Strange thoughts about fic/art schizm
Aug. 18th, 2005 10:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valis2I am very loopy, still, so forgive me if this rambles. I haven't been feeling well since Tuesday morning.
So I've noticed (or at least I think I've noticed) that there is kind of a schizm between fanfiction writers and fanartists. No, I don't mean that there is some sort of civil war and the fanartists are launching erasers at the fanfiction authors or anything of the sort. I just mean that I've noticed that the writers tend to stick together, and the fanartists tend to stick together, though that isn't a strict rule, of course, because there are some people who do both, and there are collaborations, etc. It's just that I've seen cliques of writers, and cliques of authors. I've noticed this for awhile now. So I kind of wanted to do some thinking about why it's like this.
I am thinking that it's just due to human nature. Writers (generally) know how to write, and artists (generally) know how to draw, and there is a knowledge of the process that becomes common ground among other writers or other artists.
For example, if I praise a drawing, I don't have a lot to say other than I like it, or I don't like it, and what details jumped out at me. I might try to describe the mood, or the emotion(s) invoked. That's because I'm not an artist, I'm a writer. I don't really know how difficult it is to get the cross-hatching just so, I really don't understand what a conté crayon is, and I can't praise its use. I can only say my opinion about the overall effect of the piece; I would be very reluctant to suggest a different technique or perspective. However, a piece of writing...now that I can sink my teeth into and really see the nuts and bolts that went into its construction.
So one part of it is that artists and writers don't have a common base in technique. Using words to build a picture is quite different from using lines, I think. Artists, once they've drawn something, are able to engage in dialogues about tools and techniques, and because of their skills they can appreciate drawings in a different way than writers. The same with writers. Writers notice the little tricks of the trade, and can point out the careful use of a symbol to invoke a particular mood, and that leads to more conversation. Writers love to write about writing, they usually love to read, and this leads to lots of conversations among themselves. I've seen the same sort of thing with artists. Having that common language of tool and technique means that when we talk with other writers we have an instant "access" of sorts into their minds, simply because we know the basics of the craft. So writers can immediately start conversing with other writers about how wonderful novels written by poets can be and how lyrical their writing is, while if I attempted to talk to an artists I wouldn't immediately have that same common ground.
Also, so many of the fanartists in the fandom are so exceedingly generous with their art, and are friended by so many people, that I can't imagine that they don't use filters. Which leads me to the main purpose of LJ: communicating, and receiving communication. The flists of some of the fanartists are just so large that I can understand why many people just don't have time to respond to comments, and some fanartists would rather be drawing then saying "thank you!" two hundred times everytime they post. So I do understand that when you have one comment saying "Great drawing!" and another comment saying "The chalks are blended so beautifully and contrast so well with the inked lines" that the artist-oriented comments would be so much more interesting and more likely to receive a response.
Actually, some fanartists are so popular that they end up putting their artwork into separate journals to combat the massive friending issue. Some writers do this as well, I believe.
So my point? I don't know, I just think it's fascinating that the two media most commonly seen here in the HP fandom are two very different artforms, and that the practitioners of said art forms are affected by the art form they practice. I love writers and artists; and it's really interesting to see how they interpret things, and how they communicate, both within their groups and without. I am always interested in people like![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ac1d6urn and snapesforte who exist in both worlds.
Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them.
So I've noticed (or at least I think I've noticed) that there is kind of a schizm between fanfiction writers and fanartists. No, I don't mean that there is some sort of civil war and the fanartists are launching erasers at the fanfiction authors or anything of the sort. I just mean that I've noticed that the writers tend to stick together, and the fanartists tend to stick together, though that isn't a strict rule, of course, because there are some people who do both, and there are collaborations, etc. It's just that I've seen cliques of writers, and cliques of authors. I've noticed this for awhile now. So I kind of wanted to do some thinking about why it's like this.
I am thinking that it's just due to human nature. Writers (generally) know how to write, and artists (generally) know how to draw, and there is a knowledge of the process that becomes common ground among other writers or other artists.
For example, if I praise a drawing, I don't have a lot to say other than I like it, or I don't like it, and what details jumped out at me. I might try to describe the mood, or the emotion(s) invoked. That's because I'm not an artist, I'm a writer. I don't really know how difficult it is to get the cross-hatching just so, I really don't understand what a conté crayon is, and I can't praise its use. I can only say my opinion about the overall effect of the piece; I would be very reluctant to suggest a different technique or perspective. However, a piece of writing...now that I can sink my teeth into and really see the nuts and bolts that went into its construction.
So one part of it is that artists and writers don't have a common base in technique. Using words to build a picture is quite different from using lines, I think. Artists, once they've drawn something, are able to engage in dialogues about tools and techniques, and because of their skills they can appreciate drawings in a different way than writers. The same with writers. Writers notice the little tricks of the trade, and can point out the careful use of a symbol to invoke a particular mood, and that leads to more conversation. Writers love to write about writing, they usually love to read, and this leads to lots of conversations among themselves. I've seen the same sort of thing with artists. Having that common language of tool and technique means that when we talk with other writers we have an instant "access" of sorts into their minds, simply because we know the basics of the craft. So writers can immediately start conversing with other writers about how wonderful novels written by poets can be and how lyrical their writing is, while if I attempted to talk to an artists I wouldn't immediately have that same common ground.
Also, so many of the fanartists in the fandom are so exceedingly generous with their art, and are friended by so many people, that I can't imagine that they don't use filters. Which leads me to the main purpose of LJ: communicating, and receiving communication. The flists of some of the fanartists are just so large that I can understand why many people just don't have time to respond to comments, and some fanartists would rather be drawing then saying "thank you!" two hundred times everytime they post. So I do understand that when you have one comment saying "Great drawing!" and another comment saying "The chalks are blended so beautifully and contrast so well with the inked lines" that the artist-oriented comments would be so much more interesting and more likely to receive a response.
Actually, some fanartists are so popular that they end up putting their artwork into separate journals to combat the massive friending issue. Some writers do this as well, I believe.
So my point? I don't know, I just think it's fascinating that the two media most commonly seen here in the HP fandom are two very different artforms, and that the practitioners of said art forms are affected by the art form they practice. I love writers and artists; and it's really interesting to see how they interpret things, and how they communicate, both within their groups and without. I am always interested in people like
ac1d6urn and snapesforte who exist in both worlds. Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-20 08:48 pm (UTC)It's a neat phenomenon you discuss in this fandom in particular, because the ratio of fanficcers to fanartists is so much more balanced than when compared to other fandoms. Certain fandoms (ie, TV/media fandoms, like X-Files or popslash) lend themselves more to fanfic while others (many manga/anime fandoms) are heavily fanart. HP seems to bring in, while not equal, a very large community of both.
I adore giving feedback to fanficcers and fanartist alike, but it's true - with a fanartist, I have more quality things to say. With fanfic, it's a lot of "OMG I would NEVER think of that concept, but I works so incredibly well, how did you think up that, I love how you take canon and write between the lines, etc etc". Because I don't know if it's just a symptom of being a fanartist? But I am very poor at meta and plot analysis. Fic writers, on the other hand (at least, the one's I've spoken to), think about this stuff in exquisite and extraordinary detail.
As a fanartist, I like to concentrate more on the exact shade of Ron's hair, and visually perfecting the practical and realistic Quidditch uniform. *G* Another example -
Anyway, what am I rambling about? Nothing really, but your discussion sparked the thoughtfullness in me. Thank you!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-20 09:26 pm (UTC)Me too! I especially love seeing collaborations.
It's a neat phenomenon you discuss in this fandom in particular, because the ratio of fanficcers to fanartists is so much more balanced than when compared to other fandoms.
Yes, you're completely right, and I hadn't thought of that, being pretty heavily centered in the HP fandom. I think that the large set of characters and the different creative things that show up in canon definitely inspire a lot of artists.
I adore giving feedback to fanficcers and fanartist alike, but it's true - with a fanartist, I have more quality things to say.
I like to let artists know that I looked, at the very least, and liked, but sometimes I can't think of anything more than "Lovely!", and often I wonder if I'm just being a pest...but feedback is feedback, after all. ;)
Anyway, what am I rambling about? Nothing really, but your discussion sparked the thoughtfullness in me. Thank you!
Thank you for replying! You're such a sweetie, and a wonderful presence in HP fandom. *hugs*