Helloooo! Did you miss me? Yeah, it’s been a long time. Have been doing my traditional doodles at my own humble pace, hope to show something soon! Oh, and also have been dealing with cosplay and personal stuff.
Speaking of cosplay, hope Bottled Up ( @bottledupcomic ) fans are ready, because I did a photoshoot with my Tanrine cosplay some weeks ago, and can finally show some of my favorite pictures to you!
I am in love with these photos!!! That was a very fun morning!
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Me as Tanrine, from Bottled Up.
Photos by: Eckhardt Photos
Character by: @tamarinfrog
Well, as I was saying in my last year’s art summary, one day I felt like doing a quick drawing of Whinter, from the Bottled Up webcomic ( @bottledupcomic ), and decided I wanted to draw all main BUP characters the same way, at least once, to see how it felt.
You see, I’m not fast with drawing, and sometimes weeks pass between two sketches, but I’m finally halfway done, so I decided to post my progress so far! Their creator, @tamarinfrog , is the one who picks character order, by the way. So we have Whinter, Sorrel, Clementine, Angelo, Logan, Tanrine, Taloupe and Vadelma. Some nice variety of characters.
At first, I was planning to keep things really simple and fast, but I know I was not very consistent with that, hahaha! I’ve been learning a lot, anyway, and have been enjoying drawing with pencils again. Hope you like it!
So... there was a reason why I hadn’t posted my cosplay photos from my last con until now. I was waiting for the,,, right opportunity. =3
Cosplay for me is fun, and to celebrate characters and series you like in a way you feel happy and comfortable. So I decided, for the first time, to do a cosplay that 1) is not from Japanese origin, and 2) from a comic that has not officially started yet.
I can’t wait for Bottled Up (@bottledupcomic) to begin! I’ve been doing a series of sketches of the comic’s main characters, and the artist, @tamarinfrog , has been picking what character I should try next. When she picked Tanrine... I knew it was time to post this.
Tanrine is a cheerful water spirit and I tried my best to portray her happy aura. Did more photos but they weren’t sent to me yet so maybe I post them later! Also, oops, no white pupils for the cosplay, but I hope you overlook that, haha!
Forgot to post these for some reason, they are a few weeks old already.
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Bottled Up (@bottledupcomic , by @tamarinfrog ) is getting closer to fully begin, and it had been a while since I started imagining how my OC quartet would look if they were Glasses, the elemental spirits of that universe. So I decided to do some sketches in good old mechanical pencil.
Nana, blonde girl, is Fire, and her body is like living incense. Think bard, but with aromas instead of songs. Mostly good aromas, probably, since she’s cute and nice as heck.
Pietro, tidy boy, is Earth. He controls clay. Probably not matching his boyish power fantasy of being bulky and throwing boulders, but I’m sure his atful, crafty, dedicated self compensates for that - if he wasn’t so invested in hiding it.
Will, suntan guy, is Wind. He controls air in ways that make things easy to lift and carry. He’s a laid-back, positive person, so if his powers can make life easier, why not?
Veronica, braid lady, is Water. Dancing is an important part of her life, and she does it beautifully both on a floor or, thanks to her powers, also underwater, where she gets great maneauverability.
Nothing here is written on stone (I may probably put Will’s bottle on his belt in the future, for an example.), but right now, these are my ideas, and I’m having fun thinking about them! =)
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These days I’ve been drawing stuff traditionally, and since results get more simple, there’s not much worth posting here, probably. Hope you like these, anyway!
I remember Tammy comparing Arnick with Waluigi, so I thought that cosplay deserved a duo, hoho! Also, since I think her Bottled Up version doesn’t have a definitive bottle design, I went with the gold theme and gave it a gold chain and a shape that ressembles alchemist glassware.
I’ve been planning to try soft colors again and this was a good opportunity! Also, sketching on paper before going digital helped me with the pose. I’m really happy with how this turned out! Hope you like it too!
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Tetrox and Arnick are Tammy’s characters (visit her on @tamarinfrog / @searching-for-bananaflies). Her original comic, Bottled Up, is going to bring back characters we already love from her other creations in a new fascinating universe, so keep an eye on it!
Was reorganizing my files and found this sketch that had never seen the light of day until now.
Way before writing it as a fanfic, I had considered drawing “Rain of Nectar” in comic format. But after doing some brief tests, like this one, I accepted the fact I was not fast enough with drawing for comics to be viable, and still am not, to be honest. Then I switched to what I’m more experienced with.
Decided to share because this blog could use a new post, and I admit I like this for some reason ^_^” Also, bless @tamarinfrog ‘s characters, really. Can’t wait to see more defined images of these two babies in their Bottled Up (the artist’s original comic, to start soon) versions!
Things have been a little slow in art department for me, but I’m having fun with other hobbies for a while. I’m sure inspiration is going to be back at any time. Don’t go anywhere! ^_~
For the longest time, I’ve kept in mind an idea for a story about @tamarinfrog / @cafe-cardamari ‘s characters, Sorrel and Kirsikka since I ship them like mad. At first, I thought it would be a good comic, but since it was too much for me to do, I decided to make it into a fanfic, before Tammy’s Splatoon comic ends and the new original story resets all ships.
And here it is, in case you’re curious. Enjoy.
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It had been a nice afternoon so far. Nothing too special: going for a walk, eating something, talking, sharing smiles. Since they had finally started dating, months ago, this was what Sorrel and Kirsikka liked to do when they were able to be together.
Her heart was full of joy. People always took some time to understand what she had seen in that short, grumpy, impulsive, foul-mouthed boy (or these were some of the things she remembered her sister and friends saying about him). Of course, she came to realize very quickly he wasn’t the perfect prince of her anime-inspired fantasies, but he surely had qualities she admired. Kirsikka would see in him a hard-working young man, determined to do what he considered the right thing. Also, he had never treated her any differently because of her eye condition. She felt accepted. She felt respected.
Sorrel, on the other hand, would never take for granted the affection of the gentle, pretty girl that had been there for him when he was at his lowest. She had been the one willing to listen and give him a sweet smile, never judging, when he went to Café Cardamari alone, both heartbroken and blaming himself for being so naive, after being rejected in the coldest way possible by Cyanthia, from Team Toxink, Of course he had received all the support from his teammates as well, and he was grateful, but the parties and flirting they suggested were not his way of dealing with rejection at all.
However, he had never really noticed how special Kirsikka was until that one match. His team was struggling and he was having a hard time getting away from his opponents. He made many mistakes, and got splatted way more times than he’d consider acceptable. At the last few seconds of the match though, ink of both colors flying everywhere, his Inkstrike went right onto a wide area of enemy turf. Judd pointed the winning flag to Team Petal Splash and everyone was happy, but Sorrel was too busy blaming himself to rejoice. He left the tower lobby alone, leaving behind his teammates, who were too busy with their fans, and was ready to go right home, when that familiar girl with long blue tentacles ran to him and took his hand. He could see how happy she was for him, ignoring even the ink mess over his clothes and body. She’d retreat right after, completely embarrassed, but her warm, cheerful smile would remain engraved in his mind. Along with the warmth of her hands.
The same warm hands he was now holding in his. Sorrel had a girlfriend now, and felt very lucky. He had promised himself he would take care of her and treat her with all the respect she deserved. He was tired of seeing his friends engage in all kinds of what he considered shameless displays of lack of restraint. He wouldn’t make the same mistake.
But… holding hands in public was fine, right? … Right. Nothing to be nervous about. Not after all those months.
So when they arrived back to Inkopolis Plaza, and their eyes met for several seconds and she gave him the cutest blush, he squeezed her hand and averted his gaze, looking at the sky instead.
… there were some really dark clouds above them, by the way. They should buy those drinks real fast.
Being in a hurry, he did not notice the small sigh that came out of her mouth.
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When the couple approached the nearest vending machine, the one to the back of the ramp leading to the Squid Sisters studio, they could already feel the first drops of rain. By the time Kirsikka got her drink out of the machine, the rain suddenly got so strong that it was hard to see around. She let out a yelp when she noticed all that water was having some effect on her skin, and Sorrel got worried. Rain alone was not enough to do harm to inklings, but he knew that she’d had some bad problems in the past related to her not-so-great ability to change and keep form. Who knows if this affects her?
“Here!”, he said, while pointing and pulling her gently by the wrist to lead her.
Worried about her well-being above all and without thinking much, Sorrel decided it would be a good idea to seek shelter under the ramp. It was not possible to stand up under it, but it was perfectly fine to sit there for a while, waiting for the rain to weaken.
They were soaked. Gladly, it was not a cold day, but the situation was not exactly comfortable either. Kirsikka had some tissues inside her bag and proceeded to dry her skin and tentacles.
Sorrel considered taking off his t-shirt and almost started doing it on instinct, but stopped midway. He felt it was not appropriate, and it would dry by itself soon enough. She noticed it was bothering him anyway, so she gave him a sympathetic smile and dried his arms and face with the tissues as well.
He shouldn’t be that startled with something so innocent, but that was still good old Sorrel sometimes. Both apologized at the same time when he blushed. Kirsikka was kind of used to that by now.
She tried drying her blazer instead, but with no success. Then she decided to remove it, while he was doing the same with his hat. Now, all they could do was wait.
“Are you ok?”, he asked, genuine concern on his eyes.
“Ah, yes, I am. It was probably just a scare, don’t worry”, she said, reassuring him with a smile. “I wonder for how long we’ll stay here… but your idea was very good, thank you, honey.”
The boy was about to say something along the lines of “no problem” or “I’m glad”, but the pet name just gave him a silly smile on his face. He made himself as comfortable as he could against the hard wall behind him, looked ahead to nothing in particular... and instinctively held her hand.
The girl felt it was a great opportunity to just get closer and lean on his shoulder, eye shut.
He froze.
They were alone and very close to each other. As the realization suddenly hit him, one half of Sorrel was very awkward. The other half was unable to move and disturb the peaceful balance that was formed. What he could not even imagine, though, was that she was trying to move as little as possible on purpose, too. That proximity was so rare. She didn’t want to ruin it.
They stood like that for some time. Both hearts were pounding, but in different ways. Or… was it really that different? The warmth of bodies lightly pressed together was incredibly compelling for both. Sorrel looked down to his shoulder and saw her tentacles there, so shiny and soft, and blushed. They smelled of rain and of something vaguely sweet. He instinctively brought his face a little closer to the top of her head. Kirsikka could not see him, and she was blushing like mad, but would not dare to move a muscle.
That is, not until he kissed her “hair”. Now that was a surprise. She let a small “eep” out of her throat, and that was enough to break the spell. Sorrel’s face went back in some kind of shock, like someone waking up from a trance.
Feeling like it was her fault, she looked up and stared at his eyes. They stayed like that for a few seconds.
It’s ok.
It was good.
Please do it again.
But those words died inside her before they could be said. Instead, he let go of her hand, went back into keeping a small distance between them, and started apologizing frenetically, waving his hands around.
“What the heck was I doing?? I messed up! I’m really sorry, I should not be taking advantage of this situation, I really shouldn’t, that was not appropriate at all! I’m sorry!”
And as much as the girl would love to say it was nonsense to apologize for those sweet moments, she also knew he was doing the best to respect her. Also, she would never force a situation like that to the point of making him uncomfortable. He was like that. The guy she chose was like that.
“… it’s ok.”
Both remained there, sitting side by side without touching, looking at opposite sides. The rain was still strong and no one was venturing under it.
Kirsikka felt like a fool. It was like she did not know her boyfriend well enough yet, constantly dreaming of perfect romance scenes from movies and anime and fanfiction since when they started dating. He had barely kissed her. She remembered the few times he timidly left pecks on her lips. It felt affectionate, but also felt like he was signing a contract. Making a vow of some sort.
Sorrel was a great person to her. But, even then, every time he averted his eyes from her, like she was some sort of fragile crystal he should not break, she would feel so frustrated and sad...
She holded her legs against her torso to hide what she thought were selfish feelings, and he did not notice.
But, at some time, a small sob sold her out. Again.
That small sound was heartbreaking. He was really scared that he had messed up. Was she scared of him? Of what he did? She was his girlfriend and she was there, so close… but he never asked if he could!
“Kirsikka… look, I’m really sorr-”
“Please, don’t. It’s ok. I’m fine”
“Well, you’re obviously not ok! You’re crying!”
“… guess I am...”
“It was my fault, wasn’t it?”
In a sense, it was his “fault”. But saying something like that would be completely unfair. She would never do that.
“You did nothing wrong...”
“What… no, why… why are you crying, then? I wanna know, please!”, he insisted. At this point, he was expecting she would look at him. She gathered her courage and looked back right into his eyes, her own visible eye slightly red from her gentle crying.
“I-I… I really thought that... when we looked at each other that time… we, you know, uh...”. It was kind of embarrassing to put it into words, but she felt they needed to talk. “I thought you were going to kiss me...”
“K-kiss you??”, he blushed, as expected. “But I cannot take advantage of you like that!”
“I just… wanted a kiss...”, she said, looking down like she was pushing boundaries a little too much. “But I know you prefer us not to be this forward...”
Her sad face was crushing his heart.
“It’s not like I don’t want it!!”, he said out of impulse, then corrected himself. “No, wait, this sounded wrong, didn’t it? I-I mean, I would, but I shouldn’t, but-” his confused voice became weaker and weaker. He swallowed hard. “… do you really want that?”
Her eye went wide open. Her face was way too blue.
“I… I do.”
“And... would it be right?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? Sorrel, honey, we have been dating for some time now. I love you. And you love me back, right?”
“Yes, of course!”, he affirmed, like it was an absurd for someone to consider otherwise. “But, you know, would it really be appropriate? We are in public and-”
“We are alone. Look at the rain”, she calmly said, pointing at the heavy water curtains around them. “It’s not stopping anytime soon. I understand if you don’t like to show much affection in front of others but… there’s absolutely no one around. It’s not going to embarrass me, or you, or anyone.”
Sorrel looked down, cheeks flushed in green, as if pondering something.
“It’s not going to look immoral or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about”, Kirsikka continued. A smile finally appeared on her lips. “We are doing nothing wrong”.
He covered his own face with his hand. “I feel so stupid”.
“You’re not!!”, she said, trying to be as encouraging as possible. The girl reached for the hand covering the face of her boyfriend, and took it in both of hers. Like that first time.
She was not judging him. She believed in him. She always did.
“You are my favorite sour grass. And I’ll always trust you.”
He let out a sigh. She was amazing. They were about the same age, but he felt he was “just a boy” near her sometimes. He would have to put extra effort into being someone that would both honor that trust and make her happy.
Sorrel fixed his eyes on hers and took a few deep breaths. Slowly, he brought his free hand to her face and gently caressed it. He watched in awe as Kirsikka closed her eye for a few seconds and left out a sigh. She was so content. She was beautiful.
He had not that much idea of what to do next. He wasn’t smooth as his teammates. Could he just…?
He wanted to.
He started to get closer to her, but when he was a few inches away, he stopped. It became difficult to breathe properly. Heck, he was so nervous! If he was doing that, he believed it should be well done. But the truth is, he barely had a clue.
This was when Kirsikka closed the gap, making their foreheads touch. Also breathing deeply from both nervousness and antecipation, she caressed the hand she had been holding with her left one, while taking her own right hand to the back of his head, delicate fingers touching his ear, his tentacles, and the back of his neck.
He wanted it too.
When their lips first touched, it was brief. But it was already so much different from any kiss they had shared so far. Parting just enough to regain the breath both had been holding, they expected to calm down a little after that. To their surprise, it was quite the contrary.
They kissed again, this time for a little longer. The loud sound of rain falling around them was a signal that they still had that time just for them.
The next kisses would not see an end for several seconds, and they finally explored a little more the proximity that was gifted to them, respecting their own limits. It was more than enough for them. More than enough for that day. They had nothing to prove.
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When the rain stopped, they were sitting side by side, arms and heads touching, and smiles on their faces. Sorrel helped Kirsikka out of their little hideout. She noticed that, this time, he did not think twice before holding her hand.
They agreed that, even after sharing that drink, a hot coffee or a tea would be nice, so when he took her to the door of the Café, like a well-behaved boyfriend, she invited him in. The Lappi family tried to be courteous and offered him dry clothes, but he refused. After the hot drinks, he said polite goodbyes, waved at Kirsikka with a nice smile, and left to take the train.
No need for dry clothes. He had learned to enjoy the rain a little more.
Once upon a time, @davionstar / @davionarts was streaming their Azure Striker Gunvolt gameplay, and at some point, when one of the bosses started doing their pre-battle speech, Davion said “yeah, right, Arnick” or something.
And now I CANNOT UNSEE the similarities between Jota and @tamarinfrog / @searching-for-bananaflies ‘s character. Thought it would be a nice idea to draw a crossover... and a good excuse to draw Arnick in a suit >_>
I was talking to @pyrofleurs and she was also drawing another of Tammy’s characters in non-squid version wearing a suit so... we just conspired together to give their creator a heart attack =3 (or at least try pfff)
I want to thank Davion for the inspiration and Pyro for all the precious art tips and motivation! And hope Tammy doesn’t mind a little crossover for a good cause, heh.
P.S.: Go visit their blogs! And play Gunvolt, it’s an awesome game!
