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LiberLibelula β When aesthetics collide
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Published: 2016-08-31 14:41:28 +0000 UTC; Views: 6467; Favourites: 301; Downloads: 0
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Description
I know this falls under the category of "First world problems", but many artists encounter the same stuff over and over again and many times it's hard to come up with the right reply. Depending on how it's worded and how real the supposed resemblance to the other character is, it can range from a good unexpected laugh to pissing the artist a bit or a lot. Depending on how often they've heard the joke and how prone they are to be pissed by anonymous, awkward comments on the internet.I'm mostly concerned about my business image, and though I personally love to make fun at my own OCs, it's different when it's other people's characters. We've exchanged lots of feedback, back-and-forth and actual money, and I've poured effort and lots of work and time on this design to make it perfect. I hope after this explanation you can see how that particular comment might be obnoxious to hear.
PS: Yes. I can make that face. It's a trivia that I felt you had to know. Just because.
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Comments: 143
Nah, it's okay, I understand. Everyone gets excited and a bit awkward online. It's the problem with written communication; you can't read the speaker's tone and body language! ^^U
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Yeah this is true,
Also excuse that angry emot, i was meant to put a confused face, only just saw it's actually an angry face XD
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Ah, no excuse needed! I never assumed you were angry ^^
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*sigh* I feel ya, homes.Β The worst is when they say your character looks like a new thing (movie/tv show/etc.) when your character has existed for years before.
Very well said! ^^
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Oh right! I guess total originality doesn't exist, but it's awkward when a new thing comes out and suddenly it looks like you copied it... with the aid of a time-travel machine! XD
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Seriously! =_=Β
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Thank you Rachel!
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God I just LOVE the way you draw faces. It's awesome. Plain awesome.
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I feel like this all the goddamn time when people say something like that about my drawings
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I'm not sure if when people say that it's meant to be taken negatively?Β
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Not exactly. It depends a lot of the way they drop the comment and also, how big the resemblance between characters is actually.
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You're always patient, considerate and hugely helpful whenever I commission you. Not to mention always polite and kind whenever we speak (and in your comment answers/responses). In fact, I'd say I haven't known an artist who is as much of a joy to commission as you, Liber. So while it's sad to hear these comments have been troubling you, just know none of those concerns have ever shown for me!
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Thank you so, so much, Halduis. To be honest, I try to be as good as I can, both in working and in customer's treatment, but I always wonder if I've done something wrong that slipped past my radar. So your words make me quite happy
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I love all my art from you. All of it. Because (I believe) I can tell that you've put time and effort into each piece. Not only that, but you always correct details to my (the customer's) liking, even if you might not agree with it on an artistic level. Yet you always do your best to make sure the character is portrayed as the creator wants their OC to be portrayed with your art.Β
So as one of your loyal customers... Don't worry, Liber, I have never feel like you're doing anything half-arsed. Not with your big art pieces and never with your wardrobe designs! <3
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Thank you so much, Arore! Well, people care about their OCs, so the least I can do is to try to make them as exactly as their owner. Being disappointed at a piece you paid for is a terrible feeling, and I want to avoid that!
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Well, I still not really get it
What's an OC like, and how to make them....
Anyone can help me to guide through this?? :/
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OC= original character.
And as daunting as it may seem, making them is not at all that hard. It's throwing random things into an imaginative blender and as a result you get a slushie that eventually becomes a living breathing person in your head.
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Hey you never know that could get someone into your artwork. Β I bought a comic because the display banner the artist had showed a picture of one of her main male characters who looked like Fenris from Dragon Age 2, and then I wound up loving the comic so much I bought volume 2 awhile later and added the artist onto my facebook pages. Β Sometimes it can be a good thing ^_^
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Oh, that's true. The offense is not in the resemblance (Everything's already done, so it's unavoidable that your OCs look like someone else XD), but people who have nothing else to say but this resemblance, which many times is not even real.
However, sure, you can always find new artists thanks to these similarities. And who can resist Fenris? He's got the porniest voice ever XDDD
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Yeah true and also I totally agree about Fenris's face and goodness that voice! lol ^_^
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Al artista que no le ha pasado eso, miente como un bellaco XDD
Genial como siempre!Β
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Well... Sometimes there is no other purpose for saying that but to... yup, just to mention that the character DOES look like sombody.Β
It's like saying 'Oh look, there is a white dog' - and there is no other meaning.
But I never thought of it from this point of view... I'll be moreΒ attentive.
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Ah no, if the resemblance is accurate, it's a funny thing to point out. But just to avoid coming off as rude, it's good to add something along the lines "Pretty good lineart/colors/style! I like it!". That way, your comment doesn't get reduced to "lololol Blonde muscle guy, must be Captain America".
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Yes, I got it. Thanks for drawing the watchers' attention to this point)
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I see people complain about this a ton over the years, and have even gotten these comments myself (one time having to point out that it was entirely my fault a character came out looking like another character on a commission). However,Β I've never quite understood WHY it bothers people so much...Yes, you worked hard on your original character, but...so what if it looks like another? As you said, there are hardly any original ideas in the world so I'll never really understand why anyone would get so bothered by receiving a comment like that. That's just me though.
It's nice of you to try to spare your clients feelings. Might be a fruitless endeavor though.
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The problem is not that your character looks like another (that's pretty much bound to happen XD), but people commenting nothing else but how much they look alike. There is more to an illustration/portrait etc of a character than who they look like. What bothers people are rude and simple comments reducing their hard work into a silly joke about lookalikes. It comes off as pretty childish, and some people can be really passive-aggressive and use them as thinly-veiled accusations of plagiarism. I've seen it, and it's quite hateful.
It might be fruitless indeed XD But at least they know I'm trying
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Huh, never thought about it in this way. It makes sense though when i get randomly irritated over some comment that is supposed to be complimentary but i feel like....thats not what the artists meant
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I've seen soooo many of these comments on other people's work and I always thought I was alone in hating them. Regardless of the intent, it always just comes off as dismissive. Β A friend once told me a character I designed looked exactly like Saber from Fate/Stay Night, even though the only thing they had in common was the fact that they're both knights that wear dresses, and I was really irritated by it
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So so true! Eh. :I
I've been through this with my personal art too, and even though I pretend those kind of comments don't bother me, deep down I can't help but feeling upset. And a little less self-confident about my writing skills (I'm a writer, I can't draw to save my life).
There was one time where a person commented on my work saying that my main character duo looked conceptually and personality-wise to two characters from a manga that I didn't even know of. Still, I read that manga to see what it all was about, and the similiarities were very veeeery far-fetched. But I couldn't unsee it and think that everyone else might have noticed those similiarities too, sooner or later; even though the two worlds and contexts were completely different.
It still bugs me to this day even though that anonymous comment was left there years ago, back when my writing was still pretty rough, and it was a pretty sterile opinion.
So I can't even think of how upsetting this might be when someone says this about the appearance of the character I paid for; I'd be upset If I were the commissioner, and I'd feel a bit underrated if I were the commissioned person too.
I think that those comments should at least be more specific about their purposes, like if it's a critique, a joke, excetera. At least you'd know if it's okay to insult them back or not, amirite? XD
Sometimes people feel free to say anything, even though it might be a little insensitive, because of their anonymous state, or they don't realize they're being rude because of that. :/
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omg..... I don't even know if I've done this to you.....Β π: 0 β©: 1
Β
I have literally no idea......
Sorry!
LOL - I don't think I even think of it in any way you mentioned.....
idk - I'm older...... stuff tends to remind me of other stuff......... people, too! Β
PS. Changed your avatar, did you?!Β Β Β
You haven't, I'd remember. And if I don't, it's because there was no offense taken XDD Don't get anxious! It's not that big of an issue. We all see similarities between characters. The difference is telling them out loud, and especifically, how we word the comment.
PS: Yes! Though I really like Kylo Ren, his broody sinister visage didn't convey my spirit exactly; I think my goblin's crazed, eager look does it much better XD
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It's so common for characters to accidentally resemble each other that people joke that anime characters don't actually die but live on to star in other animes. Some of that may come down to the creators adhering to tropes but other times, it's just pure coincidence. For that matter, people in real life don't always look 100% "original".
It is definitely my hope that aspiring creators out there don't get discouraged by any less than tactful comments they may receive. I agree with you that most people probably aren't trying to be malicious. Sometimes people just say whatever pops into their head without realizing how it could sound. ^_^()
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I am a beginner and I want to learn. I hope I don't upset you.
I've never told to somebody that a character IS LIKE another one, but rather, it REMINDS ME OF. Maybe because of certain common elements that play a role in the character's design and/or concept. Such as: Evil Twins type, Fancy type, Pointy noses, Medieval clothes etc.
Is as offending as telling you the character is like another?
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Of course you don't upset me. See, most people have dropped this line with more or less charisma at some point.
The "reminds me of" sounds nicer, because though you are comparing the characters, you express that it's a subjective impression. It doesn't sound so judgmental and... fact. Expressing things as "My personal thought is this and it's only me" is a very clever move on the internet. I've dodged huge bullets with this technique, so you're quite good for now, it seems
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Oh I am really relieved! Pefiuuuu *takes a napkin and swipes the sweat from forehead*
I always though I don't do anything good saying this and this is why I tried to ask. To be honest, I quite get this feeling often and speaking my mind was unsuccessful and/or with consequences.
Also, thank you for the advice! I will take it in consideration!
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Oh man, I detest when people say that my such-and-such looks like so-and-so's. I tend to politely say "Ah yes! I've been told that, thank you 
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Yeah, it makes sense. I think it's a pretty polite way to respond. Some of the comparisons can be quite funny, but most of the times the ones dropping the comment are the only ones who can see the resemblance and it's a bit... weird.
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Thank you!
I can understand that, I have had someone compare something I drew to their OC and I saw...nothing at all similar.
The way you draw facial expressions is hilarious and amazing, by the way, thank you for responding!
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Yeah, this is why, if I ever bring up a drawn character's resemblance to an already existing IP, I always ask if it was intentional or not. Of course, quite a few artists make it clear in their descriptions that they don't want any comments bringing it up, so in those cases, I just keep my mouth shut.
But of course, this is the Internet, so unfortunately, other people who actually read an entry's description are kind of a minority.Β
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Asking if it was intentional is a smart move. At least it sounds like you trust the artist's skill and it doesn't sound like "lol fail".
I've seen those comments in the descriptions. I wouldn't leave them in mines unless as a shared joke, something along the lines of "Please, I know they look alike, don't bring it up anymore, you're killing my joy to live" and then laugh together because obviously people would still bring it up. Otherwise, I'd feel too passive-aggressive, and I don't want people to feel like they cannot get a little loose in my dash or I'll snap at them. (I snapped once at a person and I still feel bad about it U.U)
And the ones who seem actually angry in the comments make me cringe a little. I don't know why.
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I also enjoy bringing others' OC's to life and I'm not fond of these comments that indirectly hurt the people I'm trying to help, regardless of intent. Whenever I do OC commissions, I make sure that my clients' characters look as unique and creative as possible to make sure that these situations don't happen in the first place, but comparisons will show up sooner or later.
PS, to aspiring OC creators: I think it's okay to base an OC off of another character just to start out (heck, I do that a lot), but I advise that you should change the visual design and personality from the base-character as much as you can. Keep making these changes (with your own personal touch) and you should be fine. Good luck to all!
...
Dat face, thoughΒ Β
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I dunno why people get upset when their OCs look like someone's else or canon characters, unless it's blatant copying or has copyright shit issues.
I love it when I see similiar characters, it's like finding you double in the public, funny and creepy or maybe even mystical. Or maybe I can find someone with similiar taste, that's always cool. Or, if it's a character from some cool show then my multiverse believer get all excited to imagine all possibilities.Β
Like, gimme your OCs that look like mine, they all can go on a picnic and compare their lives, lol
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Personally, I don't get upset at that, it can be quite funny. Besides, there are so many characters that it's practically unavoidable that similarities will appear. Unless it's, as you say, blatant copying. That's nasty.
I don't think the similarities are what annoy artists, but other people showing up, dropping the "Looks like X" and disappearing, never to be seen again. I guess it leaves you puzzled and it comes off as a bit rude and ambiguously mean.
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Huh, I gotta admit, I don't understand that. Unless I don't see similarities, they're just stating a funny fact
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For me, personally, it's not so much that I'm upset it looks like something else as I am annoyed with how it got pointed out. I've had people tell me "oh that character looks like Amelia from Treasure Planet."
Yes. I know, I realized that when I finished coloring it and cried internally. Thank you, I'm aware.
So for me at least, that's the general gist of why people get annoyed with comments like these. I like having OCs that are coincidentally similar to other people's, but it invalidates me a little to be told "yeah that looks like that" in such a blunt and ever so slightly insensitive manner.
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