An Ask to Milk Chiltin

From tumblr An Ask to Milk Chiltin:

I found your tumblr just a few days ago but I already love your art to bits! So every time I see it pop up on my dash I wonder if I will ever be as good as you – without drawing classes – and if you had such. I’d like to know if I should think about attending them or can I learn to draw like you even without?

keruru

Ah thanks! I hope you don’t mind if I pub this ;u;

The ‘art classes’ I’ve had are your average high school art 1, art 2, blah blah, and my teachers were very great and helped me improve a lot, but I’m mostly self taught! i can’t afford college with my economical status right now and I know financial aid blah bLAH but i’m too broke to sink myself in student loans before i even get a job out there yknow?

it’s a hard situation, but I’m workin my way through it. If you can get classes, get them! But make sure you listen to what your teachers are telling you to do even though that might be boring as fuck, otherwise your money will be wasted! As for teaching yourself, there’s a couple things

1. Is it going to be harder?

Yes, it’s going to be wayy harder, you don’t have anyone to instruct you and you’re gonna feel very lost most of the time. Your biggest help is going to be to learn how to listen to criticism. It’s very hard to hear at first, but just keep in mind that all they’re trying to do is make you a better artist!

1. Am I gonna want to give up?

Yes. A lot, even I still feel like giving up every now and then, but don’t let yourself get down, it’s true that you’re at a disadvantage, but that doesn’t mean that artists with teachers and instructors don’t feel like giving up all the time either, it’s just something that comes with being an artist and everyone has to learn how to deal with.

1. Is it going to be faster?

All people learn differently, for me it was slower to progress when I didn’t have a teacher (hs teacher), than when I was trying to do stuff on my own, for some people it might be different so this is really depending on how you absorb information. But remember that there’s never a fast way around art and it will take you a lifetime to get better, something that helps is understanding that art isn’t something you’re gonna get good at one day, but something you’re gonna keep bettering yourself at forever.

You can learn how to draw, with or without classes! It’s all about determination, patience and practice! So it’s up to you, sorry for the rant!

Loliable sewing patterns!

kitsoru:

I’ve picked up quite a few patterns lately to make and commission some lolita stuff, so I figured I’d share with you all what patterns I got, with any alterations I made to make them fit.

1. McCall’s M6027, View A

This is for a princess seamed JSK with insert panels, sort of like you get on a cheerleading skirt. For this pattern, the placement of the top of the insert panels was raised from the hips (where it is on the pattern) to the natural waistline, and the width of the insert panels was increased. A ruffle was added to the bottom as well. It was used to make this JSK.

2. Butterick B5603 (any view)

The skirt portion of this 50’s retro dress pattern was used to make a boned highwaist skirt. Boning was added where the princess seams run (2 pieces in front, 2 in back) and a sidezipper. It was also hemmed to be just above kneelength (the pattern calls for below the knee). This pattern comes out looking like the basic highwaist A-line skirt you see in classic lolita (like these).

3. Butterick B5556 (any view)

Skirt portion only again- just a basic, but very full-gathered skirt. You could easily alter the bodice of this pattern as well for a cute retro style OP as well. These retro patterns are, for obvious reasons, really great for making basic skirts in the lolita silhouette, they generally just need to be shortened to knee-length from calf or just below knee length. This pattern calls for a belted waist but you can just have a normal waistband and add a side zipper like the above.

4. Simplicity 2843 (Views B and C, maybe A)

This is a great pattern for lolita, but a tricky one. This is a costume pattern for girl’s size prairie-style dresses (late 1800’s style OP’s, in other words, with long sleeves and a yoke), but since it’s little girls sizes you need to be really tiny to finagle these to fit easily. The body measurements for the largest size is 32” bust, 26.5” waist, 34” hips, ~ 5’1” height, which is almost spot-on to my sizes, personally, apart from my bust. I haven’t actually gotten to use this pattern yet, but I plan to draft this with 2-3 more inches in the bust- LUCKILY, and anyone who regularly uses patterns also knows this, but sewing pattern sizes are usually very generous in their give- usually, finished garments will actually be an inch or two (or more) larger than the pattern package says they’ll be and you’ll have to take it in a bit for a perfect fit (this also depends on how much of a seam allowance you use, of curse if you tend to use a smaller seam allowance you’ll have more room, too). So, I think this pattern could potentially work for those that fit into smaller, unshirred brand items (The magic burando measurements: 34-26-34), and could especially work well for lolitas who find many brand clothes to be too small for them. Apart from altering bust or waist/hips, the dresses are made to be about ankle length, so expect to hem it for knee-length, as well.