Sensitive Artist is Sensitive?
It's been a few years (too long) since I've thoroughly immersed myself in artses. Back before the Potter series finished, it was more fun to speculate through drawings, and I suppose the drive considerably waned due to Book 7. No artses means no postings on LJ or on Deviant Art.
Occasionally I'll receive a comment on DA on a picture, which is an especially sweet gesture from folks as I don't generally reply on Deviant Art, and anyone who views a picture can immediately see that I don't reply to comments.
Recently I received two from a reviewer, the first with the comment, "GAh! Is that lipstick?!?" It was actually a contrast thing I'd played with on the scanner to give the picture a really "dark" look (the title of the picture is in fact called "In Shadow"...hence...you know...shadows). I broke my usual silence on DA to briefly explain the scanner contrast, and the reply was that it was fine if one didn't look at the eyes or lips because the effect was of an emo drag queen.
I feel torn about this, because I don't mind critique if there is no malice or competitiveness or whatever behind it. And there really wasn't here. But commenting on a picture with a challenge that puts me on the defense, followed by a reply that essentially means, "Well, whatever but I still don't like it..." that seems kind of petty and a bit rude. And really, what if it WAS lipstick? Goodness. Deal with it?
Leaving your stuff up on the Intarwebz automatically opens it up to critique - I get that. And again I'm fine with it - a few reviews on other pieces had very good critique that was quite constructive. Maybe that's the issue - it wasn't constructive critique. Or was it? Rgh.
I'm trying to think how I would feel about it if I had just posted the picture a few days ago. Would I feel any different? I hope I would. Sensitive artist is sensitive?
Hm.
Occasionally I'll receive a comment on DA on a picture, which is an especially sweet gesture from folks as I don't generally reply on Deviant Art, and anyone who views a picture can immediately see that I don't reply to comments.
Recently I received two from a reviewer, the first with the comment, "GAh! Is that lipstick?!?" It was actually a contrast thing I'd played with on the scanner to give the picture a really "dark" look (the title of the picture is in fact called "In Shadow"...hence...you know...shadows). I broke my usual silence on DA to briefly explain the scanner contrast, and the reply was that it was fine if one didn't look at the eyes or lips because the effect was of an emo drag queen.
I feel torn about this, because I don't mind critique if there is no malice or competitiveness or whatever behind it. And there really wasn't here. But commenting on a picture with a challenge that puts me on the defense, followed by a reply that essentially means, "Well, whatever but I still don't like it..." that seems kind of petty and a bit rude. And really, what if it WAS lipstick? Goodness. Deal with it?
Leaving your stuff up on the Intarwebz automatically opens it up to critique - I get that. And again I'm fine with it - a few reviews on other pieces had very good critique that was quite constructive. Maybe that's the issue - it wasn't constructive critique. Or was it? Rgh.
I'm trying to think how I would feel about it if I had just posted the picture a few days ago. Would I feel any different? I hope I would. Sensitive artist is sensitive?
Hm.