🩷💛🩵 They/Them/Theirs 💛🤍💜🖤✨Digital artist and animator✨I like to make art of dragons and other things!https://thecraftydragonc.carrd.co/
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Latest Posts by thecraftydragonc - Page 3
darkstalkers +whiteout
On Mudwing Culture
My last deliberation on Seawings and their eccentric insult vocabulary seemed to be well-received, so here is another one of my headcanons:
Mudwings are seriously into food.
I know, pretty revolutionary take when there is only a handful of named Mudwing characters, and two of them love eating so much that it either almost or entirely eclipses their personality.
But Clay and Ochre are not what I am talking about. This isn’t about a love of eating (though many Mudwings admittedly do have that). I’m suggesting that, out of all the tribes from Pyrrhia, Mudwings are at the forefront of food preparation and culinary innovation, to the point where a large part of their culture revolves around it.
The State of Food Preparation on the Continent
Pyrrhia as a conglomerate of different cultures largely sustains its populations through hunting and gathering. The average dragon, when the hunger pangs set in, will make a hasty trip into the nearest forest, cave, or scavenger den and round up some prey animals. In most cases, this prey will go straight from the talons to the mouth, or, if the hunter is a bit more forward-thinking, into the pantry, and then from talons to the mouth.
There are a few variations of this practice; Skywings may give the carcass a quick roast on an open flame before eating it, Sandwings may dry the meat out so the excess moisture does not upset their internal water balance, Rainwings will prefer fruit over meat. Icewings will nearly always consume their prey raw and unseasoned, as their extremely delicate palate is easily overwhelmed by intense flavors that may be released through cooking.
More complex forms of food preparation seem to exist mostly outside the scope of the general populace. The practice of “cooking” appears to be limited to the ranks of aristocracy, with dedicated cooks only found within the court of a queen or in private households of other high-born individuals. It creates a sharp divide between commoners and social elites, between the wealthy and (as Sea Queen Coral once put it so succinctly) the “eel-eating masses”. All exemplified through the differing standards of food.
And yet somehow, standing in stark contrast to everywhere else on the continent, nearly every Mudwing-- from the most low-born runts of the Diamond Spray Delta to the most decorated head advisors in the Queen’s palace --knows how to cook, and will do so regularly.
Why is that, and how did it happen?
Historical Benefits of Cooking
Most things that form the backbone of a culture usually start with some ancient practice that was useful at some point in time and then, as people kept doing it, eventually got absorbed into public awareness and became “the way things are done”.
Mudwings face a unique challenge compared to anyone else, as they are the only tribe whose combat prowess is significantly affected by their environment, specifically climate, weather, and temperature. Sure, you can take any dragon, drop them into an unfavorable climate, and they will generally perform worse than under normal circumstances. But the unique weakness of Mudwings is that they lose their breath weapon when they get too cold. Place an Icewing into a burning room and they will still be able to use their frost breath. Pluck a Sandwing from their dry environment and drop them into the humid, sweltering hell of the jungle, their natural weapons will still function. But make a Mudwing cower between two piles of snow for a while, and their internal fire will go out quickly.
As you might imagine, this is a bit of a liability when you have to defend your territory from Skywings hiding and scheming among the frozen peaks bordering your country.
So the ancient Mudwings had to figure out a solution to their conundrum, and what they came up with was this: They got a large pot and filled it with water, threw in all manner of meats, plants, and herbs, whatever they could find where they were holed up, then boiled it until it was good and filling. The hot food in their bellies helped them stay warm even at high altitudes and allowed them to stand their ground against the northwestern invaders.
Soon it became tradition for troops to share a hotpot the night before battle, and a rich variety of hearty broths and stews developed from there, as these were simple to make from scraps and could be reheated easily. The practice became so popular, the Mudwings kept doing it even during peacetime. Soon, in addition to the hunting of prey animals that was commonplace, Mudwings began to cultivate vegetable gardens to have access to a more stable supply of ingredients. Eventually, their growing understanding of agriculture allowed them to grow rice, which was especially well-suited to the abundance of wetlands found in their territory. Everyone was cooking now.
The Role of Food in Mudwing Society
If you ask several Mudwings which core values represent their tribe best, many would likely put forward some variation of “camaraderie”, “family”, or “loyalty to your sibs”. They are a very social people who form deep bonds with those whom they grew up with, and one of the most direct ways to grow close to someone is to share your meals with them every day. As such, the preparation and consumption of food is a vital part in maintaining cohesion between members of a Mudwing sibling group.
Every one of these groups will have a “Bigwings”, which is understood to be a combination of a leader and caretaker role. The Bigwings is aware of all of their sibs’ culinary preferences and needs and has all of the troop’s recipes memorized. When mealtime approaches, he or she makes the call on what kind of dish will be prepared and delegates roles and tasks to the troop. This is a daily exercise that builds the Bigwings’ authority and communication skills, and reinforces trust and familiarity between all siblings.
Next to the Bigwings is the Gatherer, which historically was a role assigned to one or more troop members who foraged for wild vegetables or hunted more prey if the previous communal hunt did not yield enough. While this is still true today, many Gatherers also maintain a garden or wet patch to source fresh vegetables or grain for meals.
And lastly there is the Communicator, which is a role usually assigned to the most social and charismatic sibling. The Communicator is vital for coordinating battle strategies with other troops, which, while very important, is not really all that relevant for this deliberation. What is relevant however, is the role they fulfill during peacetime, which is to set up joint meals between two or more sibling groups. This practice is critical for maintaining morale, as doing this regularly helps expand the troop’s palette and keep their Bigwings inspired. That way the troop’s collection of recipes stays fresh and innovative instead of turning stale and rigid.
Of course how much each troop values culinary exploits varies between individuals. Some Mudwing groups are outspokenly passionate about cooking and advancing their craft. They might view their work as an expression of art and get very upset or offended if you indicate that thinking about food is unimportant or a waste of time. Some extreme cases may even get angry at you if you waste ingredients or refuse to elevate a dish to its fullest potential by not seasoning it well or doing something else to ruin it. Other groups may be more relaxed and casual about food preparation, and a few might even not think about it much at all.
If a Mudwing invites you to dinner, it is paramount to figure out which of these groups they belong to beforehand, so you may get an understanding of how much of a threat this outing may pose to your health, especially if you are an Icewing or Seawing with a limited palate.
Is there any evidence for this in the books?
To my knowledge, there isn't much. Mostly because there isn't much about Mudwings and their culture in general. Across all the books, only one of them has a Mudwing protagonist, and the vast majority of it is spent in the Sky Kingdom, so his roots don't get a lot of exposure. Then whenever another Mudwing comes into the story, they tend to exit it very quickly after, without being able to share more.
I made this theory for myself largely in response to Mudwing culture being such a big question mark. I initially came up with it when I saw a Mudwing gardener in Escaping Peril and thought "That could be a cool direction for the tribe." The guidebook that released recently gave me some additional pointers with regards to a few of the looser points of this theory.
I'm hoping it is interesting, or at the very least entertaining in some way.
i don’t think i posted this anywhere? little hc about how tear drop marking would vary depending on the combination of moons.
🌟 WOO! The draft is prepped for release! Came out being 11:11, how fitting! 🌟
Assuming everything goes right, Pretty Pretty Please I Don't Want to be a Magical Girl the animatic pilot will premiere TOMORROW, February 28th @ 10am PST for the last day of Black History Month!
Look for this thumbnail ^^^ or sub to my youtube!
Happy Pokémon Day!
[Start ID: A digital drawing of the Pokémon Wurmple wearing a sparkly blue and green party hat with a pink pom-pom. End ID]
Parallels.
[ID: Stylised, digital art centering Peril and Glory from Wings of Fire. They’re both shown from shoulders up, mirroring each other. Glory is placed upside down in the upper part, facing away from Peril, both frown with eyes closed. Kestrel can be seen above Peril, gently cupping her face, while snarling at Glory. Mirroring this, Scarlet is snarling at Peril, while cupping Glory’s face. Both their talons look ghostly and reach from offscreen. Particles of light, like sparks or fireflies, are all around them. The background is dark green, brightening in the center, where Peril and Glory almost touch. A light star outline can be seen there. Swirling clouds are drawn on the left, behind Kestrel and Peril, while tropical leaves are seen on the opposite side. Glory’s and Peril’s color palettes are almost identical, both using reds and teals, with their accent colors matching each others main colors. End ID]
I promised myself I'd make valentines cards of them this year
happy aromantic lemon demon fans get to have a fun time day
A very important question for today
![[Start ID: A digital drawing of a small pink Wyrm with text above its head asking, "Would You Still Love Me If I Was A Wyrm?" The Wyrm has big pleading blue eyes with small heart shaped highlights. It has light tan horns and dark pink winglike ears, its forked tongue is sticking out in a little blep. The wyrms long serpentine body is pink with a light tan underbelly and deeper pink back spikes, with a heart shaped spike at the end of the tail. The wyrm is coiled in a heart shape. End ID]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/a7c5a328f4873234630bd780bf16bc51/c43dc06c43ad9718-50/s500x750/9217069fc6c7df8ba0d31eb4ca0a662a7e137fee.png)
[Start ID: A digital drawing of a small pink Wyrm with text above its head asking, "Would You Still Love Me If I Was A Wyrm?" The Wyrm has big pleading blue eyes with small heart shaped highlights. It has light tan horns and dark pink winglike ears, its forked tongue is sticking out in a little blep. The wyrms long serpentine body is pink with a light tan underbelly and deeper pink back spikes, with a heart shaped spike at the end of the tail. The wyrm is coiled in a heart shape. End ID]
Happy Valentines Day!
Happy 22nd anniversary to Lemon Demon! Here's a Lemon Demon inspired dragon design I doodled a while ago!
[Start ID: A digital drawing of a dragon inspired by the band Lemon Demon. In the upper left corner is the logo for the band Lemon Demon, A bright yellow lemon with red demonic horns. The dragon is the same color, with a bright yellow body with red horns, wings, and red gradients at the limbs and tails. The dragon's head is a bit of a lemon shape with two upward pointing demonic horns. The background is a neutral light gray. End ID]
HAPPY 22ND ANNIVERSARY OF LEMON DEMON!
[Start ID: Digital drawing of my dragon character named Fycus. They are drawn in a chibi style with a large head and eyes and a simpler body. End ID] A fun little Fycus drawing!
✦ emergency commissions open ✦
I have until the end of this week to get together the rest of our rent (about $450 left), and two weeks to get together enough for the last of 2024's quarterly taxes ($1,200) and the power bill ($170).
Altogether, I need almost $2k in two weeks.
Everything of what I make goes towards necessities for me and my partner, and the past few months finances have been very tight, so I was unable to put anything aside for these taxes like usual.
I've currently got unlimited slots for commissions open until these expenses are covered, and every kind of commission type is open starting as low as $40 - I can draw humanoids, anthros, dragons, creatures, Pokemon, Digimon, etc, and offer a lot of options like icons, badges, Pokemon card YCHs, fullbodies, custom designs, and more!
I also have a Patreon and Ko-fi which I offer memberships on for fun rewards, and members get discounts on my shops, commissions and adopts. My Ko-fi also has a shop with digital goods like lineart bases, and my Big Cartel has physical goodies like stickers and prints. If you're feeling particularly generous, my Ko-fi also has a simple tip feature for as low as $3, just click the "one time" button near the top of the page.
Anything at all helps, even just boosting this post or sharing my art! I super appreciate all my supporters, and I think I'll make my goal, but I'm really feeling the pressure as I've been pretty stressed and burnt out lately. Here's the links to everything:
Commissions | Patreon | Ko-fi | Big Cartel
if you wanna commission me, you can contact me through Twitter, Bluesky, Discord (@ Dracononite), or email maxhamiltonarts@gmail. Please look over my commission contract and terms of service first!
PUT SOME CLOTHES ON
I was going to do the one big image I had of the, but it was blurry so here’s a bunch of smaller ones
Here’s the big one btw:
Qibli and Winter annoying each other for fun
[Start ID: Digital drawing of the Pokémon Cottonee. The background is blank with light green sparkles. End ID]
My fav part of Jumalanpelko is when Previous Suncat has Her taken out as a part of his top surgery and then they go be a queer icon king
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Since they dont have like one specific identity I just put few flags! Trans, nonbinary and demiman if you somehow are on tumblr and dont know ur flags
THIS IS PART 2 PART 1 CAN BE FOUND HERE
Read under the cut
Aaaand thats the last previous suncat comic! We will see him again in flashbacks but this was it.
Not.
Not nice
It's that time of year again - here's a round up of all the treats I made to share for Pokemon GO Community Day in 2024! 🍫🎉
Plus the two classic remakes I was able to make as well (the others I skipped since I didn't think I could improve on it much with the time I had 😅), pretty proud of their glow-ups!
With the Community Day wrap up event in Pokémon Go I thought I would share all of the Community Day illustrations I've made this year!
scolipede riding gear c0mm for @suprememeep !
Little guys!