Sorry, but I do feel that you are slamming anyone who doesn't postwork 90% of their gallery images. Whether you intended it or not, your initial post comes across as very condescending.

Maybe it's just me, but I have noticed that a lot of people use the poseable hair. Yes, it comes in a lot of great styles, colors, etc...but come on. Is throwing a character into poser, adding some hair, and a few props really artwork???

You start out talking about premade hair vs painted hair. Then you basically say that using premade hair on a figure isn't "art".

I miss the good old days when a lot of people actually spent time on painting hair and clothes. The level of detail put into the work can be truly amazing. In my mind, that is dedication, hard work, and truly deserving of being called art.

You come right out and state that only those who spend time on painting the hair and clothing in their images are dedicated and deserving of having their work called art.

I find myself skipping over a lot of pictures lately as I browse the gallery because to me, they all seem the same. Same characters, same hair styles, same clothes. They are starting to lack in originality. Is any one else feeling the same way? To me, it is no longer fun to look at a bunch of pictures of what looks like plastic people with plastic hair thrown in a plastic looking scene.

So don't look at them. There are lots of images in the gallery here and at other sites that fit your criteria of what "art" is. Look at those and skip the others.

If you are one of these people, I am by no means criticizing you....after all, you have to start somewhere. This is just my opinion, and I really am not out to attack anyone or make them feel that their work is not worthy. I am just wondering where all of the hard working, time spending painters have disappeared to. And which of you has the potential to be one, but are too afraid to give it a try?? Come on, put down the plastic hair and clothes, and grab that mouse/pen...see what magic you can create!! And if you don't know where to start...browse through the tutorials. There are a lot of wonderful references in there.

Maybe people don't want to "start somewhere". Maybe they are happy doing what they are doing the way they are doing it :)

Again, you have a preference for digital painted hair and clothing, and that's your right. Others either don't want to, don't have the time to, don't have the talent to, or don't have the money to invest in a graphic tablet, and we all know how hard it is it to digital paint fine detail with a mouse.

Again, while you may not have meant it, you are coming across, at least to me, as slamming others and telling them that if they don't "advance" into hand painting their props, hair, clothing etc, that they aren't "artists" and their art isn't "worthy". Like I said above, that's not very nice.

here are a few wonderful people that I am proud to call artists. Check out their work: Bez, Prog, pjaj, Vali, Rhiannon, Magician, Antje, Crasher, Sand tyger, Cimerone just to name a few. IMO, these people truly demonstrate the meaning of art.

Again, anyone who doesn't do the same as them, in your eyes, are not artists.

The other thing that bothers me is that there are some people (yes, me included) that do put hours and hours into their pictures, and get only a few comments. Yet those that slap together a pretty plastic scene manage to get tons of comments. Is "perfect hair" and plastic looking clothes the "in" thing these days? Am I wasting my time trying hard to create beautiful pictures for people to admire? Should I invest in all the fake looking things so that I can get a few more viewers and a few more comments??

Do art for yourself and to please you. Why does it matter who or what images gets more comments/views?! I've never understood that.

maybe someday I will be as deserving of all the admirers and comment makers as those people I mentioned above.

There is a thread going about how to generate more views and comments if you aren't happy with what you are getting.

Art is a very subjective thing. What appeals to one person doesn't appeal to someone else.

You can take a toilet seat, paint it black and white stripes and hang it from a cherry tree and call it art. It's not what I would call art, but someone does.

Some years ago where I live some woman got a huge government grant for some kind of art show. What was it? She poured buckets of pig blood on a floor and rolled around in it.

That same artists gathered up carcasses of dead rabbits and strung them on trees claimed it was "a study in putrification". It was truly disgusting and generated loads of controversy. Yet it was considered "art"; she even got more government money in order to do it. Did I like it? No. Did I go see it? No. But I respect her right to express her art in whatever manner she chooses, and it's not my place to tell her how to do that.

Message edited on: 03/25/2006 00:49

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi