Hello Mr.titmouse, may I request what resources or references you are using to learn pixel art? The few you've done so far are incredible
you know what's funny is like thirty minutes ago i had the thought 'i should post my resources for people' and then went and did something else and came back to this ask
SO!
first of all you need a program. i'm using aseprite, which you can get for $20. i bought it on itchio but you can apparently get it on steam. this is, as far as i can tell, The Thing To Use. to learn the basics of animating in specifically aseprite, i watched this tutorial:
i used this immediately for evil.
this guy's got other videos i haven't watched but i probably ought to, since having just looked at the aseprite site and discovered features i didn't know it had, i'm gonna want to learn more about using them.
gobou, who does fun pixel animations of yume nikki that you've probably seen also really recently put out a pixel animation tutorial, though theirs is more about the broad fundamentals of animation and less about the craft of pixel art. still, a pretty fun video that i enjoyed watching to see their examples.
the main resource i've been using for the actual Art aspect is a book called pixel logic, which you can pick up here. i had it recommended to me by a friend and it's pretty thorough on what you can Do with pixels and how you do it, it even has special animated chapters for explaining that. it has a lot of with/without examples that make it easy to see what's going on and how things work. here's a couple screenshots
that's the main stuff! just looking at people's art in general has been helpful too. i was shown pixel joint, which has existed for longer than a lot of you have probably been alive. sometimes i just open it and see what's on the first page and go 'jesus christ'
if you use any of this to pick up spriting, i hope you have fun!
the ADHD writer's guide to actually finishing a draft (no, seriously) 📝
okay, tumblr, writers... we need to TALK about how to actually finish a damn draft when your executive functioning decided to pack its bags and leave for a permanent vacation in the bahamas.
i'm not here to give you that basic "just set a timer!" advice that makes me want to throw my laptop into the sun. we all know those productivity hacks that work for neurotypicals make us want to scream into the void. (been there, screamed that.)
so here's the ACTUAL guide from someone who's written three novels while her brain was actively trying to sabotage her the entire time.
FIRST: accept that linear writing is a capitalist construct designed to torture us.
i'm serious. whoever decided writers should start at chapter 1 and proceed neatly to THE END clearly didn't have dopamine playing hide-and-seek in their prefrontal cortex.
write whatever scene has your brain chemicals SINGING today. that climactic fight scene that's six chapters away? the tender moment between your characters that happens in the middle? WRITE IT NOW while your brain is actually interested. i have finished entire novels by writing them in chunks and stitching them together like the beautiful frankenstein's monster they are.
SECOND: the 10-minute lie (that actually works???)
tell yourself you're only going to write for 10 minutes. that's it. no pressure. your adhd brain can handle anything for 10 minutes, right? the secret is that once you start, momentum becomes your best friend. sometimes you'll actually stop at 10 minutes (congrats, you still wrote something!) but often you'll look up and realize it's been two hours and you've written 2,000 words. and yes i've seen this a lot, like everywhere, where they tell you "set a timer for 5, and by the time you realize it's 2 hours" i've seen this many times before, and it actually works. at first i thought it didn't but boy, i was wrong.
THIRD: use your hyperfixation powers for good, not evil.
we all know that adhd comes with the superpower of becoming obsessed with random things for unpredictable amounts of time. WEAPONIZE THIS. create artificial urgency around your project. tell people about your deadline. make elaborate aesthetic pinterest boards. create a spotify playlist that you only listen to while writing this specific project. trick your brain into making your WIP the shiny new hyperfixation.
FOURTH: body-doubling saved my writing career and it can save yours too.
find another writer friend (or any friend who needs to do focused work) and sit together - virtually or physically - while you both work. something about having another human witnessing your work process bypasses the executive dysfunction. i swear it's actual magic. discord writing sprints, zoom sessions with cameras off but mics on - whatever works.
FIFTH: embrace the chaos of your natural writing cycle.
some days you'll write 5,000 words in a frenzy at 3am. other days you'll stare at the document for an hour and write "the." BOTH ARE VALID WRITING DAYS. the only consistency we need is returning to the document, not some arbitrary daily word count.
SIXTH: create external accountability that doesn't make you want to die.
deadlines from publishers? great. deadlines you set for yourself? your brain laughs and says "or what?" find the sweet spot - maybe it's a writing buddy you check in with, maybe it's a public progress tracker, maybe it's promising your sister you'll take her to dinner when you finish a chapter.
SEVENTH: the frankendraft approach.
your first draft DOES NOT need to be good, coherent, or even make sense. it just needs to exist. leave yourself notes like [FIGURE OUT HOW SHE GETS FROM THE CASTLE TO THE BEACH LATER] and keep moving. your adhd brain will thank you for not getting stuck in research rabbit holes for six hours.
EIGHTH: find your optimal writing environment through shameless trial and error.
maybe you need complete silence. maybe you need to be in a coffee shop with specific ambient noise. maybe you need to write standing up. maybe you need to dictate your novel while pacing around your apartment. there is no wrong way to get the words out.
i personally write best when i'm slightly uncomfortable (weird, i know) so i often end up writing while sitting on my kitchen floor with my laptop balanced on a chair. whatever works, bestie. a finished messy draft is infinitely more valuable than the perfect novel still trapped in your head. your adhd brain is simultaneously your greatest challenge and your greatest asset as a writer. the connections you make, the unique perspectives, the creativity - all of that comes from the same place as the struggles.
you've got this. now go write something, even if it's just for 10 minutes. i believe in you. ✨ -rin t.
✦ A free (and actually helpful) guide to leveling up your first 10 pages ✦If you're unsure whether your opening is ✨doing enough✨ to hook re
A gothic prompt pack for writers who love cursed universities, secret societies, and scholarly rot.✎ Write the Darkness ✎A 75-prompt horror
I saw the "youtube music is raging against the machine" post again so instead of ripping someone's throat out with my teeth here is Arthur's Official Media Privacy For Dummies Post <3
My credentials are that I have 700 songs I didn't pay for on a refurbished ipod from 2007 and it's AWESOME. (PS backmarket.com for refurbished tech they have lots of old ipods if you're into that. But also phones and laptops and shit for cheap.)
First off. Reddit.com/r/piracy forever and ever. Go through their masterpost they have literally anything you could ever want. You will never pay for media of any sort again. The people of reddit are smarter than me.
If you currently use Spotify and wish to stop, here is where I would start:
1. Bandcamp!! If you want to financially support your favorite artists it's Bandcamp.
Plug your playlists into merch table they will do the hard work for you here <3
2. Spotidownloader
Put your playlists in they will spit a download link out it's so easy. All the metadata is there and everything.
They can only do 100 songs at a time so it's not ideal for a bigger library but it works fine for what it is.
3. Lucida
Awesome for full albums or individual songs if you're just looking for a few things and not transferring a whole library.
3. Newpipe
https://spotalike.com/en
A handy youtube clone that's good for streaming or downloading music and videos.
And finally, this isn't piracy advice but you don't need daily curated playlists and you definitely don't need yearly listening stats. Listen to the bands your friends listen to. Keep a list of songs people recommend to you. Try to find a local radio show or a college radio channel. Go to local shows. Be curious about genres and new bands. Put effort into curating and owning your music library, it's worth it.
Y’ever read something and have understanding that has eluded you interminably suddenly stop, curl up, and snuggle neatly into a fold in your brain because a new way way opened to it?
Do you want to paint but pain, disability, limited range of motion or tremors are getting in the way of that?
It’s world watercolor month and disability pride month, so let’s combine the two and talk about ways that you can watercolor and make it a little easier on yourself.
First up, if you struggle with grip issues, some manufacturers like Blick will actually make some of their brushes with egg shaped handles.
These are typically easier to hold, but they do come in a limited range of options so you can get something like one of these egg shaped pencil holders that will do more or less the same thing. These are just a bit easier to hold and they can reduce hand fatigue.
Next up, if you struggle with something like tremors or shaking, weight is your friend. There are universal weighted handles that you can slip onto the end and tighten on your brush or whatever you’re using as long as it fits in, and it adds a bunch of weight to the back end of it so it reduces the amount of shaking that’s possible.
If you struggle with grip strength or need something to help you hold onto something, this is an easy ring writer clip, and you can slot your brush into it and even if you’re not gripping it tightly it’s still secured to your hand.
Another option is something like this, this is an easy grip. It’s a silicone attachment that you can place on that give you an extra handle and extra security for holding your brushes and other art tools.
And finally one of my favorite tools is this artist leaning bridge. Mine is an acrylic piece of plastic that just sits over the top and allows you to rest on top while you can paint underneath it.
Here is a quick and dirty writing tip that will strengthen your writing.
In English, the word at the end of a sentence carries more weight or emphasis than the rest of the sentence. You can use that to your advantage in modifying tone.
Consider:
In the end, what you said didn't matter.
It didn't matter what you said in the end.
In the end, it didn't matter what you said.
Do you pick up the subtle differences in meaning between these three sentences?
The first one feels a little angry, doesn't it? And the third one feels a little softer? There's a gulf of meaning between "what you said didn't matter" (it's not important!) and "it didn't matter what you said" (the end result would've never changed).
Let's try it again:
When her mother died, she couldn't even cry.
She couldn't even cry when her mother died.
That first example seems to kind of side with her, right? Whereas the second example seems to hold a little bit of judgment or accusation? The first phrase kind of seems to suggest that she was so sad she couldn't cry, whereas the second kind of seems to suggest that she's not sad and that's the problem.
The effect is super subtle and very hard to put into words, but you'll feel it when you're reading something. Changing up the order of your sentences to shift the focus can have a huge effect on tone even when the exact same words are used.
In linguistics, this is referred to as "end focus," and it's a nightmare for ESL students because it's so subtle and hard to explain. But a lot goes into it, and it's a tool worth keeping in your pocket if you're a creative writer or someone otherwise trying to create a specific effect with your words :)
Awesome to see this explained. I would bet money that a huge chunk of my editing and sentence/paragraph restructuring work involves exactly this but done unconsciously.
Don't worry about getting it right on the first pass though - just get the ideas down, and then play with what you have!
More brushes are live and alive for everyone: the Spilled Ink Brush Set! Inky pens and grainy brushes and some slightly distressed erasers I chewed on just for you.
Links to every previous set below:
Super 90s Carpet Brushes | Even More Decoration Brushes | Some More Repeating Patterns | Ornate Decoration Brush Drop | Netting and Lines | Lip & Hair Gloss | Glitter & Sparkles | Destiny Brush Pack | Valentine’s Frame Set | Candy Coated Brush Drop | Bloody Throne Pack | Magic & Daggers Set | Tarot Pack Brushes (October Update) | Elfy Card Set | Big Ol’ Card Asset Drop | All Those Brushes
here is a super helpful website for this kinda thing!
the first result isn’t always the one you’re looking for but when you press enter it’ll give you a ton of words related to your query that’ll probably have what you’re wanting, or something better
Hey there, just had a quick question! I’m a beginner animator, what do you think is the best software to animate on?
Something free that doesn't frustrate you to use. Essentially: anything at all that you can immediately jump into.
Personally, I love animating in Toonboom. However that's outside of the price range of many and not a good tool for someone who's never done digital animation before. TvPaint has also been very pleasing for me. I like the interfaces and drawfeel of both. Clip Studio is nice for a quick small thing, and it has the benefit of being something inexpensive and easy to hop into.
