Biggest pet peeves of being an artist

[Callirai]

My biggest pet peeves is when people assume that because someone is an artist, they must be able to do it all. I had this issue a few months ago. I am still working on my style, but I mostly am leaning toward a more semi realistic style. A few months ago a friend of mine said that their friend wanted some chibi characters of himself drawn up for his twitch stuff. I felt pressured to help, but at the same time, I have never really drawn chibi or out the time in to learn the anatomy of chibi characters. I love them and think they are so cute, but that just isn't what I do. And they also wanted examples of chibi to see how I could do it before they would have me start their project and get paid. Which I get, you shouldn't pay anyone for something if you don't know if they can do it. But also, I would rather be paid to do something that is in my style, and by someone that likes my style and comes to me for it specifically than someone who wants a specific style that I don't work in. I don't know if that makes sense. But just because I can draw doesn't mean I can do it all.

Anyways, I would love to hear if anyone else has come across this problem. Or if you guys have pet peeves of your own that you want to rant about or get off your chest!

[ItsAvocadoToast]

Pet peeves: All the wires from your computer, drawing tablet, and mouse sometimes! They get in the way and annoy me because I'm all about making my setup look and act good...

[NickRowler]

It annoys me when non-artists don’t value the time and effort it takes to make a comic. It’s the whole, “I have a great story, I need a high level manga artist to do it for free.”

While not comics, I did once deal with a lady who wanted a feature length 3d animated film of her book and wanted to do it with free labor from a local public access station. I did not get involved with it and I doubt it got any where.

[Hazumirein]

I have a tendency to jump on opportunities to work a bit outside my normal comfort zone, within reason, and my art is all over the place in terms of style and subject matter anyway, so I don't usually mind being asked to draw something different than I usually do. It's a nice challenge.

HOWEVER, my biggest art pet peeve is probably people looking over my shoulder to make comments like these:

"You're such a good drawer!" (I am not furniture.)
"Will you draw me?" (No.)
"Is that you?" (Also no.)
"Why are they naked?" (I'm not done yet!)
"Will you draw something for me?" (Sure, if you pay me.)
"You're so talented, I can't even draw a stick figure!" (You could if you'd been doing this for 20+ years.)

...Also people immediately assuming that I learned everything in the like, year and some change I spent at an art school, and not via two decades of practice

[Callirai]

Oh my! I completely understand that! My biggest problem with my set up is that I have two monitors and a display tablet for drawing which is on an adjustable stand and it is hard to get it out of the way of the desk space when I am not using it, when I do move it out of the way, it usually ends up being in the way of one of the monitors behind it. Lol. And I can't move it too far without unplugging all the plugs, which is just too much at that point.

[Callirai]

I see this all the time on here. I understand not having the money or skills to do your own comic, but unpaid collabs like that really only ever work either if it is between two artists that are doing an equal amount of the work, or if it is between friends. Either way, it is frustrating when others don't understand the work that it takes. I also get the problem that so many people don't realize what digital art is and just assume that because it is digital, it must be easier than "actual art"

[Callirai]

These comments can be so annoying. Especially the one of not even being able to draw a stick figure. Our talents are things we were just born knowing how to do. We chose to pursue it and put in a ton of hours to get to where we are and where we will be. Anyone can be an artist if they put in the work. so it does bother me when someone says that or acts like we were born with it. It is almost like they are discounting all the work we have out into our craft.

[LadyN]

This situation never happened to me. But one time before COVID, when I was in class, this guy who I will call AP (Amazing person) was working on designs for a project where it was teenagers in school, but portrayed accurately.

AP was showing his friends the designs he created for them and this one girl who I will call Bish (for obvious reasons) was like “oh my god I look so ugly!” And he was saying how it was just a practice design and not official. Bish told him to redo it. AP said art takes time and she had the audacity to say that she could redraw that with her eyes closed.

I wanted to go over and bitch-slap her but I decided not to. This is a decision I regret greatly. I hate her, a lot.

TL;DR - People who say they could draw something without any practice whatsoever.

[MrOwl]

unpaid collabs like that really only ever work either if it is between two artists that are doing an equal amount of the work, or if it is between friends.

A few years ago, I wanted to do a webtoon, but I didn't know how to draw, I relied on my best friend to do it, he's a good artist, but the guy really made every excuse under the sun to not do the work, the rare occasion when he started the work, he'd lose motivation due to a myriad of reasons, then he finally gave up on his art dreams, fastforward a few years, and I learned how to draw, nowadays I'm more skilled than he was, and I'll never trust people in collabs again.
(I forgot to mention that this also happened when I was in highschool with an ex-colleague, a lot of artists lack motivation, or have low self-esteem, it seems.)

[KoreanTacos]

Listening to artists talk about not talking down on other artists and immediately talking down on artists themselves, hypocrites...

[Callirai]

That is so absolutely rude! I get it if you don't like someone's style, you don't have to, but it isn't hard to be nice and polite about it. Not to mention that when people say they could do it so easily so why can't we, well if that is the case then why are you asking me to do it? I would have just told them that and said they could do it on their own then. Maybe even asked to see it when it was finished. Lol but seriously, not okay at all.

[Callirai]

It sucks that it went down like that. But at least you got into doing art and are doing good with it! The one difficulty about starting a collab with a friend is if they don't have that motivation. They don't always feel as obligated to keep working on the project too because they look at you as a friend and not a "colleague" or partner in the project. I don't really trust people with that stuff either.

[Callirai]

It sucks when other artists do this! I get it if you were wronged. I think the most I have seen that bothers me is when they talk about the quality of someone's art and say negative things about it. It is okay to critique things when asked, but generally those people weren't asked to critique and what they say is more rude and degrading than it is actually anything to help the artist.

[MrOwl]

It sucks that it went down like that. But at least you got into doing art and are doing good with it! The one difficulty about starting a collab with a friend is if they don't have that motivation. They don't always feel as obligated to keep working on the project too because they look at you as a friend and not a "colleague" or partner in the project. I don't really trust people with that stuff either.

You're right, at least I got into art, and I love it, my friend was a co-writer, I don't know if that made him a colleague/partner too tho.

[Callirai]

Exactly! At least you got something out of it! And you learned from it too.

[MorganaMevil]

I agree with you, but I think (ultimately) it has to do with the fact that non-artists are jealous that artists have both the passion and patience to become good at drawing, sculpture, whatever. I’m a writer only, but one of my best friends growing up was amazing at capturing people’s expressions in sketches. Me, I’ve always preferred to express myself in words. But there are definitely moments where I want to create a visual of a scene or character, and I just don’t have the repertoire. To have the skills I occasionally desire would take hundreds, even thousands, of hours of practice, and drawing/sketching just doesn’t bring me that sort of joy. I know because writing brings me that sort of joy.

So, y’all are all quite awesome. You know what your passion is. And you have the patience and dedication to make it known. Many people go an entire lifetime without ever experiencing that same joy.

[Callirai]

I understand that completely. And I love how you worded this. Sadly though, most of those kinds of comments are followed by their asking us to draw something for free because we are their friend. And sometimes we hardly even know these people or have only talked to them a few times or just have a class together or something. That is what makes it frustrating. But yes, compliments are great when they are actually compliments. And thank you for what you said, that was so nice!

[MrOwl]

Exactly! At least you got something out of it! And you learned from it too.

Thank you, btw what does "ladybugheart" means? 1998 is probably the year you're born. xD

[MrOwl]

I agree with you, but I think (ultimately) it has to do with the fact that non-artists are jealous that artists have both the passion and patience to become good at drawing, sculpture, whatever. I’m a writer only, but one of my best friends growing up was amazing at capturing people’s expressions in sketches. Me, I’ve always preferred to express myself in words. But there are definitely moments where I want to create a visual of a scene or character, and I just don’t have the repertoire. To have the skills I occasionally desire would take hundreds, even thousands, of hours of practice, and drawing/sketching just doesn’t bring me that sort of joy. I know because writing brings me that sort of joy.

So, y’all are all quite awesome. You know what your passion is. And you have the patience and dedication to make it known. Many people go an entire lifetime without ever experiencing that same joy.

I don't know about that statement, back when I didn't know how to draw, I didn't exactly cared about drawing, I learned how to draw out of necessity(create comics alone/don't rely on artists) and I treated it as a "tool" for a long time, nowadays I love art in general (drawing, painting, sculpting, etc) but I didn't before, and I don't think I was ever jealous of that skill, maybe I'm weird lol.

[Callirai]

Lady bug heart was just what I made as my online persona when I was younger. I liked ladybugs and hearts and yes, 1998 is my birth year. I have since switched most of my art related accounts to Callirai, including my Instagram. I just haven't gotten around to changing it on here. Lol.