Confessions thread

[~Jester]

I made a down payment for a suit from morefurless a few months ago. I don't have to have it paid off in full until around sept 2015 but I'm stressing cause I wanted to have it paid off way sooner. Like by feb but I'm having some financial issues which I'm not really liking one bit cause my significant "others" don't know yet...

 

[Sarcastic Coffeecup]

I think my taste in things is quite refined and better than most of my peers'.

 

[Evan of Phrygia]

i have a bit of a tendency to be very very aggressive about the subjectivity of opinions in music. most other things i tend to be relatively passive, however when it comes to discussions on music i can be far more aggressive

and i dont necessarily mean more prone to ad hominem, more that i refuse to take certain opinions sitting down

 

[Fallowfox]

This may be a little ranting, but here it goes.

Sometimes I get the feeling that the reason why I don't get many people who favorite my art or watch my page is I did something wrong. On one hand I draw because I have a passion for furries and a desire to improve. On the other hand I like seeing others who share my passion when they favorite, comment or watch what I do. So is it possible to like something but at the same time want others to do so? Sounds like a contradiction but I don't know why.

Now I know I'm not the top artist here and I know that art tends to get buried when first submitting it. But I am doing much better than when I started in 2012. Call is anxiety/ fretting but I think something happened to repel others from my page though for the life of me I can't think what that is! I have a few possible reasons. One is I draw My Little Pony art along with furry art even during the time when there was a backlash with it on this site, although that I can't see as a big deal enough to cause people to avoid me. There really isn't anything I said on my journals or here to cause problems as mostly I talk about what I love with books, movies, etc. and my plans in the future. Admittedly my busy life has prevented me from interacting more with the fandom but again I don't see that as a problem either. The last thing I can think is that people are just uninterested with what and how I draw. As I said art isn't something that comes to me naturally and it has admittedly been an uphill battle. But I hope that what and how I draw hasn't turned perspective watchers away since the furry fandom is the most open fandom when it comes to art themes and styles. Now I'm not drama ridden about this as I'm the last person to get upset about things like this but still it does make me wonder. It is something I do think about when I submit an art work and see maybe two or three people comment or favorite.

So I'm not sure what the answer is, when it will change, or if I'll get a magical answer to what I can do to fix it. But this is a confession thread and it is something on my mind that I wanted to put out to fellow furries.

Thanks!

That is indeed the reason.

This is what you add to your favourites: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/15187730/
The drawing is clear. The form of the figure is continuous and convincing. The colours have been chosen from a carefully controlled palette, such that they compliment one another. The pose and clothing has been chosen such that the subject reveals just enough to be inviting, but sexual themes are not plain enough to be obscene.

This is your version: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/15060995/
The form of the figure is inconsistent, because their body parts vary in size and shape erratically, deviating from reality to a disturbing degree. Look at how profound the difference in the size of each eyeball is. The uneven and prominent breasts imply a sexual tone that is frightening, rather than alluring.

You surely know already why your image is not popular. You have as much chance of striking suddenly upon a scintillating drawing talent a I have of becoming a ballet dancer.

If you really want to spend your time improving it's going to take a considerable effort and you will have to accept that you are not losing prospective watchers because they have a prejudice about your style. It's because even you wouldn't add your drawings to your favourites, had another artist made them.

 

[Sarcastic Coffeecup]

This may be a little ranting, but here it goes.

Sometimes I get the feeling that the reason why I don't get many people who favorite my art or watch my page is I did something wrong. On one hand I draw because I have a passion for furries and a desire to improve. On the other hand I like seeing others who share my passion when they favorite, comment or watch what I do. So is it possible to like something but at the same time want others to do so? Sounds like a contradiction but I don't know why.

Now I know I'm not the top artist here and I know that art tends to get buried when first submitting it. But I am doing much better than when I started in 2012. Call is anxiety/ fretting but I think something happened to repel others from my page though for the life of me I can't think what that is! I have a few possible reasons. One is I draw My Little Pony art along with furry art even during the time when there was a backlash with it on this site, although that I can't see as a big deal enough to cause people to avoid me. There really isn't anything I said on my journals or here to cause problems as mostly I talk about what I love with books, movies, etc. and my plans in the future. Admittedly my busy life has prevented me from interacting more with the fandom but again I don't see that as a problem either. The last thing I can think is that people are just uninterested with what and how I draw. As I said art isn't something that comes to me naturally and it has admittedly been an uphill battle. But I hope that what and how I draw hasn't turned perspective watchers away since the furry fandom is the most open fandom when it comes to art themes and styles. Now I'm not drama ridden about this as I'm the last person to get upset about things like this but still it does make me wonder. It is something I do think about when I submit an art work and see maybe two or three people comment or favorite.

So I'm not sure what the answer is, when it will change, or if I'll get a magical answer to what I can do to fix it. But this is a confession thread and it is something on my mind that I wanted to put out to fellow furries.

Thanks!

"I know I'm not the top artist there"
Take a long good look at what you've done, and what others have done. Like Fallow implied, your work is not nearly in par with the ones that rake the attention.
You don't have a "style" per se, you lack the skill to have one.

What others make get your manparts move, incites laughter or instills emotion. What you draw makes people want to let the creatures out of their misery. You have artwork there that's obviously supposed to be sensual, but the grotesqueness of them drives people away because your lines are shaky, proportions and perspectives are far off, and the colouring is quite nauseous.
It's no wonder you're not getting attention the way you want, and it's got nothing to do with your themes.
It all just feels..sloppy. Pay more attention and spend more time on them and suddenly they become better.

 

[Schwimmwagen]

So I'm not sure what the answer is, when it will change, or if I'll get a magical answer to what I can do to fix it.

You've already been given the "answer" in previous threads where you've asked for art help, you've been directed to resource after resource, book after book, but you clearly haven't applied any of it at all.

I'm not gonna spend ages listing all the things you need to improve upon, but for example, you draw your idea of something, rather than taking a look at what that actual thing IS. Look up symbol drawing.

The "answer" is a ton of work on a ton of different subjects. There is no easy way out, there's no secret formula, there's no trick, there's no pathway to some kind of "style" that people find appealing.

http://artfag.hubpages.com/hub/how-to-draw-learn
https://sites.google.com/site/ourwici/

Art skills don't just happen. Take a good, critical look at your art and the art you favourite and think about what it is that separates the two. It most definitely isn't the subject matter. You need to sit down and do all the really boring lessons, it sucks, I know. If you want to improve, you need to work, and work hard.
You can't just throw down ideas and hope it magically gathers the interest of tons of people and you get all their faves and comments for your instant gratification. You're going to need to trudge through some potentially boring shit (good on you if you learn to enjoy the process!) and you WILL improve if you apply what is taught to you from the countless available resources.

 

[Art Vulpine]

Thanks for the replies.

I guess the truth was literally right in front of my face and part of me didn't want to admit that my art is bad, no bad isn't even the word, horrible. I was blind to think that my art had a style to it when it didn't have that. It's like I know what I want but actually drawing it is the problem. I never thought that the lack of followers was a prejudice to my art, citing that while me drawing MLP art being a possibility it was certainly not one I believed to be true.

And Schwimmwagen, I have studied many of the resources you gave me and I thank you for that. I guess I had the idea that by drawing the total picture I'd be in the process learning the shapes and how they worked together, but again that's not the case.

Well I consider this a wake up call, and now I know what I must do: Learn and practice the basics, get rid of the current furry pictures I drew as they serve no purpose being on any art site and will do more harm than good being here, and no more drawing furry art until I can master the basics of figure and animal drawing and learn to combine them.

Thanks!

 

[Bonobosoph]

Hey, we all start somewhere. Just don't stop practicing, and even if you do lack natural skill it doesn't mean you can't draw for your own enjoyment.
As you improve it may be for the enjoyment of others too.

 

[Kit H. Ruppell]

I let some advertisement about impending financial collapse scare the shit out of me. Now I just want to curl into a ball and shut everything out.

 

[Art Vulpine]

I let some advertisement about impending financial collapse scare the shit out of me. Now I just want to curl into a ball and shut everything out.

Economics are not static but are more of a roller coaster. There will be rises and there will be falls. America just came out of one of the greatest financial crisis times since the Great Depression, and although not perfect by any means many have recovered. Remember that many ads use trumped up scare tactics to convince you to buy something so look beyond what they are saying and more to what they are trying to sell.

 

[Schwimmwagen]

And Schwimmwagen, I have studied many of the resources you gave me and I thank you for that. I guess I had the idea that by drawing the total picture I'd be in the process learning the shapes and how they worked together, but again that's not the case.

You learn from observation, and copying.

That means you're gonna have to read specifically on how 3D form works, in the context of drawing. And as practise, you're probably gonna want to draw stuff like boring household objects.

 

[funky3000]

I sometimes look at my list of watchers and wonder who's still active and who actually pays attention to my shit. :V

 

[Feste]

Head colds make me feel detached from reality. I'm wondering if this is normal, and where I am in this moment of my life on my timescale.

 

[jtrekkie]

So, I've sorta been thinking and I don't actually have any reasons for caring... but I do have a reason for not caring... so bi.

Head colds make me feel detached from reality.

Does it to me.

 

[Fallowfox]

You learn from observation, and copying.

That means you're gonna have to read specifically on how 3D form works, in the context of drawing. And as practise, you're probably gonna want to draw stuff like boring household objects.

In addition, some of us will never become artistically competent. I think that some of us leave it too late, by which time the window of opportunity has closed, as with learning foreign languages.

Encouraging every user to continue practicing may not produce any improvement and could represent a significant waste of effort. If years of trying don't bring about a significant improvement there may be other talents, which would be more fruitful, if only they were tended to instead.

 

[Schwimmwagen]

In addition, some of us will never become artistically competent. I think that some of us leave it too late, by which time the window of opportunity has closed, as with learning foreign languages.

Encouraging every user to continue practicing may not produce any improvement and could represent a significant waste of effort. If years of trying don't bring about a significant improvement there may be other talents, which would be more fruitful, if only they were tended to instead.

Yeah. I've been leaning towards quitting, myself. People tell me that I do good and that I do improve, but I can never see it. I'm waiting for someone to be honest with me and tell me I'm shit, so I can finally quit and do something I might actually be good at.

Or maybe I just don't work hard enough, or practise badly so I don't improve?

 

[Art Vulpine]

In addition, some of us will never become artistically competent. I think that some of us leave it too late, by which time the window of opportunity has closed, as with learning foreign languages.

Encouraging every user to continue practicing may not produce any improvement and could represent a significant waste of effort. If years of trying don't bring about a significant improvement there may be other talents, which would be more fruitful, if only they were tended to instead.

Well I've tried since 2012 and at that time I jumped in head first by trying to draw characters in their entirety. This of course I know was the opposite of what I should have done, starting with shapes and simple objects. I would hate to think that these past two years of incorrect learning makes me a lost cause.

 

[Sarcastic Coffeecup]

In addition, some of us will never become artistically competent. I think that some of us leave it too late, by which time the window of opportunity has closed, as with learning foreign languages.

Encouraging every user to continue practicing may not produce any improvement and could represent a significant waste of effort. If years of trying don't bring about a significant improvement there may be other talents, which would be more fruitful, if only they were tended to instead.

A load of bullfuck.
Anything can be learned at any age. However there's a certain age during which the brains have the most plasticity and are the most adaptable and absorbant to new information/skills. Past that age, it will be harder to accumulate new talents, but far be it from impossible and if someone wants to learn something and works for it, it sure ain't a waste of effort.

 

[Fallowfox]

A load of bullfuck.
Anything can be learned at any age. However there's a certain age during which the brains have the most plasticity and are the most adaptable and absorbant to new information/skills. Past that age, it will be harder to accumulate new talents, but far be it from impossible and if someone wants to learn something and works for it, it sure ain't a waste of effort.

This is true, but there are constraints; plasticity is finite and lots of people do waste their effort on ambitions that will never be and never could have.

 

[Sarcastic Coffeecup]

This is true, but there are constraints; plasticity is finite and lots of people do waste their effort on ambitions that will never be and never could have.

I'll half agree and say that instead of constraints, people just drop out way too easily before reaching their potential due to obstacles, and in that sense the work they did will go to waste if unused.
I'm an example of this, I lost all motivation to draw some time before, and all the work I spent to learn the things was, in a way, for naught...that is until I pick up the pen again.

 

[Fallowfox]

I'll half agree and say that instead of constraints, people just drop out way too easily before reaching their potential, and in that sense the work they did will go to waste if unused.
I'm an example of this, I lost all motivation to draw some time before, and all the work I spent to learn the things was, in a way, for naught...that is until I pick up the pen again.

This is a constraint, because potentials can only be met and not exceeded.

I agree that it is unlikely many of us will ever reach our potential, and also think that this potential is often smaller than our ambitions.

 

[jtrekkie]

Since you have no way of telling what your potential really is it isn't helpful to talk about how close you are to reaching it. At most that will just give you an easy excuse for giving up early.

 

[Fallowfox]

Since you have no way of telling what your potential really is it isn't helpful to talk about how close you are to reaching it. At most that will just give you an easy excuse for giving up early.

This happens, but people also, for lack of honest introspection, fail to recognise limits and consequently spend a lot of energy in pursuit of unattainable ambitions such as fame as a musician.

I suspect people are more likely to prematurely identify their potential in fields such as maths, and fail to recognise lost causes when it comes to socially celebrated talents, like painting or writing.

 

[Evan of Phrygia]

edit: my entire argument is pointless because i misread your post. Fucking beautiful.

 

[Luki]

Doesn't the diminished time and greater responsibilities that we come to possess when we grow older factor in most people's capability of working on their potential talents? Provided such talent is not intertwined with one's career, or such.

I had a remarkably easy time learning foreign languages when I was a kid, but now I do find that it has become increasingly difficult to really learn new things as I did back then.

I don't feel brain "plasticity" plays as much of a big role in limiting potential as one's circumstances do. If only everyone had the resources to completely dedicate themselves to working on what they have an affinity for...