Just a thought

[lukadron]

from Euclase's tumblr:
I know you're probably upset with me for suggesting that it might not be wise to complain about others not crediting your work when you constantly delete things. I apologize for that. I didn't realize there were other contributing factors.

But now my curiosity is piqued. You are very talented, and even if I'm not interested in

Comments

[mcruthless]

In the end, if people are having fun drawing fanart, great! If they don't want to draw fanart, that's great too! No one is obligated to draw original art any more than they are to draw a million pictures of their favorite Naruto characters banging. You can't say one requires more work or talent than the other because art is art. I can spend a year on one piece of fanart (and I have) and a day on a piece of original work and guess what, they're both equally valid expressions of my talent.

It's sad that fanartists get a lot of shit for drawing other people's characters. It's hard to get a character to look recognizable when they're not yours and they aren't drawn in your style! Regardless of subject matter, there's still the composition, line quality, shading, coloring, all that sort of stuff you have to consider in a piece regardless of it's original characters or not.

[hideincarnate]

I agree with this comment. I like fan art and original art, but I get interested in an artist through their fan art. I don't run around the internet looking for original art - I look for fan art because I know I like those characters. I'm already emotionally invested in them. You know? =/

[salty_catfish]

Oy, is she back?

[schreckschraube]

So... you're using your spare time to draw other people's characters, just because you feel like it... and people criticize you, asking you to be more creative.

Would the same people have the guts to criticize someone for spending their spare time on something completely uncreative, like watching TV for hours, or playing tetris, or reading Vogue?

Or would the same people criticize you for painting your version of, let's say, Baba Yaga or Julius Caesar? That's fan art, that is.

I think the best answer to these people is: "Them as pay the piper choose the tune, and last time I looked, you weren't paying me. I'm doing this for fun. If you want to see me drawing original characters, well, that's not fun, that's work. So either pay me money, or swallow the fan art I'm giving you. Or GTFO."

[saskia_dx]

Ich bin immer so am Stirnrunzeln wenn Leute sagen das fanart nicht persönlich ist. Jede Art der Kunst ist ja schlussendlich eine Form der Kommunikation. Fanart ist halt etwas spezifischer bei der Zielgruppe, Menschen die mit dem Fandom nicht vertraut sind sind halt mehr oder weniger ausgeschlossen. Aber ist das bei den konventionellen Werken so großartig anders

[katokatt]

Fanart doesn't warrant criticism unless the artist asks for it. (And then usually just when it comes to technique; literal advice about drawing/painting.) It's done for fun, people usually don't do it for work. Everyone has a different reason for why they do fanart, and every reason is just as legitimate.

Whether personal pieces vs fanart is even something needed to be discussed is really the question. One shouldn't have to defend one's hobbies. If it's for fun then it's for you. Others might as well not seek if out and look at it, if it's that big of a conflict to them.