Asok
Member since: 2007I'm looking through all the requests, looking for something to do, and it strikes me. Why do I not want to draw any of these?
They're too damn unique! Everything is played against type, or made to feel out of place in the Star Wars universe, or else a weird amalgamation of things that generally rubs me the wrong way. Even the admittedly unusual request I just completed, though it's fun to do once in a while, is really only endearing when it is UNUSUAL.
Looking through the request forum I see: half echani/half zeltron Jedi, ½ Human, ¼ Theelin, ¼ Echani tech specialist, a shaven Ewok pilot wearing blue jeans and aviators, a humanoid pit droid with a scarf and sculpted pecs...
I pine for a simple request of a Duros pilot, or a young rebel scout, or a simple Star Wars-y droid. I like the characters that can walk around Mos Eisley without raising eyebrows.
Can you imagine these characters popping up in the OT?
/end rant. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Naw. I thought of the same thing independently not 24 hours ago.
I'm going to throw in a bit of 'benefit of the doubt' here and suggest that it's possible that most of the requests are for far out/whacky/unusual things exactly BECAUSE they're 'so damn unique' ...simple characters will, by their very nature, always be easier to find suitable 'images' of without the players having to make their own personal request.
That said, I also know what the internet is like. I know what fandom is like. And I know what this can do to characters.
On the one hand, I can't really blame folk for wanting their character to be a special unique snowflake (says the sensitive, emotional Trandoshan Jedi, heh, how CAN I blame folk?)-- on the other, what I'm really drawn to is when the personality is special. When I can get a real feeling for the character, and can tell that they mean something to the player beyond 'being cool'.
And, of course. Trying to reason out a 'why' for all the whacky characters out there doesn't exactly do anything to help satisfy your yearning for some nice, wholesome spacers-just-trying-to-make-their-way-in-the-galaxy to draw.
Dunno how that can be helped, really, aside from maybe somehow encouraging folks to make 'humble' requests too; for their NPCs, their followers, their 'ordinary' looking characters that honestly are just as special as the weirdos?
Maybe we need some sort of 'ARTIST WANTS TO DRAW ____' forum. Or thread. Or something!
That's an interesting idea for a thread. Artists requesting, rather than requesters!
Boshuda
It could work, I think? Artists could just comment in the thread with what they've got a particular hankering to draw, folk could pm the artist if they've got something they think will take the artist's fancy... and we can edit our own comments, so we can always keep our yearnings updated with 'CRAVING SATISFIED: NO NEED TO PM!' or 'KEEP 'EM COMING I WANT MORE!!'. Right?
What is wrong with just drawing what you want to draw...and posting it in your gallery? You can be secure in the knowledge that somewhere, somehow the image will end up as the visual for an NPC, if not a main Player character.
True, true Dred. Seldom do I draw Star Wars-y things for solely my own enjoyment...
Boshuda
As an artist, and I think this is true for all artists, I pick requests of characters I like. Period. That's it. Unusual or normal. Also I tend to pick things that I feel wont stress me out when I draw them, like how do I fit that many characters in the pic? or what does that look like? or I like all the characters in the request but THAT one... or simply WHY DO HIS PANTS NEED TO BE YELLOW!? Ive done enough requests now that I can usually detect a request that doesn't itch me right. I just simply pass on. There's only so much precious time in a day to draw and I dont want to waste it.
I... I don't think that's yellow dye, dude.
Eww....
Never eat yellow pants...
Never eat any pants, for that matter.
Boshuda
But the fiber!
My husband has some badass yellow pants. Don't you touch them, Hish!!
Awww...
/puts away fork & spoon.
I think Dred has the right idea - if you want to draw something in particular... draw it and post it to your gallery! I think maybe its easy to get locked into the train of thought where you are only looking at requests to fulfill- needing a request to justify doing a pic. Of course, I am assuming its ok to do SW art for the site that isn't specifically for a request, as long as it is usable in the rpg.
I suppose personally I'd feel a tad guilty doing something for myself when there are so many requests hanging out on the line, but then there ARE things I want to draw that aren't being requested here...
And to address the topic of odd requests... jeez, yeah - some of the stuff that people look for... too offbeat for SW but trying to place it into the EU anyway. I'll admit I had a twinge of interest in doing that shaved Ewok in jeans & aviators for some perverse reason, even though I don't understand why someone would want to make up a SW character and then essentially give it present day human clothing...
I have been rather silent of late and deliberately not taking requests because I have 2 on the go and can't even get to them right now due to other artistic commitments & a busy life in general, but I still take the time to check out the current requests to see if something really grabs me [I shouldn't torture myself that way though, because I rally am trying not to tempt myself to bite off more than I can chew]. Honestly, I shake my head at some of the stuff people ask for sometimes, but generally there are quite a few good ones popping up regularly...
This is what I'm talking about.
smh
Boshuda
I hear you, Asok. I was thinking about this topic too when I saw that. Does the mounted Bantha head REALLY need to have a gun sticking out of every orifice??! lol!
I actually almost like that. My distaste is more of a gestalt issue... I feel like people sometimes miss the point of their own parodies.
Boshuda
Y'know, some things never change ;)
There's always going to be those zany wild requests for as long as there's going to be a request forum.
If you come across something amusing or entertaining enough to draw, then draw it. Otherwise, skip it.
TNJ :)
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Core to the Quad baby!!!
If your going to complement me, don't tell me my work is neat, cool or awesome. If you really like it, tell me why you like it and what you like about it. Only then I'll take it as a complement.