The Artsy Cloudypard

letsdrawfma: Let’s Draw FMA: We’ve seen a few of these projects...

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:56:11 -0400

Let’s Draw FMA: We’ve seen a few of these projects floating around tumblr, and we thought, hey, the FMA fandom could do that! So here’s the goal: to showcase the diverse and incredible artistic abilities of the FMA fandom, and have it all in one place!

(The inspiration for this project came from the Sherlock fandom)

How to start: Use the image above and illustrate your own unique version of Hiromu Arakawa’s gorgeous work. (We thought it only fitting that we use an image from the original manga.). A rough outline is also available for anyone who wishes to use it. The hope is to create as many works of art with the same layout as possible.

You can change the colors, clothing, artistic style, medium, situation, or anything else you see fit. However, make sure to maintain the composition of the original piece (proportion and position wise) while working in your own unique style. Also, Edward, Winry and Alphonse should remain the focus, but you may add characters around them if you wish.

You may use any method you see fit while creating this image, whether it be digital art, traditional, cosplay, etc.

We will also be accepting Fan Fiction entries based around the image, so be creative! :)

Submitting Process: Post your finished product on your own blog, then tag it with “letsdrawfma” (make sure this tag is in the first three tags). You may also send us a message with the link to your work.

When all is said and done, we will reblog everyone’s illustrations (and other) here.

Now go forth and conquer! We’re excited to see what everyone will create!

Questions? Ask us at http://letsdrawfma.tumblr.com/ask

DOING THIS LIKE WOW

So, today at work I had a very…interesting conversation with my co-worker regarding Tumblr and...

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:53:00 -0400

So, today at work I had a very…interesting conversation with my co-worker regarding Tumblr and its content.

More under cut.

My co-worker is a mother of two, one of whom is a young girl about to start high school and who apparently has just created a Tumblr. When said co-worker, who will be henceforth referred to as “J”, asked if we knew about it, my other co-worker/friend and I both raised our hands and gave cheerful little “yups!”

The women then proceeded to trash talk the website as absolutely depressing and god awful. Her reasoning was that she happened to check her daughter’s dashboard (I’m assuming because they share a computer and her daughter doesn’t log out like most tumblr users) and saw multiple posts from other teenagers her daughter’s age complaining about their body image, expressing depressive thoughts and behaviors, and reblogs of anon messages all to the tune of “go kill yourself, you are fat”. This, reasonably enough, upset my co-worker to no end and has her convinced the internet is an evil place and that her daughter is not safe on Tumblr.

My friend and I, as reasonably as we could, attempted to explain that while Tumblr does have some very negative things on its site (especially the anonymous hate messages), so does every other aspect of social media on the internet. Facebook, MySpace, Xanga, Livejournal - all of these websites have the same problems that Tumblr does. We then explained that not all blogs are as triggering as those she mentioned about, and cited our own as examples. Hers is a blog for her writing and fandoms, mine is for drawing and fandoms.

We also discussed the validity of a lot of the posts she mentioned, and explained the nature of these darker posts. Some of these posts are made by people who genuinely cannot talk about their problems to those around them, and thus turn to internet “journals” and diaries to vent and release their stress, maybe find a kindred spirit to help them through their problems. Others, unfortunately, do it for the attention and discredit those who are genuinely depressed or in need of help and someone to talk to. It’s up to the viewer’s discretion to determine what is genuine and not genuine on the internet.

I then told my co-worker that there are ways to filter the content that appears on your dashboard, and told her about tumblr Savior and functions such as blocking, unfollowing blogs, and so on. I then offered some advice on what to do if her daughter is being subjected to anonymous hate mail and how to handle it and help her daughter handle it. (I have only received one troll message in all my time on here, but I’ve seen how others have handled trolling and have a pretty good idea what to do and what not to do in the face of it.)

J seemed to be listening to all of this, but in the end, she merely threw her hands up in the air, pronounced Tumblr to still be evil, and proceeded on her merry way.

I can understand her concerns as a parent, but I was a little disgruntled by the fact that everything my friend and I just said explaining how to make Tumblr a good experience and not a bad one effectively went through one ear and out the other.

I don’t want to be that person to say “if you’re this age or younger you shouldn’t be on Tumblr,” (though I do agree that if you’re under a certain age you shouldn’t be looking at the nsfw stuff on this website), but I’m wondering in this case, if my co-worker is that concerned about her daughter being exposed to the website’s darker sections, maybe her daughter shouldn’t be on the website in the first place.

Anyways, it was a very interesting conversation. I was wondering what your thoughts were on the matter, you guys?

pettyartist: celebrate-the-magic: poison-ninja: i-am-momo-senp...

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:30:37 -0400

pettyartist:

celebrate-the-magic:

poison-ninja:

i-am-momo-senpai:

This is the most meta thing I’ve ever seen on Cartoon Network.

OH. MY. GOD.

OH MY FREAKING LORD

HOLY CRAOPFKSJH

WOW OK

GENIUS

junk-os: sometimes your 13-year old self teach you things....

Sat, 25 May 2013 22:24:21 -0400

junk-os:

sometimes your 13-year old self teach you things. good things.

wannabeanimator: “Ken Hultgren lived a short but very...

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:28:44 -0400

wannabeanimator:

“Ken Hultgren lived a short but very productive life.

He started his career in 1936 at Disney , where he eventually became an animator on the short film Farmyard Symphony. Hultgren then moved to the Bambi unit, where he did character design and animation. As you can see in these two model sheets, he was a very gifted draughtsman.

Hultgren put out a great book in 1950 called The Art of Animal Drawing.

Early on as an art student in Germany I found it quite difficult to draw animals at the zoo. When I got my hands on a copy of this book and flipped through the pages several light bulbs went off.” — Andreas Deja

In case you didn’t know, you can read The Art of Animal Drawing online, as well as many other animation and art books. Just check my resource page.

mrscalypsojackson: I HATE WHEN YOU TRY TO SHARPEN A PENCIL AND IT DOES THE THING

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:27:29 -0400

mrscalypsojackson:

I HATE WHEN YOU TRY TO SHARPEN A PENCIL AND IT DOES THE THING

pettyartist: newtypelady: poupon: axl99: ienjoyfewthings: De...

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:25:30 -0400

pettyartist:

newtypelady:

poupon:

axl99:

ienjoyfewthings:

Dear anyone responsible for a work of fantasy fiction,

This is how you warrior.

UGH. YES. LADIES IN PROPER ARMOR.

Two of those are by Marian Churchland, who is THE BEST

I WILL NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR MY LOVE OF FULL ARMOR.

UNF

THE SECOND TO LASSSSTTTT

When I Turn Around is a posthumously published collection of...

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:24:56 -0400

When I Turn Around is a posthumously published collection of sketches by Ghibli artist Yoshifumi Kondo. In 1992, Kondo started sketching moments he witnessed during his everyday life. Children sharing secrets in the park, students cycling through the street, teenagers blowing bubbles on the sidewalk, and businessmen posting letters in the rain– these were the sweet incidental moments captured lovingly in hand-drawn sketches. Kondo, who directed Whisper of the Heart, was expected to become one of the top directors at Ghibli and Takahata and Miyazaki’s eventual successor, but sadly suffered an aneurysm before these plans came to pass.

When I Turn Around can be purchased from Amazon Japan.

Enough ships to forge a Philosopher's Stone: Greed/ling - Fic by Catw00man

Sat, 25 May 2013 21:23:17 -0400

Enough ships to forge a Philosopher's Stone: Greed/ling - Fic by Catw00man:

fmamultishipping:

For me there can never be enough written about Greed and Ling in any form. This is one I wrote about Ling paying homage to those he’s lost, including one very special honored dead..

The Future Lies in Stories of the Past (on AO3)

In this one Ling and Lan Fan return to Central 10 years…

I cannot even READ THIS because Ling mourning Greed’s death in any way, shape or form, just BREAKS MY HEART BEYOND BELIEF

I really really really want to draw some Edvy fan art. But I have work and a collab and thank you...

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:46:35 -0400

I really really really want to draw some Edvy fan art.

But I have work and a collab and thank you gifts to do first.

Wehhhh

tealin: Eagle studies, with the aid of fairy-wren’s helpful...

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:28:07 -0400

tealin:

Eagle studies, with the aid of fairy-wren’s helpful avian Tumblog.

I was recently called a ‘proper artist’ by someone I respect and admire, so I thought I ought to live up to the praise by doing some proper artistic studies before barging in on a character design like I own it already.

rinachur: fandomsandfeminism: The corruption of the Ideal,...

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:26:01 -0400

rinachur:

fandomsandfeminism:

The corruption of the Ideal, and its restoration through hope: How the ending of Madoka Magica saves it.

~Spoilers for the end of the series~

Feminist readings of Madoka can be controversial in the world of anime criticism. Looking at the series closely, especially within the context of the Magical Girl genre, it is easy to see why. I propose however, that the problematic issues surrounding Madoka are deliberate to allow for their subversion in the conclusion of the narrative.

Magical Girl anime embody an important Ideal that we need to talk about. This genre, full of its empowered girls, is hailed by feminists as a saving grace in a medium that is often litered with problematic narratives. What makes Magical Girl anime so positive though? The strength, I would argue, is in how it upholds a feminist Ideal of the world. Women use traditionally feminine symbols (so often used as a source of weakness) as a source of ultimate strength. Women gain magical powers and then band together to triumph.

The Ideal then is this: girls are empowered, form a female centered communities, and triumph using hope and positivity.

Madoka is controversial because the initial set up is a complete corruption of this ideal.

Madoka is often called a “magical girl anime with a dark twist.” This is an apt description. The world that Madoka introduces is not the light, empowering magical girl ideal that we expect from the genre.

Girls are empowered but, with the rare exception of Mami, do not work together. Homura fights Mami. Sayaka fights Kyouko. Homura fights Kyouko.

Their stories do not end in triumph, but dispair. As Kyuubei says, girls become women, and magical girls become witches. In Madoka, womanhood is linked to despair and villainy. Becoming a woman is inevitably coupled with negativity and even evil.

Rather than the Ideal we expect from the genre, Madoka presents a world where girls are pit against each other and the world capitalizes on their suffering. Left at this, Madoka is an incredibly bleak and problematic world.

However, there are two characters who ensure that this broken system is not left to fester.

First we have Homura. We see, in episode 10, that when Walpurgis kills all of the girls, Homura rejects the “girl vs girl” culture of the magical girls. Homura becomes a magical girl for the sole purpose of helping Madoka. Of saving Madoka. Homura demands to replay the game again and again until she wins, spurred on by female solidarity and friendship.

However, when the game is broken, no amount of re-dos can fix it. Homura is still destined to fail again and again for as long as she has hope, and the end for her is still despair.

But Madoka doesn’t ask for a re-do.

Madoka changes the game.

Madoka’s wish is to prevent witches from ever being born, past present and future. In essence, her wish is to uncouple maturity from inevitable corruption, to separate womanhood from the expectation of evil.

And oh the changes that makes. Madoka’s accention to Godoka restores the Magical Girl Ideal.

You see, there is still pain and suffering in the world that is created in Madoka’s wake. But then, most Magical Girl anime does have room for struggle. Sayaka still dies for example. Wraiths cause problems in the world. There are battles to fight to be sure.

But girls no longer inevitably corrupt into witches. The world no longer capitalizes from their suffering. The girls are no longer pit against each other. We see Homura, Mami, and Kyouko working TOGETHER at the end, empowered by their symbols of girlhood, with HOPE awaiting them at the end of every journey. The Ideal becomes a reality.

I find Madoka to be a feminist friendly narrative because of these things. The ending confronts the broken system and fixes it. For that reason, I will always recommend it.

Amazing read

YES THANK YOU

I have been seeing a lot of posts lately claiming that Madoka is anti-feminist, and this was a much needed breath of fresh air in the argument.

thelilnan: starfleetgrad: aileine: I couldn’t help...

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:22:29 -0400

thelilnan:

starfleetgrad:

aileine:

I couldn’t help myself.

hey look it got even BETTER

oh my goodness yes

Cake boss has got nothing on me y’all

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:16:01 -0400

Cake boss has got nothing on me y’all

thelegendofj: artsycloudypard: nayx: reaill: jakeenglish: pl...

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:07:05 -0400

thelegendofj:

artsycloudypard:

nayx:

reaill:

jakeenglish:

please just watch this

it does something very bizarre

this video starts off with “here’s a nice idea”

THIS IS A VERY GOOD IDEA OMG

This man is the Da Vinci of our times.

- J

We should all just quit right now then XDD

nayx: reaill: jakeenglish: please just watch this it does...

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:36:02 -0400

nayx:

reaill:

jakeenglish:

please just watch this

it does something very bizarre

this video starts off with “here’s a nice idea”

THIS IS A VERY GOOD IDEA OMG

theartofanimation: Hiroyuki Takeno

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:34:41 -0400

theartofanimation:

Hiroyuki Takeno

theartofanimation: Hiroyuki Takeno

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:34:26 -0400

theartofanimation:

Hiroyuki Takeno

handful-ofdust: myampgoesto11: Oleg Oprisco Photography Attar...

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:34:07 -0400

handful-ofdust:

myampgoesto11:

Oleg Oprisco Photography

Attar of burning roses.

Happy Birthday, Mom. <3

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:31:08 -0400

Happy Birthday, Mom. <3

You’re the strongest, most courageous, hard-working, high-spirited woman I know.

You’re also the funniest, because you make me laugh every single day and your laughter is just damn infectious.

You’re the most supportive woman I know, and even though I drive you nuts with my hobbies, my constant fangirling, the long hours away from home staring at an animation on my computer screen, you don’t complain and just support me.

You always said you were lucky to have me as your daughter, but the reality is, I’m blessed to have you as my mother.

I AM GOING TO BAKE YOU THE BEST GOD DAMN BIRTHDAY CAKE EVER