The Minish Cap: Sorcerers’ hats

 Sorcerers’ hats

Mage’s Cap: This magical hat was crafted by the great Minish sage Elzo to be the finest gift to the big folk of Hyrule. It has the power to grant wishes, but it was never given to the Hylians as Elzo’s apprentice Vaati stole the hat and used its power to transform their former master into the bird-headed Minish Cap before leaving to conquer the world.

As a magister grows in prestige, they adopt more and more ostentatious hats. These hats are both declarations of status, so an experienced mage might assert rank over a novice, and a warning to any that might to do the mage harm, as an attack on any mage from the outside is an attack on all mages. There are rumors of pretenders moving through the world under the protection of great hats without any true power, but the Parliament of Magisters flatly denies any truth to these vile rumors.

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Mages from The Lies of Locke Lamora are very interesting from a world building standpoint. You should check that wonderful book out as soon as your TBR list allows.

How to support me:

Ko-fi: Pay What You Want links 

Patreon: Shop and sustaining support 

Red Bubble: Buy a sticker or magnet

See my latest releases on Linktree

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Holiday: A condom for lovers and a bonus hat for good measure.

 A condom for lovers and a bonus hat for good measure.

Condom: Prevent the spread of infections and control when you spark new life with this one simple trick THEY don’t want you to know about…wear a condom when you have sex.

Top Hat: Looks like it’s groundhog’s day again because here is the hat I started for groundhog’s day but didn’t finish until that gopher looked out and saw his shadow.

Hopefully I can finish my lunar new year drawing on time, but don’t hold it against me if it’s a few days late.

I’ll believe the ICE draw down when I see it.

How to support me:

Ko-fi: Pay What You Want links 

Patreon: Shop and sustaining support 

Red Bubble: Buy a sticker or magnet

See my latest releases on Linktree

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Drewly: Tin Foil Hat

 Tin Foil Hat

Tin Foil Hat: Wearing this keeps THEM from being able to read your thoughts or incept their ideas in your mind.

My joke take on a circlet of mental resilience. 

Drewly is about posting stuff like this. When am I ever going to post a tin foil hat? 

What is Drewly?

#Drewly is the month-long art challenge for July, where you don’t have to make any new art. Just post art you’ve already made and celebrate all you’ve accomplished.

Rules:

Share art you have already made.

Share as often as you want.

When you share, tag your art with #Drewly and #Drewly2025

I will be posting art every day of Drewly, so check back in tomorrow for something new.

Check out everything I’ve shared for past Drewly’s here: #Drewly #Drewly2022 #Drewly2023 #Drewly2024

Since you’re here, please consider supporting:

Make a one-time donation with Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/theeasyspeaker

Become a sustaining supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ItemCardswithTheSpeakingSquid 

Buy a sticker: SpeakingSquid.redbubble.com

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

The Minish Cap: Outlaw’s Cap

Outlaw’s Cap

Outlaw’s cap: This item card doesn’t represent anything specifically in The Minish Cap. I just didn’t know if I wanted to draw Robin Hood’s bow or his hat for the bow item, so I drew both.

The outlaw had only meant to stop the local tax collector who was embezzling from their collections and reporting that locals were underpaying their taxes. The assault on the tax collector’s office was successful, but the cowardly thief fled, spreading news of an outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. The mere idea of giving money away so infuriated the Plutarch that they declared the outlaw chief enemy of the state, instantly enshrining them as a hero to the people.

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Spencer Crittenden, of Harmonquest fame, wore a shirt on a Commander at Home episode that said, “Everything would be fine if rich people had slightly less money.” I like that shirt. If you know where to get it, let me know.

Since you’re here, please consider donating:

Make a one-time donation with Ko-Fi:  https://ko-fi.com/theeasyspeaker

Become a sustaining supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ItemCardswithTheSpeakingSquid 

Thank you for your support.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

#Drewly: A festive cap

A festive cap

Festive Cap: This crimson cap is worn by the eldest of a band of redcaps that have been terrorizing the locals for longer than anyone can remember. The vile creature has its underlings sneak into homes and snatch a few children on the longest night of the year.

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Drewly is all about posting art that you have already made. Post as often or as little as you’d like. It is a “challenge” to let you celebrate what you have already done. If you post for Drewly don’t forget the tag #Drewly.

See you tomorrow for more Drewly posts. 

If you appreciate my effort, consider a donation at my ko-fi. (https://ko-fi.com/theeasyspeaker)

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

#Drewly: Loot from a Storm Samurai

Loot from a Storm Samurai

Oda’s Hat: The samurai rarely needed to keep the sun out of their eyes since they were always being chased by stormy skies.

Lightning Blade: Oda could change the steel of their blade into a bolt of lightning when facing foes worthy of their skill.

Squall: Mighty winds chase the arrows shot from this bow. They are strong enough to knock over even heavily armored foes.

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Here are three items dropped by a storm-themed samurai my players defeated at great personal cost.

I will be posting a lot of work from my backlog that I haven’t gotten around to posting for the new art “challenge” Drewly. Drewly rhymes with July, if you say it JOO-lye,  and is for posting art you already have sitting around. It can be unfinished, finished, new, reposts, whatever. Just don’t make anything new for Drewly. Don’t forget to tag your drewly posts with #drewly.

I’m hoping to get a bunch of work out from my unpublished folder this month so look for a new post every single day.

Happy Drewly. See you tomorrow.

If you appreciate my effort, consider a donation at my ko-fi.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Seas of Amphora: Three witchy items from my home game.

Three witchy items from my home game.

Broom of Flight: For their first broom, most young witches are given a simple broom to learn and practice with. This fine broom would be wasted on an aspiring young witch. At least, that is what everyone but our young witch’s estranged mother thought when she sent this broom for her daughter’s 16th birthday.

Hat of the five winds: Simple or ignorant fools claim that there are only four winds, but those educated in the arts know there is a fifth wind, the mage wind. Being able to call on the mage wind starts with being able to sense its presence. This hat helps novices begin to hone their skills at sensing and then speaking with the mage wind.

Soul Siphon: Set in the base of this curved knife is a hazy gem inscribed with the rune of sealing. Those unfortunate enough to die after being cut by this blade have their soul trapped in the gem until drawn out into some other vessel. The hag that forged this blade has a hidden room filled with glittering gems, each a prison for a stolen soul.

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Thanks for the diversion into works not relating to Zelda. Next week we will start posting the items from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an awful act of naked aggression. It is a tragic waste of lives and resources. Imagine what our world could accomplish if we could divert all the resources that are spent creating tools of killing and instead tackling climate change, wealth inequity, food scarcity, universal healthcare, and so many more challenges facing the only world we can live on.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Skyrim 10th Anniversary: The iron helmet from Skyrim.

 

The iron helmet from Skyrim.

Iron Helmet: The iconic helm of the dovahkiin, scarred by the fangs and claws of dragons terrorizing Skyrim.

Happy 10th anniversary Skyrim!

I am a huge fan of the Elder Scrolls series and just had to sit down and draw some of the iconic items from the fifth installment of the main series.

Check-in every day for the next week to see a collection of items from Skyrim, and to enjoy my wonderful and wholly original song.

On the first day of Skyrim,

tenth anniversary,

a helmet of iron and horn.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: An ominous circlet from Four Swords.

An ominous circlet from Four Swords.

Crown of Flies: If you were given absolute control over the strongest but most terrible force, would you change its course or would you use it for personal gain? Could you hope to change the course of such a machine or to prosper from such evil without being wholly consumed? Only fools dally in hypotheticals, take the crown and see what you could do with real power.

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These circlets were the base of the Gnat Hat drawings from Four Swords we covered last week. That hat was built upon them. I knew I would draw the circlet since it seemed like such a straightforward process to draw a hat atop an already existing band.

I was imagining different dukedoms of hell would all have similar crowns but the different icons of each dukedom would be suspended in the amber. The Dukedom of Flies and the Dukedom of Spiders need at least a few more peers and rivals. What do you think would make for good icons for diabolical houses?

Self-shill month continues as I again ask you to consider dropping me a tip on my Ko-FI if you like what I do.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Four Swords: Three wondrous hats from Four Swords.

 Three wondrous hats from Four Swords.

Gnat Hat: As with all the equipable items in Four Swords, the gnat hat is found on item podiums and can only be picked up if exchanged for the currently equipped item Link is carrying. By donning this hat, Link shrinks down to the size of a bug. This diminutive stature allow Link to pass through small gaps, stand on small platforms, or simply avoid being picked up by fellow Links.

When making deals with otherworld beings, one should always be very careful how they word requests. A simple request like, “I want a hat that will allow me to fly” or, “Make me a cap that allows the wearer to climb like a spider.” The first request resulted in a hat that instantly transformed the wearer into a common fly and usually resulted in them being trapped under a now enormous hat. The second turned the requester into a hat that, when worn, gives the wearer supernatural climbing abilities and the unshakable feeling that someone is just behind them.

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This item is very similar to the Mage’s Cap and the Minish Cap that both appear in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap for the DS. I absolutely loved that game, and can’t wait to start drawing its items. 

I love drawing and posting these items and I will continue to as long as I have passion for the project. If you are enjoying the project,  please consider dropping a tip over on my Ko-Fi. You can get there by hitting the purple donate button on the top or bottom of the page.

I am prewriting this post, so I’m not sure what the world will look like in a few weeks. I do have hope that many people have chosen to get vaccinated against COVID after seeing the very real cost of remaining unvaccinated. Vaccination helps limit the spread and severity of this serious disease. So does wearing a mask when you are in groups. Doing both works even better.

Protect yourself, the ones you love, and everyone else by doing your part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Not an artist: Recognizing Students

To celebrate the hard work students and educators did during the COVID-19 emergency distance learning.

Here are two graduate caps representing the two institutions of higher learning I have had the privilege of attending.

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I believe that every person should have the opportunity to have a complete high-quality education that includes absolutely free post-high school education. That includes four-year colleges and universities, two-year colleges, technical schools, and apprenticeships. I hope one day that America can ensure all people have access to the educational opportunities and supports needed for each person to thrive. People deserve better than to just be surviving.

Go out and find a way to be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph

Procreate practice for Christmas

I have been practicing trying to get the same line feel in Procreate as I do in Photoshop. I haven’t figured it out yet. 

Have a hat of arcane animation for the holidays.

Have a cromulent chrimbus.

-Ceph

Holiday Hat for the Holidays

Wishing everyone a nice holiday.

-Ceph