runeowl studio @runeowlstudio - Tumblr Blog

Because of ArtFight's recent rule clarification, I've seen discussion on whether tracing your own photos is the same as references them. This is, in my opinion, a matter of semantics. Tracing your own photos IS a method of using them as reference. It is perfectly normal and doesn't hurt anyone. When it comes to self made resources (photos, sculpture, maquettes, 3D sculpts, etc) and resources made explicitly for artists to use (stock photos with appropriate permission, 3D models in CSP, etc), tracing can be ONE step of using them as a reference. It isn't a "crutch", it isn't cheating.

You can also put the photo up next to what you're drawing, and draw from sight. Or trace the photo a few times, then draw it separately. These all have value for different situations for learning, speed, and accuracy, and I recommend trying them ALL.

Regardless of what ArtFight decides, I want other artists to not be afraid of using this type of reference material in this way. It's very normal in both professional and hobby circles, it isn't harmful, and it doesn't make you a lesser artist. Hope this hasn't ruffled any feathers, keep drawing! <3

fucking-relax

borrowing from @bruderkaitlin 's post on twitter

sunriseverse

honestly i think it's a bit of a lost art with some younger fans these days to just like............do things? people hold themselves back from making amvs, gifs, writing fic or drawing art, etc etc because "they don't know how" but the truth is a lot of us didn't have that knowledge handed to us, we looked at what other people were doing and then tried to copy that in our own way. and yeah the first hundred thousand words you write are probably going to be kind of shit. and the first gifsets you make will probably be grainy. your amvs will be clumsily edited, and your first year or two of drawing will make you cringe in the future. but if you don't try, you'll never improve! and these days there's so many more resources out there with the internet being so large—art tutorials for specific things, gifmaking guides handed around that compile the steps down the the finest details, writers who talk about their processes, amv makers/vidders who are more than happy to share what transitions or text overlays they use. and i sometimes want to take people by the shoulders and say, just try! take the first leap! the worst you can do is make it badly, and made badly is better than not made at all.

only-tiktoks

kawree

Y'all for real please do these. Even if you're certain your posture doesn't suck. One day you will wake up with impinged shoulder pain like I did and let me tell you it fucking HURTS. Do these exercises even just once a week and it will make such a difference. Especially my fellow creatives out there, stop shrimping over your work and go do these right now. RIGHT NOW.

symptomesper

Also, if you’re even a little concerned about getting a hump or having trouble standing fully upright in your old age, this is how you prevent that. If you want to be up and about when you’re old you have to start when you’re younger. And keep in mind there is no bad time to start and it’s never too late. Starting today is way better than never starting at all.

thelothegreat

Man, I really shouldn't try to code past midnight. I'm staring at a simple line of code I typed yesterday at like 2 am that just ends with the comment:

// watch out

What did I mean by this? I have no earthly idea, but now I'm unnerved about editing the surrounding lines...

itsclydebitches

Something I don't think we talk enough about in discussions surrounding AI is the loss of perseverance.

I have a friend who works in education and he told me about how he was working with a small group of HS students to develop a new school sports chant. This was a very daunting task for the group, in large part because many had learning disabilities related to reading and writing, so coming up with a catchy, hard-hitting, probably rhyming, poetry-esque piece of collaborative writing felt like something outside of their skill range. But it wasn't! I knew that, he knew that, and he worked damn hard to convince the kids of that too. Even if the end result was terrible (by someone else's standards), we knew they had it in them to complete the piece and feel super proud of their creation.

Fast-forward a few days and he reports back that yes they have a chant now... but it's 99% AI. It was made by Chat-GPT. Once the kids realized they could just ask the bot to do the hard thing for them - and do it "better" than they (supposedly) ever could - that's the only route they were willing to take. It was either use Chat-GPT or don't do it at all. And I was just so devastated to hear this because Jesus Christ, struggling is important. Of course most 14-18 year olds aren't going to see the merit of that, let alone understand why that process (attempting something new and challenging) is more valuable than the end result (a "good" chant), but as adults we all have a responsibility to coach them through that messy process. Except that's become damn near impossible with an Instantly Do The Thing app in everyone's pocket. Yes, AI is fucking awful because of plagiarism and misinformation and the environmental impact, but it's also keeping people - particularly young people - from developing perseverance. It's not just important that you learn to write your own stuff because of intellectual agency, but because writing is hard and it's crucial that you learn how to persevere through doing hard things.

Write a shitty poem. Write an essay where half the textual 'evidence' doesn't track. Write an awkward as fuck email with an equally embarrassing typo. Every time you do you're not just developing that particular skill, you're also learning that you did something badly and the world didn't end. You can get through things! You can get through challenging things! Not everything in life has to be perfect but you know what? You'll only improve at the challenging stuff if you do a whole lot of it badly first. The ability to say, "I didn't think I could do that but I did it anyway. It's not great, but I did it," is SO IMPORTANT for developing confidence across the board, not just in these specific tasks.

Idk I'm just really worried about kids having to grow up in a world where (for a variety of reasons beyond just AI) they're not given the chance to struggle through new and challenging things like we used to.

shamebats

From the OP: "If you sit at a desk or stare at your phone all day, this is for you. Here's how to undo the damage: - Banded Chin Tucks - Strengthen your neck flexors and fight forward head posture - Banded Pull-Aparts - Target your rotator cuff and improve shoulder stability - Banded Abduction - Activate the midline of your scapula for better posture - Lateral Deltoid Raises - Build shoulder stability and control - Banded Up-and-Overs – Boost scapular mobility and range of motion These simple banded drills will help you stand taller, move better, and feel stronger - even after hours at a desk."

Some of these are the same or similar to the exercises my physical therapist taught me.