I has a bother.
I don't bring my good sketchbook to work for several reasons; for starters, it's hardcover and doesn't FIT in my locker -- not when I have to bring a bag for my water bottles and my lunch. That's why I have cheapie Wally-world sketchbook; it has a soft cover so it bends very nicely to fit in my locker with all the extra crap stuffed in along with it. Another problem is my job turns my hands and arms several shades of gray. And I sweat. A lot. I wash my hands and I still manage to turn the pages of cheapie Wally-world sketchbook gray. And finally, I don't draw anything pornographic or graphically violent, BUT I do have some things in it that I don't always want other people looking at. Starting with several nude character sketches (no genitals, get your minds outta the gutter!). Other artists seem to understand drawing figures naked first to get the structure and physique down, and then worry about how clothing fits over it. So if another artist was looking I wouldn't have any issues because they most likely wouldn't even think say anything. But non-artists always look at me like I'm some sort of sexual deviant when they see them. I also eek in story telling sketches for myself. They don't read like comics, they're just wherever I can fit the idea on the page and only I seem to understand how each little sketch relates to the others. But when other people look at it, they ask me questions that I don't always like answering.
Since I really only draw in cheapie Wally-world sketchbook at work, I'm not filling every page up in rapid time. I have been working on the same sketch for the past two weeks. Apparently I'm not entertaining the masses, so I have been ORDERED by one particular co-worker to bring in my good sketchbook. Not asked. Not even politely.
This person has already proven he has no respect for my personal property. Bending pages, and touching them pages with dirty, sweaty fingers on a magazine I spent nearly twenty bucks on is irritating and bothersome. But if he ruins it, I can always buy a new magazine. Putting his grubby hands and leaving gray fingerprints on something I drew on, while bending the pages, is another matter entirely.
I view sketchbooks as very personal things. If an artist doesn't want people looking through it, maybe you should respect their wishes. Maybe I was having a bad day and drew something that depicts an emotional state I don't wish others seeing. I've done that. A lot. I don't scan those because I don't want people looking at them. And I don't like being ordered to bring it in at all.
I told him I wasn't going to bring it in, so naturally he bitched at me. I told him if he really wants to see my work, go to deviant, I have two flippin' accounts. He said he doesn't have the internet. Sweetheart, that ain't my problem. Next time someone asks, I'm just going to start lying and tell them I do all my sketches digitally in Sai or photoshop with a non portable Wacom tablet hooked up to my desktop computer. Sorry, no sketchbook for you. And I don't own a printer, so I can't printing anything out. HA HA.
Unfortunately, sketching at work has brought up another thing I LOVE so much, the "Can you draw for me" crowd. I've already had three requests for art so far. One seemed aghast that I would even suggest charging him for art, the others I just told I'm not taking commissions at this time, and got whiny "Awe"s back... they probably wouldn't like my rates anyway.
Look I know I draw in a cutesy cartoony style and for some reason that doesn't mean I'm a real artist to some people. I'm so bloody sick of being taken advantage of. I've had several people come to me for projects and I've drawn things for these people. I have never been paid, nor will I ever. I've been promised copies of books, I have not seen one arriving in my mailbox since White Wolf ten years ago. And you know what, it hurts more than you can imagine. It's why I don't draw much anymore, because so many people have made it clear that "free" is all I'm good for.
So if free is all I'm good for, you get what I want, and to hell with what you want.
And look, I know I'm responsible for a lot of my problems getting jobs in the art world. I don't go to the right people, or I gullible assume the right people have come to me, or I'm just downright lazy and unmotivated. Whenever I try to discuss setting up a contract with potential clients, I get ignored. So I decided to ignore back. I know, that's very professional and mature of me. I've kind of settled into a state of just wanted to draw for myself and piss on everyone else anyway. I'm obviously not making a living with it, and at this stage probably never will, so I might as well enjoy myself.
And I'm not bringing my hardcover sketchbook to work. SO NAH!
Since I really only draw in cheapie Wally-world sketchbook at work, I'm not filling every page up in rapid time. I have been working on the same sketch for the past two weeks. Apparently I'm not entertaining the masses, so I have been ORDERED by one particular co-worker to bring in my good sketchbook. Not asked. Not even politely.
This person has already proven he has no respect for my personal property. Bending pages, and touching them pages with dirty, sweaty fingers on a magazine I spent nearly twenty bucks on is irritating and bothersome. But if he ruins it, I can always buy a new magazine. Putting his grubby hands and leaving gray fingerprints on something I drew on, while bending the pages, is another matter entirely.
I view sketchbooks as very personal things. If an artist doesn't want people looking through it, maybe you should respect their wishes. Maybe I was having a bad day and drew something that depicts an emotional state I don't wish others seeing. I've done that. A lot. I don't scan those because I don't want people looking at them. And I don't like being ordered to bring it in at all.
I told him I wasn't going to bring it in, so naturally he bitched at me. I told him if he really wants to see my work, go to deviant, I have two flippin' accounts. He said he doesn't have the internet. Sweetheart, that ain't my problem. Next time someone asks, I'm just going to start lying and tell them I do all my sketches digitally in Sai or photoshop with a non portable Wacom tablet hooked up to my desktop computer. Sorry, no sketchbook for you. And I don't own a printer, so I can't printing anything out. HA HA.
Unfortunately, sketching at work has brought up another thing I LOVE so much, the "Can you draw for me" crowd. I've already had three requests for art so far. One seemed aghast that I would even suggest charging him for art, the others I just told I'm not taking commissions at this time, and got whiny "Awe"s back... they probably wouldn't like my rates anyway.
Look I know I draw in a cutesy cartoony style and for some reason that doesn't mean I'm a real artist to some people. I'm so bloody sick of being taken advantage of. I've had several people come to me for projects and I've drawn things for these people. I have never been paid, nor will I ever. I've been promised copies of books, I have not seen one arriving in my mailbox since White Wolf ten years ago. And you know what, it hurts more than you can imagine. It's why I don't draw much anymore, because so many people have made it clear that "free" is all I'm good for.
So if free is all I'm good for, you get what I want, and to hell with what you want.
And look, I know I'm responsible for a lot of my problems getting jobs in the art world. I don't go to the right people, or I gullible assume the right people have come to me, or I'm just downright lazy and unmotivated. Whenever I try to discuss setting up a contract with potential clients, I get ignored. So I decided to ignore back. I know, that's very professional and mature of me. I've kind of settled into a state of just wanted to draw for myself and piss on everyone else anyway. I'm obviously not making a living with it, and at this stage probably never will, so I might as well enjoy myself.
And I'm not bringing my hardcover sketchbook to work. SO NAH!