oh, net drama.

[egypturnash]

I was going to shut comments off for a day or so: drama. Instead... well...

---

Is the TP a popularity contest? I dunno. I just thought it was for fun. Is my art ugly and modern? If modern is the forties, sure. Film noir and UPA cartoon minimal isn't exactly the cutting edge. My original intent was to do something much more abstract, mostly as a joke, but I decided to treat it seriously instead. It was a passing whim to do it in the first place, and if I'd have known it'd make people snipe at me in private places I might not have done it.

IP logging's off for a while. If there's anything you want to say. E-mail notification for this entry is off too. I'll look at this one later on. Going to go back to reading the Maya tutorials.

Comments

[turbinerocks.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of artless people in this world, who can't see an aesthetic or a movement for what it is, and pushing their buttons is not hard. I say if people are sniping at you in private places, then you're doing something right!

Maybe I'll piss people off by saying this, but there was not even remotely any other art in your league for that TP. Much love to everyone for entering, but there's just no question. You're a pro, you draw like a pro, and it shows. You're in the top .1% percentile of Yerf. Anyone who begrudges you winning that TP is a dumbass, or doesn't like you personally, or is friends with someone who lost.

[dustmeat.livejournal.com]

Hear hear! Peggy is Teh Pro.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

not even remotely any other art in your league for that TP

Which is part of why it was a weirdly hollow victory, I think.

But I am glad that people seem to really be enjoying Twin - it's really amazing how quickly people are doing images of (her), and how varied they are.

[ilthuain.livejournal.com]

They're just jealous. You actually have some style with your art (other than comic or representational), and most of these jokers don't understand a damn thing about art. You stepped into a minefield of fragile egos and happened to walk over a few. Kapow!

I should hope you know me as a person that wouldn't go out of his way to make someone feel better if I didn't believe what I'm saying... but the fact of the matter is that you're worlds better than 99% of the people that enter that thing, and unfortunately for you, they're quite aware of that. Since most of these people have little exposure to the art world they're not used to people being vastly more talented than they are. Humility is a learned skill.

The type of art that passes as 'quality' in these circles often makes me want to weep.

[kamenkyote.livejournal.com]

Wandering through the forums recently, I stumbled across a thread in the binaries section called something like, "what do you look like?" It was started a long time ago and has birthed 17 pages of replies. I decided to take a look for whatever reason and found that my feelings of a few months ago had basis in fact; I probably shouldn't be in Yerf. This is not a judgement against Yerf or the folks that frequent it, but if anything, that long string of photos proved to me that I have little in common with its members. It's like walking into the wrong con party; there's nothing wrong with the party, you're just very different than most of the people there.

Sniping is unjustified. It shows lack of character as well as a certain level of immaturity. Were I in the position of taking this kind of flack for entering and winning the same sort of competition, and if I realized that those sniping were generally the population of said group, I'd personally take that as the last reality check and decide that I was in the wrong place. But that's me.

I will say that the " whyI won't win the TP contest" post in your LJ felt a little below you. If ithe contest is indeed just for fun, why would you care if you did win? What does it mean to you to have won?

We're also in sort of the same boat. I don't think the work I do is generally appreciated over at Yerf, which is fine. As long as it meets the guidelines, I post it anyway. But it's entirely possible, and even likely that I'm trying to get notice from an audience that isn't interested in what I have to say. In that case, whose fault is it if I get all upset for not getting commentary?

I'm not meaning to drag on you, Peggy, just thinking that maybe this is something to think about moreso than just the pinpricks and aggravation that sniping is causing you. You certainly didn't deserve such just for entering and winning a contest.

Aim high, Peggy. The recent pieces, the ones I'd love to have as murals, show that you are more than ready to go beyond bus doodles and the fandom.

-T'

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that list was overly sarcastic. I regret posting that publicly. I might've still said it, but it should not have been as in the open.

I think part of it came from the long-standing frustration I have with some aspects of Yerf, mostly the fact that, like you, it's not somewhere I really quite fit.

[lyosha.livejournal.com]

I will say that the "why I won't win the TP contest" post in your LJ felt a little below you.

I'll have to agree with this. Unfortunately, the post you made led to sniping in the comments that was pretty harsh and even degrading to the other artists in the TP. Conversely, a post that was made because of that sniping has lead to some degrading comments tossed back your way.

Welcome to the internet. Cause and effect, I suppose. I think this entire thing is very much a shame.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It was a bad move. Which I regret.

Maybe I'll even learn something from it... that'd be nice.

[likeshine.livejournal.com]

i love your work and you deserved every vote you received. vector art confuses me; my prof in college spoke very little english, so i never did soak up programs like Illustrator.

i'll admit, i came nosing around your LJ after you won, to see what you had to say about the contest. i was very disappointed to see people who commented taking the piss out of the other artists who entered. i'm not going to pretend to be any better than i am, and i know my entry was boring and poorly colored, but i did work very hard on my entry. i can't speak for the others, but I have observed that Rea (who came in second) enters every single TP and appears to work her proverbial butt off. and i saw her congratulate you in the Binaries post. how would she feel if she saw those comments?

it's disheartening to see fellow artists poking fun at others who aren't as skilled, especially when the entire thing is supposed to be light hearted and fun. some of the other commenters in the post that upset me had won the TP in the past... i wonder now what they thought of their reward? did they appreciate every single scrap of art they received, or just the well drawn ones?

i apologize for my part in this drama; after all, you didn't say anything negative about the other entries and you certainly deserved to win. i'll be attempting my own black hole creature for you.


take care.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I was out of line with the little list of 'why I won't win'; see my comments to T' on that, above, and my genuine surprise at winning. I have a perception of Yerf's 'group mind' that may not match the reality.

And, of course, there is the fact that people invest themselves in their art. A competition like this is a minefield for that. I've been grumpy myself when I've entered and not placed, in the past. Part of why I don't do it often, i nfact, I couldn't take the putting effort in, then worrying about it, week after week. Whether I won or not.

I have enough tact to mostly keep my snide comments to private spaces. *grin* The snide list that created an environment of snippy comments on the other ones was something I should've refrained from; it's probably partially due to the joy of openness after coming out on my LJ!

Though this post about drama was partially in response to rumors that reached me of some supportive sniping some of your friends did in your journal, though in a locked entry. Yay rumor. Slagging off other artists to prop up one's skills is always a temptation. I try to avoid it, especially in the past couple of years ever since a switch in my brain flicked and I just know I'm good at what I've chosen to do, but it's still there. The nasty urge to tear others down to make yourself look better, or your friend.

So I guess we're even in that, if anyone's keeping score. I'm sorry this happened. Net drama is always sudden, unexpected, and heated...

Draw Twin if you think it'll be fun. (She) certainly seems to be inspiring people to try surprising things.

(And I have something not wholly unlike an AI tutorial in the works.)

I don't know about TP, but

[acertaindoebear.livejournal.com]

Maybe it, also, has something to do with this:

http://www.freewillastrology.com/beauty/beauty.main53.shtml

Where people forget that the surface isn't the whole reason for the idea or event

Life is a dialectic

I personally enjoy your art because I feel it lets me come up with what it is and such

Plus, those people that have sniped at you...sometimes I feel that is the whole purpose of the 'net -;)...but then I see the sunshine and my love and realise the small scale of the 'net, that's it's a tiny thing...

I'm so clueless

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

TP = Toilet Paper??

Why the heck do you want your drawings compared to Toilet Paper?? :')

Re: I'm so clueless

[kinkyturtle.livejournal.com]

It is a reference to the, um, ancient Chinese secret of skilled drawing, by Zen monks who were so adept with a brush that they could draw on toilet paper without tearing it. Um, yeah. :}

[laturner.livejournal.com]

I think it was rude to give the impression that you think all the other artists suck. From some other comments here, you know that there will always be friends of yours willing to join in and yell "Yeah, you guys suck!"

That being said, you did say it in your personal journal, and not on the Trading Post. You have every right to be rude in your journal. You just can't fool yourself into thinking that it won't hurt anyone.

[starlights.livejournal.com]

I think you are entitled to you opinion, hon. There's no reason why you should be forced to hold it in simply because some people may take it the wrong way. In fact, you didn't phrase it all too harshly. The angry people are just not reading beyond the words. That's their problem. Not yours.

You did a wonderful job, deserved to win, and it is your personal right to say how you feel.

And that, as they say, is that. ^^

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

There was a little slinging abck and forth, and while I saw comments on both sides that made me want to go on a virtual bitchslap fest, I don't hold any grudges.

I respect your art, everyone's entitled to an opinion and we have mutual friends. :)

In fact, your art inspired me to do more illustrator work last semester ad to learn how to twist it to do my bidding. Wahaha! People gawk at me when I say I can sketch better in illustrator than in painter, though. Seriously. Painting with vectors is FUN.

I also like modern art and I do it occasionally. Like paintings that paint themselves. It's very calming.