08/23/06 Powder Puff

[topher chee]

Ah, indeedio Amber you are right.  That is very stange how thats exactly why most artists critisize their artwork.  1.  To avoid being....egotistical jerks as you said, and 2. I think realizing our own mistakes helps us improve.  Looking back on Aber's first pieces, she really has come a looooong way.  Someday I hope the same will happen for myself, and so do others, all we can do is stick out the rough times and practice, practice, PRACTICE!!!!!

[xHaZxMaTx]

Why do artists always criticize their own work?  Because they drew the pic, and know where the flaws are, even if you couldn't see them without a magnifying glass.  They're a very nit-picky lot.

[ElectroMotive]

hey if you made it wouldn't you want it to be perfect too?

[Manawolf]

Example #1 is above average at the least.

[thegayhare]

you know I feel the same way...

I 'll prepare a meal and when I sit down  I enjoy it but I can always taste whats wrong and I'm nevver 100 percent satisfied.

It doesn't matter if I get raves from the others who eat but to me I always feel there is something wrong

[ElectroMotive]

same thing in music too. there's always something thats off beat or out of tune and dosen't fit in. It may sound perfect to the audience but to the musician it's horrible.

[Kenji]

That bunny in the third panel looks almost as thin as Amber. o:

[Rowne]

It's the only cure for stagnation damnation, too.  If an artist perceives their work as perfect (and I've known a few that do), then their work tends to never actually improve, evolve or change over a period of say, five years, they might grow as a person but their art will remain wholly unchanged.  The only way to really avoid this is to convince oneself that indeed, one's efforts aren't as good as what the fans believe they are.

Then again, I'm certain that every artist out there already knows all this, so I'm not quite sure why I typed it up.

I have to say though, I do like artists that are approachable because of this.  Those that don't set their sights too high and especially those that share their art in a way that everyone can enjoy, whether it's free and fully accessible or cheap and indie.  I would note that this is quite easy to see in a lot of industries, compare Marvel (whenever Grant Morrison isn't writing it) with a lot of indie comic publishers out there, generally the indie work is much more inventive.

I think it's something that art school should teach along with the skill itself.  Back when I was in art school, I don't remember anything of the sort, which is a shame really.  Then again, it's likely that I was attending a really crappy college, all too likely.

Besides, an artist doesn't need to have all that much confidence, their fans will always have more than enough for them and that's enough of a self-esteem booster for most artists, not to overstate the importance of the fans though since without something to actually be a fan of, we wouldn't be here.  So all praise Amber.

I'll try and make more of a point with the next post I make anyway ... or at least I'll shoot for bad humour.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

bwahahahaha. :-)

Okay, on that note, I can sleep happily. :-) As ever Amber has put her finger on the point perfectly, and, with her pin of ingenuity, pierced the inflated ego of the flamboyant artiste.... :-)

[Boog]

  Same thing happens to me when I look through old sketchbooks. Anyone else think that the Artist-vision one still doesn't look too bad? Not a particularly attractive subject matter, but still well drawn in a cartooney sort of style.

[Roureem Egas]

I read this strip, and now all I can think about is the monster phage Shippai Sakuda.

[Dakata]

My old art's worse than Amber's. My old art's...creepy-lookin'. I don't know why the heck I thought it was cool. I must've been high or something.

...*Points and laffs at the lopsided boob*

[GabrielsThoughts]

the ppg bandwagon never died...and I have proof. plus there is now an Anime of it in Japan.

I have artwork from when my artwork looked like JTHM around 1998 1999 . I'm not proud off it, but then again the it was so bad it was cool...

[topher chee]

hehe if you wanna get critical, when i was in 1st grade, heh, all my people i drew had giant hands and feet, lol

[bill]

My critics and I agree; I can't draw worth crap.

[Jack McSlay]

My reaction to my own ancient works is usually different... I tend to laugh instead. 

It's the only cure for stagnation damnation, too.  If an artist perceives their work as perfect (and I've known a few that do), then their work tends to never actually improve, evolve or change over a period of say, five years, they might grow as a person but their art will remain wholly unchanged.  The only way to really avoid this is to convince oneself that indeed, one's efforts aren't as good as what the fans believe they are.

Then again, I'm certain that every artist out there already knows all this, so I'm not quite sure why I typed it up.

I have to say though, I do like artists that are approachable because of this.  Those that don't set their sights too high and especially those that share their art in a way that everyone can enjoy, whether it's free and fully accessible or cheap and indie.  I would note that this is quite easy to see in a lot of industries, compare Marvel (whenever Grant Morrison isn't writing it) with a lot of indie comic publishers out there, generally the indie work is much more inventive.

I think it's something that art school should teach along with the skill itself.  Back when I was in art school, I don't remember anything of the sort, which is a shame really.  Then again, it's likely that I was attending a really crappy college, all too likely.

Besides, an artist doesn't need to have all that much confidence, their fans will always have more than enough for them and that's enough of a self-esteem booster for most artists, not to overstate the importance of the fans though since without something to actually be a fan of, we wouldn't be here.  So all praise Amber.

I'll try and make more of a point with the next post I make anyway ... or at least I'll shoot for bad humour.

I really hate when artists try to drive away critics, saying he/she won't revamp the given piece is not a valid excuse, and the "you can't critique on something you can't do better" is even worst. It's very nice when an artist draws and post up art to gain a little feedback, rather than inflating their egos (and I've seen many who fall in the second category)

[Wanderer]

Of course it applies to writers also. The work is ALWAYS terrible. Begone, pitiful excuses for prose! *pours gasoline on computer and tosses a match after it*

[Sketchy boy]

Meh, whatever.  I only do it because It never comes out like ive imagined it.

But fluffy has a point.  Al my old artwork DOSE look destorting.  Look at the back of my gallery. *shudder*

[GabrielsThoughts]

what was the diffrence between the bunny in the second panel and the one in the third. I'm hard pressed to discover  what makes the second one so aweful....





Just kidding.

[topher chee]

talk about distorted, my drawing have been so outta proportion latyely

[Silverfoxr]

i keep all my old artwork - i have a a bookcase that consists of sketchbooks that go back to 1998 and REally OLD art that goes back even further to 1992 which i keep in storage - i always think i am ick - cause i see so many others who are way better - but instresting when i look back at the stuff i did in 92 and see how much its changed O_O

[James StarRunner]

I burned all my old artwork. I really shouldn't have, but I know I've improved by leaps and bounds.

[Netami]

I wonder how many artists say their work sucks, despite a large following, just to see people comfort them.

[Amber Williams]

There probably is a standard amount that use the "oh I'm bad, give me comfort" approach.  Just like there are probably those who use their art simply as a platform to try to become popular and hang with the "cool kids"  It really likely more depends on the character of the person...just like some people might use their connections to famous people to boost themselves, or how some might take an illness as an excuse to leech public sympathy.

Art, in the end, is in some ways just a tool...it all depends on how a person uses it.  I dont doubt there are artists out there who abuse it.

For the most part though, I find a good chunk of artists have a good level-head over things. Many realize that yeah...they're art is either still learning or that it has redeeming features, but also that there is room to expand upon.  I know I personally tend to be very blargh about going back and changing an image if there are some flaws, however I try to keep them in mind for the future ones. 

[topher chee]

sometimes i wish i can just throw out all the crappy stuff and re-draw them, but now that i think about it, it is good to know your mistakes.

Dontcha just hate it when people are like that, drama queens.  Heh, I know when I first started drawing I thought it was awesome work, but now that i look back, im like, wtf?

[RJ]

[GabrielsThoughts]

I have a footlocker and a file cabinent filled with art, comics, and stories that I've done...shivers... and Ironically a few years back I was surprised how often the stories  seemed simmilar to one another.

[Saist]

is it wrong that I just want to sweep PowerPuff Amber off her feet and SNUGGLE her?

[e_voyager]

my so called art has not even made it as far as the artist vision. i look at in and feel that way amber does about her early work and more of my early work has been destroyed in shame

[Sienna Maiu - M T]

OMG~! The backrounds in Amber's Artist-Vision are telling her she sucks! We must kill it!

And that is all I really have to say on that matter.