Artist attitude - pet peeves?

[LordVincent]

Constructive criticism is useful, especially when it's coming from your peers. Sometimes that criticism comes in the form of a joke, but that doesn't make it less any valuable or well-meaning.

Putting people down =/= constructive criticism. The point of constructive is that it is rationally stated, unbiased/objective (as separated from irrelevant personal preference as possible) and clearly points out the problem and the solution. Constructive criticism preferrably also includes a mention of the things a creator does well, so they know what to not stop doing or what is their main selling point. This is something so important that it's actually being literally taught to art students by exercising it in combination with other art tasks. In the aesthetic classes I have had, we would often end all art projects/tasks with reviewing each other's projects and practicing the art of giving and receiving constructive criticism.

Thus, a joke most likely wouldn't count as contructive criticism. Putting people down = "My toddler could draw better than you if I pulled his eyes out, chopped his hands off and made him draw with his feet". Constructive criticism = "That hand is a tad bit too large and the hips are too wide. The hair is great, though!"

I am pretty sure keii4ii wasn't saying that constructive criticism is bad.

[UbePie]

I've also run into creators who are very uhm... very twitter? I guess that's the best description. They turn everything they can find into a dramafest, sometimes in a way that hurts a group of people they claim to want to protect

I use to write before i did comics, and I once had someone tell me my story was homophobic and racist....I'm a lesbian of color and the story was loosely based on events that happened to me...

So I know what you mean bout people making drama in an attempt to 'protect' a group of people. The truth is the best way to protect a group of people is not to be silent about the horrible things that happen to them.

Other than that i'm pretty forgiving in behavior, and think it is more constructive to try and explain a situation or inappropriate comment to someone rather than attack them, or hold it against them like you said. Sometimes it's just 'ignorance' the person didn't mean any harm but they don't know any better. Or sometimes they are venting because they feel lost and don't know where to turn for help, which I think is sometimes the case for the creators that complain about popularity. Though they shouldn't be attacking any other creators because then they dig themselves into a whole. It's the creators that have already been through the climb that can give you advise and help on how to get to the top.

[indagold]

I hate creators that act like any form of criticism no matter what type is always "trolling" or done by the "haters" or its "just your opinion", especially when they've created such a massive dislike for their work due to either their stubbornness or poor art/writing skills they still refuse to understand why this happened in the first place.

Also another pet peeve related to this is creators who do political comics or comics for a cause and their work is clearly biased, discriminatory and resorts to strawmanning and they take any form of criticism as hate speech even when the target demographic they're aiming at finds it flawed they think it's still hate speech and pretend its impossible for the cause they're aiming at to dislike it. Even worse is people who aren't familiar with the work and haven't looked into it take the side of the creator because they think every comic with a positive message couldn't possibly be horribly flawed and misrepresentative.

[jurinova]

Creators putting others down (whether it's fans or fellow creators) is the answer that comes to my mind

This. Sometimes online it's easy to forget how many people there are reading the messages and how much power messages can have. Especially if it's a popular creator with a lot of followers. A toxic environment can happen very suddenly and easily, so I think it's important to try and steer clear of talking negativily about others, both fans and creators.

[YangKoete]

I'll put my two-cents here for how I act as an artist and why; I'm honestly just trying to be modest and not get a big head. ^_^' When I say my art isn't good, it's basically me saying that I want to improve more and being told it's good makes me not want to improve.

I'm not depressed or anything, and I can take criticism and advice well, but overall...My attempts at being modest do help me.

Also; My biggest peeve? How they all try to copy others for emotion. We get it, this person's popular and incredibly self-depricating. This one's overjoyous and awkward.

WE KNOW! But can you just be you? ^_^'

[Mocha]

I think my worst pet peeve is when an artist complains about their original art not being anywhere near as popular as their fan art. This is a legitimate thing to be upset about, however I always hear this from artists that 1. Began posting only fan art for years and then suddenly posted original artwork out of nowhere, and 2. Never seem to put as much effort in their original art as they do in their fan art.
Yeah it sucks when your original work doesn't get much attention, I've been there, but it doesn't help if most of your followers are only there for the fan art and expect it because you were the one who built up those expectations in the first place.

[keii4ii]

Constructive criticism is useful, especially when it's coming from your peers.

That's not what I was referring to at all. I mean like ad hominem attacks, unhelpful insults (e.g. "this comic is SO overrated! I guess a lot of people here just have bad tastes"), etc.

[joe_galindez]

Putting people down =/= constructive criticism.

Maybe I mean that constructive criticism can be served up with a side of acid humor. Or maybe it's the humor that's the main course, and the constructive stuff is an addon. I'm trying to remember my conversations with my father and he had a very Don Rickles style of delivery. He could laugh at my mistakes, point out how to do better, and then get me to start laughing too.Now that I think of it, he probably practiced the sandwich method of saying unpleasant things.

Or maybe I'm just projecting how I like my criticism.

That's not what I was referring to at all. I mean like ad hominem attacks, unhelpful insults (e.g. "this comic is SO overrated! I guess a lot of people here just have bad tastes"), etc.

I agree, that's another thing entirely.

[jmhenry]

I'll just echo what you said, Keii4ii and mention creators putting eachother down. 2010's style call out culture bothers me a whole lot more than anyone's attitudes honestly...

[jammythebirb]

For me... It's when someone experiences considerable success with their comic, then complains about how badly it's doing, and that other people don't deserve the success they have. I knew someone who'd always complain like this when people they didn't like did well.

[Louhi]

This thread is not made to attack any one person. It's mean as general venting place.
There's a difference between "I hate this specific person, because they are x" and "I dislike when some artists generally acts in this way".

[Louhi]

Oh thor. I wouldn't mind someone jokingly being like "hey fu*kers" to their fans but when people try to throw a pity party and insult you while doing it, that's just annoying. I would say something like "oh you're right, I dunno why I'm following you indeed, better unfollow".

[Shanny8]

I'm a big proponent of the fact that "not every artist is on the same level and learns the same thing at the same time"- some artists may take a while for them to get something, while others may pick that concept up pretty quick.

With that being said, it really grinds my gears when some artist posts a "how to" about something- on twitter, tumblr, whatever- and they're really condescending in their message.

[Pandastrophic]

With that being said, it really grinds my gears when some artist posts a "how to" about something- on twitter, tumblr, whatever- and they're really condescending in their message.

You mean when artist make tutorials? What sort of message are you seeing in that?
I personally find them really helpful and interesting seeing how different artists work. I'm pretty sure nobody who's making "How to" tutorials is trying to be condescending ( and or thinking that their technique/style is better than others), it's just to share their tips and tricks on how they do something and maybe someone could learn a bit from it. At least that's how I feel when I post tutorials.

[keii4ii]

I realize that. I've just seen too many blanket insults (not necessarily in this thread) like "I HATE COMICS OF [this genre/style]!!! Most of them suck!" which end up making all the creators of that genre/style feel bad. Just because it's not aimed at any specific individual, doesn't guarantee it will be negativity-proof, unfortunately. :[

[Louhi]

Well we all have our own taste, I wouldn't let something like that offend me personally. Someone not liking my style or the genre I'm going for is not going to be my audience anyway. There's dark side everything, you gotta take the positive with negative. Surely if some people dislike certain genre or style then there's also those people who love it.

[spadesart]

i dont want to put people down but god, going to other artists and saying 'your work makes me hate mine!!! ill never be as good as you!!!' just makes them feel like absolute garbage. i had one person on deviantart that would make constant journals about that just DRAGGING themselves and they would TAG ME IN THEM when they mentioned me by name and i just kept GETTING THEM IN MY INBOX despite telling them repeatedly to stop

and like......refusing to accept compliments. i have an artist acquaintance who does that and they hate their own art and every time they get a compliment they always say something along the lines of "no youre wrong and i suck at this" despite being a god at shading and rendering :^/ like buddy youre not gonna feel better about your art until you start accepting compliments

[UrMom]

Lol -is one of those pessimists who shits on themselves constantly cuz their brain hates them-

I’m pretty chill about other creators for the most part, usually I only care about what they create, and their existence as a person is none of my business. Although there are a few things that will make me feel… uncomfortable about a creator.

1. If I see them respond to the lightest, most sugar-coated critique, with pure venom. I once saw a creator respond to a really well done critique saying they wasted their time because the only valid critic is their art instructor, and the creator worded it on the most condescending way.
2. If a creator responds to a comment I made by reposting what I said on their blog, causing their rabid fans to instantly start sending me death threats, attempting to get ahold of my account(s), trying to doxx me, and spreading misinformation to get more people in their witch hunt. (This only happened twice, and both authors publically apologized after being confronted, apparently not knowing the ramifications of their actions. You think they would seeing what their actions would do with how popular they both were)
3. If the creator is a rapist, murderer, child molester, abuser, etc. Also if they’re openly racist, sexist, bigoted, etc.
4. If that creator annoys, pisses me off, or frustrates me. Like, if they talk to me dismissively, condescendingly, or trying to control me.
5. Creators who are mean to their fans, trying to control their discussions and thought processes.
6. Really whiney creators who constantly complain on all sites they inhabit. They’re extra annoying when they complain about their art sucking, but get really butthurt when receiving critique, or tips on how to improve.

These are the things that will guarantee I will never look at your work, or acknowledge your existence ever again... for the most part. Some of these I can ignore if their work is my jam.

[IdiotWithPencil]

pet peeve? their's one attitude that I loooothe and that's the "I am the best artist in the world and I work extra hard so if you don't like it you are just jealous and a hateeeeeer" I think we have all heard the horror stories about artist with over inflated egos -_-;

also the "you shouldn't criticise beginners or shitty artist causes they are starting out and must be handled like a nuclear bomb "

[joe_galindez]

other people don't deserve the success they have

This is sort of true, in that nobody deserves what they get 100% of the time. Nobody can choose the circumstances they're born with, nobody can control everything that happens to them. As far as you can deserve anything, I think it can only be something you made through your own sacrifice and sweat.

You can work hard and make all the right decisions and still fail. That's true in life and it's true in the entertainment industry, You can work 36-hour days and apply some craft to your writing and some hack can still sail past you, propelled by the force of their own staccato farts.

Some people are just lucky. But I only start to dislike them when they show no self-awareness and take all the credit for themselves.

EDIT: clarity