The Fluff Gate

"Damn work is gonna take me forever toda- oh it's done I locked in"

I think about this a lot when I see drippy gloopy AI slop and when I see artists who are not yet comfortable with who they are artistically:

Back in art school, one of the coolest things about the big weekly critique session was seeing everyone's proclivity to emphasize or de-emphasize a certain something - a big nose, a sloped chin, maybe they were really good at drawing plants - but the telltale mark of anything they did was a certain way someone would draw a line. A single line.

There is something unique in anyone's pencil stroke, like an artist's thumbprint - and I crave that deeply! My professors would say they've never seen anyone draw a line the same way as someone else, and in my experience, that's true. I love art from everyone, and I think it's a shame that many commodify art to an end product. There's a lot to say, and I think that art is all about the execution and the process, but I also want to add that when it comes to art, I want to see you. Everything you make is a portrait of who you are and where you come from, your mistakes, your biases. When I see a piece of art with one thing off, I think about all the other 200 pieces of problem solving it took for this one piece to get there. When I see art with a lot off, I think about what problems solved that were done well. I think looking at beginner art is as exciting as professional art! As a human, I want to look at other humans and see who they are that day at that time.

I make a pen stroke differently than you, and I will never be able to make that same line the way you do. Nobody will ever make the same mark you can. I detest AI for convincing so many people to give up on their mark.

"Why not be her now?"

Welcome to the Dragon Age Big Bang!

A fandom Big Bang encourages writers to produce a new, long piece of fanfiction, with the challenge of a deadline. Each fic will be paired with an artist, who will work with the author to create a new illustration based off of the themes and vibes of that work. Each team of participants in this event will produce: One (1) new, complete Dragon Age Fanfic of at least 25,000 words, and at least one (1) art piece inspired by that fic.

Completing these on time will ensure:

The fic (with embedded art, linked to the artist) is included in the AO3 Collection

The fic and art will be advertised on the Tumblr for the Bang, tagging both artist & writer

Unlike an exchange, this event is a collaboration between the artist and writer. All participants are valued equally in this event - artwork created for the Bang is not a commission or "free art". Participants strive to inspire each other with their works, while having fun and showcasing their individual work and creative effort.

Longfics can be anything you like, within our sparing content guidelines! Artists are asked to make an earnest effort to capture a vibe or scene of the fic, respect character descriptions, and collaborate with the writer on that content.

Check out our event requirements in detail on our new website:

The Dragon Age Big Bang Event Guidebook

Why Would I Do This?

Fandom! This is an opportunity to produce new works for Dragon Age - we love this fandom and making things for it, and it is works like the ones you'll make for this event that keep it alive.

Fun! This fandom can be extremely kind and full of mutual appreciation and interaction between artists and writers. Well done collaborations, with clear communication and reasonable guidelines, can be very fun and personally rewarding. If all goes well, new friendships and future collaborations may be formed!

Challenge! Whether from the deadline, the creation requirements, or taking inspiration from a written work, there’s a level of challenge involved with this event that can be exciting and inspiring.

Advertising! All works completed by the event deadline will be advertised here on our blog. The mods are artists and writers ourselves, and we know the importance of celebrating a finished piece and sharing it for others to see.

It's 2 AM, time for edelethposting