what inspired you to make unvale

This is a bit of a lengthy response, but I loved drawing growing up (specifically thousands of iterations of Kirby… that was my guy). Eventually, digital art drew me in, and I actually had to build my first computer to run Photoshop to do art and photo editing. I joined a Photoshop class, and after completing the years' assignments in two weeks, I moved on to building my own portfolio of work. Over the course of the year, I learned Flash, made gifs, and built a body of work I created that was proud of–maybe for the first time in my life. Unfortunately, it was on the school computers… Instead of saving my original work, the teacher deleted everything I had made except the assignments. I didnt even get to share with my family. With no community support, losing that body of work and representation of my progress was enough for me to give up completely. My creative journey ended at 14. I think social media today has a similar impact on young creatives, increasing fear of failure and causing the psychological feeling of having your work disappear, unvalued, into the void if it doesn't become popular. Trying to appease the algorithm means you are creating for others and not yourself. And what used to provide connection and community, now causes stress, competition, and lowers self-esteem. The early period of your creative journey is the most important and dynamic. It defines your path forward. It's also the most fragile. We need to build a better space so people don't lose their dreams and end up in tech like me 😉. - Casey, Co-Founder of UnVale

It's 2023 and I'm still using the same template now 7 years in a row! Yippeee!

This year I decided to ramble about each artwork presented so uh. Storytime! Under the cut.

(Also usual reminder that now I have a GW2 side blog so that's where I'll upload GW2 artworks from now on -> @glitchgw2 (except the zine piece because I entered the zine with this blog))

January: I was going through a bit of an artblock, most of the things I drew this month were traced. One of the only things not traced was this Anassy! "Ah, etto... bleh!" I said after tracing the 5th drawing I saw on the internet.

February: a commission! Long overdue, but I finally finished it. Sylvaries are always tough to render. >.< The other things I drew this month were art party doodles and personal stuff.

March: one of the two months where the featured piece is the only thing I "finished" that month. And last minute, too! Made for trans visibility day which was on the very last day of March.

April: due to several things, Tyria Pride 2022's art commission giveaways got delayed to 2023. This was my piece for the person I was assigned to! ^_^ This was fun, I found out some new ways to render sylvari hair...

May: I vividly remember seeing a Diavolo art with this same reference and I was like hey. I could do this too but with Lucien. How haven't I done this before. P.S.: he's actually nothing like Bateman but it's a sick cover anyway lol. Mmm knife...

June: it was a sick (as in like epic) month for me. I reworked Dawn and Incendere (my Ghost OC), welcomed my unhinged self and drew a lot of nsfw. But not good nor holy enough to share. :P But it was a nice practice anyway. I chose one drawing of Dawn because out of everything I drew it looks the most "clean" and finished.

July: I remembered My Life as a Teenage Robot as I do tri-monthly and almost made an AU for Lucien. Almost. So instead I just made whatever this is. This was one of the most fun pieces I've ever did, I finally feel comfortable lining in CSP and just in general this was super shapey and smooth to work on. <3

August: Tyria Pride giveaway commission but this time, in time! I got to work on a lovely charr which I don't do often! My other choices would have been a cropped nsfw commission but I lowkey like this one better.

September: the other month where I didn't draw anything but this. Had a banger idea for Gliaster's future which is them becoming a lich but also being corrupted by malignant powers so they're now even more evil and also driven by vengeance towards the Commander and Aurene. Tried to come up with a design for them, alas this piece. It's... very in progress. But I like said progress so far.

October: the opportunity for an art related full-time job came up which meant I had to up my portfolio and draw some realistic/semi-realistic studies. I was surprised by myself lmao but ngl it was also a big pain in the ass. Art is suffering. <3

November: the continuation of October but now with an original piece! Felt like drawing one of my best friend's GW2 characters. <3 Haven't uploaded this one yet as I might rework the background sometime.

December: and finally, my piece for Commander Of Your Heart GW2 zine! Which wasn't actually restricted to only Commander characters, but any other OCs/player characters too, so of course I chose Gliaster. :D And we can apparently show teasers, so I can include this little bit! But what is Gliaster up to? Find out in February, for free!

*

Aaand that's it. It was actually super fun to look back to the year not only in pictures but some words too. :D If you read this all, I appreciate you, thank you so much. <3

you collect warhammer too? AOS is superior

i just collected but don't play WHFB or AOS, and i'm hijacking this ask for a hot take, but I'm going there because this is a good art business allegory if you're as batshit as i am: in this essay i'm going to talk about how AOS is strictly a worse version of the WHFB setting as an art business and fantasy setting. AOS is a great example of why 'unique' doesn't necessarily mean 'good' - the idea of planes/realms/etc with some of the most forgettable characters somehow spun into a pseudo Heroes of Might and Magic-esque batshit setting. in order to get there though, we scrapped basically all of the unique and interesting parts of the Warhammer universe from an RP perspective.

the empire had a ton of awesome, unique, and straight up gorgeous art opportunities that the teams in the past squandered, and GW failed to make a relatable human faction (in marketing for any fantasy game IP most users will default to the most relatable, boring human possible) which lead to issues with the entire brand. instead of leaning into witch hunters, warrior priests, and completely forgetting about the other human faction of brettonia, they focused on producing a ton of monoposed forgettable foot soliders and created a barrier of entry that was insanely high. they failed to update their art line of some of their most iconic and unique ideas, like the Skaven/Greenskinz/Tomb Kings, and they sabotaged their own product and then replaced it with AOS.

AOS has the clunkiest design for story, lore, and entry point for anyone who wants to get into the expanded universe of the setting. the main 'human' faction, and faction that GW has their local shop employees and team market the most, are the Stormcast, which are a combination of their 40k space nazis mixed with roman armor. the stormcast are boring, unless you read a handful of books, which most people won't, and figure out what was retconned and what wasn't. From an art direction standpoint, they're boring: every model is identical, it's hard to tell two of them apart, and they all have the same structure, down to their description. during rebranding, GW scrapped a ton of the fun elements of the old factions (greenskins being ridiculous vs kruleboyz being just... generic mean mordor orcs) and benched a bunch of their past artistic successes (chaos dwarfs and skaven are two factions even people who aren't into the setting know, but either haven't had major model releases for decades or straight up were ignored). it makes it hard to expand the brand beyond being just a tabletop game, and why interest in any expanded stuff like video games or rpg systems doesn’t exist. The most popular games to come out of GW currently are all WHFB stuff, total war and vermintide. there's equal interest in a currently supported product as one that was retired, and a lot of the interest in the current product is updated models for the old product.

so here's my point in regards to why two nerdy ass miniature lines were a great masterclass in how to and how not to run an art business to me: If you are doing something that is different and it is working, keep messing with it and find what works and change what doesn't. Think about how people will view your art, and how they will be introduced to your portfolio - if it's a super high barrier of entry, a lot of people won't be able to access it, and if it's super low, people will forget about it and move on. Find a middle ground of accessibility while being true to your art - if your stuff is too abstract and you never share it, it'll be hard for folks to find and appreciate it. If you just create life drawings that could be confused for a homework assignment, most folks will think it's just academic and move on. Scrap the stuff that doesn't work, and double down on the stuff that does. Yes, some of your ventures will not be profitable, but you'll at least learn, and maybe even grow interest in the art you are making, which will lead others to help innovate it on their own and in turn help you innovate yourself. Other studios picked up the older Warhammer art and story, put their spin on it, and renewed interest in the main artistic brand, years after it had been retired. Other artists picked up on my designs, in the form of tattoos and clothing partnerships, put their own spins on them, and that introduced folks to what I do. Finally, be respectful of your audience. The team at GW chose to nuke their old setting in a way that offended a lot of their long time fans, in favor of what they hoped would be a more profitable business option, instead of listening to what the fans had been asking for in regards to expanding the setting. Your audience and your fans are what let you be an artist, without them you ain't anyone to share your art with. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

PS: im a mordheim kinda dude

Hello, my name is Lance. I'm from NZ and am 16. I want to ask how did prepare yourself for doing a portfolio for Gobelins, cause I'm doing a Character Design course in school and next as well, I feel I will need loads extra work to feel comfortable with presenting my stuff. Can you give me tips on how I can prepare? Thanks!

Hey there! I can't give you any precise tips, because the portfolio rules changed since I applied four years ago and I'm out of the loop. In general I don't think I can offer anything besides very general tips

In my experience lots of chardesign courses sidestep anatomy, either assuming you already know enough or put the design aspect first. You are never good enough at anatomy, even when you're pro lol. Do lots of studies, nude and clothed, static and dynamic, 1-15mins long. Build muscle memory for correct human shapes. Familiarize yourself with the internal structure and actively think about it while you draw, like "now i'm drawing deltoid muscle and this is how it attaches to the bone inside" instead "now a line on this model's shoulder".

Some books I recommend:

Whichever you find the most useful is based on your way of learning and preferences.

For actual character design tips... well, this is tough. No designs are inherently better or worse, and from what I notices during my time at gobelins, it's one of the areas where someone either "just gets it" or not. So unfortunately I have to say "do what makes you excited, what you feel is good, don't try to copy others' ideas or styles".

Be fast with your drawing. Don't refine, unless you're really sure it's a Final final version and you need to submit an assignment. But draw a lot, iterate, test various ideas, in various poses.

But, what I'd advise you if you're inexperienced, is trying to work in more of realistic/semi-realistic style first, as it forces you to analyse the real human figure and discover which traits you find appealing to focus on. Base yourself on real people instead of other characters.

Good design is all about appealing shapes and proportions. It's extremely hard to get proper hang of, because ultimately it's something that comes less from careful planning and more from your muscle memory that's been build off good habits (for the silhouette and body shape) and having extensive visual library (for clothes, details, facial features). Getting to this point is frustrating, and I am still not there. Hope it's at least in part what you wanted to know. You can also check the character design tag on my reference gathering sideblog https://slightlycheerful.tumblr.com/

im going to fucking scream. last monday, february 6, i met with my history professor to discuss ‘concerns of academic integrity,’ and the meeting consisted of him screensharing and showing him taking my passage from the first discussion post and putting it into something called ‘chatgpt’ and having the first line get flagged as suspicious. basically he accused me of using ai to cheat on an assignment. if u know me, especially on this platform, then u know that not only do i take writing very seriously, but i also take pride in knowing that i’m good at it and can produce something good. ive already spelled it out, my ao3 link is in my fucking bio. i am a hot blooded writer with words swarming my brain every hour i’m awake and then into my dreams. that’s all i’ve known for sure about myself since i realized i had stories i wanted to write before i knew how to read, and had my parents telling me to draw them out instead. it was hard for me to hold back tears as i scrambled to explain to my professor that i never have and never will use ai to write for me, actively condemn the use of it, and have a portfolio of other writing samples he could look through if he didn’t believe me. he told me he would have to keep in mind that the writing level he gets from me might be better than he’s expecting, and while that sounds flattering, all i can think about is having to fucking deal with this shit again in the future. what the actual fuck. ive been so mad that i havent done any work for the course since out of some dumb self destructive sense of spite, and have considered withdrawing, but i dont want him to think that makes me guilty. i know he has probably received training in the recent months about the rising use of ai tech and the threat it poses to academic integrity, so he’s probably on high alert. and the university i attend has fairly easy gpa/test requirements to get accepted. but something about the way he approached me rubbed me the wrong way, and i feel this creeping, spiraling sense of dread and hopelessness that scenarios like this will continue and will only get worse for more people like me. what the fuck am i supposed to do about this. help

I really want to go to art school and I've been toying with the idea just to fill in the gaps - not because I need a degree or the fucking meritocracy badge of approval, but just bc you have access to a lot of people and resources when you're in school, and it was maybe the ONE thing I felt was an advantage when I got my degree. There's also a clear path and structure. Like first we learn this, and here's some deadlines. Then we build on that and learn this, and here's some more deadlines. For some reason I always have trouble following through if I'm trying to just watch an entire several semesters of YouTube lectures. It's hard for me to follow bc there isn't the hands on component and I can't ask questions. And now there are no good places on the internet to ask questions anymore (bc capitalism.....rant for another time). Sure, I could ask someone for info to help me animate better, but for every helpful response, I'm gonna get like 10 death threats and quips about my ignorance. I don't have the energy to sort through that.

So yeah. I'm toying with the idea of going to art school. Because there's a pretty affordable online 2d animation program at a school near me. Idk. Not saying I'm necessarily gonna do it, but I was thinking like, this time maybe I could actually get in instead of everyone either raising their eyebrows or outright laughing at my portfolio like when I applied as a kid (different school though....Cal arts can suck my unwashed ass....oh wait no actually they don't get the honor).

Theres something cathartic about being able to go study the thing I want, but this time I hold all the cards because I have a job and a degree already, and if a professor pisses me off, I can straight up tell them to suck it, get up, leave, and never go back if I don't want. Because I literally don't have to care if i finish as long as I get some extra info out of it. I hold all the cards this time. I can go learn but I can set life balance boundaries, and I can afford to fuck things up this time. I think it would be easy mode compared to when I got a degree and was desperately trying to get through it despite everything, with the pressure of knowing I was basically doomed if I didn't graduate.

I always do better when I know it's safe to fuck up.

the only thing I dread looking at these course requirements?

THE GODDAMN CREATIVE WRITING REQUIREMENT. GODDAMN I AM GOING TO HATE THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING. HATE. LOATHING. I AM GOING TO FAIL THE BEJESUS OUT OF THAT CLASS, AND I AM GOING DOWN IN RAINBOW FLAMES, WRITING COLORFUL QUEER TRASH THE ENTIRE WAY DOWN. LIKE YOU CAN MAKE ME WRITE BUT IM GONNA MAKE YOU READ THINGS SO BAD THEY MAKE YOUR EYES BLEED (sometimes unintentionally) god I hate creative writing "BUT EJ YOU WROTE 4 COMIC BOOKS" Yes and all of them were achieved by blacking out and channeling my dark gay emotions in a frenzy and projecting them onto awkward guys idk how the fuck to follow assignments for this shit in high school I couldn't even use an adverb correctly or tell you what the fuck a theme was and I got screamed at constantly for it like I suck ass at writing normally

Me, walking up to admissions with a 20 dollar bill: "hey....what do you say to maybe.....counting the technical writing for engineers course I took 15 years ago towards this requirement"

Admissions: "are you.....are you trying to bribe me with 20 dollars"

Me: "will it work?"

Admissions: "no..."

Me *digging around in my pocket* : "well I've got good news then bc I can also give you" *more digging* "this..." *withdraws paper* ".....crumpled bird sketch...."

Admissions: "shouldn't that have been in your portfolio - OHHHH nevermind you were serious about not drawing animals well...."

FIGURE DRAWING ART 1330C PORTFOLIO

GESTURE (SECOND DAY OF CLASS)

CONTOUR (2ND DAY CLASS)

BLIND CONTOUR/POSE

5MIN POSE

EGGS

BLIND CONTOUR HANDS

SKULL STUDIES

SPINE/RIBCAGE STUDY

SKELETON STUDIES

PEER PORTRAIT

3 VIEWS SELF PORTRAIT

PERSPECTIVE STUDIES/COLOR (3 FIGURES)

MIDTERM AND ARTIST STATEMENT MIDTERM TITLE: "The Birds Sing Eyes"

ARTIST STATEMENT: The approach for this midterm was to create a piece that showcased me in some sort of dream world. Initially this panned out in a way that didn't make much sense, so I was prompted to make it like a mural. Upon researching Wynwood art murals, I came across murals of some birds and murals of some eyes. This gave me the idea to intertwine my South American culture and my roots with some aspects of my mental workings. The eyes are meant to represent the constant expectations that are placed on me and the anxieties that come from that. The clouds represent my tendency to daydream, and the birds my desire to fly while simultaneously reflecting my South American roots. One initial challenge I faced was getting the background in on time. I ran out of time when it came to the background so when I was prompted extra time to correct these issues I was able to overcome that obstacle. I am overall very satisfied with the figure and found myself to still admire how I did that to this day as it is not something to my skill level, not at the time I began the midterm anyways.

MUSEUM INSPIRED

FINAL AND ARTIST STATEMENT: FINAL TITLE: "Sands in the Red"

ARTIST STATEMENT: The approach for this final assignment was to comment on the post pandemic struggle. To this end, this painting has figures outlined in blue to represent a shield, a sort of aura or distance from the other figures. They are also painted in red with distorted faces to represent turmoil post pandemic and the challenges that's faced for the economy, for jobs, and for life in society. The distorted faces simultaneously represent the fact we are more distant than ever post pandemic. We don't go outside as much, we don't interact as much, and instead, we rely on technology. I chose the sand as a landscape and framed it the color of the sand to represent almost a dream-like world, a cyberspace to further hone in the theme of technology and our desire to go outside. One challenge I faced was simply that I ran out of time. At first, this piece was highly abstract and it didn't make away with the whites of the canvas and looked extremely unfinished unpolished and not like painting. I overcame this by redoing the painting and instead going for a more linear approach to depict the same abstract figures in a more defined, perspective driven way. OVERALL STATEMENT: Figure Drawing as a learning experience tended to be even tougher than Drawing at times. I've never worked with anatomy and being consistent with proportions was an especially gruesome task for me. However, Figure Drawing produced what I believe was the best artwork from me out of the two classes, which surprised me. My goals and expectations post-semester and into my future endeavors is that I will be able to produce figures even more proficiently in this space, and that I will become more consistent as a figure artist if I ever tackle this type of art ever again. I saw myself sprout into an artist of my own in this class, something which I cannot echo when it comes to the Drawing class. My favorite materials in this class was paint. This is because it allowed me to create highly abstract yet grounded figures that conveyed emotions through the muddied combinations of color I chose at given moments. It allowed me to express more emotion than I ever would've been able to with any of the other materials in this class. My favorite assignment in this class was actually the midterm, however. This is because it was one of my most expressive works and it allowed my figure drawing skills to shine through, a skill I didn't think I would have when I began doing this midterm. A challenge I faced in this class was my inexperience with drawing figures. At first, even drawing skulls or a head shape was challenging. But as I kept doing assignments in this class, I overcame this with practice and built experience that allowed the processes of figure drawing to become engraved in my art.

FINAL CURATED PORTFOLIO

Artist Statement

I learned a lot about the human figure during this class and I feel like I learnt a lot quicker than I would have with just doing self studies. At some point before I joined the class I had looked up figure drawing and assumed that we would be doing that the whole semester but I was surprised to to learn so many new things and work with different art mediums. I think the only part of the class that didn’t surprise me was the nude models.

To be completely honest when it comes to my favorite assignment I can’t really choose between the Skulls Study or the Finals. On one hand I really like drawing skulls but it wasn’t really anything new besides the use of charcoal instead of a random mechanical pencil or Procreate. But the with the finals I had to get out of my comfort zone and I learned a lot from it. I’m not use to drawing sceneries/backgrounds but for the Finals I had too and with Acrylic paint no less. I’ve only ever really focused on drawing people in a cartoonish way, not backgrounds or animals/creatures. And I’m not new to working with Acrylics but it definitely isn’t my favorite material since it dries so quick…I’m more into Watercolors or Gouache.

While one the topic of my least favorite material, I would have to say my favorite medium that we worked with was the Ink. I’ve always admired Ink artwork but I never really got the opportunity to work with it. I’m glad that I did in this class. It was tricky but an overall enjoyable experience. I’ll definitely be working with it in the future.

Learning obstacles that I faced would be not being fast enough when it came to quick gesture drawings. My art process has always been kind of slow so I wasn’t use to the whole 10, 30, 1 minute poses. But a way that I came over this obstacle was by using a website called Line of Action. It’s a website where you can practice the figure in timed sessions ranging from 30 seconds to 15 minutes. I’d really recommend this website to anyone wanting to start or improve their art.

And as mentioned before I’m not the biggest fan of Acrylic. It dries to quickly for me, it’s hard to blend, I either make too much or too little of the color I need and I don’t know which breaks my heart more. When I make to little I can’t replicate the color which is frustrating and if I make too much of the color it’s a waste because it dries out and is useless afterwards so that makes me and my wallet cry. So I wasn’t too happy that it was the chosen material for our finals but it is what it is. I looked up so many videos on acrylics before even starting the finals and basically watched a playlist over and over while practicing.

Overall I had a great experience in this class and I’ll use a lot of the tips and tricks for future classes and practice. As someone hoping to go into the Animation industry this class was very useful since I plan to be a character designer or storyboard artist.

(1) Gesture

(2) Contour

(3) Hand Assignment

(4) 5 Min Pose

(5) Blind Contour Pose

(6) Figure with Skeletal Insert

(7) Thoracic Cavity

(8) Skeletal Studies ~Hands, Feet, Skull, Pelvis~

(9) Proportions/Landmarks (Missing because I forgot about the assignment)

(10) Color Assignment (Missing because I forgot to fix it)

(11) Ink Assignment

(12) Mid-Term

(13) Finals

Stories from the field: locating and cultivating computational thinking in spaces of learning

Using multiple examples, this article shows us many possibilities and potentials of CT in multidisciplinary learning fields. I'm impressed by the following sentences from this article:

Worse, without drawing educators’ attention to the complex interplay between computing and other disciplinary values and goals, computational ideas such as “optimization” may be noticed and valued above disciplinary and ethical goals.

Reflection: When we consider incorporating CT in the classroom, we should not put it above all else or think that all other things should give way to CT or just consider it as a tool. Instead, we need to recognize the complexity of computing and multidisciplinary integration and also attend to disciplinary values and ethnical goals. This make me reflect on my final project. I think I really need to think about "what is the essence of this final project after the CT is removed? And how it connect to CT's characteristics?" Maybe that's what really matters and needs special attention.

Also, this article gave me the answer on how to measure or evaluate students' CT abilities. Based on Breanne’s e-textiles work (e-textiles; Litts, Kafai, & Dieckmeyer, 2015), we can designed a new assessment task like codeable circuits to understand their learning process. Or we can assign students Portfolios assignment to help them document and reflect on their work, and also sustain their the computational practices and identities.

Another thing that stands out to me is "embodied debugging", which allowed students to engage with the CT concepts in an authentic way and create a more inclusive computing cultures. If we could incorporate embodiment into CT learning, I think it might be helpful to assess children's CT abilities and learning stages, especially for young children.

historical lams first kiss one shot?

Fluff ahead! Requests always open!

***

It's around seven in the evening when Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton discovers his dearest friend Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens was an artist. The family has just finished supper, the maids of the quarters in which they are staying in clears the table and asks any men for more wine. The women find it a surpirse a little that all of them have declined the offer but they nod as they carry away the trays and plates and China glasswear and cups into the kitchen.

General Washington sits at the head of the rather long rectangular table with his hands folded on top of each other under his chin. He smiles apporpriately and nods to each point of a conversation, or shaking his head if he disagrees with the point and suggests his own. The Marquis de Lafayette sits on the left side of him, eyeing the General fondly as he sips the last drops of his wine. Hamilton beisde Lafayette, his knee knocking into Laurens's beside him. Hamilton glannces up at Laurens with a twinkle in his eyes. Laurens glances down at the same time and smiles softly. Major Benjamin Tallmadge, His Excellency's Head of Intelligence, sits beside Laurens and laughs at a joke or bantar Richard Kidder Meade has said, who sits across from them. Tench Tilghman, seated beside Meade, huffs a breath of annoyance as he rolls his eyes at his long time friend's remarks. John Fitzgerald doesn't contribute the conversation but chuckles along as he bites the remaning of his chicken. Robert Hanson Harrison, however, huffs a heavy sigh as he scribbles on a piece of parchement, his quill scratching back and forth.

"Harrison? Still working, are you?" Meade says, a teasing grin on his face.

"Well, I do wish to finish this dispatch for the courier tomorrow morning," Harrison says, dipping the tip of the quill in the ink pot.

"While having dinner?" Tilghman says, crossing his arms and resting them on the wooden table as he leans forward to eye Harrison across from Meade. He raises an eyebrow as he tilts his head to one shoulder. "Won't you worry that food will interrupt your work?"

"No," Harrison replies, flashing Tilghman a reassuring smile. "I am almost done with this letter to Congress. Only a paragraph left."

"Just like Hamilton," Fitzgerald mutters, shaking his head fondly.

"No," Harrison says as he looks up, dotting his lowered case "I". "I am nothing like Hamilton. He would stay up past two in the morning to finish whatever his assignments were and only recieve three hours or so of sleep. An unhealthy schedule I should think."

Hamilton presses his lips together as he narrows his eyes at Harrison, his cheeks turning into a light shade of pink of embarrasment. Laurens chuckles as he pats Hamilton's shoulder and then squeezes it.

"It's true, Ham," Laurens chuckles.

"Yes, but did he really have to call me out like that?" Hamilton snaps.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," Harrison says.

"You don't understand the pholosiphy of time, my friend," Hamilton says, leaning forward so his chest is against the table. "Time is prominent. It can go away quickly before you even know it."

Lafayette chuckles as he pats Hamilton's shoulder blade. "Mon petite lion."

"I only speak the truth!" Hamilton says, tossing both hands up as he leans back in his chair.

"Well," the General says. All heads turn towards him and stand as he stands as well, dusting his breeches before his coat. "I believe we shall call it a night. We have a busy day tomorrow with moving the army up towards Philidelphia for the time being and I would much be well rested for the journey. That goes for you as well." The General glances at the others, a curt nod followed by.

"Yes, Your Excellency," the men chorous.

Meade grabs Tilghman by the elbow, thanking the women in the kitchen for dinner before retreating for their bedroom to rest. Lafayette rises, patting Hamilton’s shoulder before following the General up the stairs. Harrison eventually finishes his letter and retires for the evening, leaving only Hamilton and Laurens alone.

“Well,” Laurens says as he lets out a yawn as he rolls up the parchment. Hamilton frowns slightly when he sees Laurens rises from his chair. “I think I shall retire for the night as well.”

Hamitlon nods, never taking his eyes off of Laurens’s stunning bright eyes.

“Do try not to stay up too late tonight, Hamilton,” Laurens says.

“Yes, Mom,” Hamilton grumbles sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

Laurens narrows his eyes as he whacks Hamilton against the back of his head with the back of his head. Hamilton winces as he massages the nape of his head.

“Ow! Hey!” Hamilton hisses.

“Bed by midnight!” Laurens snaps, jabbing his finger at Hamilton as he climbs the stairs.

Once Laurens disappears around the corner, Hamilton huffs as he crosses his arms and mimics Laurens’s voice under his breath, “Bed by midnight.”

A few hours later, Hamilton can feel his eyes beginning to droop. He doesn’t know how long it’s been to be exact when he notices a sheet of paper poking out of Laurens’s portfolio he had apparently forgotten.

Hamilton jerks his head up at the sight, raising an eyebrow as he glances around the room to be sure it’s just him and him only. Hamilton presses his lips together as he pinches the corner of the page and slowly pulls it out. Hamilton glances back over his shoulder again before finally unfolding it.

Hamilton tilts his head as he stares at the paper before him, moving the lone candle towards him to shine some more light instead of using the silver pale glow from the moon. Hamilton frowns as he examines the paper, tilting his head as he realizes it’s a drawing. Not just any drawing but a drawing of hands. His indigo blue eyes widen at the sight, his mouth gaping slightly at the beautiful curves of the fingers, the arch of the wrist.

Hamilton glances at Laurens’s portfolio before back up at the stairs and then back at the portfolio. Hamilton wonders if there are any other drawings inside. He goes to reach for it, but a voice stops him.

“Mon ami?” says a familiar French accented voice.

Hamilton yelps with surprise and slams the drawing face down and spins around on his heel but eases when he sees Lafayette standing at the end of the stairs with a candle in hand. Hamilton rests a hand on his chest and puffs out a breath of relief, blinking his eyes fast. Lafayette presses his lips together and frowns worriedly, tilting his head.

“Alexander?” Lafayette questions. “What are you still doing up?”

Hamilton feels his cheeks redden as he scratches the back of his neck. “Um…I was just um…finishing up. I could uh…ask you the same question, Marquis.”

“I was going to fetch myself a mug of warm tea to help me sleep,” Lafayette explains. “I told you. You tell me.”

“I’m finishing up,” Hamilton says as he quickly shoves the paper back into the portfolio as discretely as possible. Lafayette raises an eyebrow. “I told you.”

“Mhm, yes,” Lafayette says as he marches on into the kitchen.

Hamilton blows out a breath. Once he spies Lafayette in the kitchen with his back facing toward him, Hamilton quickly snatches the portfolio up, shoving it under his arm before sprinting up the stairs to the second floor of the house, swinging his bedroom door open before slamming it shut behind him. Hamilton presses his back against the door.

Hamilton closes his eyes, clutching the portfolio to his chest, breathing in and out slowly, trying to calm his pounding heart. Once he’s managed to calm down, Hamilton slides down the door and presses the portfolio against his propped up knees. He tilts his head as he traces the outline of the portfolio, before pulling the drawing of the hands back out.

After analyzing every detail the artists has done for the hands, the arch of the fingernails, the creases in the fingers, the curve of the wrist, Hamilton stands and marches over towards his bed, sitting himself down. He places the sketch down and pulls out another sheet.

He gasps at the detail in this one. This one is not only just hands resting on top of each other but from the neck down. It appears the subject is sitting as his chest is pressed against what Hamilton had to guess is a table. He notices a feathered quill in the subjects’ hands. The rough lines of what Hamilton assumes to be is the lapel of the Continental uniform. He can see the buttons drawn in, a simple small circle roughly the size of a shilling. He sees the waistcoat, the lines of fabric for the neck cloth and cravat and Hamilton starts to see the form of a neck.

Hamilton eyes the rough sketch, wondering who the subject is. He sets the portfolio aside and brings the drawing up to his face, his eyes squinting.

“Who are you?” Hamilton asks in both the artist and the subject.

He sets the sketch down and flips the portfolio open again. He pulls out a third one and his eyes practically bulge out of his skull. Hamilton stands abruptly, causing the papers to flutter to the floor and the portfolio to hit the floor with a thud. Hamilton clutches the paper up to his face, staring at it with disbelief. His cheeks warming.

It’s him.

The drawing is of him.

Hamilton stares at his portrait in awe, amazed at the almost accurate details with the curved lines in his hair indicating as his curls, the angles of his face, the light dots of his freckles on his cheeks, the point of nose, the lines for fabric for the cravat and neck cloth, followed by his waistcoat and the dark blue coat with his golden epaulettes on his shoulders.

Hamilton stares at it for a breath, eyes wide and face pale, jaw dropped. Who could’ve…how could someone….? With such little time…?

“Is this…is this what I really look like…?” Hamilton whispers to himself.

“Alexander?” a familiar Southern accented voice says.

Hamilton gasps, startled as he jumps, whipping his head over his shoulder. His eyes widen when he sees Laurens standing in the doorway. Hamilton stands stiff, shoulders hunched, drawing clutched in his hands, face pale as a nervous bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face. Laurens frowns in confusion at Hamilton’s startled expression.

The two stand in front of each other with silence until Laurens’s eyes tick towards his portfolio on the ground.

“Is that…is that my portfolio?” Laurens asks.

Hamilton swallows and avoids Laurens’s question and instead says, “Are you an artist?”

Laurens gapes at Hamilton, confused. He blinks his eyes once.

“I’m sorry, what?” Laurens says.

Hamilton raises an eyebrow. “Are you artist, John?”

Laurens clenches his jaw and swallows. He mutters quietly, “Yes…”

Hamilton grins. “I didn’t know you can do art.”

“You didn’t need to know that,” Laurens snaps.

“Why?” Hamilton asks.

“What?”

“You know what, John,” Hamilton says. “Why me?”

“I…I um…” Laurens’s cheeks redden as he stutters, his tension somewhat relaxing as he scratches the back of his neck. He lifts a shoulder. “We um…we do spend a lot of time together…”

“I think you know the true meaning of my question,” Hamilton says.

Laurens locks his eyes with Hamilton’s as he glances back down. He presses his lips together before sighing defeatedly.

“I…”

“Have you been watching me?” Hamilton suddenly wonders. “How could you have this much time to do—”

“You are singular, Alexander,” Laurens says as he takes two steps towards him, clasping both of Laurens’s hands in his. Hamilton swallows and blushes deeply, his cheeks red as his hair, as he stares up at Laurens, watching Laurens’s lips move as he speaks. “You are unlike anyone I have ever met. Yes. I have watched you. I have watched you every moment I can get. Observing your speech, observing your expressions, observing you as a whole.”

Laurens steps closer so his chest is pressed against Hamilton’s. Hamilton gasps as he stumbles backward and grips Laurens’s shoulders to keep himself steady. He whips his head back up to Laurens.

“Your beauty, your support in not only me but to the family as a whole. Your kindness. Is something I truly admire. I understand completely ignored you should not wish to be near me—”

Hamilton laughs, confused. “Why would I say that?”

“Well, um…I uh—”

Hamilton cuts Laurens off by pressing his lips to Laurens roughly. Laurnes grunts and hisses through his nose with surprise, his arms flying up as he shuffles forward to catch his balance but only ends up tumbling forward onto the bed, Hamilton beneath him and squishing his cheeks, his lips still attached to Laurens’s.

Hamilton pulls back slowly, catching his breath as he grips the base of Laurens’s neck and tips his head down so Laurens could press his forehead against Hamilton’s.

Hamilton grins as he pants, tracing Laurens’s jawline.

“I think they are beautiful,” Hamilton whispers.

Laurens grins. “Thank you.”

“That was…” Hamilton whispers. He pauses, trying to come up with the right word. “Incredible”

He ticks his eyes back up at Laurens’s.

“Incredible…” Laurens breathes. He grins a giddy smile and nods in agreement. “Might I kiss you again…Alexander…?”

Hamilton giggles. “I didn’t say you could stop.”

Hamilton giggles as Laurens smashes his lips onto Hamilton’s.

If this were a dream, Hamilton would never want to wake.

KNIGHT Magazine March 2021 Issue featuring JAY B

Translated by defdaily

JAY B: Back to the starting point, to set off again

At first sight, Jay B does not seem to have the looks of a popular “Flower Boy”; he has single eyelids typical in Korean boys, and the corners of his eyes crescent up with warmth and pureness as he smiles, drawing people close to him. “Sexy”, “Steady”, “Introverted”，“Warm”，“Sharp” and “Domineering” are all words fans use to describe him. These seemingly unrelated characteristics come together in Jay B and sparks a charisma that is unique to him.

9 years on since debut, he is an all-rounder who sings, dances and composes and his vibrant abilities are obvious to all. However, the entertainment industry is a place that is never short of talent and worthy competitors. Being GOT7’s leader and facing the responsibilities and stress, he did not go down an easy path. Through the endurance, he figured out his own direction of growth and pace - one that is neither nervous or rushed but instead calm and steady. The start of 2021 ushered in the end of his artistic contract and signing new companies, but that did not affect his pace; he made a comeback with his members, writing songs and preparing for his solo album, continuing to do what he is good at, facing the odds calmly and confidently, “2021 to me is a brand new start; I will return to the starting point and start anew.”

Embracing the essence, upholding greatness

Looking through Jay B’s portfolio, he went through many profile changes in the early years. From being an aspiring B-boy, to debuting as an actor, as a boy group duo JJ Project, and 2 years later debuting as GOT7 leader. At every stage, he did his best in whatever he wanted to do. Grabbing every opportunity and going forward earnestly. For dance, he once gave up on his studies and joined a professional dance group very early on. After debuting as a leader, in order to shoulder the responsibilities, he reigned in on his youthful flippance and impetuousness and learned to be tolerant. Through several details, he is managing well. When appearing on variety shows as a group, he made efforts to ensure that every member had the chance to showcase their talents. Before showcases, he is obviously nervous himself but would never forget to remind the others to drink up. He even prioritized group activities over his own, concertedly rejecting solo activities arranged by the company. Till date, he is still the one with the least solo activities. “Instead of myself, it would be better for the other members to begin their solo activities first.”

He is clear-cut and is never trapped between choosing one thing over the other. As a trainee, he also experienced a rebellious phase where he wanted to give up. When he did not know what he wanted, he would follow his heart. He once wrote on SNS “Do whatever you want. If you really love something, then follow your heart and do it.” His motivation sets him on a simple path; start off with love, and put in all his effort into it, working hard to hand in his best submission. He assigned the name Def. to his solo writing, which holds the meaning of “the best, the greatest of all”. Years ago, he had said in a variety show, “When I grow a little older, I must become a truly cool celebrity, and a multi-talented artist.” At that time, when faced with many fresh opportunities, he eagerly leapt forward to try them out, to bloom from all corners. Later, interviewers asked him what his future plans are for the next 5 years, and he said, “Definitely to continue my music-related work, and if my body allows me to, I will continue dancing.” And now, his dreams have more definitively settled on the area of creative music composing, hence, when asked whether he would consider moving into acting again, he said, “Now I can’t fully embody and express a character, but I think I should learn and understand deeply before going into acting. Learning to have restraint and storing one’s potential will help with a better start.

I will open up my heart

Some say the creative must embrace change at all times and maintain a keenness for observation; similarly, Jay B’s awareness of the world is astute and meticulous. He observes life through film lenses, and reflects upon his own feelings in the process. “Through the photos I take, I discovered that my photos are people-centric, and I often am curious about what they are thinking, how they are feeling at that very moment.” The happiness and sorrows of people often differ from one another, but they always leave marks. He likes to record down his surroundings, the people around him and the banalities of everyday life, and incorporate them into his creative works. For example, when writing the song “Rainy”, he laid out photos that he took on a rainy day on the floor of his studio, began arranging and rearranging them, and pondering over the sequences. Thus led to the birth of a rainy love story.

Whether it is on stage or composing music, the ever-changing styles he expresses are undoubtedly based on thoughts and experiences in life. In addition to photography, reading books, watching movies and having conversations with people who have experienced life are all some ways in which he draws inspiration from. “In the future I would like to ponder over everything that I experience genuinely in my life, and describe my true thoughts and feelings. It may not necessarily have to be positive; sometimes it can also be a form of relief by expressing the negativity in a straightforward manner.”

Having been in the spotlight of the entertainment industry for many years, he is no stranger to receiving criticisms, yet he always digests it quietly. His warm, honest aura, along with his sensitivity and sympathetic nature, creates a juxtaposition in his personality. On the performing stage, he is cool and powerful, as if he has an unlimited source energy waiting to be released. In everyday life, the same Jay B he stores that energy and softens up, creating an entirely different image. He is used to treating others with kindness, and knows how to live as himself: “Instead of paying attention to the criticism and living like someone else, I would rather be myself and accept the criticism.” He loves life, and likes to play with his three cats. He remembers a funny incident, “One of my cats likes to lick the carpet, so there was one time I accidentally stepped on the carpet and almost fell.” Like many young folks, during his leisure time, he reads and sleeps to relieve stress. When his schedule is packed, he would take a stroll at the working site, sometimes taking photos and videos and sharing them along the way. He has his own world, but it is not locked up at all; it is wide open and welcome for everyone to visit. There was once where he read a word in a book that reminded him of b-boying, so he simply left the house and b-boyed along the streets, posting a clip of it on SNS. He thinks that the name that Chinese fans call themselves sounds nice, but he also likes calling everyone “best friend”. Realizing he might sound impolite, he carefully added that it does not mean he does not like the former, just like an old friend with no filter who says what they want but never fails to consider your feelings.

Tackling the unknown is full of delight

“Unknown challenges, to me, are very interesting. I find tackling new things to be a really great thing.” In this new year, with a new company and new plans, Lim Jaebeom has started on his journey of transformation. Taking on a path that he has to take alone, even though he may still be adapting to this new identity and role, “I am really alone now, it feels fascinating yet a little awkward.” He understands to cherish, and wishes to continue making even greater music for the group. He also looks forward dearly for his music to find a place of its own in the music sphere. Being faced with the challenges that await him, he is eager to create a world of his own. At a certain program where he was asked by his members, “Are you happy?”, he hesitated and replied: “I don’t know.” In fact, he is just like the music that he writes - it does not shock or excite but you will never get bored of it after repeated listens; the kind of music he pursues is not one with intricate formal design or various showy techniques, but one that expresses of real and honest emotions triggered by real and honest events.

As he faces the ebb and flow of the tide calmly and inches closer to his dreams with each step, he is still the young boy he was before, fiery passion in his gaze, sincerely embracing change, maturing and growing through it. Perhaps he might not know when his personal happiness will arrive, but he has never stopped looking for it. For his era is imminent.

| muse | j.jh

pair: jaehyun x fem!reader

genre: art student!jaehyun + art student!yn

a/n: thought this on a whim whilst reminiscing my art portfolio, so we’ll see how you’ll like this with yuno in it. not the best i’ve written but hope you enjoy reading 💞😉 ~j

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with jaehyun, there were three things that happened uncontrollably. one was he caused your heart to skip; two, your chest to feel all giddy; and three, your stomach to capsize. why you may ask? it was his very presence in the art academy which had heads turning and lips to whisper words of awe. he was labelled and called a prodigy.

be it in any medium of art, he was blessed to have such a talent that his parents thought it’d be a waste if not enhanced or put attention to. even your professors favored him and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t jealous. despite his princely looks, he could sometimes be a total snob. he’d be in a good mood the first hour and then changed completely in the next. oh the duality, you couldn’t understand him at all.

though question marks continued to fill your head, let’s just say you had a tad advantage compared to girls who were overly thirsting for him; he was your classmate, a major in fine arts. sometimes you unconsciously found yourself sniffing his perfume each time he helped you with the shading of portrait drawings you worked upon. he was that close. as much as you loved seeing him almost every day, you hated at the fact you still didn’t know the ways to calm your loving facial expression towards him.

it was a funny sight —at least to your friends— that they could see how elongated your nose grew every time you deny your feelings for him. yet as time passed the possibility of your admiration might turn into romantic feelings instead. there wasn’t a need to prove to you since your friends have pointed it out already.

but you yourself wasn’t too sure about it.

“please,” hyejin popped with a huge round of an eyeroll at your oblivion. legs crossed as she chewed her bubblegum. “y/n, admit that you like him. it isn’t that hard to say out loud.”

other students, including your studio tutor held in their giggles in the midst of the silence within the room. true enough hyejin was the mood maker.

her words made you stop painting the colours that were meant to accentuate the highlights of the subject. “i’m not like you who’s very expressive in words.” you replied, taking few peeks at your surroundings in case anyone eavesdrop.

hyejin wasn’t supposed to be in the studio today. she was a literature student where writing poetry was her forte. but because your tutor appreciated her effort to promote the visual arts department in the school paper, her going to the studio with you became a normal thing.

“it doesn’t have to be in words. like, i don’t know? paint some canvas and pour out your feelings through colours? yellow’s joy or purple’s dazzling or red is love-” she stopped as you gave her an annoyed gaze. “i’m sure he’ll get it. he’s not called a prodigy for nothing.”

“painting is not done on a whim, hyejin.” you emphasised, not noticing the stress put upon your work. “it takes time and thinking and creativ-”

“yeah yeah,” she made her bubble burst, which by the way irritated you since it gave off the impression that she wasn’t listening to you at all. “abstract seems so random though. no thinking there.”

you pointed the brush at her, yet careful enough that it doesn’t touch her nose. if another word comes from her mouth, you wouldn’t hesitate staining it. “sis, shapes are used instead of virtual reality, so abstract still needs thinking. you just express it differently.” hearing this, hyejin paused for a while before deciding which reaction to give, and with that you were satisfied into silencing her for a while. “now you know how i feel when i don’t understand shakespeare’s ‘love looks not with eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged cupid painted blind’.”

she let out a scoff, “pfft, you’re the cupid in that quote. you can’t even see that you like mr. prodigy so much.”

jaehyun gently opened the door and handed a paper slip to the tutor, which apparently was a doctor’s certificate. due to his arrival, hyejin elbowed you so hard that its force caused you to jolt in your seat then knocking two of the glassed jars placed on the narrow deck of your easel.

the tutor looked at your direction, and lowered his specs at the noise. flustered than you ever were in your entire life, you took the dust pan. you tried your best to not match eyes with jaehyun who was now smiling from second hand embarrassment. at farthest decibel your ears could handle, you could hear hyejin sneering with huffed laughs.

“i’m gonna kill you.” you mouthed from a table away and gave her a warning look. you gestured the phrase, followed by a scowl to refer her teasing tongue.

“i’ll help, y/n.” jaehyun offered, but you assured him it was fine. “what’re you working on?” he asked as you both walked back to the tables, he took out his tools and unfinished work.

this time was the season of cramming hours into a tight schedule, there were many initial stages/assignments due and portfolios to be completed. you guessed it was natural for you both to update each other regarding progress. “just giving more highlights and tweaks, then i’ll start on the portraits.”

he only pressed a smile, a breathy chuckle as a response while he focused on his art. “do you still need my help on shading?”

“i think i got the hang of it. thanks.” you damped the brush with water.

“alright, if you need me, i’m just here.”

your eyes shot down to your pockets, quickly answering the phone to quiet down the “supposedly” soundless vibration. and you wished you didn’t fished out the device if you knew that the message was from hyejin.

[18:45] hyejin: damn it y/n, confess already! 🤪

[18:45] you: if you could shut up maybe i will?? i could hear your voice haunting me 🙃

[18:46] hyejin: if there’s no progress today, i’m so gonna take action & tell him myself 😌

[18:47] you: ugh anything but that pls 😣

the thing with being associated with the arts was that time immediately had gone passed when you’re so concentrated. everything else faded away and in that momentum, it was just the art and you. jaehyun felt this once he picked up his brush or pencil. voices in his head whispered and guided him what to do with the creativity still yet to be shown in the world.

among all the students he bonded with, there was one whom perked his interest..

you.

as mentioned, his current surroundings blurred whilst he was sucked into another dimension of concentration. but you went there with him and appeared clear. seemed a scene out of an alternate reality in his perspective, or dramatic to some people. he was intrigued.

since knowing you, he expected to sought this mutual interest deeper. if he was the beautiful, detailed canvas everyone saw in an exhibition, you were the opposite; abstract, unpredictable and rough, someone who was overlooked because others couldn’t understand the depths and entirety of you.

finishing the last layer of the painting, you stretched to sooth the numbness. the professor reminded about the last few minutes before wrapping up the class and, he handed the room keys to you. for this tutorial, students have the choice to stay behind or leave. hyejin left with the others, leaving you alone with jaehyun. whether she did that on purpose, she’d do anything to let you be alone with him.

“oh? you’re done with yours?” jaehyun shifted sideways to take a better view of your work. he looked satisfied with the way his dimples hollowed. “hm. my advise is effective.”

“yeah, you’re a life saver.” you sighed as you looked at how completed the artwork was, then trailing your eyes to him again.

“i’m proud of you.” he winked, only to blush afterwards when his stomach growled. “i wish you didn’t hear that.”

coincidently, you tossed your wallet in the air. “good timing, i’m just about to head out to the cafeteria. want anything? my treat because you helped me.” you extolled with your mood in completely positivity. jaehyun became your inspiration and for now you weren’t able to bring yourself to tell him that.

hopefully soon though— when you have the courage.

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the sleepiness in your eyes only needed ten percent more to push your lids down, the queue was unexpectedly long at this hour. it was only until minutes later had you known that another department organised a party nearby. the wait for the order would be troublesome; that’d be in the fact there were girls right behind, their gaze burning into your skin as if you were an enemy of theirs. and somehow you knew,

they might be jaehyun’s admirers.

they whispered to each other, words audible enough for your hearing and you pretended to be listening to music.

and how you wished you should’ve.

“do you know why jaehyun took fine arts?” one asked.

an intrigued response caught you walking on a tight rope. this can’t be good. “sounds like you know the reason.”

“it’s been spreading around recently..” there was a pause that had you wondering even if you knew you shouldn’t believe in any of rumours from them. “i heard the studio has this session to draw the human body and the figures. like y’know.. no clothes?”

sigh, there wasn’t even any classes for those this semester, you thought.

few giggles were heard before they spoke again. “you’re saying he’s perverted?”

“maybe? i wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.”

“isn’t that kinda hot? his eyes starting into-”

you nearly dropped jaehyun’s food and trip over an extension wire hearing that. breathing slowly and steadily, you convinced yourself that what you heard was false. he wasn’t the type of guy they assumed he was.

as much as you wanted to prove them wrong, it wasn’t your place to speak out when the friendship you have with him was not to the level of best friends. so you rushed back to the studio, not noticing your blown-away hair and burning face. what was amusing after hearing the tea, you didn’t know why you reacted in that manner. did you leave because you couldn’t stand eavesdropping any longer? or did you run due to the fact the fantasies they had were about to enter your mind?

the door was opened with a force that jaehyun looked up from his work, smiling at your quick purchase. “whoa careful there. you didn’t have to run.” he chuckled and went to your table. he took his favourite spicy cake and placed it on top heavily. the force he exerted with his hands was the total opposite to when he dealt with art. somewhere in you, you’d say it was a 0.1 percent a turn-off.

“hey, it’s food. handle with care, it’s a blessing.” you said, munching on your share of the dishes.

jaehyun clasped his palms together, bowed his head and closed his eyes. he faced you and you sat there with a confused look. “thank you y/n, you’re an angel for treating me.”

soon after, you received a message from your professor about taking out some of the tools needed for tomorrow. holding the sandwich wrap between your lips, you took a closer look at the right keys before unlocking the storage room, opening the door afterwards.

it was at least the size of two toilet cubicles, not even close to a room’s walk-in closet. the thin cabinets against both sides of the wall were two feet, and the remaining space in the middle could fit a person’s leg, stretched out. the new set of canvases were placed on the top shelf. for someone like you, it wasn’t possible to reach them on tiptoes. you grabbed a chair and stacked two tins of paint for your feet to stand upon.

if you still couldn’t reach them.. eh, bummer. disturbing jaehyun who was enjoying his meal would be rude. you weren’t that type of person to suddenly feel as if you were already close to someone. the icky and dusty feeling on your fingertips nearly had you gagging.

“jaehyun?” you called out, apparently you’ve given up in trying another attempt. “i need a hand.”

there was a long pause as to why he didn’t respond immediately. maybe you should’ve have disturbed him? but you soon rolled your eyes when a mannequin’s hand was thrown to you. his snickers was supposedly an adorable thing to hear, this kind of wasn’t, because you desperately needed help now. “jeong jaehyun!”

he hummed right after you mentioned his name the second time. “i’m just messing around. but does that mean you’ll treat me again? i helped you.” his voice sounding with excitement.

you nodded, your anger long forgotten but he could tell there was conflict in your head. “i’ll consider it, so help me before i smack you with this plastic hand.” your tone slightly straining since you didn’t feel him entering the room.

“yeah. coming.” he said, giggling at your impatience. as you tried to reach out for the canvases again, the light behind you slowly dimmed.

that was weird. “hey, it’s getting dark in here.” you said.

before he could say anything, the door slowly closed and that made you raise a brow. he noticed this too and looked into your eyes when the light within the room soon disappeared. “ah sorry, i must’ve kicked the door stopper.” even in the dark, you could tell he was flustered from his actions. “i’ll open it.”

however his groans and vigorous sounds from the door knob stated otherwise. “what?” you heard him raise his voice.

“what’s wrong?” you hopped off the tins and grabbed the knob, twisting it clockwise then anti-clockwise. “it’s jammed.”

you both panicked because the night wasn’t getting any younger. there were things to finish and deadlines were drawing closer. before, you thought of procrastinating even when necessary. but procrastinating like this wasn’t part of the plan.

how was it possible for the knob to be jammed? the door wasn’t closed in an impact that would cause its components to be broken. sure jaehyun was reckless and couldn’t control his strength but that really wasn’t the issue here.

the actual issue was that you were going be stuck with him for who knows until when. stuck in a sense there were just enough space for two people. jaehyun fumbled his pockets in search of his phone, an annoyed groan told you it was bad news. “call someone. my battery just died and my powerbank’s outside.”

quickly you fished out your phone, only to find that it had the same fate. “ugh i have 10% left.” you slumped your sides to the shelves like there was no hope. “i’ll try to text hyejin.”

“hm i hope she’s not too far from the campus.” jaehyun leaned against the shelves opposite from you, his expression definitely amused with your reaction. a scoff of disbelief escaped your dry lips, sliding the phone to the shelf as you put your hair on one side. “that doesn’t sound good. what did she say?”

for all the things hyejin could do to help you get out of there, she’d rather sit and tease every single nerve of your body. “she said ‘you both just made your own seven minutes in heaven! i’m laughing out loud right now.’”

and for the things you thought jaehyun would disagree with your friend, he didn’t. it surprised you when his held-in giggles came bursting out from his chest. “it’s exciting. don’t you think?” he chuckled. “this is something you see in movies.”

“okay. tell me, what’s exciting about being locked-”

“we can ask each other questions. or any topic you’d like to talk about. i wanna know more about you.” he suggested, shutting you up because if he didn’t, you’d be quite a complainer. jaehyun bent to a squat, later stretching his legs until the soles reached the sides of your hips. “i rarely get the chance to talk to you properly and i guess this is the day, so scoot over.” he gestured you to move aside a little.

“gee i wonder why?” your voice came out sarcastically. “i don’t ignore people unlike a certain someone.”

“just sit down, will you?” jaehyun seemed to take the fact to heart.

you complied and sat exact the same as he did. the tiled floor sent cool to your legs but it didn’t really matter. jaehyun began by asking how you got into art; what motivated you to choose this field. “it’s just a childhood dream of mine to keep expanding my creativity. i wanna teach kids the joy in paint, that we’re not limited to using tools. i started painting with my hands and fingers when i was five.”

“really? i’m the same, except i was three when i painted.” his dimples deepening.

though you did answer him, you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him the whole story. you were just par in the arts, an average joe and always felt like your professors tied your wings together to express what you really wanted. every proposal you presented were rejected. if lucky, it still wasn’t good enough. not enough to reach jaehyun’s standards and world.

his shoes hit your hips again, the nudges were light and made you look to him. “your turn.” he said.

your eyes wander the dark room, the thin light from the sides of the door showing the outline of his face. “is it good? being called something you never wanted to be? did you know you’re gifted as a kid?”

“do you want my honest opinion?” he brought one leg to his chest, forearm resting on it as he start to ponder. hearing the soft shuffles from you in agreement, he gulped his dry throat to say the one thing he longed to say.

“i don’t like it.”

beyond speechless. you thought maybe he’d like the feeling of being center of attraction, or praised to have a skill that was out of this world. while you’d like to know what it felt like, it already told you enough that he wouldn’t want to be referred to as a prodigy. “not even a single bit?” alarmed, you squinted your eyes and he shook his head.

“i used to like it at first.. now i don’t,” jaehyun admitted but his face had changed the moment you asked him the one thing he never wanted to look back. “..because i was set apart from kids my age and they view me differently, nor have they ever treated me like every kid in the block.“

he continued how parents would tell him he was ‘inspiring’ or ‘i wish i had a kid like you; dedicated, and talented’. the claim have made him proud, yet this caused insecurity to most of his friends, and they distanced themselves from him. what was once the same ground they stood upon, it had quaked the earth and caused a wide gap. jaehyun hated the feeling of isolation by the will of others. though he had tried many times to reach out to them..

the gap continued to widen.

“there’s not much of a difference now.” he whispered yet audible enough for you to hear. ”i still have less friends. countable with fingers.. on one hand.”

probably the reason why he looked like a snob then.

“i see. so am i?.. part of your ‘friends’?” he heard you ask when reality hits you that you shouldn’t have said your thoughts out loud. closing your eyes for a bit, you heard the shift in his weight, he didn’t answer right away. it was as if he was still finding the words.

but he sat right beside you. “you’re already one when we both entered this classroom. i had a hunch you’ll be one i’ll treasure.”

if anyone was told the way he did just now, it would definitely make them smile. that was his honest opinion and you couldn’t help but smile at his words. he seemed to notice this too and let out a chuckle that was always music to your ears. “should we try to open the door again?” you changed the topic to avoid the awkward smile creeping your face. your hands gripped the knob and jaehyun tugged the hems of your jeans.

“y/n, if you do it further we’ll be damned if hyejin couldn’t open from the outside.” he stood that he was already behind you. “i’m not stopping you from trying though.”

“f-fine.” you leaned against the door, soothing your legs that experienced paresthesia. jaehyun pat your head like he always did whenever you unintentionally embarrass yourself, be it art or not whatsoever. “i just can’t seem to stay still.” oh gosh i don’t know what i’d do if i’m alone with him.

“yeah clearly.” he shrugged.

you had a scowled face and glad he didn’t see it. “the place’s so cramped-” you continued, walking to the chair you once stood on, only to lose balance when the shelves you held for support gave in to collapse from the weight it carried. with weight, the whole furniture wobbled to fall.

in a split second you felt yourself being lifted off the ground, a strong arm wrapping around your frame and saw yourself at the opposing side of the room. jaehyun closed into you as he managed to stop the some items from falling. the entire body of the cabinet covered and trapped you both in a tight place. the furniture tilted right behind him. one small move, the items could injure two and he didn’t want to risk that.

he could feel your breath touch his shirt and with the way you held his clothes, you definitely didn’t see this coming. “are you okay?” he thought there was a possibility of squishing you.

“uncomfortable, but i’ll manage.. somehow.” you honestly replied because there was no point in lying to him.. physically speaking, he’d know what you feel since he himself was also in discomfort. anyway, with your answer, this marked the third silence as there was another one creating yet another gap in the conversation.

okay y/n. you told yourself. you made everything awkward than before. first was you asked whether you were friends, which you already were. second was your stupid and careless behaviour that led to the position you’re both in now.

“what about you?” you asked after seeing the huge frame towering over both of your bodies, mostly onto his. so maybe that was another unnecessary question to ask.

jaehyun gulped and fixed his one of his palms that he gripped on the shelf behind you. you could see his adam’s apple move up and down, struggling to breathe. he pushed backwards to be able to see your face. tilting his head down, that movement alone made you look up. “uncomfortable, but i’ll somehow manage.” he smiled even though you knew he wasn’t.

“you know you’ll earn zero marks if you copy my answer.” you giggled, remembering the professor’s words at the beginning of the semester.

he flicked your forehead as he agreed with the obvious statement. “i heard him. anyway, it’s my turn to ask.”

“are we really playing the game now? can we at least try to figure how to get out of this position?” you began to whine and threw your head back where you hit your head, and you didn’t care how shameful you felt. you knew you wouldn’t stand any longer, your legs started to weaken because of stress— stress from everything jaehyun managed to make you feel, that included the little smiles and especially his hand around your waist.

jaehyun didn’t know why he put his palms behind your head before the incident happened but he knew he had to, with the way you flustered so much. he figured that you weren’t used to situations like these.

however a memory slipped into his mind that you were always your usual self with other guys around. he noticed how you held or hiccuped a breath whenever you both conversed. you and him weren’t particularly close to begin with, just enough to pass as friends and maybe it was his love for art that brought that gap closer to you.

right now? perhaps too close. literally.

“why not? it gets more fun.” he tried to hide the smile creeping his lips; at the sight of how irritated you were beneath him and he actually considered your plead to get you both to safety. but maybe he’d like to enjoy a little bit before doing so. “besides, there’s no way we can move properly with a lot of things blocking our surroundings.”

on both sides, the two of you were encased with large items and materials that were affected by the impact. “tsk.” you tilted your head to avoid looking at him. “at least try to push the huge cabinet?”

he did as he was told and from the grunts and exhausted voice, jaehyun gave up trying. “i don’t think i can. something’s probably caught in the gap between the wall and the furniture.” he tried to look over his shoulder to see if he was right.

“i thought prodigies don’t give up.” your voice sounded challenging to him.

“within the spectrum of our skill, we don’t. but outside our gift, we have the choice to.” jaehyun flicked your forehead again. “we get tired too.”

there was less force against your torso, he was trying to push the furniture again and you bubbled out a giggle. “wow you aren’t as cool as i thought you were.”

jaehyun wanted to hit you as you were being too playful at the wrong time. but as he brought his hand up, you closed your eyes shut to brace for the sharp impact. he sighed and his stomach growled in the most embarrassing way yet. “ugh, it’s because i haven’t eaten enough. i don’t have any strength left.” his stomach then growled louder.

maybe it was due to your bodies against each other’s and the heat starting to roam around the room. jaehyun clicked his tongue at the continuous mimicking of yours. “c’mon y/n i can’t be the only one doing the work here. help me push this heavy thing behind me.”

“uh no? do you think i could even help? don’t make me uncomfortable than i’m already am.” you moaned at the pain starting to grow along your spine. arching your back to avoid the discomfort from the shelves wasn’t really a good idea.

“ah you’re uncomfortable?” he implored with a smirk, his voice quite menacing as he leaned in to squeeze you between the cabinet behind you and himself.

for the whole time jaehyun knew that you didn’t mean whatever you said. he loved how you surprise him everyday and tonight he found you quite cheeky, and adorable too. by quite, it meant that you were like a child wanting to go home. a huff from him felt like the gust of wind. “‘i don’t have any strength left’.” you copied his words. seeing his lips pout, it was alright to give in. “will you treat me food if i help?” you returned the question because you treated him.

“you’re lucky you’re cute.” he suddenly said, with a soft chuckle, you knew he was smiling. it had gotten you speechless that it was hard to tell whether he said knowingly or not. “we can buy what the other wants after we get out of here, okay?” his attempt to get the wood off him yet again failed.

you clapped your hands quite hyperactively and squealed as if he asked you out on a date. “oh yay! okay. i wouldn’t want to be rained on for another hour anyway.” you teased, in which he exhaled heavily from his nostrils.

“i’m not that sweaty.” he grumbled, almost vibrating with the exertion of his energy.

“just perspiring.” you added.

he hit your head with his, for sure you’ll have a prominent bruise and that would make you a victim for hyejin for the next few days. or tonight, if she would get you both out. “that’s the same meaning.”

it took less than two minutes to take the weight off his back. jaehyun saw everything in slow motion— he was falling backwards and you, frontwards. “whoa!” for a moment you thought you hit yourself on a wall. that was for a brief second before the impact was replaced by a warm hug.

you checked if he was okay, he became your safe fall and again he saved you when you didn’t ask for it. “i didn’t expect.. i’m sorry.” you pressed your lips realising you were in between his legs.

he hissed at the pain and sat tiredly on the floor, using all of the fabrics of his clothes to wipe the sweat. “it’s okay.” he patted your back.

“right.. this is awkward. i better get off..” you chuckled and dusted your clothes awkwardly but what he said next really caught you off guard.

“do you want to do it?” he queried, taking you back as your head shot up and hit his chin with your forehead.

you blinked several times. “d-do what?” is this another question i won’t be able to answer?

there was a shaky grip on your waist, your heart hammered and you were afraid that he would hear it. “y’know what i’m talking about.” he put the hair strands away so he would be able to see your face under the lines of slim light.

“i don’t?” you choked on your own saliva. what was he talking about?

jaehyun’s breath made you freeze on the spot, along sudden silence. he giggled softly. “such a waste, you even have a perfect body.”

then the conversation from the two girls at the cafeteria entered your mind right when you thought deep. hold on, the rumours can’t be true..

he stood up shortly, cornering you by the door and the lights revealed his eyes, smiling shyly. “you have perfect proportions.” as of now, you were a little nervous. you couldn’t process what you were hearing from your crush’s lips and looked away where you could see hyejin’s figure closing the studio’s door.

finally hyejin’s here. i have to tell him. “uh jaehyu-”

“can you be my model?” he held your hands.

oh shoot it is true?

“i need someone to pose for my next art portrait and you’re the only one i can ask.”

‘well aren’t you quite the deep thinker~’ you could imagine hyejin’s voice telling you off at the back of your mind. you shook your head and shut your eyes for her imaginary presence to go away, making you miss seeing jaehyun’s expression turn to a small pout.

suddenly you felt like your soul left your body. what were you thinking y/n?! erase the thought! cleanse your mind from what you heard from the girls!

now you stopped being an embarrassment, you looked at him. however, before you could answer, the door swung open, causing you both to fall over and adjust to the lights above you. hyejin looked down at the two of you, her bubblegum popping with brows raised. “girl, i texted you back and said i’m opening the door. didn’t you see- oh, did i come at the wrong time?”

jaehyun quickly got on his toes, ears turning red while you covered your face in embarrassment. “this is a misunderstanding hyejin!” he stuttered and fixed his collar. you dug for your phone to check the message, but it died long before.

she blew another bubble and popped. “mhm, i can see that.” she winked at the both of you and turned to leave.

“hyejin!” you whined and clung on her legs.

“i’m leaving!” she singsonged and shook her ankles like you were a bug. “i’m giving you more alone time with your muse!”

“oh my g- you!” you chased her down. “quiet!”

she laughed cheekily and managed to exit the studio, sticking out her tongue and pointed behind you. ‘walk home with him!’ hyejin mouthed, and you couldn’t be more annoyed with her because that was indeed true. what was once a wishful thinking became reality. she knew you more than you did yourself.

as you sighed heavily, it got you hitching a breath that jaehyun might’ve heard and saw the whole thing. you turned around and he was packing his stuff, yours included. the artworks were left untouched since you both would be back here tomorrow. he gave your bag and you chose to not talk because you didn’t have the audacity to do. “so, uh. what were you saying earlier?” you hoped he would forget what he just saw.

“oh y-yeah. lemme just-” he took a deep breath and looked into your eyes. “..rephrase it- wait i’m your muse?”

of course he wouldn’t forget, it just happened. damn you, hyejin! you slouched on a nearby chair and wore your hood. “i was hoping you wouldn’t find out so soon.”

“i’m flattered. thanks.” his dimples hollowed. “i was asking if you could be my reference for my next art piece..” he trailed off recalling that you declined. “..though you shook your head quickly than i thought.”

“huh i did?” your voice affirming. “oh gosh i think i did.. i’m sorry i was hearing hyejin in my head when you said that.”

jaehyun’s eyes widened when all he heard was pure honesty from you. “so will you do it for me?”

“as long as i wear clothes while at it.” you consented with your arms crossed and began to feel heat spread your whole body at the thought of the rumour.

walking along the hallway, only the sounds of shoes grazing the carpet echoed the area. you didn’t know what else to say. he brought you to the nearest convenient store where the campus’ one was closed at the hour. the food you bought turned cold and you couldn’t afford to get sick because of it.

he pulled the chair for you to sit on. “you heard them as well.” he placed his bag down. he was aware of the rumours found around and was shocked to know you knew them too. “they’re not true.”

you propped your chin as he went back to the topic. “i know.” you agreed to his words. “they don’t describe you at all.”

jaehyun sat comfortably, a smirk appearing. “me being your muse fits the description-”

this guy.. “please don’t bring that up.” you pleaded with hands clasped.

“i’m teasing.” he chuckled. “i don’t mind if you refuse want to be my model.” he said. “but i assure i’m not like other artists who paints their naked model. i have a better plan for you.”

he was trying to convince you into his world and you were slowly getting into it. “that’s like saying you really want me to.” you took your wallet and he followed suit.

“what’s wrong with wanting to paint my new muse?” he slid his chair closer to the table; closer so he could see your reactions to his honesty.

when he said that, you never turned away so fast in your life. your chest never thumped so loudly and your eyes fluttered while he continued to press onto his question. 

an assuring smile showed on your lips and he mirrored it, already knowing your response. “nope, nothing wrong at all.” you shyly accepted his request.

jaehyun then stood to get the orders, his fingers warning you that the late dinner would be on him. your heart experienced blossoms and giddiness you hoped it’d stay forever. who knows? maybe being each other’s muse could turn into something more after tonight.  

hi tange ❤️❤️❤️ I hope this is ok to ask but as an art student was there ever any issues w/ submitting fanart since uv said u did naruto stuff at school? I only have experience w high school art class and the mortification of showing people my fanwork was too much for me so I just did original art I was less passionate about to show teachers etc 😖 but I dont look back on that art as kindly as I do my old fanart either yknow ?

hi!! oh my gosh if u or anyone ever had qs about art school please ask! i'm always down to answer to help unveil the mystery of it and also to help out haha, putting a tldr upfront and long post under read more

tldr: on the offchance ur school does allow it go for it cus no one will care, but i highly suggest taking the opportunity to explore original IPs instead because it's hard to do outside of an education environment, esp if ur normally into fanart (like me)

ok heres the long reply: its gonna be based all lot off of ur schools rules! to be honest a lot of my work was original, the only classes i submitted fanart for were my digital animation class bc i 1. was at the point where i didnt give a fuck LOL and 2. the professor did not check in with us before we started so we could do whatever.... and the other class was for character design because it was a fanart assignment 0: most other times i acually did strive to do original work and focused mainly on three different IPs i have.

i did dress up as naruto on multiple occasions tho because the opportunity popped up! probably like 5 times lol

i think something (and this is based on school) that you will discover is that professors genuinely do not care how outragous your content is! if anything if it's super whack then it's more entertaining and ull have more fun w it. i animated the nyan neko sugar girl rabies bite and my teacher didnt bat an eye and also made an oc in chara design whos biggest trait was being obsessed w how good she looked and having the BIGGEST tits and ass as a part of her character and my teacher was like 'yeah but this boot is uneven? watch the curve on her bra, etc'. i even used her in some of my bg paintings later haha. so i would say more than making fanart just feel out the vibe of ur school, it's honestly a REALLY good time to explore original work because once ur out u can make whatever you want, or do original work for ur assignments and fanart for fun? which is what i tried to do! when ur in you get feedback from other students and teachers which is something that becomes a lot harder post graduation, so learning how to build up strong original stories is great and you'll come out with lovable characters that r dear to u! but also some/most? schools don't allow fanart, mine normally didn't except for that animation class n i'm sure it's only cus he didnt recognize the source material haha..

also people really will not care if it is allowed because EVERYONE else at art school also draws for fun and is going because they want to. like no one is forced to go into art school and normally have to fight their way in. people at my school KNEW me as the naruto person who loved sasuke lol like i got coined the title of hokage for like the second half of my time there.. so do not fear! if ur talking and making connections with ur fellow peers (which u should really try to do) then eventually youll be talking about similar interests and sharing social medias anyways and unless ur drawing like. REALLY weird/yikes stuff it's fine! one of my best friends is making a living off of explicit furry nsfw rn lol

hopefully this helps i think i tried to answer like 20 questions instead of just 1 but i think fanart is a good segway into just type of content to make for school! also try to avoid putting fanart in your portfolio if you can, or keep it in a separate section. I keep my nice quality fanart in mine but specifically labelled in a section called fanart so people can look at my original work because that's where its All My Brain, which ppl wanna see if that makes sense. Fanart is something where someone would look to see how you executed a piece just for draftsmanships sake but ig another reason to not do a lot of fanart is you won't come out with as many portfolio pieces you can use confidently? some recruiters dont care and some do so its best to just be safe

teacher au preview!! @of-scythia

for context: nicky is coming to the school a few days early to set everything up in his classroom and get his orientation/paper work done, and joe stops by his room to say hello and then ends up walking him to the admin offices but they make a stop at joe’s art classroom first. not exactly fluffy pining like i said before but i wanted to show what kind of teacher joe is. pls enjoy <3 (also Alessa is the name of nicky’s younger sister)

As the two of them walk down the hallway together, Nicky remembers that they’re in the hallway for art classes. Nicky never found out which room was Joe’s during his tour with Copley, and he admits that he’s very curious to find out which room is his and what it looks like. “Which room is yours?”

“Oh, this one is mine.” Joe points to a slightly open door on the left side of the hallway, stops so he can open the door more and show Nicky inside. Nicky’s first impression of the room is that it’s a disaster. Joe’s classroom was the one Nicky saw earlier with the sketchbooks and pencils scattered around, but now that Nicky can actually take in the room, he realizes it’s much more than that.

Joe’s classroom is a lot bigger than Nicky’s, which Nicky quickly comes to understand is a necessity. Where Nicky’s classroom has about thirty individual desks, Joe’s room has six big, wooden tables scattered around the room surrounded by stools. Under all the sketch books, the tables are covered in a mess of color that Nicky can only assume is from paint and colored pencils. The walls are completely plastered in the student’s work, and Nicky spots paintings, detailed sketches, photos, and a few tasteful collages. Joe’s back counters are covered in complicated art supplies that Nicky can’t even begin to understand, and the windows in his room are covered in very thin, colorful paper, designed to look like stained-glass windows.

Nicky wants to ask if it’s actually Joe who needs help setting up his room, but he keeps that question to himself.

“It isn’t normally this messy.” Joe says, a little wince accompanying his words. “I’m just organizing the sketch books to return them to any students who aren’t taking any classes with me again.”

Nicky nods, figuring that every other part of Joe’s classroom is just as chaotic during the school year. The lack of organization for the rest of Joe’s stuff would bother Nicky, but it doesn’t seem to bother Joe, who is probably used to his room looking messy at the end of the day. Nicky can’t even imagine the horror scene an elementary school art room would be at the end of the day. “Were these all done by your students?” Nicky asks, looking around and pointing to the art on the walls.

“Yeah.” Joe sighs, and Nicky looks over at Joe to see a proud shine in his eyes. “If they’re comfortable with it, I keep all their work on the walls during the school year. I hate taking it all down at the start of the new school year, but I would never have space for anything new if I didn’t return them to the students.”

“They’re all really good. You have very talented students, Joe.” Nicky says, looking at a beautifully detailed picture of a field of wildflowers at sunset. Nicky’s eyes then catch a colored drawing of a man wearing a short, white wig and black frame glasses. Nicky does a double take on the painting, looking at it again just to be sure. “Is that… is that Danny DeVito?”

Joe laughs loudly at the surprise in Nicky’s voice, but quickly confirms that it is Danny DeVito. “I assign a portrait piece in three different mediums for all my juniors to help with their portfolios, and it can be a portrait of anybody, so Marissa- that was her name, she chose to do Danny DeVito.”  

“That’s not his real hair, is it?” Nicky had only seen one movie with him in it at Alessa’s insistence, something about a little girl with special powers, and even though Alessa made him watch the movie repeatedly when they were little, Nicky doesn’t know much about him. “It looks very realistic in the drawing.”

“No, he’s practically bald. I think.” Joe says, furrowing his eyebrows as if he has to think about it to be sure. “This was just from a show he was in that she liked.” Joe smiles, but it’s small and private, like he’s thinking of the student who did this portrait. “She graduated last year and now she’s at RISD.” Nicky doesn’t know if that’s good or bad for Marissa, and it must show on his face. “Oh, uh, it’s a college in Rhode Island that’s one of the best for fine arts.”

“That’s nice. You must have been really proud.” Nicky says, because it doesn’t take a genius to see that Joe carries his pride for his students and their work in his heart. From the way he talks about his students to how he treats their art with such respect, Nicky has no doubt that Joe is a wonderful teacher and loved by every student he comes across.

“Yeah, I am.” Joe says, but the way he says it and how he looks around at all his previous student’s art, Nicky feels like he’s intruding on something personal. Nicky lets Joe have his moment to think and reminisce and looks at more of the art on the walls. All of the pieces are exceptional and detailed and well thought out, but it’s the variety in the art that gets Nicky.

It’s clear that Joe assigns themes for each project, like portraits or nature or still life, but Nicky gets the impression that each student is allowed to take that theme and do what they want with it. Nicky spots a beautiful painting from an outsider point of view of a group of people looking up at a cloud with the outline of another person in it, like Mufasa in The Lion King. Nicky also sees an equally skilled painting of The Scream, but instead of having a person’s face, it has the face of a mouse and the background looks like it’s been placed in a cage. Nicky gets the sense that Joe loves, and even encourages, all his student’s weird artistic choices.  

Joe claps his hands together, breaking Nicky’s train of thought and directing his attention to Joe’s hands. Nicky’s brain short circuits when he sees that Joe is wearing thick, silver rings that are engraved with something Nicky can’t make out. Nicky thinks it’s really unfair that Joe is clearly a kind, thoughtful person and has an obvious love for all his students, but he also has shoulders that drive Nicky wild and he wears rings that Nicky is endlessly curious about.

Curated Final Portfolio for Drawing, Figure Drawing and Drawing 2 - 4/12/2021

Your artwork should reflect your visual sensitivity, your intellectual curiosity, your creativity, your motivation and self-discipline.

Your selections in a good portfolio allow you to present your technical and creative prowess. In curating your own portfolio you select work that expresses those qualities. Most of you will be continuing your education in the arts. Learning how to select your best work will be an asset to you later on and this assignment gives you an opportunity to practice .

As you begin to select your assignments choose those artworks that best show your skills and progress in class throughout the semester.

The following assignments should be Included in your selection:

- Midterm

- Final

- Museum piece

- add additional works as mentioned for your class below . 

Finally, conclude your post with an artist statement where you note your artistic challenges and what you did to overcome those challenges.

Also mention your favorite material of the semester and your perceived artistic growth. 

Look at the positive side of your experience as you reflect on this semester.

 Note: If for some reason you are missing any of these required pieces, note it in your submission and replace it with another work with brief note as to why it is mssing.

*** Complete your entry with an artist statement regarding your learning experience throughout the semester and a final thought on your goals and expectations for next semester .

Below are some tips on perfecting your portfolio:

-Choose your best completed work.

-Use correct lighting at home to photograph your work.

- Make sure you frame your work correctly.

This is the wrong way of framing your work . This is an example of how NOT to take a picture. Do not show floor, table, pillows or a slanted image :

This is the right way of framing your artwork. Instead stand in front of your work. Make sure the image is not distorted. Use a good light source. Near a well lit window or area would be best. Crop any surrounding information that does not refer to the work.

Note: Both images created by the late great Jean Michel Basquiat c.1982

DRAWING CLASS

Upload a curated version of your portfolio with name of assignment the 10 assignments listed below. 

Include additional photos of your sketchbook, Midterm and Final. 

1) Gesture - first week of class

2) Contour Drawing - second week of class 

3) Overall contour  

4) Contour  

5) Value Reduction  

6) Study of Drapery ( Leonardo D’ Vinci) 

7) Value assignment 

8) Cross Hatching assignment 

9) Museum Assignment  

10) Your Favorite drawing (not any from above)

11) Add photos of your sketch book with a statement on how you use your sketchbook.

12) Midterm with title

13) Final 

 Artist statement

FIGURE DRAWING & DRAWING 2

Upload a curated version of your portfolio with name of assignment and additional photos of your sketchbook, Midterm and Final. 

Also, a total of 10 completed poses from the semester. You must include the following in your ten poses :

1) Color (Museum piece)

2) perspective 

3) Contour

4) ink (cross contour)

5) Ink (Cross hatching)

6) Tonal study

7-9) Skeletal studies : Rib Cage , Feet, skeleton.

10)  One long pose of your choosing (not from above). 

11) Add photos of your sketch book with a statement on how you use your sketchbook. 

12) Midterm with title

13) Final  

Artist Statement

NOTE:

This is a graded assignment and I look to the following to grade it :

Make sure your drawings are finished. 

Photos are taken correctly, in focus and not over exposed.

Do not show side photos where I need to twist my neck to see them , or photos that show your floor, desk, bed sheets etc.

The Portfolio is a professional document and must show your level of professionalism as you include your work.

All work needs to be as finished as possible. Portfolio needs to be submitted by 5 pm Weds 4/14/2021.

The President’s Son [15]

Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 15.5 OR Chapter 16

➜ Words: 2.7k

➜ Genres: 100% Fluff, Slice of Life, Bodyguard!AU

➜ Summary: Kim Taehyung is the President’s son, mischievous and playful, and infamous for being a troublemaker. When everyone’s given up, they call for you to be his personal guard. There’s no other choice when your dad’s assigned you to it and surprisingly Taehyung doesn’t mind either. Maybe because you happened to grow up with that brat.

It’s getting harder to understand Taehyung. And even harder to comprehend your reaction.

  “Hold my book for a second, dumbo.” He rudely chucks it aside, and you barely manage to catch it. It’s piled on top of the other textbooks you’re holding for him like a maid, the tower tipping back and forth, nearly spilling all to the ground.    Your glare is unforgiving. “Can’t you ask me nicel—”   Taehyung suddenly drops down. “Your shoelaces are untied.”    “O-oh.”   The college student ties your sneakers gingerly, making sure they’re secure. He loops two bunny ears around the knot and then stands up with a smile. “All done! Now you won’t trip. I can’t always be there to catch you.”   Taehyung takes his book off the pile you’re holding and walks off. You’re left staring at his backside before you pick up the pace, unable to help feeling a little perplexed and caught off guard.    It’s becoming increasingly difficult to understand him and predict his actions — but it’s not like they were ever predictable in the first place. He’s always had a knack for spontaneity. It’s your susceptibility to surprise, that’s changed.    “I know you said you weren’t hungry—” Taehyung sits down across the picnic table and slides a brown bag towards you. “—but I got you the jelly doughnut. It was on discount. You liked this one, right?”   “Y-yeah. Thanks.”    You watch him go to town on his hash brown, chomping like a ravenous beast.   You’re agitated, muddled, but also more than that. You’re not sure what this emotion is. It’s puzzling to pinpoint, challenging and strenuous on your mind. You just know it’s different from annoyance, disenchantment, and the usual disenthrallment.    “Oh, look!”   Taehyung’s pointing to your left shoulder. When you look down, you’re unable to see what he’s indicating. Running out of patience and without thinking twice, he leans himself over. You flinch back on natural instinct, but he’s undeterred, paying no mind to the reaction that’s conditioned you since childhood.   You feel his chest hovering above yours, thin lips a millimeter away, and you hold your breath. But Taehyung’s eyes are nowhere near your body; his stare isn’t greasy or purposely flirtatious.    It stays quiet for a moment too long before he draws back.    “It’s a ladybug.” Taehyung shows you with a grin, one that had landed on your shoulder, and one he sets down into the grass behind him. “See you later, little guy.”   You’re absolutely bewildered, though finally able to breathe again.   There are times Taehyung’s unbearably cheesy and teasing, trying to get under your skin or vying for a reaction when he yearns for a kind of attention he receives from nowhere else, much like how he was when he was a kid. But the times that affect you the most are his unintentional actions — when he’s being sincere, genuine, his innocent self.    You’re not sure what to think of it. It’s confusing.   And the worst part is you can’t comprehend Taehyung lately — your own head’s become chaotic and you’re not quite certain of the reason for it.    “Y/N, hang on tight.” Taehyung pedals harder and glances over his shoulder. “The road ahead’s under construction. It’s gonna be bumpy.”   “Want to switch spots?”   “Nope,” he sings. “Just hold onto me.”   You obliged, grasping onto him, locking your wrists together around his waist.    Apparently it’s not enough. “Tighter.”   Your head leans on him, front pressed against his back, holding on. Taehyung laughs, the noise drawing out from his chest, and you can already envision his satisfied grin. “Good.”   You wonder since when his laugh became so melodic and pleasant to listen to.   It seems when he’s not trying whatsoever, he’s the most charming. When Taehyung’s not trying to flirt or retain intense eye contact or shower you in excessive compliments — and instead being his mischievous self, caring in quiet ways without making a whole show about it, laughing and smiling — he’s the most charismatic, much like his dad.   The magnetism that draws people in seems to run through the Kim blood.   Maybe you just never realized it before, but stepping back from your own biases and objectively analyzing him, Taehyung is rather appealing. He has a handful of good traits, and you’ve noticed the way females and males murmur as he walks past or stares across the room, not quite because of malicious rumours either or due to his status.    He’s a tall, strapping, blonde fellow. Even before when he had shaggy hair and was trying to grow a moustache, he wasn’t terrible on the eyes. Now that you recognize it, you gotta give it to him...he’s impressive in many ways.   You wonder why you’re only recognizing this now.    Why you didn’t see it sooner.   Maybe your childhoods that overlapped inhibited your perception and clouded your judgment, or perhaps you had learnt to overlook such trivial details.    But if there’s one thing that you’re beginning to learn about Taehyung, it’s that he’s the most attractive when he’s serious. You wish more people saw him like this — they wouldn’t take his words or opinions for granted otherwise.    Though now that you know this, you don’t really need a front row ticket to it...   “You want to what?”   “I want to draw you.”   “Absolutely not.”   “Why?” Taehyung pouts and he doesn’t know it’s because you don’t want him to stare at you intently, because it would be too intimate for your liking. As good as you are at pretending you’re a statue at social events, this is not part of your job description. The last thing you are is a piece of art. “I promise it’ll be quick. Half an hour, tops. I just need a rough sketch of someone as part of my portfolio.”   A sigh befalls your lips. “Can’t you pick someone else?”   “I don’t have anyone else. C’mon, it’s for school. Don’t you have to make sure I’m doing well in my schooling too?”   “But…” You look down at yourself. You’re not one to pay mind to futile things like your outer appearance, but you know you’re not in appropriate attire to be sketched. Once it’s permanently on paper, there’s no going back or reversing time. “I’m not even dressed properly, Taehyung.”   “You look fine,” he emphasizes and reaches over, grabbing your elbow. Taehyung walks you towards the center of the small studio. He turns you away from the sunlight, holds your shoulders and scoots you an inch to his right until it’s to his liking. “There. Good. Now stay still, okay?”   He smiles and struts back, plopping down onto his stool. With a sketchbook in hand, he looks up and begins.    The sound of graphite scratching against the paper fills the space between the four walls. It’s awkward, dreadful as you stare straight at him, and you release your held breath. “Do you want me to pose?”   “No.” There’s a full ten seconds of silence. “Just stay still.”   You feel out of place, stiff. The only thing you do is blink and barely breathe, not wanting to ruin his efforts.   “Can I ask you something, dumbo?” Taehyung mutters out of the corner of his mouth, eyes still pinned to his sketchbook.   “I...guess.”   “It’s kind of a stupid question, but I’m really curious as to what you’ll answer. So….think about it before you answer.” He hesitates for a moment and then goes for the kill. “Would you ever date me?”   “What?” You blink at him, unsure how to answer.   “Don’t move,” he suddenly barks out and you freeze at once, catching yourself halfway to stepping forward. “Thanks. Anyways I said, would you ever hypothetically date me or go out with me?”   “I don’t date.”   “Yeah, but let’s pretend that you did,” he mutters again and doesn’t even look at you properly to read your expression. Taehyung’s still concentrated, brows furrowed, the tip of his tongue peeking past the seam of his lips. His pencil comes out to measure something and then he quickly returns to the sketchbook. It’s not uncomfortable when he’s not full on staring and waiting for you to respond. There’s less pressure when he gives you time to reply.   “Well….that would be highly unprofessional. I’m your bodyguard—”   “Then let’s pretend you’re not,” he says carelessly as if this is small talk or a game of ‘would you rather’ to pass the time and make you less bored.   You hum, unintentionally relaxing in your spot as you give in and consider this what-if scenario he’s handed to you. “In a hypothetical world where I happen to have enough time and commitment to want to even date and I’m not your bodyguard and we happen to run into each other and we got the opportunity to go out….in a non-platonic sense…”   “Yes.”   “I….don’t know.”   “Wow, that’s it?” The corner of Taehyung’s mouth curls, but it’s a dangerous question. You’re uncertain of what he wants you to say, what you want to say. The possibility of such a circumstance makes your palms clammy.   “Well, I wouldn’t know.” You shrug. “You kind of have to be in the moment to know.”   “Hmmmm, I see.” The artist at work nods to himself. “Interesting.”   As reckless as it is, you find yourself asking, “How about you?”   “Me? Yeah, I’d date you. If you’d even let me.” Taehyung laughs and a smile appears on your face. He announces it like he’s so sure of himself, and it almost makes you...nervous. But you’re probably sweating from the heat of the room. “I don’t see why not.”   “But why me?” you question. “Like you said, I’m emotionally stunted. And I wouldn’t be able to offer you anything.” It doesn’t make sense to you — you’re not exciting, adventurous, or fun. The type of person you imagine Taehyung to be with, you can’t find any shred of it in yourself.    In fact, you feel more like a drag on people’s lives. The sidekick or background character that helps them accomplish one mission and hints them to the next. Never the hero. Most certainly never the love interest.   Taehyung’s hand pauses.   He glances at you with a frown, earnest in his words. “Don’t sell yourself short. Seriously.”   The student continues his sketch. “You’re responsible and hard-working and smart and capable. Most people aren’t like that. They’re not like you. And you keep me grounded. Make sure I don’t make stupid fucking decisions and end up breaking my legs.”   The corner of your mouth pulls again. “Okay, fine. That’s fair. But is it really enough to date me in this hypothetical world?”   “In this hypothetical world,” he pauses to inhale, “Yes. But there’s so much more than that. I wish you knew. I’d be the lucky one here. Not the other way around.”   Your face heats. He gives you more credit than you deserve, but you appreciate the wholehearted praise. For once, he’s not trying to butter you to succumb to whatever he wants, to get you to roll your eyes and banter with him. There’s nothing he can gain from it. It’s meaningful and you’re brought back to the time he told you no one could replace you...   “This is going to sound so lame and I know for a fact it’s one sided,” Taehyung mumbles as his eraser scrapes along the drawing you can’t discern from this distance, “but you’re my best friend, Y/N.”   Your chest is tight and you meet his eyes, staring at each other. His pencil continues to move on the paper, having sketched your curves, the dips of your waist, the slope of your nose, shape of your lips and strands of your hair.   “It’s not one-sided.”   Taehyung smiles.   He looks down and the rest of the time is spent quietly as he tries to finish, focusing. The conversation sinks down onto your shoulders and unlike his promise, it lasts longer than an hour. But you don’t find it difficult to stay in place anymore under his gaze.   Eventually, he finishes and sets his pencil down with a grin. “Good enough. You wanna see?”   “Yes. In case you wasted an hour of my life….” You walk over, dragging your sleeping leg behind you to peer over his shoulder. At once, your expression wipes away.   He looks up at you in worry. “What do you think?”   “It’s….pretty decent,” you admit with an approving nod. “I look so….” Pretty. Happy.    The sketch isn’t so rough as he said it would be. It’s a clear drawing of you, standing with arms behind your back, facial expression melted into a sheepish smile. It’s uncanny to how you remember your mother when you used to look at her, back before she became worn down, cynical, disappointed in how her own life turned out.   You wonder if this is how Taehyung sees you. In a way that’s so lovely and carefree.   “It better be decent. My hand hurts.” He shakes it and stretches his arms above his head with a groan. “I’m beat too.”   “Can I get a copy of it? When you’re done….”   Taehyung sets his notebook down on the table and spins around in pleasant shock. “You like it that much?” A stupidly wide grin begins to expand into his cheeks.   You try to shrug casually. “It’s not bad.”   He walks across the room, falling onto the worn sofa in the corner. “I’ll let you have the original when I get it back. Come here.” Taehyung pats a spot beside him, but you glance at the watch on your wrist.   “Shouldn’t we go get dinner?”   “Yeah, but I’m so tired. Let me rest for a second.” Once you give in, moving to sit down beside him, he scoots closer to you. Side-eyeing Taehyung only causes him to smile. “Thanks, dumbo, for letting me draw you.”   “It’s fine. Better than your idea of going bungee jumping.”   “I still wanna do that.”   “Maybe when it’s not my shift.”   “So you can actually join me?”   “So I’m not responsible if something goes wrong.”   He bursts out with a scoff and a laugh before settling down, tearing his eyes away from the profile of your face he had tried to recreate on paper and failed. He shifts to look straight ahead instead. Another thought bubbles to the surface of his consciousness. “In a hypothetical world where we never grew up together, where you weren’t my bodyguard, if I wasn’t the President’s son, and we met here...do you think you’d be my friend?”   “What’s up with you and hypotheticals today?”   “I just wish things were different.”   “Different how?”   “I don’t know,” he says, but you think he does know.   You don’t push him to tell you if he doesn’t want to.   It goes quiet.   Every blink that is taken is heavy. The exhaustion of the day catches up to you, muscles sore, feet aching. But you’re suddenly broken out of your trance when there’s a newfound weight on your shoulder. You flinch from the affection, yet Taehyung stays, chest rising and falling.   He’s leaning on your shoulder, fast asleep.   Your eyes soften, staring at the icy blonde strands of his hair. Your breath steadies and you sigh gently, allowing him to stay.   You don’t notice the way Taehyung’s mouth tugs upwards discreetly, how he sheepishly smiles, noticing the change. Just a month ago, he had tried the same thing and you shoved him off without waiting a single beat….   And just like that, he falls asleep on you, lulled by your scent and warmth.   It’s now that you’re sitting right beside him, peace allowing you to think, that you can finally put your finger on the feeling that’s been brewing inside of you ever since he embraced your body in his bed, underneath his covers, and the pair of you fell asleep in each other’s arms. You know it now. And it brings a whole plethora of emotions washing down on you — confusion, worry, fear.    You’re agitated, muddled, but also more than that. It’s different from annoyance, disenchantment, and the usual disenthrallment. It’s fluster.   Kim Taehyung’s made you flustered.