silliana In reply to wikdValkyrie [2011-07-19 18:50:08 +0000 UTC]

One of the things I focus on is who I create my stuff for... if it was just for me, I would keep it private. I hope it comes through in my writing, and I encourage others who put their work in a public venue to adopt a similar stance. I want to make my writing the best it can be, and that means editorial process, passing it in front of prereaders, revising it, making it friendly, clear and accessible to readers. I want my readers to have the easiest, cleanest experience possible with my stories, with the minimum amount of hand-holding.

Paying attention to the details and going back to rework them properly is a great example of caring for the work and for the fans. I really appreciate that you're willing to do it. I have a similar understanding with tutchangers - she's got a great eye and a fantastic amount of skill, but she's also willing to go back and make things better for her viewers, and I find that quality even more endearing than her skill.

I find it a bit of a disservice to put out work that isn't the best I can make it, and then just make excuses for it rather than making it better. I don't mean works in progress, because that's clearly something that's in progress and not done yet, but I mean stuff with bad grammar, unclear characterization, or even a visual style that's not true to the source material.

We create because we care, but when we put the work in public, we should care beyond the scope of just us. Does that make sense?

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wikdValkyrie In reply to silliana [2011-07-19 19:51:40 +0000 UTC]

yes. It makes perfect sense and you are 100% right. I feel ashamed that I forgot such important elements to the character. I did, as you said, a disservice to the fans by not catching my errors. I should have been able to catch the obvious mistakes before I posted it and there is no excuse for my errors. Though I would like to, I don't have anyone that I could send my art to that would willingly point out my errors. What I get is, "it looks fine," which doesn't do me any favors. That is why I appreciated you pointing out my many mistakes to me. Although I was planning on fixing the piece after my trip, I couldn't let it sit there knowing there were so many things wrong with it. I did try to draw the necklace, but for the life of me, I couldn't get it to look right. I wish everyday for even a third of the mad skills tutchangers has, but sadly, it is something I am lacking. I draw and study everyday in hopes of getting better. I believe with tenacity and a lot of practice I will one day be able to reach the goals I have set for myself or at least get close to it. I whole heartedly apologize for forgetting so many elements that make Isabela, Isabela. I hope that you will accept my sincerest apologies and I promise to be more vigilant in my future drawings.

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silliana In reply to wikdValkyrie [2011-07-19 20:33:50 +0000 UTC]

Don't worry about apologizing to me. I'm just happy you're willing to take the criticism (please don't take it personally!), and make the art better for it. It's exactly what I do with my writing too; I often get short, terse responses to my writing from pre-readers like "I liked it, it was good", so I need to press a little deeper to get at the "Well, I kind of felt like ______ was unclear" or "I wish you spent more time on ______", because that's the stuff that will really help. Ego stroking is always nice, but won't always help us improve. It's why I always try to say what I like or dislike about a specific piece, to help encourage attention to those specific details. I *loved* the facial expressions you did in that painting, the little lip-biting of Hawke's was fantastic.

You're very good. Don't let anyone (including you) tell you otherwise. The fact that you're willing to take criticism and improve because of it without taking things too personally is a very admirable trait, and one many artists are sadly lacking. I'm also seeing steady improvement in your work as you post more, so please keep it up and never feel discouraged because you made a mistake.

We learn from our mistakes and improve because of them. Embracing, accepting, and improving is what makes us better artists in our respective media. I'm extremely happy that you moved to correct your mistakes, I know you'll do better next time, and I am totally looking forward to seeing what you do next.

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wikdValkyrie In reply to silliana [2011-07-20 00:30:15 +0000 UTC]

I hold your opinion in very high regard and have a great deal of respect for you. Therefore, it means a lot to me for you to say what you said. I did not take your criticism personally, but I did take them seriously. I'm always looking to move forward in my artwork and you selflessly provided me with a means to do so. I am eternally grateful. I hope that you will freely express your dislikes and likes on any of my future artwork. I promise not to call you an Isabela Nazi.

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silliana In reply to wikdValkyrie [2011-07-06 19:16:08 +0000 UTC]

Ha, I just watch people I like. You qualify.

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wikdValkyrie In reply to silliana [2011-07-06 20:05:14 +0000 UTC]

sqeee! Thank you!

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silliana In reply to wikdValkyrie [2011-07-06 21:15:31 +0000 UTC]

Just FYI, you're getting some exposure on the official bioware forums too. I've posted some of your art there, and there are a number of folks who've posted to say how much they like it.

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wikdValkyrie In reply to silliana [2011-07-06 21:36:35 +0000 UTC]

WOW!, Thank you so much! I can't even find the words to express how much that means to me.... I guess that's why you're the writer and I'm not LOL! So I'll just say THANK YOU x 100!

You are so incredible kind, Really!

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silliana In reply to wikdValkyrie [2011-07-07 07:02:16 +0000 UTC]

Just keep painting. My friends love your work, and I've seen them sharing it with their friends too.

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wikdValkyrie In reply to silliana [2011-07-07 09:59:58 +0000 UTC]

It's wonderful people like you and your awesome stories that inspire me to draw in the first place.
I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. I love it too much!... even when my eyes feel like they've shrived up into raisins from staring at my computer screen forever. ha

Thank you so much for sharing my art, truly, thank you.

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silliana In reply to trixdraws [2011-06-27 16:05:45 +0000 UTC]

omg omg so awesome!!

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