So Ive Been Wanting An Excuse To Make Techno Fanart For A While And Ive Been Having Really Bad Art Block

So I’ve been wanting an excuse to make techno fanart for a while and I’ve been having really bad art block the last few days, but I found the picture below the cut and just. I figured why not.

So I was playing on my survival world and found this cave (pictured below cut) and my brain went MMMMMM ART. Except I don’t do landscapes. Or backgrounds. Therefore. Um. This is the third time I’ve drawn this scene from scratch and the only one I actually like. However, I do actually really like it, so there’s that. I was trying to do lineless in the previous two and it did not work, so I ran in the absolute opposite direction. And the fact that the art even exists is a miracle because I was very close to just throwing my hands in the air. But. I’m happy I did not. Cuz I did a background and it doesn’t look bad actually.

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Idk if it’s the same across platforms, but the entrance to this cave is through a small waterfall at 45, 110, 195 (those numbers make me so happy-) in the Lush Caves seed

If you click the names of the birds below, you will find photos of the actual birds I’m referring to; mostly provided because the second two are morphs

EDIT: So honestly. Contrary to final poll results and my initial lean toward the grosbeak, I think I might just go with the crow. The design’s grown on me and in the last week I’ve collected many bones and observed many local crows and found myself just quietly very drawn to them. Nothing’s set in stone, but. . . It feels more right than the grosbeak- there are still things that draw me to the latter, and I still really love them and might switch in the future, right now I relate more to crows I think.

Rose Breasted/Cutthroat Grosbeak (female)

Similarities (between myself and the bird) - small and chunky - eats mainly seeds, fruits, and nuts - elusive and relatively solitary aside from nesting season - very intricate, unique nest type - monogamous - take care of young for a month after fledging (which is longer than quite a few birds) - dwells mainly in deciduous forests - I honestly think I do look a bit like a grosbeak overall - there is limited information on them (which is obnoxious, but kinda goes with my aesthetic honestly)

Things I Like About Them - very pretty markings, especially on face which makes for fun character design - they were my favorite bird as a child and I would get so excited during the brief period that they would be at our feeder

Differences - females don’t sing as much as males - I am very much a mimic- I echo other people’s words as well as animal noises a lot, mostly without thinking, and grosbeaks do not mimic. The males learn songs from their fathers, but that’s different, and I’m not male anyway.

Black Billed Magpie (cinnamon)

Similarities - eat a lot of fruit and grain - they are skilled mimics - mate for life something I aspire to achieve one day - have only been seen in Michigan ten times in the last hundred years, so it fits the “elusive bird who’s sightings should be documented” narrative - parents allow their young to stay with them as long as needed, sometimes even years - males and females are both very vocal and sing, talk, and chatter quite often - wary of new things and will shy away from bright colors and flashing lights (yes, that includes shiny things) - many widely believed myths spread about them (such as tendencies to thievery, attraction to shiny objects, and hoarding things tho I am guilty of that last one)

Things I Like About Them - Gorgeous wings and tail (though rather plain facial markings which is sad) - they’re just nice, funky little guys and they were one of my favorites when I was younger as well

Differences - not a bird I’d really call chunky lol - they eat meat (mostly bugs) and meat is not my favorite honestly - while some do only stay in groups of two, many others have tribe of up to twelve

Common Crow (cinnamon)

Similarities - will bring people they like random bits of things such leaves, rocks, lost keys, and bones, as gifts - stops for roadkill (though I don’t eat it, I’m just there to steal feathers or check opossum pouches for potential surviving babies) - bones is good, we like bones - also talented at imitating human speech, other animals, and just random noises they find intriguing - mate for life - very family oriented and good at taking care of each other. They’ve even been known to adopt unrelated fledglings - stay in the nest up to forty days after hatching and often remain with a family group for two years, helping their parents look after younger siblings - males and females are very vocal - wants to eat rocks - scavengers - likes fruits, nuts, and seeds - seen as weird or gross by the majority - slow to trust humans, but is very loyal once they do - could be considered chunky - cinnamons tend to have blue or silver eyes

Things I Like About Them - they are just. very good. - wing markings of cinnamons are very interesting, and while I’d like more intricacies to work with for facial markings, they’re still good and simple

Differences - they are very social birds (but most of that social time is spent with their family, which is where most of mine is spent as well, so I’m not sure this is a true difference) - consumes a lot of meat (which, as stated, is not my favorite) - they are very common in Michigan and easy to spot almost anywhere

I just realized I never posted this and I’m so mad because I love how her design came out and I just love her in general. There are many things I’d like to divulge about her, but on the off chance I ever actually write this story, I’d rather keep them to myself for now. What I will say tho, is that she’s a detective/hunter for the UCR (Unseelie Court Regulations) which, as the name suggests, are responsible for policing peoples and creatures who fall under the definition of Unseelie Court (and both trolls/troll changelings and kelpies do). There’s a completely different justice system that deals with the Seelie Court and non magic folk.

But anyway. Yeah. This is Mable. She’s- she’s a funky little bean, but I love her very much. Also, she needs sleep so bad, bless her-

So I’ve been struggling to find Jesus music that scratches that stimmy itch in my brain for the last year or so. I’ve also been holding God at arm’s length for a while. I’ve been wrestling with a lot of things in my faith. But I think I’ve come to a place of possibly embracing while I wrestle. Tonight I found a playlist with a lot of really good songs. I’ve cried and my brain has buzzed and I’ve sat in prickle skinned shock. I’m still vibrating a little. Feeling like I’m on the brink, almost there; closer than I have been in many months. It feels scary. And raw. But not in a bad way.

Explaining Jesus - Jordy Searcy (took me completely off guard. One of the best songs- spiritual or secular- that I’ve heard in a very long time)

How to be Yours - Chris Renzema (a song I was already using for characters but realized was meant to refer to God-Human condition and I cried)

The Hope Inside - Colony House (too close to home)

Ring the Bells - Johnnyswim (no, not christmas. very powerful wording but also just really buzzy and good)

Sweet Ever After - Ellie Holcomb - (also very good wonderful lyricism and music contrast and just makes me wanna scratch my arms and flap my hands)

Will update if I find more. Wish there were more female solo ones tho.

I am so, so happy with how this turned out, I just- *vibrates* it’s been so long since I’ve done a full page

I sketched Enya’s new design a few months ago on what was planned to be a junk page because marker had bled through from the other side, but then I really liked it and I had a few new design ideas for Faas, so I drew him too, and then I realized I had enough space for Mable and-

So I colored them all and drew on random scraps of paper to glue on top of the marker bleeds. I don’t know why I’m so happy with it, but it’s one of my favorite art pieces in a while because usually I’m not particularly spontaneous, but things happened, so.

This was the traditional drawing I was referring to about Mable’s hair texture. This is what it’s supposed to look like. Also I’m still trying to decide whether it translates that she’s wearing tights, I feel like it sort of does, but idk.