Custom Brush Tutorial Kinda??

Not the same Anon, but hyacinths please

Hi friend, thank you so much for your interest! I’m going to go over how I draw these flowers, but I realized midway that I’m actually very terrible at drawing these in particular, haha. There’s a reason I’ve lowkey avoided doing them so far, and I think it enabled me to highlight a bit more, the way I choose my arts.

It’s quite hard to teach just “how to draw a specific flower” mostly because I myself don’t know - the most important thing I can emphasize is using references! 

I personally dislike drawing these flowers in my art, and I couldn’t figure out why until I started this tutorial.

One thing I tend to notice when I look at reference pictures is how flowers move as a ‘whole’ and their relative ‘flexibility’. I pay attention to that because the way I do art, I choose the flower in part based on appearance and how natural they will look in a specific composition. 

I tend to like flowers that sprout outwards and have a kind of ‘loose’ appearance. The red lines here show the ‘direction’ I want the flowers to go in.

This is where these flowers pose a bit of a problem. Because arranged in clumps, they are very stiff. It’s not a bad thing if that’s what you’re looking for, but it’s not what I wanted, exactly, for this image. 

They just stick straight up, because they have very stiff leaves and a tight packed pattern. (They sometimes tilt though, mine always did). At this point, I could decide the form isn’t right, and this isn’t the flower I want. But there’s also another thing I could do, which is altering it’s appearance when I draw it, slightly.

Left is a simplified version of the shape, while the middle is a more detailed image. The furthest to the right is a close-up of a single flower. Depending on what you want to portray, you can choose to alter what you want your flowers to look like. 

As you can see, when drawn closer up, the flower has a lot more flexibility!

So with this, I ended up drawing the batch of flowers a lot larger than how it would be normally, while still retaining the recognizable flower and leaf shape. 

So what I’m trying to convey is that sometimes you have to study references, but then know you can pick and choose what aspects to highlight in your art. That’s I think, how you can get your flowers to look extra ‘dynamic’ in your work - by accentuating their specific shapes to work to your advantage! And also playing with their colors and such! But hyacinths come in so many colors that any would work!

I hope this is helpful to you, anon! 

Goat daddy 

actually please don’t call him daddy : (

How to learn the cyrillic alphabet

The different alphabet often terrifies people who want to study Russian or Bulgarian or whatever language uses this alphabet, and sometimes even makes people choose not to study the language after all. 

I know how you feel, it terrified me too when I started studying Bulgarian. But what if I told you that it actually is very easy to learn? 

In this post, I’m going to show you how I managed to learn the alphabet in just a day. And trust me, this isn’t one of those impossible “clickbaits” like be fluent in language x in only 3 months. No, learning the cyrillic alphabet in just a day is very realistic.

STEP 1: DOWNLOAD THE CYRILLIC KEYBOARD ON YOUR SMARTPHONE 

The very first thing you should do, is downloading the cyrillic keyboard on your smartphone. Why on your phone and not your computer, you ask? Well, the letters on the keyboard of your computer won’t magically change once you’ve set your keyboard to the cyrillic alphabet. You’ll see the cyrillic letters on your screen, but not on the actual keyboard, which makes it harder to use. On your smartphone, you do see the cyrillics on the keyboard, which makes it way easier to learn and use.

The Bulgarian keyboard on an iPhone

STEP 2: GET A CHEAT SHEET AND START MEMORIZING THE ALPHABET

I didn’t use any textbooks or websites to learn the cyrillic alphabet. The only thing I used, was a cheat sheet with the sounds of all the letters. 

begin with the letters that are the same as the latin alphabet: a, c, e, k …

once I knew those letters, I memorized the letters that appear in the latin alphabet too, but have a different pronunciation: в, р, у, х …

The last step was to memorize the new letters: я, д, ъ, ц …

STEP 3: READ

Once I memorized the entire alphabet, I started reading a bit. I just went to a random wikipedia page and changed the language to Bulgarian (if you’re learning Russian, it’s better to set it in Russian instead). And then I just tried to read it out loud. 

You won’t understand a single word of it, and don’t be afraid, that’s normal. You’re just there to practice reading the alphabet, not to actually gain knowledge on the topic you’re reading. 

Don’t expect yourself to read as fluent as in your target language or basically any language that uses the latin alphabet. It will go rather slowly, but that’s normal. When you were 6 and just had learned the latin alphabet, you were a slow reader too. Don’t let this terrify you. 

STEP 4: WRITING NAMES 

When I was tired of reading, I started writing the names of friends, family members, classmates… and most importantly: my own name. By doing that, you practice your writing skills in the cyrillic alphabet. 

I do have to warn you, though: not all names can be written in cyrillic. I noticed that especially French names and names with a W in sometimes can’t be written in the cyrillic alphabet. 

Another tip I can give you, is looking for easy words in your target language (like good morning, hello, friend etc.) and trying to write these down. You can for example listen to the first Youtube video of Russianpod101 and try writing the words they are saying down. Afterwards, you can correct them, something you cannot do with the names. 

STEP 5: EXERCISE DAILY

The last and probably most important step, is to exercise daily. If you’re going to learn it in 1 day but then stop looking at it for a week, be sure you’ll have forgotten nearly everything. It’s important to repeat at least one of these steps on a daily base. 

Good luck with your studies!! If you ever need help, don’t hesitate to contact me! 😄

Slavic beliefs about treshold and hearth

The negative role of the treshold

“Together with the door, the threshold co-created a part of the border between the two fragments of space. It was placed in a point where the continuity of the boundary was breached. The importance of the threshold resulted from its dual nature: the separation of spaces and the chance to move between the two created areas. In symbolic thinking, the threshold could be identified (and metonymically replaced) with the critical points that occur when switching between two states of affairs (e.g. nature/culture, night/day) or personal statuses (e.g. childhood/adolescence, single/ married). Being a fraction of the boundary and the exponent of its crossing, the threshold had the characteristics of a border area, and therefore it was ontologically insecure. And so, because every crossing of the border was related to the risk of contacting the undifferentiated chaos of the underworld, or with touching the sacred, the threshold required special protection and the ritualistic behaviours.

The significance of the threshold in family rituals is quite clearly written in eth- nographic material. The threshold was one of the important elements of weddings or deaths, pregnant women were isolated from it. This boundary of the house did also need magical treatments. Apotropaic actions were also related to the thresholds of cowsheds and stables. The main motive of these activities was burying animals, coins, and/or unbaptized children underneath the threshold, or laying axes, garlic, brooms, knives, and/or herbs braided in a wreath on its surface.

Very few historical documents also describe the role of the threshold among Early Middle Ages Slavs. According to archaeological sources, its protective role (and, at the same time, protection over the whole house) can be confirmed by an auroch’s skull found in Gdańsk (circa 1230-1255), which was found near the south- eastern wall of a house, placed in parallel with it, in an alley between two hous- es; it could have been nailed to the top of the house as a hunting trophy. Wreaths made of twigs and hair could also fulfil an apotropaic function. A large number of wreaths made of phloem (9 pieces) was found during excavations in Gdańsk and Wolin. They were found on the streets, the square, and the vicinity of house walls in Early Middle Ages Gdańsk. Willow wreaths from Wolin were found near a wat- tle-and-daub house wall. In a nearby house some collections of wreaths placed on a corner peg were also found1. The wattle-and-daub buildings were built in the 11th and 12th centuries. They were 5 to 10 cm in diameter and were made of willow. A wicker wreath was in turn found in Szczecin inside a log cabin dating back to the first half of the 12th century. Identical wicker wreaths were present in Slavic buildings in Lund.

A possibly apotropaic meaning is connected with wreaths found in Gdańsk, Szczecin, and Wolin that were made of different materials, including horsehair. The incompleteness of archaeological material relating to the Early Middle Ages period does not allow to determine the exact role of this part of the house in apotropaic treatments. Deliberately omitted in this work is the ban on sweeping garbage over the threshold (the broom was treated as a cleanser), which is evident in ethnographic sources. According to Slavic beliefs the broom, when set on the threshold of a house or barn, defended the entrance against witches and protected from evil eyes.”

The symbolic role of the hearth

“The important part of the house was a place used for preparing meals and getting warm. According to ethnographic sources, the stove is a common component of beliefs and rituals. It was clearly a developed form of the hearth in the form of a fireplace and as such will continue to be considered, because fire was an inseparable companion of existence. Stanislaw Ciszewski assigned the following functions to the hearth:

1. it was a social environment and as such it merged individuals into a solidary group of people; 2. it was a symbol of life and existence; 3. it was a form of altar, and as such was an intermediary between a group of people and the spirits of their ancestors and the extrasensory world

The hearth discussed in this chapter has been treated in two ways: as a symbol of family life and spiritual life. The hearth constituted an integral part of life for a man and his family. It connected them to the extent that any important event was associated with it. In turn, the hearth manifested itself in spiritual life as the eternal worship of fire, seen as a god who must be adored. I am aware that this is an artificial division, but the clear application of it will help “organize” apotropaic magic activities connected with the cult of the hearth.

The fireplace or stove were a symbolic centre of family life, around which re- sided the guardian spirits of ancestors. Rituals associated with the hearth, which are the expression of a particular respect, have been observed in ethnographic material. The most archaic of them is the habit of “feeding” the fire, guardian spirits, clan, and family. These treatments are also confirmed by written sources, which speak about demons of destiny and a house spirit called uboże, which had to be taken care of by leaving food in right places. Also the available archaeological material of the Early Middle Ages allows to confirm the submission of different types of bloody and bloodless offerings near the stove and fireplaces.

Both atmospheric fire and the earthly one had sacred value, because the effect of contacting with them was the dissolution of all shapes, or, as a result, the liquidation of the opposition that characterized human oecumene: beginning-end, light-dark, right-left, and so on. This fire also had to be tamed by applying appropriate apotropaic treatments, which in this case took the form of prohibitions or commands with regard to handling fire. On the other hand fire, ashes, charcoal, or smoke were quite commonly believed to have purifying and protective powers. In the light of archaeological sources the worship of a deified fire within the house is probably the most difficult to detect. Over the centuries magical rites related to the worship of fire have changed. Perhaps the two vessels (from Wyszogród near War- saw and Radzim, Greater Poland Voivodeship) with special lightning-shaped and figural engravings on them were used during the protective magic rituals.”

Slavic protective magic in the Early Middle Ages on Polish territories by Joanna Wawrzeniuk

some puppies studies ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 🐶 | Instagram

(Edited) + more studies lkdafña

So

Can we just……

Talk about………

All of……………

The…………………….

Similarities??????????????????

Symbols and Signs: Animals

Animals are among the first symbols any human race has used. From birth we know that certain animals represent traits that are human, such as courage, wisdom and strength. I would look into Viking, Egyptian, Christian, Native American Legends and Greek/Roman mythos for animal motifs.

Tigers: a symbol of strength, power, energy, passion, ferocity, sensuality, beauty, speed, and wrath.

Panthers: symbolize strength, , adventure, loyalty, triumph, and a spiritual mind or personality.

Lions: courage, power, royalty, dignity, authority, justice, wisdom, and ferocity.

Koi Fish: fortune and luck, perseverance in adversity, and strength of purpose. (Japanese)

Dolphins: gracefulness, playfulness, gentle, harmony, intelligence, friendship, community, and generosity.

Crabs: trust, emotion, protection, regeneration, and transformation.

Shark: calculation, perceptiveness, and instinct.

Dove: peace, hope, love, freedom, promise, maternity, and messenger. (Christian)

Eagle: patriotism, spiritual protection, guardianship, opportunity, freedom, skill, authority, vision, power, and leadership. (Native American)

Peacocks: Glory, royalty, power, beauty, awakening, refinement, and incorruptibility.

Hummingbirds: joy, energy, vitality, healing, peace, infinity, agility, playfulness, loyalty, and affection.

Snake: duality, the search for balance, rebirth, patience, awareness, wisdom, ambition, evil, healing, intellect, protection, royalty, and awareness. (Christian, Greek, Egyptian)

Frog: f fertility, luck, purity, rebirth, renewal, healing, metamorphosis, and opportunity.

Turtles and tortoises: steadiness, protection, patience and stability

Butterflies: beauty, metamorphosis, transformation, fragility, grace, resurrection, transition, and change.

Spiders : fate, death, rebirth, and signifying a crafty or resourceful personality.

Dragonflies: prosperity, peace, good luck, purity, and harmony.

Scorpions: death, transition, sex, control, solitary, passion, protection, and defensiveness.

Horses: power, grace, beauty, strength, freedom, and nobility.

Foxes: cunning, playful, quick thinking or strategic personality, wisdom

Ant: group mind, patience, action

Antelope: action, agility and sacrifice

Armadillo: safety, boundaries, medicine shield

Bat: rebirth, secrets, blood and initiation

Beaver: builder, protector

Boar: Fire, savageness, power, the sun

Buffalo: sacredness, life, abundance, prophecy (Native American)

Cat: Royalty, cunning, evil, independence (Egyptian)

Bear: Strength, Motherhood, power

Coyote: laughter, humor, foolishness

Crow: Death, greed, murder, wealth

Deer: gentleness, trust, innocence and purity

Dog: Loyalty, nobility, true friendship

Hawk: Speed, persistence and quick wits

Lizard: Self-reliance, longevity, age, wisdom, evil

Mouse: Timidness

Otter: Laughter, curiosity, mischievous

Owl : wisdom, deception, death (Greek/Roman)

Rabbit: Virtue, serenity, low curiosity, quiet talent, fertility, (Chinese)

Ram: self worth, stubbornness (Chinese)

Raven: Magic, the messenger, mystery, dreams, death (Norse)

Sheep: trusting and naivety

Wolf: knowledge , leadership, savagery, teamwork, fear, Motherhood (Native American, Norse, Roman)

Horned kichka (Russian: рогатая кичка) is a type of ancient russian headdress for a married woman.

The horned kichka was a fertility symbol, and it served as a protection against evil spirits.

My opinion about Burne Hogarth’s ‘Dynamic figure drawing’

Some sketches and notes.

If you are artist that wants to learn anatomy or beginner artist and you are confused which resources to use to learn human figure you might find post helpful. 

This is my take on the book and I want to share some thoughts after reading the book and practicing the topics. There are good things and thing I didn’t like and wouldn’t recommend. Just to give you answer to the question if I liked the book. Yes I liked it. But I want to give you honest opinion on good and not so good things so you as a student or always learning artist can decide if you want to use this book to learn. Let’s start with things I liked. It’s a book that covers unique topic: drawing figure in deep space and drawing without reference. I also liked that it doesn’t represent academic approach. Author rather helps people who had academic background and still have problems with drawing figure that isn’t standing straight like soldier. This book can help you fight stiffness in poses and helps generate ideas for dynamic poses. It teaches you how to draw figure in deep space, meaning : helps you create illusion of depth. Approach to drawing human body is also interesting. Hogarth recommend starting from torso and then adds secondary forms : limbs. This books helps you understand body curves so you don’t need to know anatomy. Actually this is something I like and at the same time I am not sure about. It’s good to know anatomy first before you get into this book. I would say that perfect audience for this book is student who has academic background but can only draw people standing straight like soldiers. Hogarth’s books will help you to invent interesting forms and positions. Although you can’t take his anatomy literally. He has very characteristic style, that isn’t realistic but is believable. “Dynamic figure drawing” many covers male body and there’s very little about female body. It’s because female body just doesn’t look good. It’s like female’s version of male bodies. Doesn’t look very organic and remind me of ancient greek statues. Just to give you example : breasts looks like they are balls attached to the chest. Definitely look for some other source about female body. Overall you can find some great tips and topics that are not covered in other books. This book is for already experienced artists who wish to learn techniques that will expand their academic knowledge. For anatomy look at Bridgman and Loomis 😃 I tried to keep this review as short as I could. Let me know how do you like these kind of reviews and if you would like to see more post like this one in the future.

So many of you asked for a tutorial on how I paint faces/ add a light source, so here you go! 😍 Let me know if you guys have any feedback or if you want to try it yourself! 💜