To my utter surprise, I've just double checked and apparently I haven't posted here what I've been drawing for the KuroFai Olympics these past three years (that is, KuroganexFai pairing for CLAMP's Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle manga). And this is supposed to be my central archive for both fanfiction and fanart, but there are tons of things that aren't here, so let's try to remedy that. It's not as if I had a literally overwhelming (that's not difficult, even breathing overwhelms me) shit ton of adulting to do, ha, ha (that should sound slightly deranged).

In any case, here's my first entry for this year's fest.

Okay, to my f-list:

1 - I am alive.
2 - I need to put all my energy into studying right now.
3 - SO I CAN'T READ THE THINGS YOU ARE WRITING RIGHT NOW.
4 - But hopefully I will at some point?
5 - I'm, in any case, very happy you are writing and sharing your stuff.
6 - That's it.
 

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/136566.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

Same situation as before. I didn't work on the illustration, I kept on drawing anatomy studies (and a portrait, for good measure) and I started mixing a bit the techniques, but not much because I'm not that adventurous. Just my old, trusted ink + charcoal + chalk stuff. And some watercolour with pastels, but it's the same thing, really.

I've been pretty productive these days, though, so I've also been working on my photography and, of course, I went to see the volcano. Twice. I might have planned a third visit this week. IT'S JUST TOO COOL, DAMMIT. I'll post pictures at some point.

But, until then: hunks.

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/136334.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

Which is, of course, not what I should have been doing. But well, what's new. So, in a desperate attempt to defeat my anxiety about an illustration project, I've been making studies of... well, everything. Okay, not really, but still. I've been drawing skeletons and undead people and action scenes and then I realized that I don't really know how the human body is built, so I decided to study some anatomy. I had the skeleton covered already, so I dove into muscles. And models are kind of lifeless, so after drawing some and understanding from where to where each muscle head goes, I jumped to body builders. So, here are some for you.

 

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/135996.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

daegaer

7veils

Edited: Now betaed thanks to the magnificent avierra! Hope you like it!

Title: Things to drink for
Author: Lauand
Beta: Avierra
Rating: I don't think it even reaches PG-13
Warnings: None
Pairing: 58
A/N: Written for the Christmas prompt “drinking with elves” provided by the lovely Daegaer and also approved by 7veils. Thanks, as always, to Avierra for her amazing beta-ing.

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/135736.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

Happy holidays, everybody!

Also, prompt me and I'll write a drabble or something. Hopefully. We'll see. You know my fandoms, I think?

In any case, hugs to all.

WE'RE PAST THE SOLSTICE, GIVE ME THAT FUCKING DAYLIGHT ALREADY!!!
 

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/135625.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

I tend to complain a lot (I'm a ranter and a whiner at heart, it's what I do) about Iceland because I'm fed up with fake or manipulated news making it look like the fucking Paradise and it is most definitely not. There's corruption, inefficiency and rudeness like in every other place in the world. My general experience with Icelanders is definitely positive, but not everything is perfect here. Also, the weather sucks and the darkness in winter is soul-withering. But I must give credit where credit is due and Iceland has many, many good things, too.

So, today I learned that the Church here launched a campaign to attract kids to Sunday school WHERE JESUSCHRIST WAS DEPICTED WITH BOOBS DANCING UNDER A RAINBOW. I KID YOU NOT. Of course, not everybody is pleased. But I am. Here's the link: https://sputniknews.com/society/202009161080470520-iceland-church-shocks-public-with-big-breasted-rainbow-jesus-in-new-diversity-campaign/

Also, there is, IT EXISTS, a webpage where you go to ask if it's Friday already ("föstudagur" in Icelandic) and they tell you if it's Friday or not. Here's the link: http://erfostudagur.is/ (In case you were wondering, "já" means "yes" and "nei" means "no".)

And I've got a great recommendation from dr_zook to watch an Icelandic movie that sounds really, really promising.

So, yeah. Not everything is bad here.

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/135068.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

I HAVEN'T MADE A SINGLE POST SINCE FEBRUARY. OMG.

In a desperate attempt to get over my anxiety about an art project, today I decided to draw something unrelated. Just to remind myself that I'm not that terrible at it and I can do it, goddammit. Kind of. Sometimes. So, here, birds.

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/134881.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

On Sunday I was invited to a burlesque show. I actually liked it a lot, performers were having tons of fun expressing themselves with their bodies and mixing saucy with circus numbers; I find it highly contagious when people on stage are having fun. The audience was also extremely responsive, so the ambience was very nice and positive. Since I'm a very awkward person and I suffer when I'm in the middle of an event that, but nature, should be social (and I was alone, I had only gotten one free ticket), I decided to bring my stuff to draw some sketches. Unfortunately, I didn't want to bother other guests, so I took a seat in a very dark corner and I was unable to see the paper, so I couldn't really draw. But afterwards, this happened.

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/134516.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

Also, I've kind of gotten a Tumblr account, which is like... man, you don't have the time to set it up, to post or to even browse other people's stuff, why did you think this was the right time? Well, I have no answer to that, I just did it on impulse. I'm "lauand-dw" there, because some fucker got my LJ/DW handle registered even if they are not posting anything. As I said, I can't afford to waste time on it right now, but if you are also on Tumblr, please, let me know the name of your accounts (and a hint about how to follow you) and, at some point in life, I'll do something about it.

And, well, that's it for now, I think.


 

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/134199.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

I've been drawing quite a lot lately. And getting very frustrated. When I do that, I go back to copying images thinking it will help me learn. And I'm not totally sure it really helps me to learn to do my own stuff, but it certainly helps me to learn to copy them better, XD!

So, since I'm very pleased with how this one turned out, here you are, the most original subject ever: a cat.

 

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/133722.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

I'm not very good at giving importance to birthdays, I'm always forgetting them and I never get offended when people forget mine. That doesn't mean I'm not glad you were all born, I am, but I'm just lousy at making it known. In spite of all that, talking with indelicateink the other day, she told me that she hadn't had a nice cupcake, just a cookie (and not a fantastic one at that) for her birthday AND I WON'T ABIDE BY IT. BIRTHDAY CAKES ARE A MUST, no matter how loose the definition of cake might be.

So, here you are, happy (belated) birthday, indelicateink !

(I wouldn't say it's outright NSFW, but it turned out kind of pin-up-ish and it's moderately big, so proceed at your own risk)
 

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/133395.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.

I've been complaining lately that both drawing and, most especially, writing feels like pulling teeth. I have to fucking coax the words to come out, the fuckers. And I put a lot of effort into thinking. Before, the story was just floating around in my head and all I had to do was to take a pen and a notebook and write it down. But, let's face it, I'm happier with the results now. Today I revised an old story that I used to like and it was "THE ONSLAUGHT OF THE EPITHETS!!!". And even editing the shit out of it I still felt like it was immature fanfic. Which is not a particularly bad thing, fanfic is supposed to be gratifying from a fan's perspective, it's basically its purpose. But still, I'm older now and my needs have shifted. Now I want quality (incredibly relative thing, that, but let's just say "quality by my own standards").
 

So, you see, it takes much more effort to do anything, but I'm also far happier with the results. Not that I wasn't happy with the results back then, but now I'm kind of horrified at some of the shit I've written. So, it kind of balances out in the end?

(I still wish I could fucking enjoy the process as I did before, though, quality be damned.)
 

Also posted at https://lauand.dreamwidth.org/133375.html, if you'd rather read it there or want to enter a discussion with comments.