Aesthetic Edit

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Synonyms: moodboard
See also: Web Weaving
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An aesthetic edit or aesthetic post, also known as a moodboard, is a type of thematic image set. It is visually unified, often by being desaturated or having a specific color tint added. In fandom, it is common to see aesthetic posts about individual fandoms, pairings, or characters. It is also not unusual for them to be created for fanfics, sometimes as part of a challenge.

They can also be popular in fandoms without a visual adaptations, for example book fandoms, allowing fans to illustrate the story. They might include shots of the character(s) from canon or a fancasting of the character(s), images of locations associated with that character(s), images of props associated with that character(s), etc.

Aesthetic edits are particularly popular on Tumblr due to the ease with which sets of images can be posted. A number of aesthetic boards also exist on Pinterest, which also lends itself to collecting sets of themed images, either uploaded by the user or from elsewhere on the site.

Process

Fans creating aesthetic edits/moodboard usually first collect a variety images. Some fans use Pinterest boards to gather and organize images that fit the desired theme or character. These can be canon images of the characters or, in the case of fancasting, collecting images of actors/celebrities that would fit what the fan thinks the character could look like. Then collecting other general photography images that would reflect the setting, vibe, or mood of the subject. Some fans try to only use photography images that are licensed creative commons or from royalty free image sites, while others use whatever images they can find regardless of licensing.

Once the images are collected, they are typically arranged into a visually appealing layout, often using a grid format. Many fans use image editing software like Photoshop or online tools like Canva or Picsart to create these layouts and apply filters, adjustments, and effects. Photo editing apps like VSCO are also popular for fine-tuning the color palette, lighting, contrast, and saturation of the images to create a cohesive visual theme across the entire edit. Although, sites like Tumblr enable some fans to skip this step all together and just upload several images directly into one post. Some edits will also include text either in the image itself, or added as a description to posts when uploaded online.

The complexity of these aesthetic edits has also evolved over the years, going from just images in a simple square, to intriguing mosaics, with the use of gifs in addition to only static images.

Sharing of Resources

It is quite common for fans to share templates and other resources with each other on sites like Tumblr[1][2] and Deviantart[3], especially for edits outside the common grid format. This enables other fans to create their own moodboards/edits without having to start the process from scratch. These may be psd files[4] or some other format that would allow other fans to insert their own chosen images through editing software or other online programs.

Examples

Character Aesthetics

Ship Aesthetics

Trope Aesthetics

Example Gallery

Alternative Universe Aesthetic Edits

  • Images of: Iron Man gloves on a white surface; a black background with red text that reads 'I Forgot My Name Again'; a man straddling a motorcycle; a hand touch a electronic touch screen; an image of Tony in a hoodie; cans of paintbrushes; Steve in a suit walking down in the street; dog tags laying on an 4F form; Bucky in a leather jacket; a small arc reactor; a person holding a machine gun; the Captain America shield half buried in the ground.

    Stuckony, Role Reversal AU by nixie-deangel, MCU (2018)

  • Images of: a gold crown on a green background; Loki in profile with his horned helmet and hold his staff; green background with black text that reads 'but in all the chaos there is calculation'; a bouquet of roses laid on a white sheet; an illustration of Loki holding pink roses; a single red rose laying on a white sheet; Tony in Victorian dress with a dressing gown; a white background with green text that reads 'half man half god'; illustration of Tony in medival dress with a fur trimmed cape.

    AU: Odin lost against the Jötnar by sweethoneyplum (Frostiron Bingo, 2019)

Canon Inspired Aesthetic Edits

Character Aesthetic Edits

Fanfic Aesthetic Edits

Fanmix Aesthetic Edits

Music Inspired Aesthetic Edits

Shipping Aesthetic Edits


Archives and Communities

Resources

Further Reading

References

  1. ^ "maxiresources' moodboard templates". Tumblr. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  2. ^ "*。・゜+.* templatespsds". Tumblr. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  3. ^ Blank Moodboard Three Dotted Diamonds by kingstoken
  4. ^ templatepsds (2018-09-10). "。・ template psd sixty four, template pack twenty nine by templatepsds ゜+.*". Tumblr. Archived from the original on 2022-08-16.
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