Warning: Angst Ahead ((feel free to ignore))

[melon_cocktail]

“But”, out of every word in the English language, is my least favorite. Nothing good comes from the word “but.” “Your husband’s heart condition is improving, but…” “You’re a great person and all, but…” “You’re doing really well in shading, but…”

Mid-term critiques where this week, and I thought I was doing pretty well Nothing like a good critique to

Comments

[chiave_trust]

No one sympathizes who would, because we don't know.

I'm not sure if this means much coming from me, but.. *hugs*

[melon_cocktail]

I've accepted that no one’s really going to get it, it's one of those things you where have to been in that position. I guess I was just expecting more from art students, I thought maybe they might understand...

But a hug, even just a digital one incased in a pair of asterisks, is really all I wanted to begin with. It does mean a lot.

[instigator_ash]

I get it. I have a very specific writing style, and I have a devil of a time getting out of it because I like it. However, a very smart creative writing teacher told me it's best to have multiple colors in my palette, because no matter how good I am at my specialty, there will be subjects that call for different styles. That's why they're trying to make you use other moods than the one you're good at. Also, you may find elements in the other styles that you can pull in to improve your preferred style. I don't normally shade heavily, for instance, but a good understanding of shaded drawing helps me add a couple lines in an unshaded drawing to suggest where a shadow might be.

I don't know if knowing there's a not-completely-subjective reason will help make learning additional styles any easier though. It's especially frustrating when changing modes seems to make you draw worse for a while.

[chiave_trust]

Ah, I got the same comments from my writing teacher and anyone who knows me well; for example, I'm reasonably good at dialogue, and so I tend to use that all the time when I'm not paying attention - it's my default style.

Geting out of it really is trying to get out of a style I've had since I was in fifth grade. ^^; *hugs the Steph-chan again* So I understand that.

I will have to say... on one hand, having two styles (one to please the art instructor and another one for yourself) sounds rather like an art version of multiple-personality disorder, but I'm well aware that sometimes the animated style isn't considered "artistic" enough by others (my mother, for example, always brings up this point and hates the style), while the more realistic styles are. You'll have to choose what you want to do with it, but just remember that people love your art.

Lovelove. We loves on it. (At least Chris and I do, I think, having been your art bitches. XD)

[chiave_trust]

Oh, forgot something else, which is likely much more pertinent. Sorry if I'm commenting overmuch.

Even with writing, taking criticism is hard. I've drawn briefly as well, and I know that with art (writing, drawing/painting/photography, hell, pretty much anything that can be considered 'art') you're putting yourself into it. The pieces of art aren't just "pieces of art" or "homework assignments", they become extensions of your own self.

(A more obvious form of this is RP/story characters, which is part of the reason I haven't left tC - I can't just leave Kit and Mahou without some form of appropriate ending for them, if that makes any sort of sense.)

If you need to talk, at all, feel free to talk to me.

[16shadows]

You insist that I don't get it, and perhaps I don't. I think what you drew that conclusion from was my reaction, which was not the same as yours. I tend to be lazy and look for the easiest way to keep my life stress-free, rather than the best for myself or the guidelines that others set out.

But I really don't know what it's like to be fighting years' worth of a style, so...

In your position, I'd probably set up two styles: one for to please the conventionally trained art teacher, and one that I like and that I do for myself and my friends. (I, for one, prefer animations and cartoon styles to more realistic styles, and your style amazing... I must have told you by now that when I first met you at Linden your style almost completely overhauled my own...)

Once again, Steph, I'm doing my best to understand you, but, failing that, I want you to be happy. So. ::hugsh:: Talk to me more, too. I like to think it's good for friends to talk. >.>;

[melon_cocktail]

Maybe I didn't express this well enough, but I am fully aware that what I'm learning will be good for me and be of a benifit in the long run. I'm not so self-absorbed as to think my style is the only thing I'll never need. I also realize that I can draw how I want when I'm not in class. If anything, drawing for Lou Anne and drawing what I want is like the difference between writing formaly for a term paper as opposed to the way one writes on AIM. I get it.

That's not the issue.

I need to be told I'm doing well to feel I'm doing well. Lou Anne skipped over that bit in my critique and so my self-esteem crashed through the floor. Especially, because she'd been so good about it in class prior to this week.`

I have to say though, remembering my "art bitches" made me smile. Oh man, Otakon.