or skin tone of your white characters just as you do your Characters of Color. If you don’t, you risk implying that White is the default human being and PoC are the “Other”).
PSA: Don’t use “Colored.” Based on some asks we’ve received using this word, I’d like to say that unless you or your character is a racist grandmama from the 1960s, do not call People of Color “colored” please.
Not Sure Where to Start? You really can’t go wrong using basic colors for your skin descriptions. It’s actually what many people prefer and works best for most writing. Personally, I tend to describe my characters using a combo of basic colors + modifiers, with mentions of undertones at times. I do like to veer into more creative descriptions on occasion.
Want some alternatives to “skin” or “skin color”? Try: Appearance, blend, blush, cast, coloring, complexion, flush, glow, hue, overtone, palette, pigmentation, rinse, shade, sheen, spectrum, tinge, tint, tone, undertone, value, wash.
Skin Tone Resources
List of Color Names
The Color Thesaurus
Skin Undertone & Color Matching
Tips and Words on Describing Skin
Photos: Undertones Described (Modifiers included)
Online Thesaurus (try colors, such as “red” & “brown”)
Don’t Call me Pastries: Creative Skin Tones w/ pics I
Writing & Description Guides
WWC Featured Description Posts
WWC Guide: Words to Describe Hair
Writing with Color: Description & Skin Color Tags
7 Offensive Mistakes Well-intentioned Writers Make
I tried to be as comprehensive as possible with this guide, but if you have a question regarding describing skin color that hasn’t been answered within part I or II of this guide, or have more questions after reading this post, feel free to ask!
~ Mod Colette
Now that’s a real fire show!
Fire mage