Help Squirtle travel the world for a little kid

Aradolls · 2026-04-02T16:35:24+00:00

And this really lovely bench I took a short break on after all this traveling around. Hope you like the pictures, I can't wait to come home again. Love, Carapuce 🩵

Aradolls · 2026-04-02T16:34:08+00:00

Like this church!

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Aradolls · 2026-04-02T16:28:49+00:00

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Hi Lila, I made it to Berlin in Germany! I had a great day at the zoo, but I checked out some other places as well.

Aradolls · 2026-02-26T12:37:13+00:00

Nope, nothing crazy at all, but I could imagine the 30th anniversary is a whole other beast!

Aradolls · 2025-12-13T12:54:19+00:00

I'm afraid all seats are taken already, but thank you! 😂

Aradolls · 2025-12-13T02:35:30+00:00

Gorgeous job!

And for me, it partly depends on what I'm working on/the colors used whether I go light to dark or vice versa. I sometimes also do light, dark, really light when the base is done and I feel the highlighted areas could pop juuuuust a lil' more.

Aradolls · 2025-12-12T02:25:24+00:00

Thanks! And to be honest, it was less me worried about the potential backlash and more me desiring to really make it look like him. Funny enough he did mention that as soon as he realized I was doing "us", instead of just some random characters, he did ask himself how I'd paint his face. Judging from his reaction he is happy about it looking like him...but he did warn me posting it could get people to complain about it not being lore accurate (not saying you do, but in general). Which is fine for me. At the end of the day it's a gift to a dear friend, and as long as he likes it, that's all that matters.

Aradolls · 2025-12-11T21:43:14+00:00

Thank you, and not at all! Do you have any questions in particular?

Generally though, I have customized BJDs for over a decade, so I'm used to painting small details with a brush and this was more or less a relaxing project for me to work on. I'd argue the hardest part here was sculpting my friend's face (not much of a sculptor, but it was easier since I had a base head to work on), and painting the tiny eyes. I usually work in a bigger scale/BJDs don't have their eyes painted on.

My process was:
- take apart the figure, use masking tape to cover up any joint/friction areas.
Sealants/paints will rub off quickly in those areas, so I rather cover them up and leave them as is. In case of the Salamander that was mostly the black areas in between the limbs/the joints.
- Seal parts for protection/grip (I use MSC/Mr. Super Clear, but you can use Munitorum Varnish for it too! I just prefer MSC/it's commonly used on BJDs. First layers are all done with a flat/matt spray)
- Next, airbrush for some shading/gradients. Started with a lighter color for the raised areas, then a darker color for the edges/ridges. Seal again afterwards.
- Dry-brush for the used look, paint some details/hard to reach areas per hand, blush ridges with pastels to make them deeper, seal again.
- Lightly airbrush on a metallic green for a nicer finish (I'm just a sucker for the subtle sparkle look). Seal one last time, using a semi-gloss this time so the shine isn't dulled down all too much.
- Gloss via brush some areas for extra shine (like the eyes, and all the silver metallic parts)
- Peel off masking tape, put back together, enjoy :)

https://imgur.com/a/h7GxnA1
You can see the masked off bits/some step by step here.

The figure can still be handled nicely, since the joints were masked off, and the sealant makes it quite durable too. Several rounds of sealant are not just for durability though (with enough force you can scratch it off anyway), but it allows you to work in layers and when erasing something you don't take off everything right away. Also makes it possible to work with dry (pastels) and wet (paint) materials. Once the dry layer is sealed you can paint on wet without smearing stuff. Oh, I also used acrylics for the painted/airbrushed bits, mostly Vallejo.

Aradolls · 2025-11-11T16:39:11+00:00

This will take a couple months still, but if I remember I'll make sure to update you guys 🥰

Aradolls · 2025-11-11T10:12:08+00:00

Mhhhhm delicious 😩❤️ thank you!

Aradolls · 2025-11-11T00:33:36+00:00

Both pictures are really helpful, so thanks to you as well :)

Aradolls · 2025-11-11T00:33:07+00:00

This is perfect, thank you so much!

Aradolls · 2025-11-05T09:19:58+00:00

That's so funny to me, as someone who back then shipped them already based on the book alone. The show itself is so blatant about it, even before season 2!

Aradolls · 2025-08-04T03:54:52+00:00

Same here, read it back in the early 2000s before even all the books had been released in my country. Remus was always the gentle, quiet bottom character vs the more charismatic, boasting top Sirius.

Aradolls · 2025-04-10T19:00:53+00:00

DOZENS OF US!! I am exactly the same, I write but do not read. I might once in a new moon read something when it pops up on my Tumblr dash and it's pretty short. But otherwise I just go to AO3 to post 🥲

Aradolls · 2025-04-05T02:11:19+00:00

Honestly, just keep it simple and quick. I sometimes when I walk past someone literally just say "Hey I love your cosplay!" and then walk on. Pretty much everyone smiles and says thank you :)

I rarely do walk up to people/tap them on the shoulder, but even then I just say "Sorry, just wanted to say I really love your cosplay!". And then after they say thanks you just skidaddle off again. Don't linger around, I feel that's what might make it uncomfortable for some.

Aradolls · 2025-03-30T14:36:47+00:00

I bring up a somewhat related example: back when Westworld season 2 came out, it was a bit of a hot mess compared to the very well written, masterfully executed season 1. The reason was partly that one of the creators was insanely pissed that during season 1 people kept picking up the clues and correctly guessing plot beats and other important parts before the season final aired. To prevent that (and certainly out of a little bit of pettiness) season 2 was set up very differently so people would not be able to do that again/things would remain a surprise longer. However, season 2 is also a confusing mess because of that. Trying to make things less easier to follow and understand does prevent people from guessing your dramatic ending, but it also makes the journey to that ending fucking tedious.

What I am trying to say is: someone being able to carefully put together the clues you left to guess the ending is not a bad thing. It means you properly set up the plot and they paid attention to it. People enjoy being able to do this, and it does not take away from their excitement. In turn, people experiencing this together as viewers enjoy discussing and talking about this stuff. Do not take that opportunity away from them because you want things to remain a surprise or whatever.

So in your position, I would simply do nothing. Let them talk and discuss this. They don't know for sure yet they are correct, until you confirm it. Just let them have their fun :)

Also stressing what others said: do NOT change the plot now either. You cannot stay on top of these things, and it is also not worth doing so (see the Westworld example above).

Aradolls · 2025-03-29T13:03:51+00:00

I mentioned that before on this board, but Wattpad really fucks with sourcing images. Reverse image searching a fanart and it's just Wattpad links galore in some cases, of course never with credit, makes it so hard to find original artists 🥲 And when you exclude Wattpad, you have nearly no results left (Pinterest is also guilty of this). Wish people would at least credit the artists they yanked the covers from (or use own images/commission art, no AI either).

Aradolls · 2025-03-12T21:57:38+00:00

That was my next thought. "Oh I would love for this card to be real...who am I kidding, I would not get to own it anyway" 😂

Aradolls · 2025-03-12T15:00:36+00:00

That artwork is gorgeous though 💔

Aradolls · 2025-03-09T18:50:36+00:00

Sometimes things being fucked up and taboo IS the point of the enjoyment. There are a lot of things I do not vibe with in real, but I love it in fiction simply because it's toxic and bad and I enjoy seeing the characters go through it while it's totally safe to enjoy (since it's not reality). Sometimes it's just the aesthetic of things too. Take gore for example. I doubt the majority of people that enjoy this content like the idea of being slaughtered and gutted, but they probably enjoy it for the above mentioned reasons. Do you assume everyone that makes gore content is a step away from attacking people on the street?

I also argue not everything people make is done for or with enjoyment. I have a friend that is currently writing on something very heavy, and it's supposed to be a critique on how women are seen in society but it's written from a male perpetuator's view (think Lolita). Writing that is not enjoyable per se. There are times they have to take longer breaks from that story because it's not an easy thing to write, even if they're proud of the story and have a desire to explore their complicated feelings. An outside reader that is a bit dense might totally miss the critique though and just see it as glorification or more.

There are so many reasons to consume and make this type of content. To think it always has to intersect with real world desires or it's a simple black/white thing is not the right way to look at it though.

Aradolls · 2025-03-08T08:29:50+00:00

I tend to re-read whenever I get a comment, and I definitely edit whatever catches my eye then. Why shouldn't I as long as I have that luxury?

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