2009-04-01

painting is a crux.. if you´re german



I think I never gonna finish it... haha =_= the sketch has been hanging in my kitchen since September last year and still I think "I should do it" ... than some days later: "Na, wanna paint cute." Some days later: "Paint it!".... and so on.

I think i can say it openly and nobody´s gonna blame me for my very own personal point of view: some communities just suck.... and the problem is: Most are german. =_= I cannot understand why especially the german art-scene is excessively trying to force pros to produce better and better and better art even if you just wanna paint and relax.
It´s odd and especially the reasons aren´t any reasons at all. The main question is: Who do you paint for?
I don´t mean commercial art or art you have to do for a project but your very own fun-art. Those pieces you do if you wanna just paint. Would you like to get a comment like "Well, nice but you can do better."
Isn´t it unfair to say such a thing?

Some people say: You have to see both sides. Well, no... I can´t. There´s just one side: the one which says "Have fun". Community shouldn´t mean prison and pressure for things that might never come because they were never there. Too high expectations and frustrated artists: now that´s what I call a mess.

Is it just Germany or is it everywhere like that?

5 comments:

Maria Fernanda said...

I don't think that it's happen only in the german community. I have the same problem, here in Brazil, because they don't understand what mean "I'm painting just for fun". You are obligated to improve your skills more and more and more even if you don't want to be a new genius of art. It doesn't matter. You need to become better, or people will label you as an incompetent and a big example of how people mustn't be ;_;

Zeitwolf said...

It's about that "featured fanart of the week"-thing, I read the thread (I feel a little bad even, becaue my only comment for this weeks feature was like "what, two fanarts for twilight!?lol" and that set the rock rolling).

I think, it's a special case. I don't think, it's a "german thing" (I hope it isn't, but I don't find evidence that it is)

No need to understand, but I understood as following. Given I select the feature, I always have to keep in mind, that there will be people that do not like what I choose, because you can't please everybody.
And they will say: "the artist has produced much better, so why did you feature him NOW?" or "Why did you take this artist at all? Artist XY is way better?"
You're in so many conflicts to choose these few out of thousands of pictures. I understand, that someone was saying: "you can do better" - from this side. From my side... well personally I'm my greatest critic, but I stand behind (almost) all of my pictures and if someone says "you quality has been better" I'm right under pressure... so I understand you either. You have enough pressure in your job and the pictures due subject to be chosen as featured fanart of the week are your personal work and no one has the right to say that your heart was not in it. Like in the other thread in the same forum: "I don't like the current trend of witless, idealess drawings, people can always only draw boring" - Argh!

Zeitwolf said...

sorry for long comment T_T

SaraLynnArt said...

GOOD FOR YOU. I get so frustrated when people are like that. I've had so many art professors criticize me not on skill, but on my chosen subject matter. I'm absolutely in love with children's books. That is what is enjoyable for me. Whenever I made something like that for class, I would get comments like, "The technique is nice, but the subject matter is too 'cute' - you should be working towards something with more depth" or "If you draw a whale, the only thing a person will ever see in that picture is a whale. Work more abstractly, then your piece will be more interesting" or whatever else they wanted to say. They never seem to understand that I have absolutely no interest in making their "serious" art. I love children's books, and I want to make fun, colorful art that I want to look at. And there is nothing wrong with wanting to draw a whale and making it look like a WHALE. (sorry for the long rant)

That aside, you can see in your art that you have very strong traditional skills. If you used them for a classical still life, well... I wouldn't be too interested. You use them to make fun, beautiful art, that I personally can really connect with. You should be making pieces that you want to look at. If someone doesn't get that this is your aspiration, then they really aren't qualified to judge your work...

Anna said...

Hm I think it's also a matter of WHO tells you that. Is that a community of pros or just something like...animexx? I know it's a bit wrong, but I hate it to be judged by people who can't do better or do worse...That's not encouraging to me. It's more encouraging if it's some of my teachers, who can say what I can do better. Although I'm really sick of the talking in university too: do something new, something more interesting, something innovative.....when you just wanna paint, like you said. At our uni I'm always told I'm to do something different from what I can. But then, how will I ever learn something, if I can never concentrate...whatever. I'm zoning out ^^"