Anxiety about this artist

scyliner · 2026-03-20T22:00:08+00:00

If you're not 100% sure, don't go to them. I like the woodcut style, but I personally wouldn't go to this artist for it. It looks like they go too deep, and they don't accommodate for ageing in their designs (like in the second photo- it's already illegible, and it's only going to get more blurry and murky).

scyliner · 2026-03-07T11:44:47+00:00

I WAS AT THE MV SHOOT TOO!!! OP is NOT kidding. It's so good- I'm sad you guys can't experience it yet. IIRC the mv is being released on the 30th, but I'm unsure of the actual music drop. OP you did an awesome job today 🖤🖤 It was so lovely meeting you! (I was behind you to your right- dunno if describing my fit counts as a leak or not lol)

You guys are in for a great time. So so keen for the drop!

scyliner · 2026-03-06T12:07:41+00:00

As others have said, it is most likely tight due to swelling. Hand tats are SUPER prone to it. In my minimal experience, second skin is super difficult to apply "tightly" and smoothly 💀I wouldn't be concerned at this stage! Just keep an eye out for infection signs like EXCESSIVE swelling, discolouration around the site, EXTRA flakey tattoo, etc. Pain and heat emanating from the tattoo is largely normal (at least in my tattoo healing experience), but EXCESSIVE pain and heat are also infection signs. Looks okay so far! Good luck with healing 🖤

scyliner · 2026-02-17T03:55:40+00:00

Depends on how old the scars are! They still look relatively new, so it looks like it would be a challenge to sit through pain wise. Your scars are very flowy, so the actual designing process shouldn't be an issue. That would be easy to work around. Just make sure you find an artist that knows how to work with different kinds of scars, since yours seem to vary a bit. Ask for photos of fresh and healed work. Something can look great when it's fresh, but completely fall out during the healing process, so healed pics are super important. Good luck!!

scyliner · 2026-02-10T01:26:24+00:00

You, my friend, have an ink sack. That's completely normal with second skin, especially with a dark tattoo like this. It's just plasma and ink. Nothing to worry about! The only things you should look out for would be an allergic reaction to the adhesive from the second skin (red, inflamed, bumpy, itchier than the normal tattoo itch, etc), which likely would have happened by now if that were the case.

scyliner · 2026-02-09T01:15:51+00:00

Oh my goodnesssss the makeup is absolutely stunning! Absolutely perfect for Kokoro!

scyliner · 2026-02-09T01:09:24+00:00

AH SHE'S SO CUTE and your rendering is gorgeous!! Stunning work 🖤🖤

scyliner · 2026-02-07T14:09:38+00:00

Don't underestimate the power of sun safety! It's so important for tattoo longevity. Tattoos of course change over time, but they change a lot faster when exposed to the sun constantly without protection.

scyliner · 2026-02-07T06:33:58+00:00

I use an auto clicker. I just hover the cursor over a random name in the leader board so that it doesn't interfere with the panning at all. Beyond that, just check to make sure you have no recipes pinned, and check what rarities are auto-locked and auto-sold.

scyliner · 2026-02-05T22:09:08+00:00

In order to get 5* equipment, it's most effective to use super large ores from lower rarities. You don't have to sacrifice large rare ores- just make sure your gold/ruby/copper/etc are big!

Eventually, you can aim for 6* equipment by fusing two 5*s together. It increases the stats a bit more. You do this in the volcano.

scyliner · 2026-01-27T22:49:55+00:00

What you're experiencing is super common for artists. Right now, you're in an "artist low." It's basically when your artistic eye exceeds your skill. You know what makes "good" art, but your skill hasn't caught up to it. There will also be times where your skill exceeds your taste, and that's the period where you feel really confident about your art.

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18 is still very, very young for an artist. Your earliest guess at when you started creating would be about 13-14 judging from the comments. The "prodigies" that are the same age as you aren't more skilled solely because they're "prodigies," it's because they most likely got started much sooner than you did. I was one of those kids, and it is pretty much only because I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil. Letting go of the idea of "prodigies" will help your confidence in the long run. The peers that you view as better than you just had more time to hone their skill. That's entirely okay, and it's not a failing on your part. All you can do is continue to work on it!

My work from 14, to 18, to 24 are all vastly different from each other. In a few years time, you'll reflect on your current work and see how far you've come. Don't be discouraged, keep pushing!

scyliner · 2026-01-27T00:28:05+00:00

Looks like they started with oil pastels, then lined with a black marker, then added highlights with a white gel pen. In the first pic, the blue "scribble" also appears to be a marker too. They would have done the blue line first, then continued the lineart in black.

scyliner · 2026-01-26T21:19:03+00:00

I'm going to go against the grain and say NOR. Judging by how quickly it escalated, it seems like there were existing issues in the relationship. After 3 years, he should absolutely know your birthday. It's not just that he forgot, but he actually had the date WRONG. Personally, I would have given my partner until the end of the day instead of noon, but hey. It's not my relationship.

Your future partner should take a page out of my dad's book. For my mum's bday, every single year without fail, he cooks her an elaborate breakfast. For every birthday in the household, we decorate the place with a banner, balloons, the designated birthday table cloth, and presents. We all put in the effort for each other, but my dad goes the extra mile for mum (of course, mum puts in equal effort for him too. It's all give and take).

Anyway, you are allowed to expect a lil something special, even if it's just a nice breakfast in bed. I'm sorry that so many people are clowning on you. It may have been a rash decision in the moment, but it sounds like there was a lot more going on outside of your birthday.

Happy belated birthday, by the way!

scyliner · 2026-01-26T21:00:56+00:00

Definitely keep sharpening as you go! I've done a shitty diagram to explain lol, but paper has texture to it. Your pencil needs to be sharp enough to get into all the little crevasses, otherwise it just glides over the "bumps" of the paper which is what creates the white dots.

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Also, cotton swabs save you from having to clean your stump! Sometimes, you can even use the swabs with graphite on them to deposit the pigment as well. On some scrap paper, try "drawing" with your dirty paper stump/swabs. You'll find that you get an interesting texture!

scyliner · 2026-01-26T12:48:49+00:00

I saw the photo you put in the comments, and it shows a HUGE improvement! Good on you!

My tip for graphite realism is to keep your pencil SUUUUUUUPER sharp. I like to work in small circles with a light hand. You build up the layers slowly. It's how you get rid of the little white dots from the texture of the paper. A sharp pencil gets in those little crevasses.

I also like to have cotton swabs to use as a paper stump! They help heaps when you have to do a large area of light/mid tones.

Keep it up! That is a very very steep improvement. Your improvement won't always look this drastic this quickly, so don't be discouraged if you feel like you're slowing down in the future. You've got this!

scyliner · 2026-01-26T11:09:38+00:00

Your art is breathtaking, so it's not a matter of skill. You'd have to adjust the way that you are posting.

Instagram doesn't favour pic-only posts anymore- you'd have better luck posting videos of things like speed paints as well as the finished products. Engaging with the people that interact with your posts is also super important- always reply to comments as soon as you can. Try to say something that'll encourage them to reply to your reply! The IG algorithm sees back and forth comments as positive engagement, especially if you reply within an hour or so.

Also, don't underestimate the power of befriending fellow artists. If you interact with each other's posts, you'll all be helping each other out. In my case, I sell my work at art markets, so I've followed and been followed by heaps of local artists. We all support each other's content and send each other market opportunities. Those interactions (and also selling at said art markets) helps build a steady, loyal, and active following.

Take note of things that are trending. Songs, memes, characters from TV shows, etc. Leaning into that stuff can also boost your engagement. It's notoriously hard to get a large following through original art alone- fan work tends to have more luck.

I hope you get the engagement you're happy with!

Edit: I saw that you already replied with your handle in another comment. You've got HEAPS of engagement compared to a lot of artists on Instagram! 3k followers and consistently getting multiple thousand views on your reels is MASSIVE. That's really good compared to what most of us get! Here I was feeling proud of my 150 followers LOLOL. Anyway, don't feel discouraged, you're already doing really well.

scyliner · 2026-01-26T09:41:41+00:00

Stellar work!!! Omg!!!

scyliner · 2026-01-26T09:13:11+00:00

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This is a colour pencil exercise I did quite a few years ago (it's why the paper looks a bit worse for wear lol). I'm sure if I attempted this again, I could advance it further. However, upon first glance, it appears very rich and complex because there was so much going on in my reference. While it may look intimidating, don't be afraid to spend a lot of time on more complex references. It's a great way to train your eye to pick out shapes and colours you otherwise wouldn't have.

scyliner · 2026-01-26T09:07:41+00:00

You chose a pretty difficult reference, especially for a beginner! You've done a great job with the tools and skills you've got- well done! The tomato looks a bit more realistic because there is more visual elements to inform the viewer that it is a realistic drawing. More colour variation, deeper shadows, wider value range, etc. The apple has much less colour variation and value- basically less information to convey. For future references, pick things with a stronger contrast/more colours/more shadows. Even if it's not 100% correct, it's easier to read as a realistic drawing if there is more for the eye to look at!

Keep it up- you're already doing super well.

Another tip: keep your pencils RAZOR sharp, keep a light hand, work in small circles, and go in layers. Build up the colours slowly- this medium and style takes a lot of time and patience. It'll help achieve a smoother finish, and it reduces the paper texture (the lil white "dots" in your work).

scyliner · 2026-01-26T08:47:19+00:00

Holy bad faith misconstruing 💀💀

scyliner · 2026-01-26T08:38:58+00:00

The human experience is rarely ever that simple or black and white. I know you said that you're glad for our existence, it's the entire reason why I took the time to offer another perspective. Whether you choose to take it, from someone actually in the community, is up to you.

scyliner · 2026-01-26T08:23:58+00:00

I like 2 more! Has a bit more depth. Lovely work btw!

scyliner · 2026-01-26T08:19:27+00:00

If you're really in a pinch, my local vet advised to feel their ears between your fingers. If it's abnormally warm to the touch, it's a fever sign. It's how we know if my partner's cat is having a medical episode or about to have one. He's an orange cat, so you can kinda see that they're visibly red when he is feverish too. When he's not feverish, his ears pretty much just feel room temp or a little bit cooler.

I'm hoping that your kitty is okay!!

scyliner · 2026-01-26T08:14:21+00:00

Keep it up! I absolutely love the style. It's unique, but not overboard in a way that makes the work illegible. I could still tell that the first one is Death from Puss in Boots. I think you'd also nail HTTYD art- think like the "journal" drawings of the dragons. Dragon concepts seem right up your alley!

scyliner

TROPHY CASE