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shameful online art communitty antics
19 years ago
General
where does one even begin to describe the loathsome mind sets of the viewer?
Porn vs Art.
Lets start with the overpowering grip the sexual focus has on the mind compared to appreciation for anything else. The efforts done by some of the truly gifted artists on here, such as those who do grandeurous paintings of sheer beauty are wasted because the general amount of people here would much rather look at a 5th grade quality scribble of Sonic fucking Tails.
quality verus context
The most popular stuff in the furry communitty it seems tends to be some of the most boring stuff I've ever seen. The artists responsible for the works are indeed very skilled at their craft. However they tend to lack creativity. Most of the time they will only draw bipedal characters floating in a white void as the zenith of their portfolio. So though their work is skilled, its just boring to look at. There is such an absence of SCENERY in people's galleries. Where the picture is about telling a story rather than just drawing something which looks cool. The goal should be to tell as much as possible with the least amount of work. If you can tell an entire story with just ONE image, then it doesnt matter what your skill is you ARE a successful artist in my book.
shallow comments
I wonder what the fetish for leaving one or two word comments on everything is. Sometimes the same person will just say the same phrase on everything. "hey, thats cool." "hawt stuff" I've mentioned this before and it still pisses me off. An art communitty should have more respect for art of any degree and should try to give a comment they feel is equal to the amount their affected by a drawing. If someone said "thats hawt" on a piece of porn which they jerked off to, thats so disrespectful. They should at least list the emotions they felt from it and the qualities the work posessed in it to make them feel the desire to gratify themselves. The same goes for quality artwork which is not porn.
thumbnail previews
now unless there is some good excuse for posting a custom "FULL VIEW PLEASE" icon, such as the image is a large comic, or something like that. When someone just throws a "full view please" thing on there it usually tends to say "Im not good enough to give my pictures an interesting composition so Im cheating to make you look at it anyway since you wouldnt be interested enough to click on an actual thumbnail of the image."
an intolerance for critisism
(this is mostly quoted from someone else who said it shorter)
an artist's community is the absolute perfect place to improve your work, if you have even a small fraction of people who are willing to spare your feelings for your -own damn good- and say "y'know this kinda sucks." "And here's what you can do to make it better next time." People are so big on acceptance and making one another feel happy, that they don't realize that criticism is often a damn sight more useful for improving things. But no. Criticism is seen as causing drama, and totally unwarranted.
I guess thats about all for now. I was distracted many times while writing this and may have forgotten some things but this list seems to be the primary. enjoy.
Porn vs Art.
Lets start with the overpowering grip the sexual focus has on the mind compared to appreciation for anything else. The efforts done by some of the truly gifted artists on here, such as those who do grandeurous paintings of sheer beauty are wasted because the general amount of people here would much rather look at a 5th grade quality scribble of Sonic fucking Tails.
quality verus context
The most popular stuff in the furry communitty it seems tends to be some of the most boring stuff I've ever seen. The artists responsible for the works are indeed very skilled at their craft. However they tend to lack creativity. Most of the time they will only draw bipedal characters floating in a white void as the zenith of their portfolio. So though their work is skilled, its just boring to look at. There is such an absence of SCENERY in people's galleries. Where the picture is about telling a story rather than just drawing something which looks cool. The goal should be to tell as much as possible with the least amount of work. If you can tell an entire story with just ONE image, then it doesnt matter what your skill is you ARE a successful artist in my book.
shallow comments
I wonder what the fetish for leaving one or two word comments on everything is. Sometimes the same person will just say the same phrase on everything. "hey, thats cool." "hawt stuff" I've mentioned this before and it still pisses me off. An art communitty should have more respect for art of any degree and should try to give a comment they feel is equal to the amount their affected by a drawing. If someone said "thats hawt" on a piece of porn which they jerked off to, thats so disrespectful. They should at least list the emotions they felt from it and the qualities the work posessed in it to make them feel the desire to gratify themselves. The same goes for quality artwork which is not porn.
thumbnail previews
now unless there is some good excuse for posting a custom "FULL VIEW PLEASE" icon, such as the image is a large comic, or something like that. When someone just throws a "full view please" thing on there it usually tends to say "Im not good enough to give my pictures an interesting composition so Im cheating to make you look at it anyway since you wouldnt be interested enough to click on an actual thumbnail of the image."
an intolerance for critisism
(this is mostly quoted from someone else who said it shorter)
an artist's community is the absolute perfect place to improve your work, if you have even a small fraction of people who are willing to spare your feelings for your -own damn good- and say "y'know this kinda sucks." "And here's what you can do to make it better next time." People are so big on acceptance and making one another feel happy, that they don't realize that criticism is often a damn sight more useful for improving things. But no. Criticism is seen as causing drama, and totally unwarranted.
I guess thats about all for now. I was distracted many times while writing this and may have forgotten some things but this list seems to be the primary. enjoy.
Though I am of a simple mind sorta. I do have to agree with the quality over context, but I do have to argue for SOME of the artist out there who have to struggle with doing backgrounds (myself included but thats not the point >_>; ) So artist out there don't do well with backgrounds so they just nix that part of the drawing all together. Now I don't completely condon this *nor do I completely condon my horrible spelling* because I feel if you think you suck at a certain aspect of drawing, that is the part you should PRACTICE and POST more often because sooner or later you'll find some kind artist that will tell you what you could do better and help you out. In essence that is what this gallery is for. For people to tell you what they think of your art so you can improve on the bad and leave the good alone at your disgression. And yes if you can say a thousand words with one picture, then you are a sucessful artist in my eyes as well. The feeling of the picture out weighs the flashyness... though I have to admit that the flashyness is pretty awesome sometimes ;)
Thumb nails..... I hate them... nuff said. >_>;
Critisism.... On almost every picture (atleast the ones where I don't forget to put it on there) I always tell anyone who gives a damn to "Tell me what I'm doing wrong!" "Tell me what you think!" Now I love comments as much as the next guy and I don't mean for them to stop, no. But seriously, I'm not going to get better faster if I don't know what I'm doing wrong in the first place. I have tons of friends who are helluva lot better at art then I am who say the exact same thing. I'm not so much bothered ALL the time when I get a comment like "thats hawt!" or "Thats so cool" but if its something I really want different opinions on so I can know what I'm doing wrong... please tell me. And for that reason I have to agree with you on that Gore.
The comments. I think, it's better to get some, than to got nothing. I can't say much to the thumbnails, because I didn't see much of that like you say. It's the same with your remarks of the intolerance for critisism.
I just don't know what to write because there is too much going through my head, second fact is my english which could be way better ^^;
But I will take your journal-entry as a way to get better in this xD
Section by section, I will go as thus.
Porn v Art.
Sadly, people care more for what they can jerk off to, rather than what makes them think. Such is the same as the debate on the Statue of David. I honestly believe that nudity CAN be tasteful in many lights, and on that same issue, is something that MUST be refined over time. No one should be able to draw two flat creatures, without so much as a curve to their bodies, screwing one another, and get more comments on it, than someone who took hours upon eye-bleeding hours to fully render a naked creature, and hope to get HALF of what the others do.
Lamentably, humanity is lost to its urges.
Quality v Context.
Well, as a person who tends to usually draw upon the void of white, I like to do more uopn what is important to the piece. As such, if the scenery is more important, then one would pan out, focusing more on the landscape, than the characters in it. Though, I will say that upon a certain level, context can only be derived when a scenery is made, even if it is a quick wash of colors.
I suppose it is more upon what a person is trying to convey. If a drawing is made for the purpose of sketching, or one topic, say: sex, then back ground more or less doesn't matter. After all, there should always be a focus to an art peice, and if one spends equal, or more time, on the back ground, then the focus will be deterred.
Though, I will start thinking about putting in more back grounds. Just...gotta practice with the Mech-pencil more.
Shallow Comments.
Well, it does bug me from time to time when I simply sketch fuck (the process of drawing for the sake of drawing) something and get odd comments such as "that's hawt", or "Mm, sexy." Although, there is one comment I hate, and will always hate. "That's cool, MORE!!" As if drawing something I really was only messing around with wasn't enough, now I'm being demanded of, from someone who is getting the privelage to look at the art piece.
Here in lies the root of the issue.
Users on ANY site don't think when they use a service. Many people simply believe that no matter what they say, or don't say, it will always be there. Should the realization be made that this service is a privelage, and not a right, then maybe comments will expand from two or three words.
maybe...
Thumbnail previews.
Some people just like to feel big for having more "full view" numbers than "view" numbers. The same is on deviantart, and just about anywhere you go. It's just how people judge their worth, I suppose.
An intolerance for criticism.
Strangly enough, people will get on websites, and post their work, without ever thinking they'll get criticism. As odd as it may sound, some users feel that criticism should be saved ONLY for someone with a degree of art.
Sadly, though, they forget that art can only be truly appreciated through the public. If one cannot take critism, then one should not draw. This goes the same for ones who cannot DEFEND their work, when it is criticized. It is one thing to hate criticism, but it is another thing entirely to be able to defend your piece, when it is being criticized.
After all, art is more than just drawing. Everything, from drawing to speech, is a kind of art. One cannot take just ONE category of art, they all depend upon one another. It is a truth so few seem to grasp.
Well, thanks for taking the time to write it all out. I love a good read, and enjoy using my brain on a more than daily basis. This really got me thinking, y'know?
Also, in criticizing someone, you have to know if the person will take the criticism seriously or defensively before throwing it out there. Otherwise, your post is really useless and you just look like a big asshole.
Furthermore, fgsfsd.
I think what I meant to say is "yeah, you've got a wonderful point there and I wish we weren't stupid fucks."