I'm not typically one to repost tweets, but literally every single time someone uses this emote for a bit I start cackling like a crazy person (the caption made me laugh too).
Alright I'm no longer playing nice I will now be instantly blocking everyone who posts/reblogs "reblog this post if you XYZ/reblog this post or else XYZ will happen/if you don't reblog this post then you're XYZ bad thing". It's fucking atrocious that we're still preying on guilt trip tactics let alone OCD/paranoia. Fuck off.
At the bus stop one time there was a gaggle of preschoolers waiting to catch the bus for a field trip day, and someone walked past with a couple of friendly little dogs, to great general delight.
But after a little bit, the dogs were getting overwhelmed, and the preschoolers were gently coaxed to back off so the person with the dogs could continue on. Specifically, one of the preschool teachers said, "Sometimes, when you're small, being surrounded by big people can be a bit scary and overwhelming. Even if they are friendly."
This was recieved as great wisdom: after all, the preschoolers were also small, and understood how scary and overwhelming big people could be! And the dogs were indeed even smaller than the preschoolers, so it made sense.
What was funny and charming was that, upon absorbing and reflecting on this wisdom, they all felt the need to tell it to one another. In tones of great insight, they turned to one another and said, "Did you know? Sometimes when you are small, being surrounded by big people can be scary and overwhelming! Even if they are friendly!" Back and forth, without any particular concern that they were all saying the same thing. Have reached comprehension of an insight, it must be shared!
I must say that this behavior is less charming in tumblr users than in preschoolers. Not least because tumblr users, having gained a little analytical skill to misuse, insist on Summarizing and Generalizing and Unifying the insights they repeat, quickly turning any interesting new information into formulaic dogmatic mush.
I often see people talk about how they want to leave good comments on art, but don’t know how/don’t know what to say. As an artist, here’s what I often look for to have something to say to other people!
The composition of the art – how different elements of the piece guide your eye, how certain parts are brighter against darker backdrop/darker against a bright backdrop. What catches your attention? How have they put the piece together to make this happen?
The lighting/shading – how have they rendered the piece? Do you like how the lighting is bright, harsh lines, or how it’s gently blended in? Do the shadows add extra depth that makes the whole piece look more 3D? Did they use funky, unconventional colours to shade?
The lineart – is it smooth? Sketchy? Are the lines thick or thin? Do they use lines at all? Are they in a colour other than black? How does it add to the piece? Do they just outline a piece, or add texture with lineart as well?
The colours – have they used a pallet of complimentary colours? Do they remind you of something specific – perhaps to the fandom, or to a season, an aesthetic, etc? Do they only use one colour? Do they use unconventional colours? Do they have one pop of contrasting colours against a monochrome background?
The anatomy – do they stick to exact proportions? Do they lean towards a more cartoon sizing? Is it like Powerpuff Girls, or like Tim Burton? 90s anime, or modern day anime? Do they make things very angular, or really smooth? What about it do you like specifically?
The texture – in the frame of digital art especially, have they used a specific brush to create a certain effect? Do you like how sketchy it all looks, or how they’ve blended the colours together? Does it look like watercolours bleeding, or a stamp/print made over the entire piece? Is it all rough, or super smooth?
The details – talk about how you love the tiny pattern on a blanket, or the multiple earrings in the characters ear. Talk about how you like how they’ve done the hair, or the little glint of light against a ring. Talk about the celtic patterns in the body, or the crooked teeth in their smile. Little things that jump out to you.
How it makes you feel – anything at all, but try to explain what in the piece evokes it strongest. Are you hit with isolation by the lonely figure in a wind-swept hill? Or joy, does that bright smile make your heart swell? Try and pick something out and babble about that.
Any meaning you can pick out – a little more tricky and often quite personal, but if you can pick something out that you think you can interpret, talk about it! I don’t think people ever get offended, even if you’re wrong – it’s interesting to see how other peoples brains work, and what they take away from something you’ve made.
Anything that stands out to you as a signature of Their Art – typically for artists you’ve followed for a long time – when you look at a piece, do you think ‘oh, this is by X’. How do you know? Is it how they draw the mouths? How they shade? The anatomy? The details? The colours? The composition? The expressions? Tell them!
I try to mix and match a few of these, focusing on things specific to the piece. Talking in depth about a piece helps an artist to know you haven’t just glanced it over and gone ‘oo cool!’ and moved on. If you want Tumblr to continue having a thriving art community, it’s beneficial to engage in and spread art around, as well as letting the artist know their work was seen and appreciated. They put the work out there for you to see for free! What can take you a few minutes of your day can make their entire week. Go support your artist friends!
whew. sorry. look i promise i'm Normal. you can trust me to NOT randomly fly into a mouth-foaming hysteria. i WON'T grab people's shoulders and jostle them violently while i yell about the erosion of identity and agency that comes with being Known as an artist. did you hear about this elvis guy? i'm NORMAL