Guest OC: Macey

Most artists have an Original Character (OC) whether they're part of a greater world or they exist just for the art they're in. I have plenty to say about my OCs so why not ask my fellow artist friends about theirs?

Artist: Cameron

OC: Macey

Artwork by Cameron

OC:ID

Introduce your OC?

Macey’s a high school teacher. She's kind of quiet but in a ‘I feel like she's gonna kill me’ way. In her later years, she teaches exclusively art but she starts off teaching, French and Indonesian which is very funny because she's dyslexic. And she's like, ‘I'm not dyslexic in Indonesian’ because that is actually common, like dyslexia is more common in languages, like English and French, just because of how the language is structured.

She grew up on a chicken farm and she didn't meet her mum or a sister until she was like 15. And that was when she went to school for the first time as well, because her dad was like ‘You don't need to go to school, you just need to know how to do the chickens.’ And when she got to school, she was very isolated trying to adjust to school life knowing other kids and stuff like that.

Artwork by Cameron

What world does your OC exists in? The real world?

Yeah, I take a lot of artistic liberties with how teaching laws work ... because there's also a plot line where like there's a warrant out for her arrest because her and (her ex-wife) moved out of their house and Macey didn't update her information in like VicRoads. All of the parking tickets and warrants were going to the wrong address. And so she's applying for a job at the religious school and then they're like 'do you have a criminal history?' And she's like 'no' and then she's like 'oh wait I did get arrested.'

What are your OCs relationships?

Her and Abigail (her second wife) didn't get along at first ... it was arguing all the time than a friendship, and then, because like this was all before Macey transitioned, they had a falling out that ended with like Abigail breaking her nose and Macey attacking her with like a coping saw in woodworks class.

And then (Macey) joined the Navy because every problem child should go in the Navy. She chose the Navy because she likes knot tying and then she found out about tatting, which is a form of lace work and she was like, ‘I should have just gotten into that instead. Why did I go and join the Navy?’

I don't think she counts as a butch because she's too scared of spiders. And it's just like, ‘Yeah, she's a (lesbian) for sure but I don't know if ‘butch’ is correct.’

Artwork by Cameron

What does your OC struggle with?

Communicating effectively. That's something that she has to like develop a lot over the years. When it comes to teaching when she first started, she was very 'school is important, prioritises do all the homework blah blah' and then like over time develops emotional intelligence and is one of those teachers where she's a bit of a ----- but she gets stuff done.

She's like, ‘I have that effect on people. They hate me. They hate me but then they realise, I'm actually not as ---- as they think I am.’

How would your OC die?

Probably health related stuff. They're both smokers and they previously struggled with alcoholism.

Other than cigarettes and alcohol. They're good, they're good. They're fine, cigarettes and alcohol never killed anyone.

OC:AU

Apocalypse AU: Your OC just got bit, what do they do? 

Kill herself immediately. She does not, she will sacrifice. She would kill herself to get out of the Navy.

High school AU: Is your OC a bully or nerd?

She was bullied for sure.

Actor AU: What actor would portray your OC in a live action adaptation?

This isn't helpful at all but I saw this kid right in real life. I was looking at him and I was like ‘Holy ----, He looks exactly what like Macey would look like when she was a teenage boy’.

Band AU: What instrument would your OC play in a band? What would it be called?

I've thought about this as well. Abigail is violin. Macey is guitar. And then Sakari (Macey's best friend) is the drummer.

IRL AU: You and your OC are roommates. Would you fight? What's the dynamic?

Oh, I would not like that. She'd do all the cleaning which is great because she was originally a Pearl and Abigail was a quartz. That's why Macey's last name is Pearl.

Fusion AU: What mainstream characters would have to fuse to form your OC?

Jasper (from Steven Universe) but keeping Pearl's shape.

OC:OG

When did you create your OC?

Lockdowns, I think? Either that, or when we like, 20, because 2019 is when I started watch. Yeah, that's when we met too. Um, but no, I think kind of early lockdowns. And because I already knew that I was trans at that point, but I was trans in a way that I thought I wasn't going to do anything about it ever.

It was like, 'I know it to be true in myself and I don't need to explain that' because I didn't feel the need to medically transition back then. Macy is very much a character that ... I would draw something related to gender and then my trans feminine friends would be like, 'haha same', like 'that's me'. And I'd be like, 'I'm so good at figuring out how trans people would feel.'

Artwork by Cameron

How has your character changed from when you first made them?

Abigail and Macey were drawings to see what my gemsonas would look like if they were humans.

Over time, I've kind of developed them to be like people. They've got flaws, they've got friends and family, they make mistakes. I used to draw them mid to late 20s but now, I tend to draw them kind of in their 40s to 50s.

Are there any hidden details in their design or elements you're most proud of?

There is kind of like nods to the fact that they were originally gems. Abigail has a couple of like tattoos on the back of the hands and on their shoulder. Macey has an orange opal on a chest tattoo that has a seashell around it. Macey has a lot of water themed like aquatic themed tattoos because she was in the Navy. Abigail collects knives so she's got little knife tattoos.

You can follow Cameron on Instagram at @PracticeMakesWater