I don't even know what this is.

Brief, independent Kawoshin experiences.

———————————————————-

“I’m happy that we live in this reality. I’m able to stay with you if that’s what you desire.” - Kaworu Nagisa

———————————————————-

Kaworu’s living room was lit solely by light composed of morphing colors from the TV screen. The colors froze as he paused the game, having reached a stopping point when could finally go to the bathroom. When he returned, Shinji was blocking his path. He felt the gentle impacts of Shinji’s arms on his back and Shinji’s forehead against his chest. Shinji began to nuzzle into him. This non-verbal communication which Shinji had taken to lately was cute, but undeniably concerning as well. This particular act meant that he wanted to cuddle. Shinji clearly knew how to get what he wanted even if he had to bring out his ultimate weapon against Kaworu’s self-control. Shinji turned his head upward, presenting unfair eyes that he knew had taken on the appearance of dark gems in the TV’s light. Kaworu caressed the back of Shinji’s head.

“Ok,” he said.

When Kaworu had taken his place across the couch with his head comfortably propped up by its arm, Shinji proceeded to curl up like a cat on top of him with both arms hanging off the couch. Kaworu found this rather impressive, given that Shinji had so little area to work with. Both boys were, according to Toji, “beanpoles”. Kaworu’s hands reunited on the game controller, which came to rest on Shinji’s side. A sudden blast of sound filled the room when he unpaused the game.

“Really?” asked Shinji.

“Mmmhmm,” Kaworu responded.

What is sense?

what is nonsense?

This poem makes sense to me

to you, it is utter nonsense

it’s all in the head, you see.

(I smile)

Sense, nonsense. Sanity, insanity

the lines all fall different

for different minds.

(for some there are no lines at all)

Perceptions shape the world

more than matter

And perceptions keep changing

so the meanings

so the feelings

and so the people.

(a complicated yet simple world)

Does change authenticate time?

Are time and change synonyms?

Or is it

they are both partners

in an even greater crime?

Hello amazing people!

After the success of our Top 12 alternatives to Photoshop for digital painters and illustrators article, a few questions regarding animation programs appeared in our inbox. There are many, many apps to animate today: in this list we included 2D animation programs only, but these are the best of the best.

Formerly known as Flash, Adobe Animate helps you create interactive web-based content for games and ads using powerful illustration and animation tools.

Pros: user-friendly interface; many, many features; customisable layout

Cons: there are so many features that a few may remain hidden; it may get sluggish with big files (performance depends on the running machine); limited audio tools

Paid

Animation Pro is an app for iPad and it works like any powerful animation app!

Pros: drawing features; layers; lip-synching feature; affordable

Cons: the interface can look confusing to a beginner

Paid

Illustration or animation, CLIP STUDIO PAINT may be the answer to your needs. This program is powerful and full of amazing features and tools for the professional artist - and it made the top ten in our Top 12 alternatives to Photoshop for digital painters and illustrators list.

Pros: several illustration tools exclusive of the program; powerful

Cons: limited audio tools; limited script tools; limited technical support

Paid

Certainly one of the most used programs in the industry, Toon Boom Harmony is a powerful animation program for professional artists. It’s been used for well-known series and films, such as Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name, Rick and Morty, The Simpsons and The Princess and the Frog.

Pros: powerful tools; smart colour palettes; features for character artists; many tutorials

Cons: not easy to use; pricey

Paid

Moho Pro (Anime Studio) is a 2D animation software for professional artists distributed by Smith Micro Software.

Pros: advanced animation tools; user-friendly interface; compatibility with vector programs (ex. Illustrator) for import/export of files

Cons: N/A

Paid

We’ve already talked about OpenToonz, an open-source animation program (see this article).

While this version is the program customised by Studio Ghibli, Toonz was created by Italian Digital Video S.p.A., which distributes other important programs: Toonz Premium, Story Planner and Toonz LineTest. 

Toonz is used by important studios, such as, of course, Studio Ghibli (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away) and Rough Draft Studios (Futurama, The Simpsons).

Pros: open-source; powerful tools

Cons: not easy to learn; hidden features; “old” interface

Free  

Pencil2D Animation is another open-source program for beginner and professional artists.

Pros: simple, user-friendly interface; 

Cons: minimal features

Free

Another well-known animation program is TVPaint Animation. Perfect for frame-by-frame animation, this is a powerful program and may even be considered Harmony’s rival. Notable productions are Song of the Sea, Zima Blue and Kitbull.

There are two versions of the program, TVPaint Animation Professional and TVPaint Animation Standard.

Pros: powerful; many tutorials

Cons: pricey;

Paid

———————————————————————————————————–

As always, let us know what you think of these apps and what we missed. We still hope you’ll find this list useful!

Thank you and peace out,

G&M

———————————————————————————————————–

Buy us a coffee ❤

———————————————————————————————————–

Other articles:

10 inspiring and helpful YouTube channels for digital artists

6 inspiring Art Podcasts for digital artists

Hey guys: It’s been a while since we’ve come up with something new, so we’re presenting our newest idea: a book. We are looking for submissions to compile our first anthology of your writing. The topic will be: The butterfly effect. The butterfly effect is best described as: the theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever.  

What do we need from you? A piece inspired by the topic submitted by July 1st. You’re free to use the topic in whichever way your imagination takes you. Please fill out and submit via the form below. We will not be accepting submissions via our submissions box, or through the writerscreed tag. 

We look forward to making something great together!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdu_qnuEtVhRursxbqGQfLs6d_vJ_CGJn2BllDbFo2Ki9elhw/viewform

So, I have drunk of your smiles

Many miles have we travelled, far

And in those moments dear I

Have watched you grow.

You are complete, your

Vices in locked luggage

Sleep, and are remembered

Dimly as brown paper packages

Self addressed.

But I am your fraud, In your garden

A worm eating at the apple,

A supple liar, caught

In the summer breezes beckoned

By your smile.

Smiles are things of glass

And if the moments past salute your

Innocence, I am the burden on your soul

My chosen role

for every smile we left crumbs of voice mails that tripped the sun. one day I will be precious enough, one day your name won’t be left to play hopscotch in the rain. I know I cant write you back to me, but I still try every day.

the biggest black hole in the universe is inside my heart, and though we fly on conversations that don’t stay at the table,  I hope I live long enough to want you again.

each goodnight adds a weight to the distance that sleeps inside these thoughts. if the ocean is a reflection of how many roses have borrowed a scar on your tongue, then we’ve already climbed past the wishes visiting your lips, we’ve already signed time on the clouds. your forever is my now.

& everything I would give was everything you couldn’t take. we built regret from the sky up, hope from the lightest parts of the ocean. I hope your heart is sleeping soundly.

I met hope on the corner of winter and a secluded breath, and I’m on the bottom of the ocean floor, drowning in all the ways you surround me. the snow has all melted, and the leaves have opened their eyes, and I’m still standing beneath the same sky that has seen you cry.

put your hands inside of my heart. I woke up because I missed you. and though you’re building a home on ruins, the page is blank because you never came back.

With my threadbare meagre soul, with my shattered scattered whole, this tattered blanket of my heart, every tear and hole like stars in the dark, I’ll wrap you and keep you away from harm, I’ll keep you snug and warm, I’ll love you so completely, with these million broken parts of me, if only you let me if only, you let me.

in the silence I can hear the ticking of the clock, echoing all the time it takes away.

a silence built on many years spent trying hard to block, the thought that you were in my yesterday.

what is quiet? i do not want to know.

it is the silence of light that has nowhere to go.

quiet is not my friend.

quiet is the place where I think the world will end.

quiet is an ocean, that slowly starts to freeze. quiet is the moment, you spend upon your knees.

considering things you never knew, things you may not want to know except the quiet tells you so.

what is quiet? i do not want to know.

Leave.

Leave.

The moment you see his love dripping on someone else’s hands, leave.

This is no competition, he’s not trophy, there’s no point in starting a war for a coward of a man who cheats.

Leave.

Leave.

Leave.

I cannot stress this enough but it’s not his love that’s running through your veins, darling, it’s the poison that he has been giving you since day one, since the day he decided to sleep with someone else at night while singing songs of love in your ears during the day.

Leave.

Leave.

Leave.

Before you start to accept the moans of someone else as your own, before you start believing the smell of that unfamiliar perfume on his shirt is yours, before you lose the very little amount of sanity that you hold.

Leave.

Because trying to remove the toxin out of someone so toxic may lead to your own mayhem.

in the time it takes to realize the limits of my senses

in silent worlds of compromise we shelter in pretenses

losing all connection to a past that was uncertain

into your world my  gaze is cast

through the pain of memories  curtain

clinging clinging I can only cling

for all of the love you held inside of a smile that doesn’t sleep well at night, i’ve built a fortress right next to the sea— as i wait, wait and wait some more. until you’re home. until we’re back. i think a part of who i am while the world sleeps and we’re both awake, that part of me will always know love because of you. sometimes we live in fragments because we’re still building the whole, still walking beside a tan that has closed fingers on thoughts that aren’t me. what do I do with all these kisses left inside of me? and maybe stepping back is enough when you’re afraid of looking down and seeing more than feet ready to step off. maybe we only know time as tired eyes because winter smells like roses too. you don’t have to love me forever, but I could use some love right now. did you know roses have a hint of orange during their final moments? how captivating. the sun made an unexpected appearance within death itself and i can’t explain to you all of moods and thoughts while i’m feeling them with every inch and fiber of my entire being— i just know that everything can be so confusing from time to time. but you’re still here and that’s heartwarming enough. you’re still here. i think that’s more than i can ever ask for. real genuine and raw dedication laid out bare for the sun to accept. my gift of gardens, my whispers amongst whispers, the softest of the clouds, the blues of my depression, the reds of my deep love, the greens upon my life rising to reach your rays— i’ve been meaning to come home to you.

the beauty of your heart overwhelms me and i am caught beneath the deluge of a love that cannot be defined nor denied – i glimpse your countenance and i see epic poetry i feel your heart and i am resurrected from a thousand deaths

escapril day 8: a love poem

i. waiting by my locker with a wide smile and glasses to match.

ii. walking me out to the buses and holding my hand while we wait.

iii. kissing her on the cheek to say goodbye.

iv. texting her late at night.

v. texting her in the middle of the night just to remind her she is loved.

vi. texting her first thing in the morning.

vii. getting ready for school full of rush like can’t wait to see her csnt wait to hug her.

viii. wearing her hoodie until it doesn’t smell like her anymore. wearing it even after that.

ix. sending her ten thousand things that remind me of her.

For once,

We won’t give up on each other.

Perhaps,

Someday,

We’ll feel the promise of the future again.

Maybe,

In not so distant tomorrow,

There is a life waiting for us, to live together.

Perhaps,

Sooner than we think,

We’ll find home in each other’s arms.

Maybe,

The time is close,

And distance between us even shorter than we think.

Perhaps,

All we have to do,

Is trust that we can make us happen.

Maybe,

The faith we need,

Is within us, rather than in the stars.

Perhaps,

At last,

We start today.

-

1532. Maybe, Perhaps

by Stardust & Fragments