A Redesign For A Funky Angel Guy Soda (xe/xem)

A redesign for a funky angel guy Soda (xe/xem)

This was for artfight, but I thought now that I have a tumblr why not post xem here too!

Tumblr Etiquette - A List

Here is a list of posts teaching people coming from twitter how tumblr works/ Guides for ex twitter users

|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16

I'll add more as I find them, I hope this helps someone

Special Interest vs Hyperfixation

This post is about how I PERSONALLY have come to define these words. There is no clear consensus on the distinction, so I have made my own. I am not trying to control how other people use these terms or who uses them, so do not argue with me about that. You’ve been warned.

How are special interests and hyperfixations commonly distinguished?

Many people say that special interest = autism and hyperfixation = ADHD. I’m not a fan of saying, “This thing is basically the same in each, but we’re using different words based on which box you’ve been sorted into.”

Another way people distinguish is by saying special interests are long term/permanent and hyperfixations are short term. That’s a start, but it doesn’t really explain why one would be long and one short—unless they serve different functions.

My definitions are about the functions of these kinds of interests.

Special interests

I define special interest as a topic of intense interest to someone, usually an autistic person, that serves an important function: they are a way to organize/understand the world, one’s emotions, relationships, etc, and also a safe, structured way of interacting with other people/the world. Because they become integral to how one sees/interprets the world, people often describe special interests as part of their identity.

For autistic people who are not great at masking, their special interest might be the only thing they want to talk about. Sharing information about one’s special interest can be how people express affection (“I am trusting you with this important part of me!”) and could be considered a neurodivergent “love language.”

Think of Aaron in The Mitchells vs the Machines. He goes through the phone book calling people to ask if they’d like to talk about dinosaurs with him, and when his sister Katie is leaving for college, he expresses his anxiety and tries to make sense of what is happening by asking what happens to velociraptors when one leaves the pack.

Hyperfixations

Saying hyperfixations are just short-term special interests does not do them justice, and it doesn’t make sense! Special interests are about becoming an expert in a topic so it can serve as a secure base from which to approach trickier aspects of life. But hyperfixations often fizzle out after reaching the “expert” stage. Why is that?

Hyperfixations serve a different (also important) purpose: dopamine! It’s all about the thrill of the chase. The consumption of information at light speed. Chronically understimulated brains use hyperfixations as a way to produce more of the neurotransmitters they need so badly. This is why they often fizzle out once the game is complete, the show has been binged, or you’ve learned all there is to know on a subject: the novelty is what creates that first flash flood of dopamine that our brains find so delicious. I had more hyperfixations back when I was stuck in boring classes all day. My brain was desperate for stimulation.

Similarities

Both special interests and hyperfixations are unusually intense interests. Both of them can feel necessary for survival—because they are survival strategies developed by neurodivergent brains for surviving in a neurotypical-designed world! They both serve important functions that go beyond simple enjoyment or relaxation. And while special interests in autism have been pathologized the most, both hyperfixations and special interests—in whomever they occur—are often dismissed, bullied, or discouraged by people who do not see their importance and utility.

I’ve made it sound black and white here, but it’s not. These two can overlap. Hyperfixations often “mellow out” into special interests, special interests can produce happy brain chemicals. Also, in my experience, I’ve known more autistic people with special interests and more ADHD people with hyperfixations, and I will continue to talk about them largely in those contexts… but I am an expert on no one’s mind but my own. I don’t police who uses these words.

So, to sum up.

Special interest: an organizational framework for understanding the world and for understanding and navigating emotions and social relationships.

Hyperfixation: an adaptive response to chronic understimulation by “mining” a subject for neurotransmitters.

I get lost in my hyperfixations. I would get lost without my special interests. Both are important functions!

hey guys! i made a carrd to help bring awareness to dyslalia, a condition i have! you're free to share this around, i'll appreciate it a lot!

dyslalia awareness

dyslalia awareness

awareness for dyslalia

Spent a long time on this art resource/reference masterpost! If you have a request for resources for me to find OR have a resource you want me to add, just send me an ask :D 

General Anatomy/Human stuff:

body quick tips

painting/drawing straight hair

how to draw eyes

arm squish/bend tip

chest/pecks with raised arms tip

long hair how to

male torso anatomy (back)

learn manga male anatomy (torso & arm)

male torso anatomy (front)

head and hair tips (scroll  a bit, it’s in one of the images!)

how to draw noses

ears tilty tip

arm tips

two tips for drawing women’s hair

drawing teeth

anatomy tips

random hair and mouth ref anime

leg muscle anatomy ref

arm muscles anatomy ref

knees reference

arm ref study

quick arm tut tip

how to draw arm

shoulders n sleeves

Poses:

umbrella poses

random female poses

random anatomy pose thing

chibi sleeping in hands pose

laying poses

elf (?) with staff poses

holding phone half bod

peeny wolf pose set

perspective pose sheet

anatomy poses 

crossed arms ref sheet

holding baby poses

Hands:

how to draw hands 1

hand refs & tutorial 2

hand tutorial 3

hand tutorial 4

36 hands

how to draw hands in 10 minutes

hands ref 2

hand gestures and simplifying the hand

arm & hand ref

500 hands

Diversity:

stop drawing natives red

wheelchair tutorial

drawing fat people

vitiligo notes for artists

darkskin palms

epicanthic folds

biracial characters

do’s and don’ts of thick lips

Animals/Creatures:

how to draw falcon beaks

canine studies (broken down into parts)

feline tiger ref

Insect wing venation

Musculature of a T-Rex

Pony bodies tutorial

Hyena Nose tutorial

horse reference

drawing horns

Flesh tutorial

bird tips

wing basics

making mythical creatures look realistic

pony heads tutorial 

dragon designing tutorial pt 3/3

pony wings tutorial

hedgie bodies

Furry/Anthro:

dogquest’s pixel tutorial

furry portrait tutorial

furry pants tutorial

how to draw paws/pawhands

fur direction reference

anthro tips

muzzle shapes

furry styles

anthro expressions

f2u chibi-ish furry base

furry / cartoon head tutorial

f2u furry base/pose w three different ears

drawing humans! for animal artists

Backgrounds:

how to draw debris

fire tutorial

night sky tutorial

materials study with notes

tree tutorial

water tutorial

tangents??

ocean painting

clouds tutorial

bubbles

painty background studies tips

peony tutorial

lakeside tutorial

quick flowers for the lazy

mistletoe vs holly

Perspective:

foreshortening coil technique

foreshortening tutorial

Webcomic:

medibang comic panel tutorial

how i make webcomics/webtoons

how to color comics

the art of lettering comics

comic/doujinshi paneling

in depth webcomic tutorial

Coloring:

72 Color Combinations

How ViPOP uses color

Hair coloring tutorial by rosuuri

Gurochii moe quick eye tutorial

Anime eye tutorial

Mermaid tail tutorial

Grayscale to Color painting tutorial

chibi eye walkthrough

skin tone tutorial 1

curly hair tutorial

color palette

coloring tutorial

light, it gets everywhere

comfort color

skin coloring tutorial

holographic tutorial

dappled lighting effect

cute/bright coloring tutorial 

pattern trick

arcana character coloring tut

Expressions/ Meme / style:

small body language study

expressions reference

how to cute

Platonic cuddles meme

expression reference : nervous

flustered expression meme

drawing expressions tutorial/key

Pixel Art:

Pixel icon tutorial

Ice cream

Moving clouds tutorial

50x50 pixel doll tutorial

pixelin’s pixel process

pixel expression ref

pixel eye blinking tutorial

how to pixel liquids

Clothing / Accessories:

Shoes

Fancy color tip / ref

Chainmail

short reference

learn manga basic pleated skirt tutorial

learn manga basic frills

random clothing refs

chainmail brush

clothing ref masterpost

pinstripes tips

cloth texture tips

how to clothing folds

Misc:

Sketchfab 3d Models

Mikeymegamega on YT for anime/ecchi/etc

Gentei_sozai on twitter for chibi poses

S0zalsan on twitter for random poses

mecha basics

75 tutorials

Obvious art tips you might have forgotten

Mosaic effect

how to draw a cute chibi

fighting artblock

cute pikachu base

painting a face tutorial

volume commissions mini tutorial

arcana characters tutorial reference

notes from the “animators survival kit”

concept art tutorial

another art resource masterpost

MS paint tips and tricks

Reference table for drawing CONSISTENT faces

@hanari0716 on twitter for HELLA references

animation guide for beginners

Brushes:

Foliage brushes

cityscape brushes

ghibli brushes

clip studio paint assets

PS brush pack