Well, I mean I'm not the best artist in the world anyway, but yes, it was rude on her part. I think she was just upset because the teacher was trying to make me feel better. And yes, a lot of my friends also were disqualified in that same competition due to similar styles. I agree with you. People are too harsh on the style. They really should have been judging on the grammar and the words themselves, not the artwork. I cannot tell you how hard I worked on that piece. The art was easy, but I stayed after school for three days working on the grammar and words in French with my teacher. It didn't matter to me that my art was bad, it mattered that I had tried hard. I've been taking art appreciation in college, and I know what your professor is saying about cartoons (we just studied those, actually). Perhaps it is these experiences- and the fact that a former friend of mine was a very good artist- were what were keeping me from improving myself and honing in on natural subjects and realism. It's a shame, as I used to enjoy myself when I painted or drew. So I agree wholeheartedly, PEOPLE NEED TO BE NICE. Otherwise, they could discourage someone for the rest of their life. One day, though, I would like to go back to drawing, but for now all I can do is look at my art and feel I'm not good enough. And I mean, it's not just me who could have been discouraged either. There are people in this world who have issues with their art due to similar experiences to mine.
I forgot to mention this in my last comment. I believe I have told you that I admired your art before. I remember when I was about 12 or so, when I first came across it. My initial reaction was simply, "OMG, HER ART IS AWESOME!!!" I was enamored with anime back then, but I could still tell that your art was good whether or not I liked it. And now, I can see how much you've improved over the years. So uhh... basically I'm saying that you shouldn't feel ashamed of the work you've done and basically if you want to be professional, you can do that too... Erm, I'm not making sense, but basically I'm just trying to be encouraging and stuff. Now I feel a little embarrassed. DX EEEK.
It's such a stressful problem, but I'm glad so many artists have similar experiences so we can all learn to fight against it together<3 Still looks like anime though? I've seen your recent works, and I think you've done a great job working with realism and developing your own style! Your realism definitely looks more natural that mine. :) My realistic people still seem rigid and calculated rather than the natural and fluid poses/movements that I've been able to achieve with my "anime" style. Don't let those ignorant people get you down! You're doing awesome :)
I've been eager to post it online~~ I already have a tumblr and a Behance account set up :) My college transfer portfolio only requires 16 pieces, so once I can narrow down my selections a bit more, I'll definitely submit all of my other assignments online. :) Yeah I'm just super paranoid and am just playing it safe. XD Once I *hopefully* get accepted though, everything will be online, and I will announce it when it's all ready! :)
Oh man I'm sorry for your bad experiences :( Gosh people can be so rude. That's really hurtful for that girl to say, and I just cannot understand how one person can completely ignore a piece that someone worked on like that. It's so incredibly rude and unacceptable. I've judged artworks for a graphic design competition before, and the only ones that got disqualified were because they used copyrighted material and I could see the watermarks. There's was a vast collection of good and bad work but I still looked at all of them geeze. I just think ignoring a piece like that is so unprofessional, and according to my drawing professor, anything that has outlines is basically categorized as "cartoon". What sets realism apart from cartoon is that realism creates edges of subjects by using the contrast of values rather than lines. TL:DR THAT JUDGE IS BOGUS AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE NICE
Thank you so much for your encouragement and advice ;u; it really helps you have no idea<3 and don't worry I love long comments :D
I'm going through the same thing, and I see your words and I totally relate. I'm trying to break away from what people ignorantly call 'anime', and it's hard. People still tell me sometimes that it looks like anime. Sigh.
I really would love to see the other works you've done in your classes D: I know there's a way you can make it so that people know it's DEFINITELY you that made those pieces, if you put them online... you'd have to do research I guess, but idk. I think having them online where more people can see them would be good.
It's not the exact thing, but I understand the "it isn't real art because it's anime" issue. I was once doodling in my French class a few years ago, when my teacher noticed my work and another girl's. Obviously she had more talent than I did, and I only draw as a hobby, but still, my teacher complimented our work. People looked at mine first, gave me a few compliments, and then gushed over the other girl's. I was a bit disappointed at the time, because back then, I was rather serious about my work, and my teacher must have noticed because she continued to compliment me. The girl eventually muttered, "just because she draws anime doesn't mean she's good." It felt like poor sportsmanship on her part, because at the time, I had felt like I had gotten better in my art. Another situation was also due to French. I entered a competition for the class, only to find out later that the judging for the competition was different from all other aspects of the full event. (Basically, one giant french competition.) My style was in an anime style, even though it was my style. I later learned that the sole judge of the event, had not even looked at my piece due to the style I had drawn it in. Because it wasn't "like a cartoon." Even though, it clearly was. People hate on anime styles like they hate on Apple Products. It's something out of their reach, so they find reasons to dislike it. Don't let it get to you. Just do your best. I know in the real world, that doesn't mean much, but I mean, if it's your style then it's no big deal. People inspired by all kinds of things. The impressionists were actually inspired by Japanese works of art, and their stuff is in Museums all across the globe. So, I mean, basically, it doesn't matter what others think, as long as you're happy with what you're doing. Or something like that.... I'm sorry, I'm not good at giving pep-talks or anything. And I am soooo sorry for how long this comment is. ^^;
To answer your question, I've seen a few of Mark Crilley's videos. I was actually introduced to him through one of his "How to Draw Manga" books. It wasn't until later that I looked up his "100 manga eyes" video. That video really shows you how diverse manga can be.
Call it karma. Call it luck. Me, I just don't give a... BOUNCE!
UGGGGGHHHH
All those stories just make me want to scream ughhh it's those kinds of comments that just really get under my skin. Granted, I know several anime artists will only draw in anime and pull references from anime instead of studying from real life. I've been there, and by relying purely on anime it can really stunt your growth as an artist. That's why it's important to be accepting of all styles.
But your right, people unfamiliar with it will just group all animes into one style and IT GRINDS MY GEARS SO BAD UGH. And I just cannot comprehend how someone could treat anime as a "lesser form" of animation. Uhm, have you seen Miyazaki moves? Satoshi Kon? Heck even "fan service" animes like Free! have BEAUTIFUL animation and the backgrounds are completely gorgeous and not to mention realistic. It just does not make any sense to me at all.
I was reassured by my friends that I could totally skip ahead in art classes with my art, and so that's what I tried doing. But when I showed my art teacher, she's like "Oh this good enough to get you into drawing II at least, but just so you know, we don't do that anime style here." Uhm, yes?? I know that?? That's why I'm trying to get into a class so I can learn other things? All the upper level art classes ended up being lumped together though, and even though I was technically in drawing II, I did all the Drawing IV assignments and was one of her best students.
And tell me about it. For the longest time I wanted to go to Ringling College since I went to Tampa, Florida my freshman year, but when I saw their portfolio requirements and it specifically said "No manga". Then you look at sample student portfolios and a lot of them had extremely simplified cartoon styles and I'm just not understanding it at all. But it took a serious blow to my self esteem and I basically didn't draw for a whole year. Don't get me wrong though, there's plenty of beautiful American animations that are just AMAZING. Like Gravity falls has some pretty wicked and creepy animation, and then Steven Universe has such a unique style with awesome backgrounds and iconic character designs. I just don't see how Anime is any different.
but hum, yeah whoops ranting again. XD I know it's hard to feel confident when so many people are such jerks about it. My only advice is to be open to different styles, because not only will it give you versatility, it will also drastically improve any other style you decide to draw in. :)
Also, have you watched Mark Crilley's videos before? He's one of my biggest inspirations because not only can he do anime, he can also do amazing hyperrealistic art. Both of his styles are awesome and I love it.
NOT THE COMPANY ;D (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/30/14 | Reply
@:
Aw thank you~~ Haha yeah it takes a while to develop a style, but once you get it down it can be so much fun because things finally start feeling like it's completely your own. :) It takes time, but you can do it!! Just make sure you always draw and draw what you love! ;)
You have no idea how much I feel your pain. Lemme tell you some stories.
1. I took a class in Adobe Illustrator, in which the teacher let the class know how much she hated "anime style" drawings. In fact, in our final projects, we were allowed to make movie posters of any movie or show except anime. I did the next best thing and used Disney's Mulan for my poster.
2. I once took a watercolor class that was taught by this old guy. One time when we had our pieces on display for feedback, the teacher said of this one girl's piece, "It's nice, but it looks too much like anime. I can't wait until that goes out of style." The picture didn't even look very "anime-ish". I guess it all looks the same to the untrained eye.
3. The final story is about an animation class that I took. I asked the teacher, "Is there anything you'd like us to avoid when drawing our animation?" I asked just to see if he had that a prejudice against anime too. Guess what? He did. I drew "anime" anyway.
I have a feeling that it's a prerequisite for teachers to hate all anime. No wonder I have such low self-confidence with my art. People in my life have assured me that there are more ways of drawing than just realism. Sure, realism is the building blocks for almost anything, but there are tons of styles out there.
Still, I don't know why anime is the only one that's picked on. If that's the authority's general stance, it would only be fair if they write off things that are "cartoon style" as well.
Call it karma. Call it luck. Me, I just don't give a... BOUNCE!
Neko Girl (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/30/14 | Reply
Dude. Most of the most famous artist were not taken seriously at first. Walt Disney was fired from his first job as an animator. The anime style? Based of Walt's early works.
Don't give up dear. :)
Shinigamihoshi16
Otakuite++ | Posted 11/02/14 | Reply
@FUNimation:
Well, I mean I'm not the best artist in the world anyway, but yes, it was rude on her part. I think she was just upset because the teacher was trying to make me feel better. And yes, a lot of my friends also were disqualified in that same competition due to similar styles. I agree with you. People are too harsh on the style. They really should have been judging on the grammar and the words themselves, not the artwork. I cannot tell you how hard I worked on that piece. The art was easy, but I stayed after school for three days working on the grammar and words in French with my teacher. It didn't matter to me that my art was bad, it mattered that I had tried hard. I've been taking art appreciation in college, and I know what your professor is saying about cartoons (we just studied those, actually). Perhaps it is these experiences- and the fact that a former friend of mine was a very good artist- were what were keeping me from improving myself and honing in on natural subjects and realism. It's a shame, as I used to enjoy myself when I painted or drew. So I agree wholeheartedly, PEOPLE NEED TO BE NICE. Otherwise, they could discourage someone for the rest of their life. One day, though, I would like to go back to drawing, but for now all I can do is look at my art and feel I'm not good enough. And I mean, it's not just me who could have been discouraged either. There are people in this world who have issues with their art due to similar experiences to mine.
I forgot to mention this in my last comment. I believe I have told you that I admired your art before. I remember when I was about 12 or so, when I first came across it. My initial reaction was simply, "OMG, HER ART IS AWESOME!!!" I was enamored with anime back then, but I could still tell that your art was good whether or not I liked it. And now, I can see how much you've improved over the years. So uhh... basically I'm saying that you shouldn't feel ashamed of the work you've done and basically if you want to be professional, you can do that too... Erm, I'm not making sense, but basically I'm just trying to be encouraging and stuff. Now I feel a little embarrassed. DX EEEK.
FUNimation
NOT THE COMPANY ;D (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 11/02/14 | Reply
@Eneko:
It's such a stressful problem, but I'm glad so many artists have similar experiences so we can all learn to fight against it together<3 Still looks like anime though? I've seen your recent works, and I think you've done a great job working with realism and developing your own style! Your realism definitely looks more natural that mine. :) My realistic people still seem rigid and calculated rather than the natural and fluid poses/movements that I've been able to achieve with my "anime" style. Don't let those ignorant people get you down! You're doing awesome :)
I've been eager to post it online~~ I already have a tumblr and a Behance account set up :) My college transfer portfolio only requires 16 pieces, so once I can narrow down my selections a bit more, I'll definitely submit all of my other assignments online. :) Yeah I'm just super paranoid and am just playing it safe. XD Once I *hopefully* get accepted though, everything will be online, and I will announce it when it's all ready! :)
FUNimation
NOT THE COMPANY ;D (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 11/02/14 | Reply
@Shinigamihoshi16:
Oh man I'm sorry for your bad experiences :( Gosh people can be so rude. That's really hurtful for that girl to say, and I just cannot understand how one person can completely ignore a piece that someone worked on like that. It's so incredibly rude and unacceptable. I've judged artworks for a graphic design competition before, and the only ones that got disqualified were because they used copyrighted material and I could see the watermarks. There's was a vast collection of good and bad work but I still looked at all of them geeze. I just think ignoring a piece like that is so unprofessional, and according to my drawing professor, anything that has outlines is basically categorized as "cartoon". What sets realism apart from cartoon is that realism creates edges of subjects by using the contrast of values rather than lines. TL:DR THAT JUDGE IS BOGUS AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE NICE
Thank you so much for your encouragement and advice ;u; it really helps you have no idea<3 and don't worry I love long comments :D
Eneko
Val's chibi kitty (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 11/02/14 | Reply
I'm going through the same thing, and I see your words and I totally relate. I'm trying to break away from what people ignorantly call 'anime', and it's hard. People still tell me sometimes that it looks like anime. Sigh.
I really would love to see the other works you've done in your classes D: I know there's a way you can make it so that people know it's DEFINITELY you that made those pieces, if you put them online... you'd have to do research I guess, but idk. I think having them online where more people can see them would be good.
like a BOSS.
Shinigamihoshi16
Otakuite++ | Posted 11/01/14 | Reply
It's not the exact thing, but I understand the "it isn't real art because it's anime" issue. I was once doodling in my French class a few years ago, when my teacher noticed my work and another girl's. Obviously she had more talent than I did, and I only draw as a hobby, but still, my teacher complimented our work. People looked at mine first, gave me a few compliments, and then gushed over the other girl's. I was a bit disappointed at the time, because back then, I was rather serious about my work, and my teacher must have noticed because she continued to compliment me. The girl eventually muttered, "just because she draws anime doesn't mean she's good." It felt like poor sportsmanship on her part, because at the time, I had felt like I had gotten better in my art. Another situation was also due to French. I entered a competition for the class, only to find out later that the judging for the competition was different from all other aspects of the full event. (Basically, one giant french competition.) My style was in an anime style, even though it was my style. I later learned that the sole judge of the event, had not even looked at my piece due to the style I had drawn it in. Because it wasn't "like a cartoon." Even though, it clearly was. People hate on anime styles like they hate on Apple Products. It's something out of their reach, so they find reasons to dislike it. Don't let it get to you. Just do your best. I know in the real world, that doesn't mean much, but I mean, if it's your style then it's no big deal. People inspired by all kinds of things. The impressionists were actually inspired by Japanese works of art, and their stuff is in Museums all across the globe. So, I mean, basically, it doesn't matter what others think, as long as you're happy with what you're doing. Or something like that.... I'm sorry, I'm not good at giving pep-talks or anything. And I am soooo sorry for how long this comment is. ^^;
MewChero
Neko Girl (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/31/14 | Reply
@FUNimation:
No problem, dear. :) You are amazing~<3
Keba Si Rota
Don't Forget 3 Oct (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/30/14 | Reply
@FUNimation:
To answer your question, I've seen a few of Mark Crilley's videos. I was actually introduced to him through one of his "How to Draw Manga" books. It wasn't until later that I looked up his "100 manga eyes" video. That video really shows you how diverse manga can be.
Call it karma. Call it luck. Me, I just don't give a... BOUNCE!
FUNimation
NOT THE COMPANY ;D (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/30/14 | Reply
@Keba Si Rota:
UGGGGGHHHH
All those stories just make me want to scream ughhh it's those kinds of comments that just really get under my skin. Granted, I know several anime artists will only draw in anime and pull references from anime instead of studying from real life. I've been there, and by relying purely on anime it can really stunt your growth as an artist. That's why it's important to be accepting of all styles.
But your right, people unfamiliar with it will just group all animes into one style and IT GRINDS MY GEARS SO BAD UGH. And I just cannot comprehend how someone could treat anime as a "lesser form" of animation. Uhm, have you seen Miyazaki moves? Satoshi Kon? Heck even "fan service" animes like Free! have BEAUTIFUL animation and the backgrounds are completely gorgeous and not to mention realistic. It just does not make any sense to me at all.
I was reassured by my friends that I could totally skip ahead in art classes with my art, and so that's what I tried doing. But when I showed my art teacher, she's like "Oh this good enough to get you into drawing II at least, but just so you know, we don't do that anime style here." Uhm, yes?? I know that?? That's why I'm trying to get into a class so I can learn other things? All the upper level art classes ended up being lumped together though, and even though I was technically in drawing II, I did all the Drawing IV assignments and was one of her best students.
And tell me about it. For the longest time I wanted to go to Ringling College since I went to Tampa, Florida my freshman year, but when I saw their portfolio requirements and it specifically said "No manga". Then you look at sample student portfolios and a lot of them had extremely simplified cartoon styles and I'm just not understanding it at all. But it took a serious blow to my self esteem and I basically didn't draw for a whole year. Don't get me wrong though, there's plenty of beautiful American animations that are just AMAZING. Like Gravity falls has some pretty wicked and creepy animation, and then Steven Universe has such a unique style with awesome backgrounds and iconic character designs. I just don't see how Anime is any different.
but hum, yeah whoops ranting again. XD I know it's hard to feel confident when so many people are such jerks about it. My only advice is to be open to different styles, because not only will it give you versatility, it will also drastically improve any other style you decide to draw in. :)
Also, have you watched Mark Crilley's videos before? He's one of my biggest inspirations because not only can he do anime, he can also do amazing hyperrealistic art. Both of his styles are awesome and I love it.
FUNimation
NOT THE COMPANY ;D (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/30/14 | Reply
@:
Aw thank you~~ Haha yeah it takes a while to develop a style, but once you get it down it can be so much fun because things finally start feeling like it's completely your own. :) It takes time, but you can do it!! Just make sure you always draw and draw what you love! ;)
FUNimation
NOT THE COMPANY ;D (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/30/14 | Reply
@MewChero:
Chero you're so incredibly sweet ;u; Thank you for your kind words they mean so much to me<3<3<3
Keba Si Rota
Don't Forget 3 Oct (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/30/14 | Reply
You have no idea how much I feel your pain. Lemme tell you some stories.
1. I took a class in Adobe Illustrator, in which the teacher let the class know how much she hated "anime style" drawings. In fact, in our final projects, we were allowed to make movie posters of any movie or show except anime. I did the next best thing and used Disney's Mulan for my poster.
2. I once took a watercolor class that was taught by this old guy. One time when we had our pieces on display for feedback, the teacher said of this one girl's piece, "It's nice, but it looks too much like anime. I can't wait until that goes out of style." The picture didn't even look very "anime-ish". I guess it all looks the same to the untrained eye.
3. The final story is about an animation class that I took. I asked the teacher, "Is there anything you'd like us to avoid when drawing our animation?" I asked just to see if he had that a prejudice against anime too. Guess what? He did. I drew "anime" anyway.
I have a feeling that it's a prerequisite for teachers to hate all anime. No wonder I have such low self-confidence with my art. People in my life have assured me that there are more ways of drawing than just realism. Sure, realism is the building blocks for almost anything, but there are tons of styles out there.
Still, I don't know why anime is the only one that's picked on. If that's the authority's general stance, it would only be fair if they write off things that are "cartoon style" as well.
Call it karma. Call it luck. Me, I just don't give a... BOUNCE!
MewChero
Neko Girl (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 10/30/14 | Reply
Dude. Most of the most famous artist were not taken seriously at first. Walt Disney was fired from his first job as an animator. The anime style? Based of Walt's early works.
Don't give up dear. :)