This Mantis Draws :)

He/It - Main is NonexistentNull, this is my sideblog for art and my OCs!

[thismantisdraws]

welcome to my art/oc sideblog!

my main OCs on here are from my comic Cold Hands And Sharp Teeth. i haven’t actually posted the comic here yet but i plan to eventually :). i also have 2 sideprojects, and come up with other random stuff, though i’ll be sharing those less

my main is NonexistentNull, i also have MantisChatters (for gender/relationship/queer stuff) and ShowmantisShip (for disability+mental health stuff)

i also add alt text and content warnings to my posts, but not reblogs

rough tagging system

cold hands and sharp teeth ocs - stuff about my comic ocs

cold hands and sharp teeth stuff - other stuff about my comic (like worldbuilding)

oc tag [name] - tag for that specific oc. samuel, juno, whitney, tabitha, haruki, cameron, etc

this mantis draws - my art

this mantis writes - my writing

this mantis worldbuilds - my worldbuilding

fanart - art of other people’s characters

this mantis posts - other posts

oc activities - activities to do with your ocs

[thismantisdraws]

have a project that already has 3/6 of the main characters as aromantic, might make the rest of them aro too….

[thismantisdraws]

awgh i need to get back into character design ….

i cant do actual adopts currently (dont have a way to accept money online and also i don’t know business skills) but i could like give them away to people/do art trades…. hmmmmmmmmmm

[thismantisdraws]

i should probably get started on my artfight refs…

[thismantisdraws]

i’ve been working on rebooting one of my old projects , and im using the process of decay for inspiration for the plot/what happens to the main cast. hard part is that its supposed to have a happy-ish ending, and decay notoriously does not end well for the corpse..ehh i’l figure it out

[thismantisdraws]

(this is all a WIP so no promises it stays the same but)

the premise is these 6 random people semi-accidentally kill a member of a crime group, and i’m going to leave it vague which of them is actually responsible for the death (or if he just died by coincidence). so they’re working together to get away with the murder, without getting arrested by the cops, or killed by the crime group, and also dealing with the mental toll of this situation.

i started this project like 3 years ago, havent worked on it much this year, but happy to get back to it :)

[thismantisdraws]

also i have Last Friday Night on the playlist for this project and it makes me laugh every time it starts up

[thismantisdraws]

more oc doodles :) yay

[thismantisdraws]

im planning to make those ‘oc exploration prompts’ a series, ive got a lot more ideas and work-in-progress ones :)

i can also make images (like templates with the questions on them and space to answer them) if thats a thing people want

[thismantisdraws]

Set 2 - Gender+Sexuality Stuff 

(plain text - set 2 - gender and sexuality stuff)

(aimed at queer, especially trans, characters, but should work for any character) 

1 - Expectations 

What are their culture, family, friends, etc’s expectations for them when it comes to gender and relationships? How much freedom or judgement do they get? How does that compare to their true wants, and how they actually act/present? 

2 - Euphoria 

What gives them gender euphoria/makes them feel affirmed in their gender? Could be words, mannerisms, names, clothes, objects, activities, medical treatments, etc. (if they identify with any xenogenders or neopronouns, this is a good place to put them). If you want, make a moodboard or collage of these things. 

3 - Relationships 

Who are they attracted to (gender, gender presentation, t4t, etc)? Do they want just one partner at a time, multiple, none, or something more complicated? What would their ideal partner be like? What would their ideal relationship be like (like commitment, physical affection, living together, marriage, have kids)? Have they gotten what they wanted in past or current relationships? 

4 - Labels 

What sexuality/gender/etc labels do they identify as and describe themself with? How do they feel about these labels (are they ashamed? proud? feel like they ‘dont really count’?)? Do these match how you as the author describe them? Is this affected by their culture or time period? Do they use different labels in different situations or with different people? 

5 - Bias 

Are they biased towards people with certain gender/sexuality identities? Trust or distrust, over or underestimate, like or dislike, seek out or avoid? Where did they get these biases from? Do they have internalized biases, like toxic masculinity or internalized misogyny? 

[nonexistentnull]

oc exploration exercise challenge thing :) some short-ish questions to help you flesh out your oc

Set 1 - General

(plain text - set 1 - general)

1 - Clothing

What would they wear to a formal work party, the beach, and staying home sick? What about a wedding, the gym, or hanging out with friends? Also think about if they wear makeup, style their hair, shave, etc.

2 - Situations

What would they do in these situations? What’s their thought process for their actions?

They find a newborn kitten in a box at their front door, with a note saying it’s been orphaned and needs care.

They wake up in a random person’s yard, with no memory of last night.

Someone they really like asks them to watch their favorite 5-season show together. Unfortunately, after a few episodes, they think it’s really bad and annoying, but the person will be upset if they tell them that.

They invite their family/friends out to dinner at a new place, but while they’re there, realize it’s a front for drug smuggling.

3 - Favorites

What is their favorite animal, food, clothing/accessory, location, word/phrase, and genre? Why?

4 - Interview

“Ask” them these questions, and write how they would respond (including gestures and such). Compare it to their true feelings.

What does an average day look like for you?

How do you feel about your body/appearance?

Are you happy with your relationships?

What’s the worst thing you’ve gone through?

What are you proud of?

What do you regret/What are you ashamed of?

What would your ideal life look like?

5 - Checkup

Run through a doctor checkup with them. What’s their medical history like? What conditions do they have (diagnosed?), and do they have any other symptoms or issues, have those changed since the last checkup? What’s their diet, sleep, exercise, drug use, etc like? Are they on any medication or treatment, or use any medical devices or disability aids? Is there help they should be receiving but aren’t for some reason? Is there anything they’re not sharing, and are there negative consequences from that?

[icryink]

WELCOME TO CRINGETOBER 2024

As promised, the list is here one month in advance to allow for preparation time! Just like last time, there are no hard rules. Just a fun exercise to draw things considered “cringe” by popular culture! No stress needed :)

I go more in depth on the list here, so check that out! of course, feel free to send asks my way if any questions remain <3

I’m really proud of this year’s list, honestly. And I’m incredibly excited for October! I hope everyone has fun!!

[icryink]

WELCOME TO CRINGETOBER 2025 !!!

as per usual the list is here one month in advance! no rush to get to all the prompts, feel free to skip around or be slow, no hard rules except to have fun! and your regular disclaimer, none of these prompts are really “cringe” they’re just things commonly considered “cringey” by popular culture

I go into more depth on the prompts here, so go ahead and check it out! Feel free to send asks my way with any remaining questions :)

Also, check out Cringetober merch here! And find me on Patreon, Ko-Fi, or Buy Me a Coffee to support!

I’m super proud of the list this year! I hope you all enjoy :) I’m looking forward to October to see everyone’s awesome art!!

[catmask]

meowdy, and here's a little art challenge for december my minnows and i have been cooking up! i know month long art challenges can be kind of intimidating to some people, so i figured making a week long one could encourage people to give longer challenges a try!

if you'd like to share your designs, please do so to '#brush week 2025'! ill be checking the tag and sharing some of the cool ones i see!

[ghostlybluetrain]

trying to design a character: "fuck uhhh i know they want gold jewelry??? how you ask? idk man they just told me. ya know how it is. what skin tone are they? what do their voice sound like? what are their political views? no idea they havent told me yet"

[thismantisdraws]

feel like my art hasn’t improved much this past year :( i don’t blame myself since i’ve been busy with my comic and mental issues but still makes me sad. idk need to find some fun way to improve my skills

[thismantisdraws]

i’ve been working on rebooting one of my old projects , and im using the process of decay for inspiration for the plot/what happens to the main cast. hard part is that its supposed to have a happy-ish ending, and decay notoriously does not end well for the corpse..ehh i’l figure it out

[thismantisdraws]

(this is all a WIP so no promises it stays the same but)

the premise is these 6 random people semi-accidentally kill a member of a crime group, and i’m going to leave it vague which of them is actually responsible for the death (or if he just died by coincidence). so they’re working together to get away with the murder, without getting arrested by the cops, or killed by the crime group, and also dealing with the mental toll of this situation.

i started this project like 3 years ago, havent worked on it much this year, but happy to get back to it :)

[mantischatters]

basically my transition goals

[thismantisdraws]

ok So i have a fursona now uhhh

[ruvviks]

OC ASK GAME

Where was your OC born, and where did they grow up?

How does your OC remember their childhood? Is this an accurate reflection of what their childhood was actually like?

If your OC could revisit their childhood, what would they want to change about it, if anything at all?

Describe three of the most important photographs your OC owns.

What is your OC's gender identity and sexual orientation? Is this also what they identify as in canon, or are they not (fully) aware?

How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they like who they are? What would they want to change about themself?

What is your OC's occupation?

What does your OC's family look like?

Describe a mundane day in your OC's life.

Does your OC have any physical scars? What is the story behind them?

What does your OC carry around in their pockets? What about their bag?

What is the worst thing that has happened to your OC? How has it affected their behavior, their health, and their life in general?

What is something your OC does (to others) that they would not like if others did to them? Are they aware that they do this?

Does your OC hold grudges? How good are they at letting things go? Do they believe in second chances?

What is your OC's fatal flaw?

Is there anyone your OC has lost contact with? What happened?

What are some of your OC's coping mechanisms during stressful or overwhelming periods in their life?

What are your OC's bad habits?

How does your OC handle preparing for and initiating a difficult conversation? How does the conversation itself go?

How quick is your OC to shift blame? Do they own up to their mistakes, or are they prone to start pointing fingers at others?

How does your OC handle criticism?

How good is your OC at apologizing, if they do this at all?

What is your OC like when they're angry?

What is your OC like when they're upset?

What is your OC's deepest desire? Would they ever ask for this?

How quickly does your OC reach their breaking point? What are they like when this point has been reached?

What are some assumptions others make about your OC? Are any of them true?

What does your OC think others are saying about them behind their back? Is any of this true?

What are three traits your OC has that can both have positive as well as negative qualities?

How paranoid is your OC? How does this affect their daily life?

Are there any places or people your OC is avoiding?

How does your OC handle rejection?

How does your OC handle jealousy?

What would be some of the signs your OC is starting to push people away?

If your OC had to kill someone, how would they do it? If killing is a near-daily occurrence to them, what is their preferred method?

Does your OC believe they deserve it when bad things happen to them?

What is the most common feeling or emotion in your OC's life?

What is the most recurring theme in your OC's nightmares?

What is your OC's pain tolerance like? What is the worst pain they have ever felt?

What is your OC afraid of?

Has your OC ever hurt someone, either physically or verbally?

How easily influenced by others is your OC?

What are common things your OC worries about?

Do others consider your OC to be scary or intimidating?

Does your OC keep their promises? Have they ever broken one before?

Does your OC carry any guilt with them?

If your OC had to pick a new identity and skip town, what would they come up with? Where would they go?

What would your OC do if they knew that this was their last day alive?

Does your OC fear death?

How does your OC die, eventually?