Rambling a Bit for a Burning World

Best outcome, next few years suck, trump gets out, dems and whoever gets in, rollback on all the bullshit

Worse outcome, next several years suck worse, trump gets out, republicans and whoever gets in, bullshit gets reenforced

Also Worse and really bullshit outcome, next several years suck, trump gets out, dems get in, but bullshit stays for a long time until a significant social and political change force hands - which while inevitable (something got to give) will also suck, but things will change but not as they were

Anyway, I had a good cry today about current times. A month ago, I had a minor epiphany that all we had to do is survive the next few years with the bullshit and just get trump out and get past this era and fix things and we will be - still hurting - but at least escape the worst of it. 

But now, I'm not sure about anything anymore.

I'm sure you have heard about the Mastercard and Visa censorship, UK's Online Safety Act, USA's KOSA and SCREEN Acts, and so on. I have no words. This is disgusting, dangerous, privacy violating, destructive censorship that will strip many adult and child users of the internet and of their rights. This is not about protecting women and kids (hint: I'm AFAB, and I reject these censorships btw they don't speak for me), this whole thing is about controlling what information we can see, what can we buy, what can we make, and what can we say.

So, now that my grief for the current free internet is out of the way, let me say this:

If you have the means to do so, the money and time, I suggest becoming an archivist. Save as much as you can, learn how to do backups properly, join archival groups to keep track and save information out there. Especially of LGBTQ+ Rights and Culture, Civil Rights, Human Rights, and so on. If you have to sail the high seas, do it. Download a copy of your bookmarks (if you don't have any saved in your browser, start saving now), on articles use print then send to PDF to save a copy, maybe get something like Joplin, Obsidion, or other local notebook to save information as text and back that up, both through local storage and cloud.

Text docs are light, rendered text docs are a little heavy, images and videos get heavy quick. Backup your backups your backups.

You don't have to save everything, but at least small bits of pieces here and there if you could. Remember the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of data, two in different media, 1 offsite either in another location or on the cloud.

If it helps, here's something from my most recent journal entry.

The cost of data storage goes up, especially for cloud. There are other options.

As of 7/30/2025:

• Wasabi $7.00 per TB per month pricing as you go
• Backblaze is another option starting at $9.99 per month, Backblaze B2 Hot Storage $6/TB/Month
• Storj.io starting at $0.004/BG/Month ($4/TB/Month)
• CrashPlan Professional unlimited backups $7.33 per user/month
• Idrive.com $9.95 per month for Personal
• pCloud $9.99 2TB or $19.99 10TB - Lifetime $399 ($599) or $1190 10TB for life
• AWS S3 Glacier Deep Archive - $0.00099 per GB - Warning, known to have expensive egress and additional charges.

I'm thinking about learning encryption, too, for more sensitive stuff.

I currently have a, unfortunately a basic and low paying,  job and access to at least two survey sites that give me some small amount of pay. After getting a new tablet in Sept, I plan to get at least two 2TB drives, sort through the files I have either collected or made, back that up, and create and maintain my History Keeper folder for collecting a few snapshots of recent events. Then backup to cloud, something hopefully more secure than Google Drive (any affordable recommendations is welcomed).

It's a start. I'm gonna try to keep the folder below 50GB, so I'll limit the amount I collect over time. Goal is to keep track of what's going on, as long as I have access. If things shake out a little where information is limited but not horribly erased or censored, okay, but I rather be safe than sorry.

I'll search for archival groups to join or at least support them if I want to contribute. Outside of this, the backups are also for my art and stories, just in case.

I'll still work on my art and stories. I want WOR to be reality and all its stories, too. I want to get back to working on Eightenate and creating new 3D models of my characters to test the look for my comics or whatever media I decide to put this in. I do feel bad for not having a consistent period of work and not being successful artist, but I refuse to let my creative light die. I will make something out of this, one way or another.

But yeah, I'm deeply scare of the future. I'm scared for everyone. There's so much art, blogs, forums, servers, and other places I hate to see disappear from the internet or censored to the point I can't see them.

And while I do not believe this forever - this entire censorship thing is not sustainable at all and is very unpopular across the countries this will affect - there is a possibility if it gets through, this will have staying power depending on future leadership for the next few decades.

A brighter world is out there. Keep fighting for it in anyway you can. Resistance is always possible, even when things get dark. Sometimes, some take it easy and other take it hard and fast, damn the risk and consequences.

THOU ART BLADENLESS!!!!

 

It's over rendered a bit, but I like this comic! Please enjoy!

Loving the ichordic hair texturing, though a bit inconsistent with lighting in the scene. I didn't have an idea (yet) on a background, so I just borrowed some inspiration from the Byzantine mosaics of golden backgrounds for this. The border was from this photo of an interior of a basilica in Hagia Sophia by Raimond Klavins.

Image ID below:

A four panel comic of two siege-status war-torches, Thermite (the five horned torch with reddish toned ichor) and Caelestis (the two horned torch with purple toned ichor). The comic is set within a worn decorative blue and gold panels with golden background behind the two brother torches.

Thermite just flown into the first panel, teasing his annoyed brother on his low mood. 

"Oh, my dearest hatch-brother," Thermite said with sly smile on his wooden face and a finger upon his chin, "Thou look so glum!

Caelestis makes no response to his brother's jest, but Thermite continues, turning to his brother with his fingers interlocked.

"Hast thou lost someone important? Mislaid a lady blade?

Caelestis seems to finally take note of his brother's incoming joke as Thermite, struggling to keep back a laugh with a squirming smile.

 "Thou appearest...

His face breaking into a exaggerated cartoony smile, Thermite lands his punchline.

"BLADENLESS!!!"

"Please cease talking to my sword wyfe," Caelestis retorts with an angry glare as his ichor shifts from a cool purple to a harsh red.

Details update goofy ahhhhh

 

Colors progress! Trying to keep them looking both similar and different at the same time.

WIP - The Jantherizeran Brothers - Big Turtle Preview ahhahahhahahah

 

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Eightenate Character model Progress!

 So, over the past year, I've been working on Eightenate character model for a World of Relics style guide. The goal of the style guide is to help develop a consistent aesthetic, themes, style, and visual worldbuilding concepts for the overall look of the setting of World of Relics, and its sub universes, Rise of Relics and The Mundane Realm.

 The goal of the Eightenate model is to test out how my designs translate to 3D space, while keeping my 2D painterly/comic book style. This means months of learning NPR styled shading and modeling, from Anime-styled renders to Arcane and Spiderverse styled shading. I'm still learning most of this stuff, as a lot of this style of 3D art and design is still new and developing. But once Eightenate's model is complete with body and facial rigging, with a plan on how to keep Appeal of my 3D models intact for comics, the process of asset creation of my future comics will go by faster.

Currently, the status of Eightenate's character model is the following:

 

Original 2D design

There are a few corrections I need to do for this model before moving on to rigging:

•  Finalize Shaders and Textures
•  Fix right scar over eye taper shape
•  Once that's fix, repaint scar to be close to reference
• Reshape holdout geo over right eye and scar
• Fix tassels shading to be closer to reference 
• Complete cape with two holes from reference and improve shading (Look up Arcane Cloth shading)
• Make sword after learning hard surface modeling
  

Eightenate sword updates and upcoming character sheet corrections!

 I made corrections on Eightenate's sword, shown here in a previous post. Check it out:

 

The reason why I went with this design was due to the environment that Eightenate lived in was incompatible with the original hooked sword from her previous sheets. The original sword design was for breaching and bypassing the armor of war-fitted objects like war-torches and other polearms and fighting against swords by using the hook to redirect their swings.

But Kingdom of Calderia is largely populated by Earthenkind made of multiple layers of solid stone, which includes Eightenate - despite her stunted size. I don’t think that hook design will survive long in this setting. So I went with a thick stone sword with a wedged blade, designed to still breach armor and stone, wedge between exposed cracks, and act as a tool for breaking through barriers or aid in climbing. And some additional traits like punching with the bolted hilt or stone pommel.

Also, there’s a bit of an additional worldbuilding note for Eightenate: because of her stunted growth, she is unable to grow spines on the underside of her arm. While most adult Earthenkind (of stony variety) grow spines upon coming-of-age at 20, Eightenate was five years late in that growth and lacked the additional offensive and defensive benefits she would have gained from them.

This sword was a gift given to her by an elder Earthen, who took care of her shortly after the lost of her past Guardian during her curiohood. The sword, once used in a higher position before Calderia’s downturn just years ago, was in poor condition and took a long time for Eightenate to take care of it. After some time, it gained a similar hue as Eightenate’s own chrysocolla core.

 Next to be updated:

• Correct textures on Expressions and Pose Sheets.
• Update Sword Design on Pose Sheet.

Broken Mirror - Bygone Era

 

Broken Mirror - Bygone Era

Side A Feat. Goddess Nikey

My self-image is just as murky as a reflection in a worn old mirror. Broken and weathered by time's toll. There's a weight upon me. I will carry it eternally, even as the world dies and the ground below me falls away. At this moment, I wish to come to terms with it. My dull reflection carries it, too.

Grim Redesign!

 

 Decided to explore Grim's CHR design again! I gave them a more naturalistic look with two afro variations. I haven't developed more updated lore on them yet, but I like the idea of them being an immersive daydreamer like myself. They were Plural/System (system origin is unknown) in their old lore, but I don't think I'm equipped with the knowledge to handle such a sensitive topic for a character. Maybe with more research at a later time, I will explore this for them again.

Removing their original monster design changes their old lore a bit. They live in Astoria, a place where stories come from. Characters in this world are in a never-ending search for a story to fit in. Grim is studying to be a protagonist, but they are a glitch character, a character that fits in no genre. Their old design has parts implying they are a combination of different characters. They look human but still had monster traits. They look genderfluid and can be interpreted as either male or female. They mostly see themself as non-binary and consider themself human.

The important theme in their old story was that all characters must find their one true story or else they fade away. To do so, they must be in a strong community, participate in stories with other characters, and keep developing themselves. For Grim, they not only need to do all this for themself but for their headmates as well. They and their headmates must work together to find their story.

Here are the old sketches of them from last year:

Some sketches and thoughts for a character redesign for my old character, Grim.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

If you are Plural or a System, let me know what you think of this character!

Speedpaint below!

 

 

Working on Sylvania the Elven Ground Staff!

 

Working on Sylvania the Elven Ground Staff #WIP!

I was inspired by a sponsorship ad in Lifering’s exit interview episode I have seen a while ago on Youtube.

Her war-object design is based on Sylvania of the Spirit Keep. I incorporated a few elements from her elven design, such as her chest plate, hip guards, and pauldrons, into her staff from the game.

I had some troubleshooting on her staff design. Polearms usually have a blade at the end for a long-range strike, like halberds, spears, or tridents. The blade-like protrusions on the head of Sylvania's staff don’t look like they are made for striking from the side.

 

 

For something that looks close to her staff weapon in Raid, I was able to find the Fangtian Ji, a Chinese spear from the Song dynasty (960–1279AD), designed for striking opponents directly or knocking them off their horses with the spear tip or side blade. (see also the Dagger Axe for a better context of her design).

Sylvania does not do this in the gameplay footage in the ad, she just strikes the ground with an AOE attack. So, I think it’s a staff weapon for casting powerful magic.

In this design, I exaggerated the blades and lengthened the spearhead. It made her look very intimidating in my style. A powerful and high-ranking war-staff!

Gwuenevere and her First Spell

 

A short mini-comic about Gwuenevere casting her first spell at 32. It did not go well. 

Ink and ink wash for the majority of this sketch. Acrylic paint and ink for the crystal.

 

And a special blurb that inspired this below! Warning, it's a bit rough, so mispellings and typos abound! CW for self-injury, body horror, and near-death.

Update on Pyroblast the War-Torch (Paintbrush II fanart)

I sketched out their facial and head anatomy. I like a naturalistic style with my object characters, so I added a slight curve on Pyroblast's head. I also gave them a fuller pompadour bristle style, too!

 

Wing anatomy was something I was stuck on for a bit, mostly because I was bouncing between robotic wings vs a more naturalistic bird-like wing. While designing this, I realized that polearm war-objects like Pyroblast would need some protection on their wing joints and shoulder. So I added a pauldron over the should joint that overlaps with the start of the wing and a segmented couter(?) at the elbow. I also added segmented bands over the metal primary feathers of Pyroblast's wing. 

 

As for the material makeup of a polearm's anatomy: Both flying and ground polearms are made of strong light metals and wood. The wings of a flying polearm are made up of aluminum/thin steel sheets (still researching this) enchanted with spells to strengthen them for combat, flight, and high temperatures. Pyroblast is a Heavy Class General Dread-torch, so their materials need to handle stress from high heat from their fire magic, extreme turbulence from the dynamic flight, and from any attacks from other Dread-torches.

Lower rank war-torches are mostly for aerial attacks on ground armies, while Dread-torches are castle destroyers. Castles would need defense against Dread-torches, either from using Dread-torches of their own (provided from their kingdom's capital, usually for heavily targeted castles) or using other means of anti-air defense.

I'm thinking about using this design for future flying polearms set in the Mundane Realm. For RFR, I might use a more simplified style to show how the first flying polearms still kept most of their original weapon shape before the Inversion Event.

Sketching Pyroblast the Dread-torch!

Been feeling better as of late, so I started drawing my favorite character from Inanimate Insanity, Paintbrush, as a war-torch in my style.

 

I also wanted to explore some designs for my war-torch characters. Their hair/wick shape, chest and fuel tank armor, and overall anatomy are what I have been waiting to explore for the longest time. The chest armor was inspired by this Shaffron Horse’s Head defense armor and the head design was inspired by the roman helmet with cheek guards. The overall design of all my winged polearm war-objects was based on dragonflies and the shoebill stork.

In the Mundane Realm, Paintbrush would be Pyroblast, a former Dread-torch general of Janthizera who self-librated themself from the tyranny of their own kingdom.

 

Massive Sketch update!

It's been awhile since the last update.  Here's a big sketch update to make up for that.

People People People

Recently, I have taken to drawing people around the Marta Arts Center Station in Atlanta, Georgia.  The sketches are for a sketchbook assignment in my Animation class.  The assignment is to draw people from life and study their movements, mannerisms, faces, etc and it all should be centered around a theme. The sketches below are mostly loose quick drawings that show the basic form of people but should have some construction and form.

For the sketches below, my theme is people and their personality: from their movements, hands, shape, etc.

The lady on the top was wearing a beautiful bright red dress. She was so pretty.

I really need to work on the hands.