That's how I feel about realism too. It's kind of like artistic masturbation. Like, OOOH look how close I can make this look to a photograph! I mean, sure, it's cool to have that kind of skill, but I gotta say, nature will always do it better, so try doing something that nature CANT do. Still, it can be good practice, so I don't hate on people drawing it or anything unless that's all they ever do.

Also, the last one. I didn't think people still used lens flare unless they weren't being serious. That is photoshop abuse.

Yeah I think it can be very good practice. Though, specifically, copying photographs can also be a hindrance... In my high school art classes I always heard drawing from life is much much better than drawing from a photograph, and it took me a long time to figure out why. I guess I had a naive understanding of how photography worked and it didn't make sense that a photograph could be, in a sense, inaccurate. Now that I've, uh, acquired more "looking at things" skills I can see why. Of course realism doesn't require photographic source material but that's usually the case. But mostly it's still just that realism bores the snot out of me haha.

Non-ironic lens flares are a thriving breed apparently. Kind of feel dirty that my lens flare virginity was taken lol.

RRP says she dislikes extreme realism, too, says it looks too creepy.

Seuss panel made my day :)

Like an unintentional furry frankenstien creation, yeah. I get creeped by the sometimes. If that angle was played up intentionally I'd be all for it though haha.

Seuss is incomparable! I use to read Green Eggs and Ham like a fiend in 1st grade.

realism can really easily fall into the creepy zone. even when it's done well it just sort of ends up being the artistic equivalent of some shit like joe satriani where it displays considerable skill but is ultimately completely boring.

It's kind of a shame like that, when I see artists who do like phenomenally realistic things to the point that it looks like a photograph. Because like you said, it's obvious they have a lot of skill, but if it's just going look like the original picture, why not like just make a print of the picture instead of spending countless hours of painstakingly rendering it. SERIOUSLY. WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THIS. Boggles the mind.

Somebody give that blob some Zoloft.

No wonder he's depressed. HE HAS NO LIMBS. D: