Resources Post
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This is the KRB resource area, where us modly types and other members will attempt to pull together all of the best free online writing and graphics resources the internet has to offer. If we've missed something that should be on here, there's a comment thread for that. We will also try and add any resources members may suggest over at
krb_rantandroar in response to resource help posts.
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Free Programs
GIMP Want Photoshop, but can't afford it? GIMP is a free, alternative solution. Some consider it better than PS, some don't, but one thing is for sure: You're not going to find a better program for free. Please note that Photoshop brushes do work in GIMP without any alteration, while patterns and the like do not. They also have a Mac version.
openCanvas 1.1 openCanvas is a popular computer graphics software program created by Portalgraphics. It was specifically designed for use with pressure-sensitive drawing tablets; it is a sketch program rather than a general-purpose graphic design program. It was originally released as freeware, but the authors moved to a demo/retail model starting with version 2. openCanvas 1.1 b72, the last free version, is available to download on this page.
Brushes, Textures & Fonts
Brusheezy Tons of brushes, textures and patterns. They have sponsored links to things that aren't free, but Brusheezy has a lot of good brushes. Most brushmakers upload their free brushes here.
Dafont Pretty much the go-to site for fonts. There are tons of other good font sites, but I generally consider this my first (and usually only) place to look.
Mayang's Free Textures With over 4250 free textures to download, Mayang's is definitely a good place to check out. Something to keep in mind: The download limit is 20 textures every day (per IP address).
Color Scheme Designer Basically what it says on the label!
Adobe Kuler Web-hosted application for generating color themes.
Bittbox A personal blog from a freebie maker --lots of goodies!
The Inspiration Gallery Wallpaper patterns -- literally, the patterns come from actual wallpaper.
Stock Images
Stock.XCHNG This site has over 350,000 quality stock photos by more than 30,000 photographers. You do need to register to use, but it's all free!
Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons is a media file repository making available public domain and freely-licensed educational media content (images, sound and video clips) to everyone, in their own language.
Resurgere Stock The best stock on dA --hands down, in Magz's opinion.
Getty Images The watermarks and small resolutions make GI's images hard to use for graphics without paying, and this list is for free stuff, so that takes them out of the running for graphics makers --but not for other artists! While not much use to graphics makers, Getty Images can be a good place to look for pose reference for traditional and digital artists.
Other
Rawr Caps Need Glee screenshots for reference or manips? Look no further!
The Structure of Man This extensive human anatomy course has been claimed to be one of the best there is. A few years back it was all free, but due to more recent large exposure the course has had a pricetag put on it. However, it wouldn't be on this list if there wasn't something free about it, and here it is: The first 19 lessons are free for viewing on the site.
Pose Maniacs This site is great for pose referencing. There are pages and pages ...and pages of reference poses to go through, which are filterable by gender, angle, build, and pose.
LJ Comms
brush_fanatic
resourcelove
texture_finder
texturize
freshmakers
photoshopping
good_tutorial
psd_tuts
elite_tutorial
*Please note that Elite Tut is not a searchable comm. There are no tags or memory categorization, so be prepared to dig.
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Guides & Rules
Garbl's Writing Resources Online since Nov. 1, 1997, Garbl's Writing Resources Online features websites focusing on English grammar, concise writing, word play, the writing process, style and usage, words, plain language, action writing, creativity, and reference sources. You'll also find lists of websites on punctuation, overcoming writer's block, avoiding bias, spelling and vocabulary, and writing for the Web.
When to Use a Thesaurus Moreso, this short artical warns against overusing the thesaurus, which is something that can easily be done.
MPAA Ratings Do you ever find yourself wondering what the hell to rate your fic? How much is enough to bump it from PG13 to R or R to NC17? This MPAA rating overview can help.
Historical Dictionary of American Slang A very good resource for when you're writing past AU.
English (UK) Slang Again, great for AU fic!
The Alpha Beta: Tips for Beta Reading *For beta readers.
Websites
Google Docs Online word processor that allows multiple people to write in the doc at the same time --great for co-writing!
Glee Wikia Unsure about your Glee canon? While not always correct, it's always a good idea to see if Glee Wikia has the info you need.
Baby Names I know, I know. We're not getting pregnant --we're writing fanfic. But baby name sites are a great way to name OCs. Alternately, Googling things like "Greek boys' names" can help you get accurate names for AU fic or fic where characters go outside of the country and meet people from other places. Hell, it can also help if you need to name an exchange student!
Fantasy Name Generator It may sound hokey, but this generator has it going on. It has options to generate names with category specifications of everything from specialized names (Japanese and Greek, for instance) to length, consonant or vowel heavy to intentionally bad names.
Wikipedia Wikipedia is a great resource. Despite the arguments against it in response to utilizing it for research, it's not like we're writing thesis papers here. So by all means, use Wikipedia.
Minotaur's Sex Tips for Slash Writers Gay sex guide for fic writers written by someone who knows their shit --a gay man who read and wrote fic. This has pretty much everything, as well as an extensively large FAQ section built mostly around questions asked by writers. NSFW; explicit photos. This site is no longer updated as, sadly, Minotaur passed away a few years back.
Articles
The Accu-Thump of Googletarity This article tells you that not all Google research is bad research, and shows you one example of how to get what you want using Google.
Seven Rules for Writing Historical Fiction Exactly what it sounds like! Long enough without being too long, with tons of good information.
Scifi & Fantasy Writing Tons of in-depth info.
LJ Comms
little_details
fandom_grammar
finishing_wips
how_to_fanfic
*While we would love to suggest more writing comms, sadly, most all of the decent ones are now defunct.
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Free Programs
18 Best Free Video Editing Programs Some of the programs on this list are fairly often reccomended, but there are plenty to choose from, including a couple of free 3D programs.
Best Free Audio Editing Software This list only covers three programs (Audacity, Kristal Audio Engine, and Wavosaur), but each program has an article-form review attached going over the good and the bad, as well as bulletpoint reviews of all three programs at the bottom of the list.
25 Free Digital Audio Editors You Should Know With 25 programs on the list, there's bound to be something in this Hongkiat article that works for you --all, of course, free.
Stock Video
Stock Footage for Free All free stock footage for download; you only need to register an account to access it.
Free Video Stock Footage: Best Public Domain Films Available Online This in-depth, five part article is a promising place to start if you've never had to look for stock video before. It covers plenty of places to find stock, claiming they're the best places to look.
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ABOUT | FOR ARTISTS | FOR WRITERS | FOR VIDDERS | SHARE RESOURCES