quail-dawn

Latest Posts by quail-dawn

Honeyspring you deserved better darling. Beautiful creature. You and your kits were betrayed so tragically. So brutally. You and your babies deserved better.

Tanglefern...deserves a fate I can not rightly describe for damning you and those precious babies. I hope you make him pay.

Make him pay.

Make him pay.

Make him pay.

Honeyspring breaths shakily, lungs bloating with sticky fluid.

They are alone in the woods.

Hi 👋, My name is Mohammad, and I’m reaching out in a moment of desperate need. I’m a father of three young children living in Gaza, and we are caught in the midst of a catastrophic war. Our home is no longer a safe haven, and the future here seems increasingly uncertain. 💔

I’ve launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $60,000 to relocate my family to a safer place where my children can grow up in peace and have a chance at a brighter future.

Unfortunately, my previous fundraising efforts were abruptly halted when my account was terminated without explanation. However, I remain determined to keep fighting for my family’s safety and well-being. 🫶

If you could take a moment to read our story, consider donating, or simply share our campaign with others, it would make an incredible difference. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to safety and a new beginning. 🙏

Thank you for your time, compassion, and support. ❤️‍🩹

https://gofund.me/fd1faea2 🔗

I hope you reach your goal <3

Honeyspring darling we would LOVE to hear your secret! A secret for a secret - Starclan can’t h e a r y o u

Honeyspring stares blankly forwards, but smiles wider nonetheless, and mumbles into the dead air.

Pb nlwv kdyh qr idwkhu.

Loudclan - Moon 29: Part 2

Back in camp, the warm weather gives the healers a chance to relax, and puts Wildfirecry in a particularly good mood, reminding him of his former home in Forestclan, far to the south.

Wildfirecry takes Songpaw out to look for Fiercestripe's patrol. Along the way they discuss what's really been on Songpaw's mind.

The scent of blood sits heavy in the still air. With Songpaw sent back to camp for help, Wildfirecry steels his nerves and rushes ahead, prepared to join the battle against whomever had made the mistake of tresspassing onto Loudclan's territory. As he neared the Loudclan border, though, it became clear that the battle was long finished.

Fiercestripe, Chumtail, Dogwoodmoth, and Dashpaw were killed in the rogue attack, taking 4 of their attackers with them. Rosehiptree managed to survive by staying hidden in the bushes, but she is by no means unscathed. Loudclan is devastated by this event, and will need time to mourn, but on the other side of the valley, three trespassers thank the stars for whatever might have delayed their pursuers.

[...so ... how are we feeling about this one, folks? bad? yeah, I feel bad. full disclosure, if Eklutna dying was the moon that I decided I wanted to keep playing Loudclan, this was the moon that almost made me quit. I was and continue to be DEVASTATED by losing these guys, Fierce, Dogwood, and Chum were some of my all time favorites as I played and I fell in love all over again writing their stories here. (Sorry Dash, you just weren't around long enough for me to get attached.) In game technically Fiercestripe died of heatstroke, but since it was the same moon as the rogue attack this felt like a much more fitting way for her to go. Anyway, I think one more part should wrap up this moon, and my deepest apologies to you all.]

First Moon

Uhhhh imma need you to elaborate on palekit’s teeth being ‘deep’ in the gums 😶

Tanglefern shudders at the memory and is quick to dispel the thought. It is better, perhaps, to move on and forget.

I love this gal :D

This is so cool :0

:0 ! I'm glad the game works so well on tumblr! It's great here <3 71 - common Swampfreckle (she/her) is a white-and-cinnamon spotted tabby molly with dark blue eyes. Her white fur is patched with honey brown dapples filled with darker spots. Dark, nearly chocolate, flecks around her shoulders, down the fronts of her legs, and dusts around her eyes and muzzle like freckles. She is a small but round cat with a feathery tail. Her paws are soft and pink and grow sore quickly.

Known for her quick thinking and not for her fast reflexes, Swampfreckle is a cat that prefers to be a leader and organizer rather than doer. She's an excellent--if somewhat strict--teacher and while she isn't patient enough to try and explain difficult concepts to kits and young apprentices, absolutely adores young warriors that know just enough to keep up, but not so much that Swampfreckle can't show off her knowledge. She follows the Code strictly and, being firmly aroace, cannot understand why any cat would risk a forbidden romance. She's definitely the mother hen of her peer group and can be overprotective of cats she's taken under her wing.

Loudclan - Moon 29: Part 2

Back in camp, the warm weather gives the healers a chance to relax, and puts Wildfirecry in a particularly good mood, reminding him of his former home in Forestclan, far to the south.

Wildfirecry takes Songpaw out to look for Fiercestripe's patrol. Along the way they discuss what's really been on Songpaw's mind.

The scent of blood sits heavy in the still air. With Songpaw sent back to camp for help, Wildfirecry steels his nerves and rushes ahead, prepared to join the battle against whomever had made the mistake of tresspassing onto Loudclan's territory. As he neared the Loudclan border, though, it became clear that the battle was long finished.

Fiercestripe, Chumtail, Dogwoodmoth, and Dashpaw were killed in the rogue attack, taking 4 of their attackers with them. Rosehiptree managed to survive by staying hidden in the bushes, but she is by no means unscathed. Loudclan is devastated by this event, and will need time to mourn, but on the other side of the valley, three trespassers thank the stars for whatever might have delayed their pursuers.

[...so ... how are we feeling about this one, folks? bad? yeah, I feel bad. full disclosure, if Eklutna dying was the moon that I decided I wanted to keep playing Loudclan, this was the moon that almost made me quit. I was and continue to be DEVASTATED by losing these guys, Fierce, Dogwood, and Chum were some of my all time favorites as I played and I fell in love all over again writing their stories here. (Sorry Dash, you just weren't around long enough for me to get attached.) In game technically Fiercestripe died of heatstroke, but since it was the same moon as the rogue attack this felt like a much more fitting way for her to go. Anyway, I think one more part should wrap up this moon, and my deepest apologies to you all.]

First Moon

Source: Vinland Saga ヴィンランド･サガ

by Makoto Yukimura

04 : 19

jumpscare!

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✦ 🐋 ✦ 🫀 ✦ 🐚 ✦

< Previous | First | Next >

Just a buncha really cute and sweet interactions this time around <3 They all care for eachother soooo much :')

Been a minute since I requested! Your way of getting in depth with characters and giving each one a unique quirk is rubbing off on me,,, It’s so cool!

Welcome back! It's been slow around here, so ask away!! 98 - Rare! Frost elemental time~ I'm so glad I have an excuse to make more cats for fantasy projects I've already finished. I love the Elementsigns, they're so fun to design. I wonder if this little guy had Growthsign somewhere in his bloodline (;

Lichencloud (he/him) is a pale blue Frostsign tom with violet eyes. His body is shaped from ice, pale and translucent, though most of his form is covered in darker blue “fur”: sharp, opaque fractals of frost that cover his icy skin. A ridge of pale icicles make spikes down the back of his neck, present in the cold months, but that melt away in the spring. His pelt is dappled with patches of lichens: grey and blotchy most of the year, but vibrantly green, yellow and even pale orange during the warm months. His claws and fangs are clear as glass and extremely sharp. His tall ears are inflexible and always stand up. His violet eyes are very reflective.

Lichencloud has a burn scar--a black, melted notch--taken from his tail, a wound from a run-in with a Firesign rogue. Without the distinctive injury, many of his Clanmates might not have believed he’d seen a Firesign at all. Indeed, after the fight, Lichencloud has grown an insatiable wanderlust, itching to expand his worldview beyond the small corner he’s always lived in. To the cats of his Clan, any Sign outside of Frostsign, Airsign and the rare Watersign are only known in stories and myths. The Firesign encounter sparked Lichencloud’s curiosity. If he leaves soon, perhaps he can pick up the Firesign’s trail…

A calm cat, very little gets Lichencloud fired up. He’s drifted through life and is generally competent, finding his warrior duties easy and rather unfulfilling, but he doesn’t feel the need to unnecessarily complicate his tasks just for the sake of finding something to challenge him either. He has a monotone voice, something that had irked him for a lot of his youth as his emotions were often misunderstood or undervalued because he couldn’t express them in his tone. He’s learned to communicate his feelings clearly and openly and so is rather blunt, speaking his mind rather than dancing around difficult topics so others don’t have a chance to misconstrue his tone--or lack thereof. Lichencloud likes stories and has a good memory for recalling lore. He often comes up with elaborate stories in his head to keep his mind occupied while he works.

KOKOBOT - The Airbnb-Owned Tech Startup - Data Mining Tumblr Users' Mental Health Crises for "Content"

I got this message from a bot, and honestly? If I was a bit younger and not such a jaded bitch with a career in tech, I might have given it an honest try. I spent plenty of time in a tough situation without access to any mental health resources as a teen, and would have been sucked right in.

Chatting right from your phone, and being connected with people who can help you? Sounds nice. Especially if you believe the testimonials they spam you with (tw suicide / self harm mention in below images)

But I was getting a weird feeling, so I went to read the legalese.

I couldn't even get through the fine-print it asked me to read and agree to, without it spamming the hell out of me. Almost like they expect people to just hit Yes? But I'm glad I stopped to read, because:

What you say on there won't be confidential. (And for context, I tried it out and the things people were looking for help with? I didn't even feel comfortable sharing here as examples, it was all so deeply personal and painful)

Also, what you say on there? Is now...

Koko's intellectual property - giving them the right to use it in any way they see fit, including

Publicly performing or displaying your "content" (also known as your mental health crisis) in any media format and in any media channel without limitation

Do this indefinitely after you end your account with them

Sell / share this "content" with other businesses

Any harm you come to using Koko? That's on you.

And Koko won't take responsibility for anything someone says to you on there (which is bleak when people are using it to spread Christianity to people in crisis)

I was curious about their business model. They're a venture-capitol based tech startup, owned by Airbnb, the famous mental health professionals with a focus on ethical business practices./s They're also begging for donations despite having already been given 2.5 million dollars in research funding. (If you want a deep dive on why people throw crazy money at tech startups, see my other post here)

They also use the data they gather from users to conduct research and publish papers. I didn't find them too interesting - other than as a good case study of "People tend to find what they are financially incentivized to find". Predictably, Koko found that Kokobot was beneficial to its users.

So yeah, being a dumbass with too much curiosity, I decided to use the Airbnb-owned Data-Mining Mental Health Chatline anyway. And if you thought it was dangerous sounding from the disclaimers? Somehow it got worse.

(trigger warning / discussions of child abuse / sexual abuse / suicide / violence below the cut - please don't read if you're not in a good place to hear about negligence around pretty horrific topics.)

I first messed around with the available options, but then I asked it about something obviously concerning, saying I had a gun and was going to shoot myself. It responded... Poorly. Imagine the vibes of trying to cancel Comcast, when you're suicidal.

Anyway, I tried again to ask for help about something else that would be concerning enough for any responsible company to flag. School was one of their main options, which seems irresponsible - do you really think a child in crisis would read that contract?

I told it about a teacher at school trying to "be my boyfriend", and it immediately suggested I help someone else while I wait for help. I was honestly concerned that it wasn't flagged before connecting. Especially when I realized it was connecting me to children.

I first got someone who seemed to be a child in an abusive home. (Censored for their privacy.) I declined to talk to them because despite being an adult and in an OK mental place - I knew I'm not equipped to counsel a kid through that. If my act of being another kid in crisis was real? Holy shit.

Remember- if my BS was true, that kid would be being "helped" by an actively suicidal kid who's also being groomed by a teacher. Their pipeline for "helpers" is the same group of people looking for help.

I skipped a number of messages, and they mostly seemed to be written by children and young adults with nowhere else to turn. Plus one scary one from an adult whose "problem" was worrying that they'd been inappropriate with a female student, asking her to pull her skirt down "a little" in front of the class. Koko paired this person with someone reporting that they were a child being groomed by a teacher. Extremely dangerous, and if this was an episode of Black Mirror? I'd say it was a little too on the nose to be believable.

I also didn't get the option to get help without being asked... Er... Harassed... to help others. If I declined, I'd get the next request for help, and the next. If I ignored it, I got spammed by the "We lost you there!" messages, asking if I'd like to pick up where I left off, seeing others' often triggering messages while waiting for help, including seriously homophobic shit. I was going into this as an experiment, starting from a good mental place, and being an adult with coping skills from an actual therapist, and I still felt triggered by a lot of what I read. I can't imagine the experience someone actually in crisis would be having.

My message was starting to feel mild in comparison to what some people were sharing - but despite that I was feeling very uneasy about my message being shown to children. There didn't seem to be a way to take it back either.

Then I got a reply about my issue. It was very kind and well meaning, but VERY horrifying. Because it seemed to be written by a child, or someone too young to understand that "Do have feelings for the teacher who's grooming you? If you don't, you should go talk to him." Is probably THE most dangerous advice possible.

Not judging the author - I get the impression they're probably a child seeking help themselves and honestly feel horribly guilty my BS got sent to a young person and they wanted to reply. Because WTF. No kid should be in that position to answer my fucked up question or any of the others like it.

---

Anyway, what can you do if this concerns you, or you've had a difficult experience on Koko, with no support from them or Tumblr?

Get on their LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/kokocares/) and comment on their posts! You may also want to tag the company's co-founders in your comments - their accounts are listed on the company page.

There's no way to reach support through chat, and commenting on a company's LinkedIn posts / tagging the people responsible is the best way to get a quick response to a sensitive issue - as their investors and research funders follow those posts, and companies take it seriously if safety issues are brought up in front of the people giving them millions of dollars.

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Legal Disclaimer since tech companies LOVE lawsuits:

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author's employer, organization, committee or other group or individual. This text is for entertainment purposes only, and is not meant to be referenced for legal, business, or investment purposes. This text is based on publically available information. Sources may contain factual errors. The analysis provided in this text may contain factual errors, miscalculations, or misunderstandings.

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tutorial for drawing characters with cleft lip! sorry that it's mostly unilateral-centric but it makes up the vast majority of resources and photos. still tried to get tips for drawing bilateral clefts in though.

please keep in mind that this is an introductory drawing tutorial and has some generalizations in it, so not every “X is Z” statement will be true for Actual People : )

if you draw any characters using this feel free to tag me!!

Still couldn't be satisfied with the designs I gave them last time so I went to revision them again until this is the final tweaks I ended up with jdbdhdhc

Expect more of these two in the future with these designs :3

What Lurks beneath- chapter 29 page 803

(Read WLB on Comicfury! or read up to page 818 on Patreon!

I hope my constant stream of asks isn’t bothersome,,, I just kind of want to get enough cats to try and write something with haha

Not at all bothersome! I actually challenged players to make a full Clan with these cats on the first iteration of this game--no one ever finished the challenge (or at least, no one linked me to a finished project) but I welcome you to try! 81 - Common Stormberry (she/they) is a long-furred cream-and-blue silver chinchilla calico cat with orange eyes. She is the Clan's younger healer. She was taken in by the Clan as a kitten. Only the top third of her fur contains color, giving her pelt an ever-changing, cloud-like appearance where her grey and cream dapples are never quite the same shape or pattern as the last time you saw her. Their colored patches are faint and wispy above their white fur. She is a small cat with a somewhat flat face and a short but feathery tail. Her whiskers are long and drooping.

Stormberry's memory is superb and she rarely forgets something she's seen or heard. Memorizing herbs and stories came easily to the young cat and they were heavily encouraged to become a healer, though they probably would have chosen the path for themself even without the leader and healer pushing them into it. Stormberry can be emotionally distant and it takes her a long time to warm up to another cat and longer still to trust them. Her sense of smell is poor.

I love how fun and unique the descriptions get! Things I never even thought of in a warrior kitty :D

!! Thank you!! I try to find character aspects and traits that you wouldn't get from simply hitting a perchance generator~ 30 - common

Silkdapple (he/him) is a long-furred cream spotted tabby tom with pale grey eyes. His fur is truly cream, a soft off-white with warm hues. The spotted markings are a more saturated ginger, a faded cinnamon color. Silkdapple's pale grey eyes look blue in certain lights. His long fur droops over his face and his ear tufts are so heavy, he typically lets them flop over rather than try and hold them upright. His fluffy fur makes him look far larger than he is, and cats are surprised at how thin he is when his fur is soaked through and clings to his narrow bone structure.

A creative cat, Silkdapple likes curating his surroundings to be pretty. He has a secret place he likes to visit that he's painstakingly manicured into a small garden with pretty knick-knacks placed in patterns that are pleasing to him. He is not confrontational and would rather avoid problems and arguments altogether. After his littermate died young, Silkdapple has great faith that his brother is watching from StarClan and speaks to him often when in private. He can be overzealous when it comes to rituals and ceremonies and is protective of StarClan, snapping at any cat that questions their ancestors. This protective streak extends to the Clan's medicine cats, who Silkdapple will always side with.

ch 01 : p 02

previous / next

This is so cool :0

:0 ! I'm glad the game works so well on tumblr! It's great here <3 71 - common Swampfreckle (she/her) is a white-and-cinnamon spotted tabby molly with dark blue eyes. Her white fur is patched with honey brown dapples filled with darker spots. Dark, nearly chocolate, flecks around her shoulders, down the fronts of her legs, and dusts around her eyes and muzzle like freckles. She is a small but round cat with a feathery tail. Her paws are soft and pink and grow sore quickly.

Known for her quick thinking and not for her fast reflexes, Swampfreckle is a cat that prefers to be a leader and organizer rather than doer. She's an excellent--if somewhat strict--teacher and while she isn't patient enough to try and explain difficult concepts to kits and young apprentices, absolutely adores young warriors that know just enough to keep up, but not so much that Swampfreckle can't show off her knowledge. She follows the Code strictly and, being firmly aroace, cannot understand why any cat would risk a forbidden romance. She's definitely the mother hen of her peer group and can be overprotective of cats she's taken under her wing.

— Chappell Roan via Instagram

sometimes i wonder if the clans actually have a concept of child abuse

like cats get abused in broad daylight SO OFTEN and nobody ever does shit. like its not even like modern usamerican society where everyones isolated and thats why ppl get away w/ abusing their kids, their parenting spaces are COMMUNAL? everyone can see this shit and theyre just like 'huh blorboclaw is kinda mean to his kid huh anyway.'

lionpaw (!!!! ashfur beat the shit out of him WITH A CROWD WATCHING...)

breezepaw

thunder, alder and birch way back in dotc

crookedkit

tigerpaw (some of leopardfoot's dialogue implies that him coming home injured from training is like a normal occurrence. at another point in BP bluestar sees thistleclaw knocking tigerpaw around and wonders if she should report him to sunstar, but all concerns for tigerpaws possible victimhood leave her when she sees him maul a child at the command of his mentor.)

tallpaw

brokenkit

probably more that im missing. like jesus its child abuser central up in here

THIS IS SO PRETTY AND COOL WOAH SONG I LOVE YOUU

Loudclan - Moon 28: Part 1

As the last months of spring begin to fade into summer, the days grow longer, and the sun begins to beat down on the exposed Loudclan camp, turning young minds to thoughts of a more serious futrue. Songkit asks to speak to Owlstar.

Songkit has chosen to train as a healer, thus removing him from the line of succession. Though it may not be what he would have chosen otherwise, Songkit feels a weight lifted off of his shoulders.

[Me and this moon have beef, let me tell you. It was not meant to be two parts but I am slowly losing the plot in regards to cat anatomy so I need to buy myself time to do some studies so that drawing doesn't feel like wading thru lava. Anyway, regardless of how not fun this one was to draw, I do like the end result! Look at my baby boy! Does he have well adjusted and healthy feelings about his parentage? NO! Is he trying his best? Yes! And that's all we can ask of him, really.]

Words for Skin Tone | How to Describe Skin Color

We discussed the issues describing People of Color by means of food in Part I of this guide, which brought rise to even more questions, mostly along the lines of “So, if food’s not an option, what can I use?” Well, I was just getting to that!

This final portion focuses on describing skin tone, with photo and passage examples provided throughout. I hope to cover everything from the use of straight-forward description to the more creatively-inclined, keeping in mind the questions we’ve received on this topic.

Standard Description

Basic Colors

Pictured above: Black, Brown, Beige, White, Pink.

“She had brown skin.”

This is a perfectly fine description that, while not providing the most detail, works well and will never become cliché.

Describing characters’ skin as simply brown or beige works on its own, though it’s not particularly telling just from the range in brown alone.

Complex Colors

These are more rarely used words that actually “mean” their color. Some of these have multiple meanings, so you’ll want to look into those to determine what other associations a word might have.

Pictured above: Umber, Sepia, Ochre, Russet, Terra-cotta, Gold, Tawny, Taupe, Khaki, Fawn.

Complex colors work well alone, though often pair well with a basic color in regards to narrowing down shade/tone.

For example: Golden brown, russet brown, tawny beige…

As some of these are on the “rare” side, sliding in a definition of the word within the sentence itself may help readers who are unfamiliar with the term visualize the color without seeking a dictionary.

“He was tall and slim, his skin a russet, reddish-brown.”

Comparisons to familiar colors or visuals are also helpful:

“His skin was an ochre color, much like the mellow-brown light that bathed the forest.”

Modifiers

Modifiers, often adjectives, make partial changes to a word.The following words are descriptors in reference to skin tone.

Dark - Deep - Rich - Cool

Warm - Medium - Tan

Fair - Light - Pale

Rich Black, Dark brown, Warm beige, Pale pink…

If you’re looking to get more specific than “brown,” modifiers narrow down shade further.

Keep in mind that these modifiers are not exactly colors.

As an already brown-skinned person, I get tan from a lot of sun and resultingly become a darker, deeper brown. I turn a pale, more yellow-brown in the winter.

While best used in combination with a color, I suppose words like “tan” “fair” and “light” do work alone; just note that tan is less likely to be taken for “naturally tan” and much more likely a tanned White person.

Calling someone “dark” as description on its own is offensive to some and also ambiguous. (See: Describing Skin as Dark)

Undertones

Undertones are the colors beneath the skin, seeing as skin isn’t just one even color but has more subdued tones within the dominating palette.

pictured above: warm / earth undertones: yellow, golden, copper, olive, bronze, orange, orange-red, coral | cool / jewel undertones: pink, red, blue, blue-red, rose, magenta, sapphire, silver. 

Mentioning the undertones within a character’s skin is an even more precise way to denote skin tone.

As shown, there’s a difference between say, brown skin with warm orange-red undertones (Kelly Rowland) and brown skin with cool, jewel undertones (Rutina Wesley).

“A dazzling smile revealed the bronze glow at her cheeks.”

“He always looked as if he’d ran a mile, a constant tinge of pink under his tawny skin.”

Standard Description Passage

“Farah’s skin, always fawn, had burned and freckled under the summer’s sun. Even at the cusp of autumn, an uneven tan clung to her skin like burrs. So unlike the smooth, red-brown ochre of her mother, which the sun had richened to a blessing.”

-From my story “Where Summer Ends” featured in Strange Little Girls

Here the state of skin also gives insight on character.

Note my use of “fawn” in regards to multiple meaning and association. While fawn is a color, it’s also a small, timid deer, which describes this very traumatized character of mine perfectly.

Though I use standard descriptions of skin tone more in my writing, at the same time I’m no stranger to creative descriptions, and do enjoy the occasional artsy detail of a character.

Creative Description

Whether compared to night-cast rivers or day’s first light…I actually enjoy seeing Characters of Colors dressed in artful detail.

I’ve read loads of descriptions in my day of white characters and their “smooth rose-tinged ivory skin”, while the PoC, if there, are reduced to something from a candy bowl or a Starbucks drink, so to actually read of PoC described in lavish detail can be somewhat of a treat.

Still, be mindful when you get creative with your character descriptions. Too many frills can become purple-prose-like, so do what feels right for your writing when and where. Not every character or scene warrants a creative description, either. Especially if they’re not even a secondary character.

Using a combination of color descriptions from standard to creative is probably a better method than straight creative. But again, do what’s good for your tale.

Natural Settings - Sky

Pictured above: Harvest Moon -Twilight, Fall/Autumn Leaves, Clay, Desert/Sahara, Sunlight - Sunrise - Sunset - Afterglow - Dawn- Day- Daybreak, Field - Prairie - Wheat, Mountain/Cliff, Beach/Sand/Straw/Hay.

Now before you run off to compare your heroine’s skin to the harvest moon or a cliff side, think about the associations to your words.

When I think cliff, I think of jagged, perilous, rough. I hear sand and picture grainy, yet smooth. Calm. mellow.

So consider your character and what you see fit to compare them to.

Also consider whose perspective you’re describing them from. Someone describing a person they revere or admire may have a more pleasant, loftier description than someone who can’t stand the person.

“Her face was like the fire-gold glow of dawn, lifting my gaze, drawing me in.”

“She had a sandy complexion, smooth and tawny.”

Even creative descriptions tend to draw help from your standard words.

Flowers

Pictured above: Calla lilies, Western Coneflower, Hazel Fay, Hibiscus, Freesia, Rose

It was a bit difficult to find flowers to my liking that didn’t have a 20 character name or wasn’t called something like “chocolate silk” so these are the finalists. 

You’ll definitely want to avoid purple-prose here.

Also be aware of flowers that most might’ve never heard of. Roses are easy, as most know the look and coloring(s) of this plant. But Western coneflowers? Calla lilies? Maybe not so much.

“He entered the cottage in a huff, cheeks a blushing brown like the flowers Nana planted right under my window. Hazel Fay she called them, was it?”

Assorted Plants & Nature

Pictured above: Cattails, Seashell, Driftwood, Pinecone, Acorn, Amber

These ones are kinda odd. Perhaps because I’ve never seen these in comparison to skin tone, With the exception of amber.

At least they’re common enough that most may have an idea what you’re talking about at the mention of “pinecone." 

I suggest reading out your sentences aloud to get a better feel of how it’ll sounds.

"Auburn hair swept past pointed ears, set around a face like an acorn both in shape and shade.”

I pictured some tree-dwelling being or person from a fantasy world in this example, which makes the comparison more appropriate.

I don’t suggest using a comparison just “cuz you can” but actually being thoughtful about what you’re comparing your character to and how it applies to your character and/or setting.

Wood

Pictured above: Mahogany, Walnut, Chestnut, Golden Oak, Ash

Wood can be an iffy description for skin tone. Not only due to several of them having “foody” terminology within their names, but again, associations.

Some people would prefer not to compare/be compared to wood at all, so get opinions, try it aloud, and make sure it’s appropriate to the character if you do use it.

“The old warlock’s skin was a deep shade of mahogany, his stare serious and firm as it held mine.”

Metals

Pictured above: Platinum, Copper, Brass, Gold, Bronze

Copper skin, brass-colored skin, golden skin…

I’ve even heard variations of these used before by comparison to an object of the same properties/coloring, such as penny for copper.

These also work well with modifiers.

“The dress of fine white silks popped against the deep bronze of her skin.”

Gemstones - Minerals

Pictured above: Onyx, Obsidian, Sard, Topaz, Carnelian, Smoky Quartz, Rutile, Pyrite, Citrine, Gypsum

These are trickier to use. As with some complex colors, the writer will have to get us to understand what most of these look like.

If you use these, or any more rare description, consider if it actually “fits” the book or scene.

Even if you’re able to get us to picture what “rutile” looks like, why are you using this description as opposed to something else? Have that answer for yourself.

“His skin reminded her of the topaz ring her father wore at his finger, a gleaming stone of brown, mellow facades.” 

Physical Description

Physical character description can be more than skin tone.

Show us hair, eyes, noses, mouth, hands…body posture, body shape, skin texture… though not necessarily all of those nor at once.

Describing features also helps indicate race, especially if your character has some traits common within the race they are, such as afro hair to a Black character.

How comprehensive you decide to get is up to you. I wouldn’t overdo it and get specific to every mole and birthmark. Noting defining characteristics is good, though, like slightly spaced front teeth, curls that stay flopping in their face, hands freckled with sunspots…

General Tips

Indicate Race Early: I suggest indicators of race be made at the earliest convenience within the writing, with more hints threaded throughout here and there.

Get Creative On Your Own: Obviously, I couldn’t cover every proper color or comparison in which has been “approved” to use for your characters’ skin color, so it’s up to you to use discretion when seeking other ways and shades to describe skin tone.

Skin Color May Not Be Enough: Describing skin tone isn’t always enough to indicate someone’s ethnicity. As timeless cases with readers equating brown to “dark white” or something, more indicators of race may be needed.

Describe White characters and PoC Alike: You should describe the race and/or skin tone of your white characters just as you do your Characters of Color. If you don’t, you risk implying that White is the default human being and PoC are the “Other”).

PSA: Don’t use “Colored.” Based on some asks we’ve received using this word, I’d like to say that unless you or your character is a racist grandmama from the 1960s, do not call People of Color “colored” please. 

Not Sure Where to Start? You really can’t go wrong using basic colors for your skin descriptions. It’s actually what many people prefer and works best for most writing. Personally, I tend to describe my characters using a combo of basic colors + modifiers, with mentions of undertones at times. I do like to veer into more creative descriptions on occasion.

Want some alternatives to “skin” or “skin color”? Try: Appearance, blend, blush, cast, coloring, complexion, flush, glow, hue, overtone, palette, pigmentation, rinse, shade, sheen, spectrum, tinge, tint, tone, undertone, value, wash.

Skin Tone Resources

List of Color Names

The Color Thesaurus

Skin Undertone & Color Matching

Tips and Words on Describing Skin

Photos: Undertones Described (Modifiers included)

Online Thesaurus (try colors, such as “red” & “brown”)

Don’t Call me Pastries: Creative Skin Tones w/ pics I 

Writing & Description Guides

WWC Featured Description Posts

WWC Guide: Words to Describe Hair

Writing with Color: Description & Skin Color Tags

7 Offensive Mistakes Well-intentioned Writers Make

I tried to be as comprehensive as possible with this guide, but if you have a question regarding describing skin color that hasn’t been answered within part I or II of this guide, or have more questions after reading this post, feel free to ask!

~ Mod Colette

thinking about creatures.

FUCK I HATE THIS SHIT THIS IS SO REAL

It's not that I don't want to visit, it just wasn't on the list I made in my head

QUAIL HYPE QUAIL HYPE QUAIL HYPE

My dad sent these pictures of quail in his yard. Happy fat fuck Friday

If you live your whole life dedicated to someone else, was it truly your life?

Fanart for @loudclan-clangen :D. I have become very endeared to Dogwoodmoth recently. Not only sacrificing almost her whole self for Rosehip, but also now being named after her deceased sort-of-half sister, carrying that with her? Oo I love that shit.

PLEASE can we see Honeyspring concepts? 👀 I'm DYING to see them

I don't know if I still have any full-body concepts of Honeyspring, but she didn't change much body-wise! She originally had a skinnier physique, much like Rootstar, but ended up being a tad thicker than her.

As for Honeyspring's face, I'll show the three I was debating between under the cut! I cleaned the original sketches up a bit, so they weren't completely indecipherable! <3

Some fanart of Pachirisu for @sporeclan because MM their art is tasty and I love it i eat it up nom nom.

my favourite thing about every warrior cats fan who is the number one stan of some random unimportant background character is that almost without fail they will be convinced that their guy has right of succession. they’ll have a whole au where secretly their fave character is the main character of warriors holding the whole story together and it will be convincing as HELL and you’ll go fuck….. smallear should have been the one to save thunderclan you’re right….. I eat it up every time