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Submitted on
May 21, 2011
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So I'm guessing some of you might have heard that blueshinewolf is leaving dA. There have been mixed reactions to this news, and as an occasional canine artist myself, I thought I'd write down my own thoughts on the matter. This applies to all artists, not just BSW. :)

(No bashing or fawning here, just some observations.)

First of all, I have nothing against her art, per se. If she wants to draw colorful wolves whose anatomy does not resemble real wolves' in any way--that's up to her, and she has improved vastly over the years. (I'll admit I draw those things too.) It's her style, and God knows she's not the first person to stylize an animal in that manner. Take a look at the Balto wolves--they have teeny-tiny hindquarters and gigantic round paws, but nobody really seems to mind. However, if she is doing foreshortening wrong, or putting the shadows in the wrong place, or if one eye is abnormally bigger than the other or anything like that--I do agree that she needs criticism.

On that note, she can't seem to distinguish between critiques, trolly comments, and actual cyber bullying. If she would actually read through the comments people leave her, she would find that a lot of them really are helpful. They might sound harsh at first, especially if you're so used to your family and friends praising your work all the time--but they're necessary if you want to get even better at what you do. I commend her for making the decision to start allowing people to critique her work (remember the days when the artist's comments on ALL her deviations read, "NO CRITIQUE! i hate it!" ?), but she should start actually listening to them. As for the trolls and bullies, letting them all roll off your back and taking it in stride--or better yet, ignoring them completely--is better than posting journals and devs that show they're getting to you, which just fuels their fire.

Now there are people who are saying that at the rate she's going, BSW will never get into Disney. There are several reasons for that: one being the fact that she draws nothing but wolves and dogs; two being the fact that she can't keep up with all her owed art, let alone art assignments in a real animation studio, and three being the fact that she assumes having contacts will earn her a spot with Mr. Walt and all his friends.

1. "Disney is never going to accept some 16-year-old wolfaboo who only knows how to draw sparkly anatomically-incorrect rainbow-pooping dogs. Get real."

As much as it seems like she only draws wolves and dogs, it is very possible that she draws entire scads of things that she just doesn't post on dA. Hey, maybe deviantART is just her Internet happy place, where she posts the art she is best at and the art she loves most--and in her case, it just happens to be cartoony canine art. Maybe off of dA, she's working on learning how to draw other things, like people, or realistic animals, and she's just not posting those because she's still experimenting. In all honesty, I'll agree with that.

But even so, you can't upload all those wolves and then journal about how you want to become a Disney artist, and then not expect people to say, "I don't think Disney will like that you only draw wolves." It's natural and perfectly acceptable for us to assume that you only know how to draw canines, since that's almost all we see from you. If you really wanted us to realize that you can draw things that are not dogs, you wouldn't be hiding behind your computer screen (or worse, other people). No. You would be right out there in the front, proving it to us.

And if what you're worried about is that the way you draw people/cats/bears/unicorns isn't good enough yet, you could show us anyway. That's what the dA community is for. People can critique your art and tell you what you can improve on. Part of being an artist is learning how to be brave enough to toss your artwork out into the ocean and see if it can swim. It's a little scary, but it won't kill you. And as the saying goes, what doesn't, will only make you stronger.

2. "I commissioned you back in September and I still got nothing; what happened? Do you think that with this kind of work ethic, you can get a job at a real animation studio?"

I will agree here that it is bad form to take commissions, and then leave the commissioners hanging for months and months with no sign of you working on their art. I know, because I've done it in the past. But I made up for it with discounts and profound apologies, and since then I've learned from my mistakes and realized that I can't keep customers waiting that long. Would you go to a fast food restaurant and pay for your order, and then allow them to make you stand there for two hours while they dither and take their own sweet time bringing you your burger? I don't think so.

It's true that fast food and art are two totally different things, and you can't expect a busy artist to finish your commission in the time it takes for a guy to put a Big Mac on a tray. But there is one thing that that guy and the artist should have in common, and that is that they should always think of the customers. They're paying you to draw them something, and after a really long time of waiting, they're wondering where it is. A month or two is understandable--half a year is just crazy. So it would be nice if you could at least message them personally and say, "Hi I'm very sorry this is taking so long, hope you'll understand," or maybe even, "Can I offer you a free sketch or a small refund on your commission to compensate for the wait?"

So you say you have real-life stuff to take care of too. That's fine. But don't you think the artists and animators at Disney have real-life issues they need to take care of, too? Maybe their mother is sick, or maybe their cat died, or maybe their kids are complaining they don't get to see their dad enough. But more often than not, what do they do? They stay in the studio and keep on drawing, because they made a commitment to it.

Regardless of whether you're still a high school student or not, the fact that you're selling your art, and people are paying you real money for it, makes it like a job for you. So you have an obligation to them, because you committed to doing this for them too. I know that high school life isn't easy, and you have extracurriculars as well as academics to worry about--but if you're really feeling like that time isn't enough for you, then maybe you shouldn't take commissions.

3. "You have an art mentor who knows this guy whose brother is the boyfriend of the tennis partner of the mother of the childhood friend of Glen Keane? YEAH SURE YOU CAN TOTALLY MEET GLEN KEANE TOO AND HE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY HELP YOU LAND A SPOT AT DISNEY. End sarcasm."

Here's something people have to realize--it is, in fact, very hard to get into Disney. Lots of people I know have gone to Disney World and applied to be a Cast Member (and as glamorous as the name sounds, know that a Cast Member can be anything from a Disney World mascot, to the janitor and the girl who sells hotdogs) with the hope of working their way up to become an official artist or animator. For years, they send in their art portfolios and pray that their dream will come true. But more often than not, it doesn't happen. Why? Maybe because there's no place for them in the department they want, or maybe because their art is simply not good enough. It's sad but true.

And I am willing to bet that at least one of those aspiring Mouseketeers is the neighbor of the son of the kindergarten classmate of Roy Disney.

Long story short--having connections means next to nothing. It's nice to be excited about meeting one of your idols, but to actually hope that he'll help you get into his company is a shot in the dark indeed. You're going to have to work for it, and hard.

Do you think Glen Keane got where he is because his dad was friends with one of the guys at the studio? Certainly not. Regardless of how famous a cartoonist Bil Keane was, Glen didn't ride on that. He took life drawing and applied to colleges on his own, and studied for years before he got to join Disney. And even if you do manage to do those things as well, it may not be enough, so be prepared for disappointment. It's not impossible to get in. But it is very, very difficult.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a dream to work at Disney someday. It was one of mine not too long ago, as I'm sure it is for many of you reading this. And because Disney sparked a lot of kids' imaginations back in the day, and they continue to do so as the years go by--it's no surprise that so many people want to be part of that magic. But if it's not just a pipe dream for you--if you want it for real--you have to know what you can and cannot do to achieve it.

As for BSW's decision to leave dA, I won't say anything other than if that's what she feels is right, then she should go ahead. But, no matter what your reasons are, the fact remains that people will inevitably see it as you taking the cowardly way out.

That's about all I have to say; this issue is totally open for debate, so for those of you who still want to put in your two cents' worth, by all means go ahead.

I'll leave you all with a quote from Glen Keane himself--"People are who they are by the way they react to things." In that case, what kind of a person does that make BSW--and what kind of a person does that make you?

I'll leave that for you to decide. :)
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:iconjadzriel:
Jadzriel Featured By Owner Aug 21, 2014  Student Traditional Artist
I really loved her art and she was one of my inspirations to join Deviantart. I wonder if she is still on the Internet I really wanted to know her before she left but she was gone before I even joined Deviantart. :crying: rvmp
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:iconflakyfan19:
flakyfan19 Featured By Owner Jun 8, 2014
I know you're just helping shadow but...don't tell other people.Nobody needs to know my problems. :(
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:iconshadow-wolf01:
SHADOW-WOLF01 Featured By Owner Jun 8, 2014  Student General Artist
Okay. It just gets to me when people bitch about this shit.
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:iconligax:
Ligax Featured By Owner Oct 29, 2012  Student Filmographer
i disagree with one thing you said about even if you know someone with connection that it dont matter? that is not true a connection to someone in the company your trying to get into can help you to put you ahead of others waiting in line and once your stuff gets attention right then and there can land you a job,its just networking that how it works in the art world.
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:iconsnow-katt:
Snow-katt Featured By Owner Feb 12, 2012
people are who they are the way they react to things ?
alright then i have no idea who bsw is
never seen her art
and my major impression of her is from what i read here and the only thing it did for me is just shrug my shoulders and move on

as far as her leaving deviant art in a hissy fit after a baww journal ?
dime a dozen that what makes her so special ?
(other then the unrealistic expectations keeping people waiting having apparantly poor work ethic and some strange fleeting impression she got it made because she has a bestest friend cousins uncle neighbours friend that is on the inside those are also dime a dozen )
same goes for the spaggie artists of which she is one in so far i gatherd ( sparkle dog )
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:iconspazzbert:
Spazzbert Featured By Owner Aug 25, 2011  Student Artist
I agree so hard with this. I love it when people are reasonable. It warms my heart. :)

Connections can be important when looking for a Disney job. Or for any job, really. But on a much deeper level than "knowing somebody who has met Glen Keane", of course. Having close ties to the people who manage and hire for Disney can really make applying for a job there a lot easier.
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:iconrunioredmane:
RunioRedMane Featured By Owner Jun 30, 2011  Hobbyist Digital Artist
I canīt say nothing more that I totally agree with this :w00t:
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:icontikirillo:
Tikirillo Featured By Owner Jun 29, 2011
Are you kidding me? You think a girl wouldn't have time in a whole freakin' year to do a SINGLE commission?
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:icond-dileone:
d-dileone Featured By Owner Jun 29, 2011  Student General Artist
Of course not! She's a BUSY girl after all.

I mean she has the time for Neopets and FeralHeart, as well as making art of her characters or for herself. But work on a commission? No, no.
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