#DIVERSITY IN ART

[viro-lil-goat]

if you're an artist go watch this NOW /silly

[outsidethebeautybox]

On "Writing What You Know"

Someone asked me once if I had any OCs who were “normal.” This question was in response to the fact that many of my OCs have disabilities or illnesses.

My question is, what counts as “normal?”

Sure, it would be nice to believe that perfect health is the norm, but if we dig a little deeper into almost anyone, we’ll find a quirk or a nuance that makes them stray away from the societal standard for an ordinary joe or josephine. The idea of “normal” is impossible to pin down. Who decides what we call “normal?”

Now, I know that her statement was also a question of authenticity. Since I’ve never had vitiligo, albinism, or a neurodivergence (that’s been diagnosed anyhow) would I be able to write these characters accurately or would they “lose something?”

Well, the truth is, no one can experience everything. People always tell authors to write what they know, but if we only write our own life experiences then our characters and stories will be extremely limited. It might be nice for the (impossibly) small number of people that we can 100%, completely, relate to, but that’s simply not the kind of fiction I want to write.

One of my goals is to use writing to create worlds where everyone belongs. I write my characters, and express my characters, not based on our differences, but on our similarities. These are the traits that (I hope) will help them feel genuine and human, even when I can’t relate to every single detail about the character.

From a broader perspective, the irony of that whole question of ‘normalcy’ is how specific it was.

I can’t relate to having vitiligo, but neither can I relate to being male, yet I have male characters.

In my opinion, it’s no more of a stretch to try to write a character with a skin irregularity that I don’t have than it is to write a married person when I’m accutely single.

We all have more in common than we think, and we shouldn’t arbitrarily avoid writing diasporas or demographics that we’re not a part of just because we can’t relate. What’s important is that we research and get to know the details of other people’s points of view and life experiences so that we can write with empathy and understanding. 

Write from a place of human connection, not from a “me vs. you” mentality.

Many of the struggles of my neurodivergent characters are based on the life experiences and struggles of my best friends. They are undiagnosed, but their frustrations, difficulties and grievances are the basis of these characters. I am able to write them more accurately because I have a one-on-one connection with people who struggle the same way.

Rather than limiting myself, my characters, and the representation that I include in my stories, I choose to learn, grow and love with greater understanding.

Because, let’s be honest, my stories would be pretty boring if all the characters were exactly like me. (Though I admit, I have sarcastically contemplated making a comic where the entire cast is female, Dominican and/or black, and the world is falling to shambles because I am an artist and there would be nobody working any of the jobs needed to run society. We’ll see if that pans out.)

Disabled people, neurodivergent people, people with albinism and vitiligo (etc.) are all beautiful people and they deserve to (finally) have a chance in the limelight. We need more writing that lets people be people, because there are different kinds of normal. Not every story starring a different kind of normal person has to be about what makes them different, but they still belong in the world of fiction, because it’s our differences that make the world colorful.

So yes, I have stories about “normal” people. All of my ocs are normal people.

They are normal people with albinism. Normal people with autism. Normal people with CPTSD. Normal people with vitiligo.

Normal people just like me, who want a chance to be called beautiful.

You’re beautiful.

[reykjavik-municipality]

The Reykjavík arts festival has always been about celebration of the diversity of our beloved artists. But next year we have decided to change our approach for the process, we are now working with the concept of art that this one guy does not consider art.

[cosmogyros]

Jeeez I made the mistake of looking at the notes on the poll about "how far down your Wrapped does the first Black artist appear" (this post) and... having a mental re-adjustment.

I was remembering the post I made a while back, when I was reflecting on my Last.fm stats and bemoaning the fact that I didn't have even more women and artists of color in my Top 500. But after reading through the notes on that post... oof. I am apparently doing just fine. More than fine.

[cutest-big-dragon]

Draw women with cocks? That's been a thing for a while, but I understand your post lol. (futanari) I very much enjoy the idea of drawing people of different sizes, races, appearance, anything! Only issue is sometimes with art styles,

someone might see a something like.. lets say, stretch marks on their stomach. And be like "omg are those sh scars? are those battle scars??" and some people, without context, might get triggered or anything like that.

It's both a good and bad thing, cause it's good to represent, but some people will misinterpret because of not being used to seeing it. I still like the idea, I just think if people do stuff like that, they may want to add context? I just mention this, as I've done a lil bit of character art myself. Also remember no pressure to draw in any specific way, do what you want with art, it's a free thing >:3

Draw trans bodies pls im so tired of lesbian art being just thin dainty women with a little bit of bush over their vag draw trans women draw women with square bodies broad shoulders draw women with adams apples draw women with strong jaws draw women with cocks draw women with tummies draw women with no tits draw women with saggy tits draw women with stretchmarks draw women of every shape and size

[oblique-lane]

References for Anomaly Diversion!!!

Official!! finally!!

I wanted to make their design stand out, so I created them from scratch; they're not loadouts you can find in-game. Plus a little bit of character description because I'm dying to talk about them and their roles in the story (*wearing a shirt that says "please talk to me about my fic"*).

Now I can finally draw them often!!

Somewhat goofy clothing sheets under the cut↓↓↓

I tried to design them the way their silhouettes and colors stay recognisable, as if they were meant to be used in-game later, to not to break the gameplay rules. I also wanted them to look as tf2-like as possible, I studied the hell out of the 3d models and on the last three I guess it started to turn out decent. Drawing Spy is still pain though.

Or maybe it's just that I'm not attracted to the majority of the mercs visually?? That's why they don't look satisfying?? Lmao. Need to adjust them to my tastes later.

I'm not sure I can exactly explain my design choices with these... How exactly they correlate to their characters. There is something, but I went for it fully intuitively.

//

For BLU scout I went for the softer, rounder oversized clothing to accent his insecurity and the need to shield himself for comfort. It still needed to shape his torso (game rules) but his hood and sleeves do the deed. There is also a strict rule in how to draw his freckles: they look more like moles and there's 7 or 8 of them. You won't believe me if I say this is lore relevant.

For RED Scout, I went with the more aggressive military style. I think I literally took this jacket design from a real military one. There should be an accent on his heavy relations with the army. His clothes are tight because he still likes himself.

RED Sniper is giving hunter vibes, forest type. BLU Sniper looks more like a fisher or a winter hunter. Not sure what deeper meaning I could assign to this except that BLU Sniper was heavily referenced on Ogata Hyakunosuke.

BLU Spy should radiate tiredness. His look is quite unkept for his standards but at this point it doesn't matter anymore. The turtleneck and the boots are special requests from @/gentlesurgeryenjoyer (xoxo)

BLU Medic just looks so freaking cool in a black shirt. It was a vision. I'm not sure if black and white accents mean anything in terms of which side those characters are on. I also wanted to separate him from another famous horror witnessing Medic.

And Miss Pauling was the most satisfying to draw, it was a gift to draw her last... I gave her pants because it's getting cold outside at the time when the story takes place. I also find it very impractical to go killing job in a pencil skirt, I'm sorry. She probably also wears snickers underneath.

And also thanks to @nightly-headache for helping out and assistance!

[artcentron]

National Gallery of Art Appoints First Latinx Art Curator

The National Gallery of Art names Natalia Ángeles Vieyra as Latinx Art Curator, setting a new standard for diversity in art. 

Natalia Ángeles Vieyra, the first Latinx art curator at the National Gallery of Art. Photo: Isabel Vieyra The National Gallery of Art names Natalia Ángeles Vieyra as Latinx Art Curator, setting a new standard for diversity in art.  BY KAZEEM ADELEKE, ARTCENTRON The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., has announced the appointment of Natalia Ángeles Vieyra as its inaugural associate…

[krasnyel]

love like yours will surely come my way

[wombywoo]

wedding bells 💒

[ajsartstation]

Begging character designers to stop doing this.

[crabussy]

thinking about how megapon is sentient and can straight up just say whatever she wants apparently

my art account is @beastwhimsy! nothing I post there is showing up in the tags so I'm posting from my main.

[starrysharks]

friendship is magic

closeups:

[samimarkart]

reimagining of a piece from last year 🤍

[tizeline]

I bet raph goes like 🤯 whenever April go big sis mode but Donnie AND leo snickers at his reaction as well.

Bro is NOT prepared for the little brother treatment!

[l0id-0nline]

Transgender allegory? In my digital circus? It's more likely than you think...

Edit: I know they cannonically use any pronouns, I meant that their relationship with body dysmorphia is not about being trans. They feel uncomfortable in a body that is not theirs, and this narrative is often used by trans people to describe their discomfort with their body. In Zooble's case, they are trapped in a digital avatar. That is why I called it an allegory, since Zooble's dysphoria is not directly about being trans.