To celebrate the blog’s 50th post: A Masterpost! I’ll be keeping this post updated.
Steve Rogers’ New York is a period historical blog centred around the ever-lovable and admirable Steven Grant Rogers, better known as Captain America! It looks at a range of elements from 1920s – Mid 1940s New York and American culture as they would relate to, would have shaped, Steve and his world view.
So I read this really awesome How To Hell’s Kitchen (for Daredevil writers) the other day, and I thought, goddamn, what a great idea, especially when I’ve been howling at the cruel sky for absolute ages in hopes of getting more accurately written Captain America fic!
So, like the post I linked to, I’ll start with the basics. I have a few posts planned in the theme of How To Brooklyn for Cap Writers, and I’ll preface with the following:
I like context! You like context too, right? So these will be a series of posts on various topics, centered around living in New York City during the 1930s/1940s, and present day (for modern AU or post Avengers fics). They’ll be broad in nature, because I’m writing them explicitly to give people who live elsewhere a better understanding of what it’s like to live here, and how to portray that in their stories.
As a caveat to that mission statement, let me add that there is no be-all-end-all of New York experiences. The place is just too big and fast moving and varied for anyone not to sound like a total asshole in saying that there is, and I try to avoid sounding like an asshole if at all possible. So this is not meant to represent all of New York, just a subsection of it that may be useful to this particular fandom.
I am more than happy to take requests! If you would like more detail about anything, have any questions about tropes you’ve seen, logistics issues for a fic you’re writing that you haven’t been able to solve, or are just confused as to why New York seems so damn complicated, my ask box is open. Otherwise here I am, shouting into the void, about whatever the hell I feel like writing about.
So, let’s start with:
The Basics of New York City, or What the Hell are Boroughs, Anyway?
First, I have to apologize because it’s gonna be a long post, consider it as my “DEFINITIVE REFERENCE PICTURE POST” 🙂
I’m obligated to use references to draw something a bit different.(…) I want to leave my comfort zone and draw poses from
my imagination alone. Any tips, tutorials ? ❤
The first step is drawing all kind of poses under different angles using reference pictures. What? But…I don’t want to!! That’s why I’m contacting you P-M!!! WHAT THE HELL!!!
Calm down ^^
It’s necessary in order to build in your head a kind of “visual library” that will give you the possibility to draw without references later. It will train your eye and your hand. Also, at the same time you’re working on your “visual library”, you have to study anatomy techniques like for instance breaking figures
from reference down into more simple 3D shapes. You have to learn how to draw groups
of simple 3D shapes in perspective and then construct figures from them. However, it doesn’t come in one day and also, you’ll have to use tons of reference pics AT FIRST. You see what I mean? You can’t go from zero reference to “cool figure drawing” in one step, you have to use the combo “reference + anatomy technique” to be able to reach this goal.
Artists who train in
illustration are taught how to draw from using a building block tool for construction, much
like some of the pictures that you can see below.
As I said above, it really takes a lot of training and practice
to build objects from shapes. Basically every form begins as a shape. The more experience you
get, the more you understand proportions and the more skills you will have to draw
without visual reference.
In order to reach this result, you have to study anatomy tutorials. They always work more or less the same
way, a bit like the pic above: decomposing the human body in geometric shapes or in elaborated stick
figures. Here are a couple of video tuts.
TLDR: practice over and over again by using refs. Create a “visual library”. Learn to break the body into shapes. That will be the only way to make you come out of your comfort zone.
(Rainbow Comic Sans for maximum effect. I guess that now, I have everybody’s attention if it wasn’t the case til now)
Yes, you have rules to make
things easier to draw from memory BUT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG ABOUT USING REFERENCE PICTURES!! It shouldn’t “kill you”, it shouldn’t make you feel guilty and you shouldn’t feel “less of an artist” because you need references for complicated poses!!! Plenty of pros don’t do art without models and props. And the old masters did the same thing. You want examples? Ok, let’s start!
Here’s a great quote from Alex Ross’ book, Mythology.
Ross’
biggest breakthrough as an illustrator came in June 1987 at the
American Academy of Art, when he was introduced to the use of live
models. “Before that, I had no idea how much I could grow as a
draftsman. It was a huge turning point, because all through
grade school I hadn’t so much as drawn from photographs_I’d always
thought that you had to make it all up out of your head, and that’s how
you did ‘fantasy’ illustration. Now I wonder if I would have developed
even sooner had I drawn from life as child”
Photo session for a Superman drawing:
Alex Ross using the photos for his work (and you see the pose is not even complicated!)
posing with…huh…a modern day sword for one of his artworks)
And if you want a funny anecdote, you see Dean’s shoes in this art? It’s mine. I had a problem with the pose so I took a pic of myself with a camera and worked from the pic.
Yeah…but for manga and
comics, it’s more stylized, they don’t use refs…Artists draw from the top of
their heads…and…HA! HA! HA!!!! MEGA LOL! Two examples from my personal archive. Here is a
picture taken from a Japanese program. I don’t remember the name of the artist but
this mangaka is drawing a page for his forthcoming comic and instead of drawing
from memory do you know what he did? He asked his assistant to pose for him. He took a pic with a Polaroid and…voilà!
The guy
is in his 70′s!! He’s a super experienced artist and he still uses references
for his art.
Let’s carry on! Another example. When I was a
teen I bought an artbook by artist Takeda Yaoi
(my first yaoi stuff!)
and two of the poses looked
familiar.
You bet it looked familiar. The artist used as reference, pictures of members from some my favorite bands at the time, Gene and Menswear (90′s
teenagers, fan of Britpop, hello…).
(Pictures: L’UOMO Vogue, May-June 1995). And yes, we are in 2016 and I still have this magazine and this artbook at home. I..have problem throwing things away, ok? ><
Also, do you know what comic
artists use nowadays for referencing? 3D softwares like Poser.They create the pose with a 3D model, they orientate the model according to the perspective they want and they use it as ref. It doesn’t mean they aren’t “real” artists, it just makes life fucking easier and it reduces the chances of anatomy mistakes.
(The picture above proves that not ALL the artists in the business use models or reference pictures xD)
Listen, I understand that you want to draw from imagination, that for some reason it makes you feel “freer” and that some poses are complicated to obtain from refs (the super dynamic “spider man poses” for instance) but it shouldn’t “kill you” to need refs to draw the human body when you really need it. If it’s to sketch or to draw “super comic style” poses, ok, why not, but otherwise WHEN IN DOUBT: REF!!! Particularly when you work on something complicated or on a big project like an artwork, for a book, a comic cover, etc..Do you understand? Even dôjinshi artists who seem to sketch things from the top of their heads use refs. I KNOW IT BECAUSE I KNEW SOME OF THEM.
TLDR2: Drawing from imagination is cool, it’s convenient for some poses or for some styles (super dynamic comic poses) but otherwise, don’t feel guilty for using refs! Pro artists do it all the time and now that 2000000 miliion images are available on the Internet, they do it even more than before!
Volkov’s man at MI-6, Parsifal, has proved his worth. The schematics for Advanced Robotic Appendages and Attachment he provided two months past were revolutionary. Our science team finished a working prototype and attached it to the American without incident. With the new appendage in place, clearance was given for Department X to begin work on the Winter Soldier Project.
It has long been my plan to turn this American symbol back against our enemies. He was no aid to developing our own Super-Soldiers, but he will still be a valuable tool, in the right hands. —Captain America vol 5 #11
Here’s some information and resources you might like to have for when you’re writing about male WWII-era characters undressing each other and engaging in sweet, sweet, pornographic activities:
US military field uniforms in WWII didn’t have zipper flies. Modern ones don’t either, actually, though there were eras (like Vietnam) when they did use zippers. I’m not actually sure why they originally did button flies or why they went back to them… I imagine it’s just because a lost or broken button is easier to repair in the field than a broken or jammed zipper? But that’s just a guess. The point is, embrace the button fly.
US Army characters like Bucky would have several uniforms issued, and would have mostly worn a primarily wool field service uniform while on the front. He seems to be wearing the tattered remains of that uniform when Steve rescues him in Azzano. The uniform Bucky’s wearing at the beginning of The First Avenger, before he ships out, is the Class A dress uniform or garrison uniform. This is also the uniform that would be worn while in the garrison, as the name implies, so it’s normal for soldiers to wear when they aren’t in the field, which is why we see Bucky wearing it in New York, and both Steve and Bucky wearing their respective dress uniforms while in London or otherwise in the office, so to speak.
You can see a list here of everything he’d have been issued upon induction, which idek I just found really interesting. Mmm, sexy Army underwear! Yeah, get it! They could also buy additional gear to supplement what they’ve been given, and they’d buy that stuff from the base PX (that’s the Post Exchange, essentially the base general store). That may have also included items like these leather photo wallets and other stuff to help them remember the folks back home, but more commonly they’d be buying stuff there like soap, candy, gum, and beer. Did you know there’s a whole freaking book about the PX system in WWII? I fucking love history nerds, group hug, get in here.
So Bucky’s got his standard issue gear when he’s out with the 107th in the deleted scene from TFA. Obviously by the time they become the Howling Commandos, Bucky is sick of Army issue and they become customized as shit. (Most of the other Howlies are still wearing fairly recognizable kit from their respective countries.) They’re probably also not regular Army anymore at all and are totally under the umbrella of the SSR, considering they also wear SSR insignia, so maybe it was the SSR (or Howard, he’s got some style) who hooked Bucky up with his sweet new duds.
Here’s Bucky in his Howlies uniform, which just personally speaking is my favorite uniform for Bucky because he looks hot as helllllll. I can’t find a single piece of standard issue in this (maybe his underwear, only Steve would know for sure).
He’s gotten himself some trousers with additional pockets and they don’t really look like the standard wool to me, either. Maybe they’ve got some slightly futuristic Stark-style waterproofing, I don’t even know. (Regular field trousers would only have side and back pockets, plus a watch pocket; I know there are trousers from the period that do have cargo pockets, but they were for paratroopers and possibly tankers had them too, not infantry.) Just bear in mind that he’s probably still got a button fly. And I’m not at all reminding you of that because I have yet to read a single WWII-era story that describes Steve slowly unbuttoning Bucky’s fly (maybe with his teeth? go wild!), and I’m dying with the lack of it. It’s not that REALLY I PROMISE.
He’s also wearing leather leggings/gaiters, which is interesting because by this point the US Army has abandoned the leggings used in WWI/early WWII and have switched over to a double-buckle combat boot, which was probably what Bucky was wearing in Azzano. These gaiters have buckles instead of the bajillionty hooks of canvas leggings, though, so they’re probably not too laborious to take off. Just if you’re having Steve undress him don’t forget that he’ll need to remove the leggings as part of that process, is all. (God please somebody write me like at least 5K of beautiful hurt/comfort with Steve tenderly undressing Bucky post-mission PLEASE SOMEBODY PLEASE.)
This video is from a reenactor, but it’s helpful because it shows you close-ups of some stuff like the fastenings on the field jacket (zipper and buttons) and the lining inside and whatnot. It’s these little details that really help when you’re writing me that fic I requested above oh god please somebody anybody. It also shows some cool stuff like shaving kit and some toiletry items. Look at the tiny handy roll of toilet paper! The tiny box of cigarettes and the match case! It shows some cool paperwork and books and things a soldier might carry, too. This reenactor video also shows the person opening the pants and you can see how the button fly looks, though the uniform shown is airborne, not regular Army.
Anyway I can’t believe I just wrote this long a post when really my point is please write less zippers and more button flies, kthxbai.
(Disclaimer: I am not in the Army and am not from the 40s. Hopefully most of this is correct anyway.)
These metas and headcanons came about from multiple discussions with Ranee/ @wundermacher and numerous pokings around various Bucky/TWS posts/tumblrs. Please note that these are only personal headcanons/metas and aren’t set in stone, nor have to be believed, and are probably filled with plotholes and inconsistencies. Also I haven’t gotten around to reading the comics yet oops.
Synthetic Muscle I like to play with the idea that he’s got a pile of synthetic muscle attatched to his metal arm somehow possibly with hydramagic**. While the serum he was given most definately boosted his strength, stamina and a whole lot of other things, his body could possibly handle the metal arm, but I think that he might have been given synthetic muscle because the metal arm is that powerful, it’s used a hell of a lot and said synthetic muscle is probably a lot more durable compared to serum enhanced muscle. Not to mention it probably can’t be “pulled” or strained when used in excess.
Although arguably once I looked into all the muscles that control the arm (which is an absolute ton), if that was the case he’d probably end up with more extensive scarring compared to what’s seen in the movie. BUT the doctors were dealing with a giant gaping wound to work with once the remainder of his arm was removed, so I dunno?
Also I only drew the major muscles that control the arm/shoulder because there’s so many tiny ones that surround the shoulder blade and collar bone.
Metal Arm Bones Nothing too special, mainly used as an anchor, support, and to help structure the arm akin to a regular arm and it’s bones. All the intricate mechanical and technological stuff that make the arm work would be attatched to the bones.
Each bone is hollow to help lighten the arm, however each one is also made of the same/similar metal as the outer casing giving it strength.
No synthetic muscle is inside the arm.
Via some fancy mechanical movement/minor transformation his arm can dislocate and be removed for whatever purpose.
Scarring Left from a botched, early, crude method of cauterisation in attempt to seal the wound. Attempted multiple times due to cauterisation being a poor method of sealing wounds (especially way back then), hence the gnarled appearance.
Misc I also read somewhere about brain implants being used to help aid with the control in prosthetics.TWS/Bucky having an implant in his brain so he can have full control over and connection to his arm.Also Hydra doing this so his arm can be used with 100% effectiveness.
Metal arm is riddled with pressure sensors to create a sense of touch and some degree of sensetivity, however it would not be as highly tuned as skin. (Since he’s able to feel for the small grenades kept behind him on his back.) Obviously the metal arm can’t feel pain or distinguish hot and cold and so on, or he wouldn’t be doing this:
Also leads me to believe the arm can be deattatched (I know it can do this in the comic-verse but it’s unknown in the MCU). It also looks like the plates/sections near his collar bone can move or are hinged in some way? (Otherwise I don’t think he’d be able to raise his arm upwards or at all.)
Partly related but after scouring so many metal arm gifs it looks like they changed the design of his fingers at some point while filming:
Also thinking about the metal arm realistically ruins it a bit and just doesnt seem plausible, so I’m just “EH it works just cos. also hydramagic”
(**Hydramagic is an inside joke, it’s basically the equivalent of the “a wizard did it” trope)
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