Maybe I should give up drawing.

[Agrippa]

I overheard my mother talking about my drawings. Well one of them that is. She said that the eyes were poorly drawn. Well I can't draw very good detail work on eyes that small! I just can't do it. Or her calling it "D&D style ****." Maybe if I had even a small manequin and a book with some clothing, hair and pose references I could do a better job at it! Hasn't she thought about that at all!? I'm tempted to take all of my drawing supplies and through them into the garbage and ask her if that makes her happy. Dose she want me to say "Yes I'm an utter failure at any form of art because of how badly I've squandered what talents I had." Does she want that from me!? I'm posting it here because I'm not sure whether or not this belongs in the art section yet.

[KingOfLaughter]

First! *hug*

Secondly! If it hurts you to hear what she has to say, but you enjoy drawing, ignore her, show your friends, show the playground.

Third! Do what makes YOU happy, not her, in the long run it's your life, not hers to control!

Finally! Another *hug*

[Mr. Moon]

Don't listen to her, hun. Your art is for you, and if she doesn't care than screw her. There is absolutely no reason why the opinion of one person, no matter who, should be a reason for you to give up your art, especially if you enjoy it at all. It sounds like she isn't even an artist herself, and thus her opinion on whether or not your art is crap should be discounted.

If you want some tips and advice, I'd be happy to help. :smallsmile:www.deviantart.com has a large amount of useful (as well as a large amount of not-so-useful) reference images you can use for free in it's stock gallery (http://browse.deviantart.com/resources/).

Listen, hun, I know it hurts a lot when someone you care about tells you they don't like your art. I know exactly what you're feeling. But please don't just throw away everything you've worked so hard on. Trust me, you'll thank yourself for slogging through it later.

[RabbitHoleLost]

If you enjoy it, don't stop.
If its stressful and leads to unhappiness, quit.

[Calmness]

Well, if all she does is make you feel bad about your drawings there is no reason to listen to her, or to even show her your art. Maybe try posting your drawings on deviantart or these forums. Such places are really good at giving constructive criticism.

[Agrippa]

Well, if all she does is make you feel bad about your drawings there is no reason to listen to her, or to even show her your art. Maybe try posting your drawings on deviantart or these forums. Such places are really good at giving constructive criticism.

It's not even that I showed my drawing, it was just sitting on a recliner and she decided that she wanted to take a look at it. She didn't ask and I wasn't even in the room at the time. Not only that but she insists on supervising my work to make sure it rises to her standards, in both quality and content. That and trying to pressure me into censoring my own work, causing me to leave some drawing unfinished or just through them out so I won't have to do what she wants.

[Gorgondantess]

If you like drawing, then draw. I constantly do things that I'm terrible at, just because I'm terrible at them. And I dislike a lot of things that I'm really, really good at. Whether or not you do something should be irrelevant to how good you are at it. Hell, mathematics is far and away my best subject, but I'm an english major!
Second of all, eh. Everyone has to deal with parents who won't accept their hobbies from time to time. That's just how it is. I really think that throwing all your art supplies away would be a gross overreaction- all she's shown, as far as I'm aware, is disdain for the subject matter and how you draw eyes, not "wow you suck at drawing".
Also: books are outdated. Internet works just fine for clothes, hair and pose references. Just need to know where to look- ask an artist.
In the end, if you're so passionate about it, I advise you prove your mom wrong. Take some classes, talk to an artist about doing better in the areas you do poorly, and become a really good artist. Your actions shouldn't be dependent on your mother- throwing them away or not finishing them because of her is just giving up.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Pssssh.

If you give up every time you get criticized, you'll never accomplish anything. "The path of least resistance seldom leads beyond your doorstep" and all.
Additionally, it sounds like your mum isn't your target audience if part of her complaint is the "D&D style [asterisks]". Get a more sympathetic audience? An amateur art club at school, maybe? DeviantArt, too.

[Winter_Wolf]

If you're interested in drawing, do it for you. Frankly, the hell with your mom's opinion. If you're only drawing out of some sense of trying to please her, then you're really not doing it for yourself, which means that you're never going to find pleasure in it.

[Mr. Moon]

It's not even that I showed my drawing, it was just sitting on a recliner and she decided that she wanted to take a look at it. She didn't ask and I wasn't even in the room at the time. Not only that but she insists on supervising my work to make sure it rises to her standards, in both quality and content. That and trying to pressure me into censoring my own work, causing me to leave some drawing unfinished or just through them out so I won't have to do what she wants.

Okay, that is absolutely not cool. Agrippa, you need to stand up to your mother and tell her off. Your art is your art. It is cruel and unfair of her to expect what you draw to conform to her expectations or live up to her failed dreams. The only time this is cool is when you're doing a commission for a client, but when she's actively interrupting your pleasure and work, that is too far. I'm serious, if anyone ever did that to me, I'd slap them. Tell her that if she wants to see your work, she must agree to your choices, and if not, then don't allow her to see your work. Keep it somewhere safe, like in a sketchbook tucked under your mattress. It is seriously not okay that she is invading your privacy to insult your art.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Oh, I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, and I feel remiss.
You're not going to be a natural at everything that appeals to you. There is no deep genetic trait which accounts for artistic talent. If you practice (Which becomes easier if it makes you happy), you'll get better. Much better. Be your own harshest critic, acquire that pose-able mannequin or whatever references you feel might help. Spend time improving and you will improve. It's the nature of the game.
Nobody is born a Great, they have to work through trials and tribulations and ups and downs and fears and inadequacy.

For example, I'm a writer. Boy, do I ever write. You should see some of my old drek. It is patently horrid, compared to my new stuff, it's like a four-year old was given a crayon and told to go nuts. But I got lots of practice in. And I do mean lots, well over a decade of constantly writing and scrapping mediocre and even piss-poor work. I've only just recently finished my first manuscript, and without NaNoWriMo and a wonderful girlfriend cracking the whip, I wouldn't have even gotten that done.
Keep on traveling on your artistic journey, and you'll come to a place where you'll earn praise.


Okay, that is absolutely not cool. Agrippa, you need to stand up to your mother and tell her off. Your art is your art. It is cruel and unfair of her to expect what you draw to conform to her expectations or live up to her failed dreams. The only time this is cool is when you're doing a commission for a client, but when she's actively interrupting your pleasure and work, that is too far. I'm serious, if anyone ever did that to me, I'd slap them. Tell her that if she wants to see your work, she must agree to your choices, and if not, then don't allow her to see your work. Keep it somewhere safe, like in a sketchbook tucked under your mattress. It is seriously not okay that she is invading your privacy to insult your art.

It's not FOR her, she has no right to demand what the content is. Zero. None. It's that simple. Constructive criticism is awesome, curiosity is okay, and I can even understand and sympathize with a bit of Drill Sargent Nasty, but she has zero input on content.

[Zeofar]

Don't you think that if she wanted that from you, she would have actually told you, rather than you "overhearing" it? She might not appreciate your work on the whole or might simply find some parts distasteful, but I see nothing to suggest that she wants you to drop drawing altogether. That fact that she insists on supervising your work seems to indicate that she has actually taken a rather large interest in your art, which would appear that she is at least neutral if not generally supportive in the endeavor.

As for references: why do they need to be in book form? It appears that you have access to the internet... so why not use the millions of free images that you can find online as references? If you really need a book, are you unable to check one out from the library? That concern doesn't seem to directly fall under her purview since it is fairly easy to find what you seek. I can't comment on why you can't have a mannequin since one can easily obtain one for less than $10, though, and if throwing out your art supplies would be any sort of meaningful act they would probably cost much more on the whole than a single mannequin.

[enigmatime]

Hey... You remember Van Gogh? Yeah, he was a pretty (somewhat crazy) chill guy. He had amazing art. Here's the catch, everyone (himself included) hated his art. Now look at 'im! His art is worth a fortune, people write songs about him, there's an episode of Doctor Who about him, we basically love him! You're not crazy or an alcholhic, are you now? You love what you do, so did he, even though everyone hated his art. Now, I'm sure that not everyone dislikes/hates your art. Your mother is just one person. Heck, the only person who has an acceptable opinion on your art is you.

[thubby]

stop trying to please your mother.
do what's right, and since that's not applicable, do what makes you happy.

[Ghostwheel]

If you enjoy it, don't stop.
If its stressful and leads to unhappiness, quit.

Ignore this, this is the advice of a quitter.

[Murdim]

I know this kind of parent. Please don't waste your time, energy and happiness trying to make them proud of you. It's not worth it.

I wouldn't take any of her "criticism" too seriously, either. Her problem with your work goes well beyond its supposed lack of quality, else she wouldn't be denigrating it behind your back. Not this way, at least. Telling her friends that your drawing "needs work" is one thing, making fun of it, calling it "D&D style ****" and asking you to censor it is another. It's rather obvious that she doesn't want to help you improve yourself so much as to change your centers of interest into something that pleases her more. She's frustrated about you and your hobbies for all the wrong reasons, and it shows.

And then you have to take into account the fact that you weren't publicly displaying your art. She was never supposed to find it in the first place, and yet she allows herself to talk about it (in scathing terms, no less) as if it was something that you freely exposed to criticism. Yes, parents are morally and legally allowed to break into the private sphere of their underage children, in order to make sure they aren't doing anything illegal or dangerous... but using this privilege in order to attack them over their perfectly innocent hobbies... that's just mean-spirited.

[grimbold]

personally i think art of any form is really just for fun
it can be a job but as a whole if you are having fun then keep going

[bluewind95]

If you enjoy it, don't stop.
If its stressful and leads to unhappiness, quit.
+1 to this. Hobbies are supposed to be fun and enjoyable, and there really is no reason to torment yourself over one, else it stops being a hobby and becomes a torturing duty you must perform. And it loses all its point.


Ignore this, this is the advice of a quitter.

On the contrary, I find that it's advice from someone who knows only too well what's important. There are enough things in life that will cause stress and discontent. Why add a *hobby*, of all things, into the mix? Unless you're planning to make a career out of it (and if it's making you miserable, you might as well consider changing it anyways), there really is no need to continue something that harms you. Seriously. The thing to keep in mind is... how much does the thing matter to you? That will tell you how much you are (or should be) willing to sacrifice for it. I do not, honestly, recommend you to torture yourself over a hobby. Just loses the point, you know? Best to find a new hobby rather than torture yourself.

Anyways, on to my own advise. If you need, but do not have, one of those mannequins for positions, have you tried poseable toys? These toys called... what was it... Action Man? And all its clones? Well, those, they're poseable (and there's even barbies that will do the same) and will work as a makeshift mannequin. Of course you need to adjust a bit for proportions, but it's already something.

[Obrysii]

Show us your pictures!

Let us be the judge! I'm sure they're good.

And if so, draw me a pony! :smallbiggrin:

[Ravens_cry]

I can't draw very well either, at least not good enough to please me.
I still draw though. Why? Because I like to draw. I've gotten better over the years, but I am still not very good. But I still draw.
So don't give up on this.

[AtomicKitKat]

Practice makes better. I used to draw terribly, but now, I'm miles ahead of where I was in school. I think I've kind of stagnated since I was about 18 though. I'm good enough to draw from miniature figures(those rubbery-vinyl ones you get from capsule machines), and from comic panels, so yeah, keep at it. :)

[aart lover]

well as a fellow artist, first off i'd say to keep going no matter what other people say. secondly, you need to draw for you, and you alone, nobody else.take her opinion with a grain of salt, she doesn't sound like she understands it anyway so who is she to judge? lastly, if you have to abridge YOUR own work that came from YOUR own mind and YOUR own thoughts and feelings, then it isn't your work at all, it's someone elses. oh, and i would love see your works:smallsmile:

[Shas aia Toriia]

What's more, if she insists on watching you draw, just make up an excuse for something, like "I'm doing homework" or "I'm taking a walk" and then just draw in secret, and keep the art a secret.

[MoelVermillion]

Yeah listen to what the other people said and just draw for yourself.

I don't know you, your mum or your situation but if you need a good place to go to draw in peace see if your local library will accommodate you. Some libraries aren't really down with the whole letting you practice in there thing, but if yours is it would make an excellent place to practice. You should be surrounded by other people who mostly don't want to disturb or be disturbed by other people and with any luck you'll have access to a range of books you can use to study anatomy :smallbiggrin:.

[Telonius]

Maybe if I had even a small manequin and a book with some clothing, hair and pose references I could do a better job at it! Hasn't she thought about that at all!?

Not meant as a snark, but no, she probably hasn't. Unless she's into art herself, she probably has no idea what is needed in order to do a good job at it.

I have no idea how old you are or how much time/effort you've put into your art so far, but the plain fact is that everybody has to start somewhere. Every single artist (or writer, or doctor, or ditch-digger) in the world was utter crap when they started. Every single one of them. Nobody starts off as brilliant, and very few start off as even passable. Not everybody who starts even gets to passable, and fewer still get to really good. Only a bare handful make it to great. And that's okay.

The people who do better themselves all have one thing in common: they stuck with it. You want to see some real crap? Take a look at the link in my signature. It's probably the worst-designed website in the history of the internet. (Or at least since 1995 or so). But I'm not letting that stop me. I put it up here, asked for criticism, got a whole bunch of it, and judged which ideas they gave me were worth keeping. I'm using that criticism to make it better. (Or will whenever I get some money to actually hire a web designer). I don't expect everybody to like it by the time it's done. Somebody will always think it sucks. And that's not even getting into the book itself! But in the meantime, I'm not junking the project. I'm still writing, still making it better. Because I want to do it.

It does suck that the person closest to you, who's "supposed to" be supportive of you, isn't being helpful at all. There's nothing you can do about how she thinks or acts towards you or your art. The only things you have control and responsibility over are your own thoughts and actions. Follow your own conscience. If you really want to keep doing your art, do your art. To do otherwise is to be dishonest with yourself. If you really don't want to do your art, don't do it! Pursuing it in that circumstance is just as destructive. Either way, best of luck.

[Tengu_temp]

What's more, if she insists on watching you draw, just make up an excuse for something, like "I'm doing homework" or "I'm taking a walk" and then just draw in secret, and keep the art a secret.

That's bad advice. Secrets like that will always see the light of the day sooner or later, and then the situation will get even worse.

[yldenfrei]

Let me share you a little anecdote. I have a brother and a sister. In our family, only my sister can't draw well. She can draw semblances of subjects, but never in a manner that is passably correct or even remotely stylized. We tried to encourage her, give her tips and materials to copy, but in the end she still can't do it. So she dropped drawing. Then she found Photoshop and is now a pretty good website layout designer.

My point is, though your mother is wrong in putting you down and barraging you with unnecessary input, you have to know for yourself, objectively, the limits of your proficiency with a given field. Pursue it for a time, expose it to a different audience. If you receive passable remarks pursue it. But if it is consistently remarked poorly, know when to stop. Then look for something similar to which you can apply your creativity. You may not be good with sketches and figures, why not try abstract art? Paint, use color pencils, crayons. Get into crafts, try sculpture, sew, crochet, make collages, papier-mache. Explore. You'll soon find that one thing that feels so natural, you don't need to think while doing it.

The freedom to express oneself is everyone's right. But it is the well-chosen avenue to express it that makes the effort worthwhile. :smallbiggrin:

[Frozen_Feet]

If the criticism she gives isn't the slightest bit helpful, just ignore her, and if she insists on bugging you, tell her to screw herself.

Now, from my experience, not all parents are very understanding towards hobbies of their children. For example, I can't listen to any music I like without my mother invariably calling out as "satanic" or "cacophonic". I don't give a crap for what she has to say about the matter, because she's blatantly unmusical person, so expecting her to hold useful opinions of music is foolish.

Your mother sounds like she falls into the same group - there's something in fantasy art she doesn't get, plain and simple, and isn't likely to, ever. Explain to her this is something you simply won't be seeing eye to eye about and ask her to leave you to your own musings.

Now, it's possible that you are objectively bad artist. However, that being the case and someone telling you that is no reason at all to quit. Just say "yup, I suck, which is why I'm trying to get better"; skills are all about practice. You'll never draw well, if you don't draw. In the end, you just have to keep on going.

[Sipex]

Firstly, OP, no matter HOW good you get there will always be critics, some which you ask for criticism from and some which just feel the need to butt in and give it.

That said, the only way you can improve is practice and experimentation. Keep drawing and trying new things and eventually you'll get better.

Two questions:

1) Can we see your art?

2) How long have you been drawing?

edit: Also, never listen to ANYONE who says you don't have talent and will never be great. You like drawing? Yes? Then screw them.

[Mr. Moon]

What's more, if she insists on watching you draw, just make up an excuse for something, like "I'm doing homework" or "I'm taking a walk" and then just draw in secret, and keep the art a secret.

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with Tengu Temp. No offence, Shas, but this is not a good thing to do. The thing you love should never be hidden away as though it were something shameful, because then it becomes something shameful. There's a difference between keeping it secret and keeping it safe. Your art is something you've worked hard on, it should be something that you are proud of. By all means, work on it away from home if you must, but never consider your art something that should be hidden.

[Trog]

Speaking as someone who got similarly discouraged once by someone I was close to I advise you not to quit. Getting your muse stomped down by someone close to you is a pretty crappy thing to go through but just be advised that leaving it behind altogether is, frankly, a much worse experience than some unkind criticism. Stick with it.

[Agrippa]

Well I'll post one of my most recent drawings as soon as I finish inking it. I'll let the Playground judge.

[Mr. Moon]

I look forward to seeing it. =3

[bothi73]

Don't stop. Everyone starts somewhere nowhere. But you are somewhere, and that's something. Noone is to judge if you are bad but you, and if you stop now, you won't get better. If you enjoy it, you might as well do it.

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

Don't give up. You are your own person, and it is up to you whether to draw or not to draw and how and what you wish to draw. The more practice you can get, the greater your artwork can become, and allowing people with different aesthetic tastes to control your creative output is extremely inadvisable - if others can control that, they must surely feel free to control your life to a greater degree. Personally, I know that I value my individual liberty far too much to allow that to happen to me...

[darbythegambler]

here's the short answer that someone must have said before...

do. not. quit. ever.

[shadow_archmagi]

Speaking as someone who got similarly discouraged once by someone I was close to I advise you not to quit. Getting your muse stomped down by someone close to you is a pretty crappy thing to go through but just be advised that leaving it behind altogether is, frankly, a much worse experience than some unkind criticism. Stick with it.

Yeah this guy here is in this case correct

[leakingpen]

Are you drawing to have fun? screw your mom. are you hoping to make a career of it, and being discouraged in that regards? get a critique. You sound junior highish. take an elective drawing course, the teacher will tell you what you need to know. (hell, take a few drawings to said teacher after school, and ask, is it worth it to me to take classes)

i for one draw like crap, but i do it now and thenbecause its FUN.

[D_Lord]

I'll say what has been said before.

Don't stop, may be good now even if other say otherwise, but you'll never get better if you quit.

[Form]

Do you like drawing? Yes? Well, then keep doing it! There's no sense in letting a good, enjoyable hobby go to waste just because someone doesn't like your drawings.

[npc revolution]

*Hugs* and +1 to the same sentiment most people are expressing, art is for you, for better or worse.