hmm...well, I've received a few notes, here and on Sheezy about the reason i don't post as much art nor write as many journals here as I do at my true home, SheezyArt. I really couldn't come up with a decent enough reason, just that I had my reasons...and past matters and such. But I thought I would post a journal here on DA stating the reasons I've come across while thinking on the matter for a day or so...You see I've done some browsing around the DA community and I was reminded the reason that I left...came back...left again...and now just dwindle here every so often now.

Well, here it goes. And note, this is not directed to anyone in particular (though I'm sure bits of this will be taken personaly, just know this wasn't meant to upset anyone, i'm simply stating my opinion, and explaining to some of my watchers my lack of presance here.)

First on the matter...in my eyes, people here are very critical...and to me a growing artist needs feedback and reassurance on their work. I am a firm beleiver in crits as long they are constructive mind you. And here...it seems like a lot of the artists don't even bother to look at the art work that isn't really really good at first glance...and when a growing artist doesnt get positive feedback, its discouraging. I know when i first started here, my art lacked a lot of things, and I was looking hard to improve my skills, but it was rare for me to get even one nice comment...and that was discouraging, I didn't feel like I was up to par, and I stopped drawing for a while. i don't think that neglecting my art due to lack of feedback was the right thing to do mind you...but feedback would have helped me learn how to make my self better...

Second...this is probably my biggest peeve here on DA...I'm not very sure how to word this, so excuse my bad wording...

I guess I can start with some of my veiws...

When someone wants to pick up art as a hobby, generaly, they are first inspired by another artist. but here, inspiration is often veiwed as "style theft". You can't copyright a style folks...sorry to say, but NO STYLE IS ORIGINAL. Every artist has been inspired by another's style and drawn from it, molded it, made it their own. An artist will see something he or she likes from a style, take it, and then see something else from another style and take that as well. That isn't stealing...not at all. That is how an artist grows, they take the things they like from many different styles, put them together, and create their own.

Like here's an example...

many people draw their inspiration from Disney animation, heck, I even do this (A LOT) but what tweaks me is that others who draw from that style get blamed for copying some other DA artist's style, when it is clearly of Disney origin...I understand all the twists you can put on a style, and no, I don't agree with copying an artist's work line for line...that's wrong and IS stealing...but a style in general, can't be copyrighted...period.

PLUS...if you stumble across an artist who has taken something from your own personal style, you should be flattered! Flattered that they thought that trait was awesome enough to try an encorperate into their own style.

Copying is the finest form of flattery. Is something my mom told me once. Sure, when i see people mimicing bits of my style, I get kind of upset, but I try to think of it from another angle...and I think everyone should do the same.

BUT...that's not all to this matter...

I've seen some very intense flaming here, and was caught in the middle of such flaming once my self...

*sigh*

Here, when some one is accused of style or design theft its always an outsider that gets the burn...and often times those who are pointing fingers seem to be blind to what's right in front of them!! i've seen the so called 'high and mighty' artists here, and I've whitnessed many battles here...battles accusing another for ripping off a style or a design...and the artist that is accused is torn down completly...when, the accuser has friends whos styles look SO similar, sometimes I can't even tell them apart...and because they are a "friend" of that artist, they aren't getting blamed...in my eyes that is the vission of unfairness. And the same goes for character designs...i have seen some DA buddies who have EXTREAMLY similar character designs...and when they do it, it's ok, but should an outsider have a similar design, they freak out and flame the hell out of their picture...

OPEN YOUR EYES...i'm sorry, but it's just plain rude and stupid to go all out angry on someone you don't even know, and let your friends get away with the things that you say that you "despise". if you are gonna let your friends get away with it...then you have no right to accuse someone else who isn't in your social circle of style/design theft...


*breathes*

just had to get that aff my chest...