Are You An Artist?

[corky]

I have always considered myself an artist. Though my passion is for caricature and comics, my mind and vision are that of an artist. I've seen many people selling their art, and making a decent living at it, but what they're doing is recreating from a photograph, or doing what's called "sunday paintings." Are they any less an artist, because I don't like the work? I would say that they probably consider themselves an artist, as well, and rightly so.
Consider all the famous artists who began as caricaturists. Leonardo Da Vinci, Andy Warhol, Rembrandt, Picasso, Van Gogh and on. I love to surprise other artists with that information, because so often people consider real art to be landscapes or portraits, and anything else is just a hobby.
When I started drawing class, I recognized the artists right away. They're the ones who are there for the credit, who dislike drawing, and struggle with why it doesn't look "right." I can't wait to get to class, to find something new and explore a different view. Whether the drawing works or not, I love the process.
Not to offend anyone, but God Himself was the first artist. After all, he painted the original landscape! (just my little thot for the day).

[tavi]

He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands, and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands, and his head, and his heart, is An Artist"

St. Francis of Assisi

[Frank Zieglar]

Going thru the old stuff on the board...

Artist is generally used as both a very broad term and at the same time a very narrow one.

Broadly - anybody who draws, paints, sculpts, dances, sings, plays an instrument is an artist.

Narrowly - an artist is a painter, is flakey, is moody, and generally out of step with the rest of mankind - and hopefully makes a living at it, but that is not necessary.

Everyone on this board is an artist in the broad sense and few of us would be considered one in the narrow sense.

My experiance is that to people who have little to zero drawing ability consider me to be an artist; people that paint consider me as what I consider myself - a CARTOONIST ans CARICATURIST.

Thats what it says on my business cards even. Some seem to look down at a cartoonist and/or caricaturist and some seem to (like myself) look at it as another type/style of art.

It all seems to stem from interest - those who don't care for toons are the first type and those who do like toons are the second type.

I myself have alot of interest in most art (esp toons) except for painting. My only reason for wanting to know how to paint is so that I can paint toons and caricatures. So I'm like a reverse snob - I don't consider myself an artist and don't have a desire for anyone else to consider me one.

When you think of the big names (whomever they might be [cough]zieglarf[/cough] ) - what do you consider them? An artist, a cartoonist, a caricaturist, a painter?

I admit I am slightly soured with painter type artists though for personal reasons.

So I am a CARICATURIST and CARTOONIST.


><> Frank Zieglar <><
-- God and sex are the only two things I really care about. -- H.G. Wells

[lightshifter]

Here is another late reply to a subject that has been on the boards for a while. I too never considered my self an artist. I think that changed when others began calling me an artist. I really don't care what they called me but it seemed to be a validation of what I had been achieving for some time.I never think that my work is good and hesitated, until recently to refer to my self as an artist. Not that I think my work is better, I just accept the title instead of getting into a conversation about the subject.
I must draw I must paint and leave something behind besides my foot prints. Even if it is never appreciated by someone. Remember Van Gough never sold a painting.

[Frank Zieglar]

I have been thinking alot about this lately and have come to this conclusion.

The reason I don't think of myself as an artist is...

I'm not trying to 'say something'.

Know what I mean? I'm just drawing pictures and I love it. I love drawing people. I love trying to capture them.

All I'm trying to say when I draw a caricature or anything else is...

Nothing really, I just enjoy drawing. But ART must 'SPEAK'. If I put a smile on the face of somebody looking at it then I'm content.

I never get it when asked what the ARTIST was saying in a drawing. I always think - gee, maybe he just thought it would look nice.


><> Frank Zieglar <><
-- Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

[toonMom]

I think I know what you mean. In my drawing class yesterday we drew our shoes. They were supposed to make a statement. The "artists" were the ones looking at the drawing as a piece of art. Mine, was a drawing of a shoe.

[donpinsent]

i guess the determination of whether caricaturists are artists lies with your definition of the word art. sorry, zieg, i'd have to disagree with yours. i don't think it's necessary for art to make a statement. in my opinion, it just has to be an expression of what an artist is feeling or thinking, and if all your drawing says is "gah lee, i sure like drawing", then your drawing by very nature has expressed that. we have a skill that most people don't possess, and it is based on that that i proudly lift my head and proclaim, "I AM CANADIAN!"..... i mean, "an artist".

[Frank Zieglar]

I like saying 'gah-lee'.

I understand that a caricature can make a statement - therefore a caricaturist can be an artist.

I guess another thing for myself is that in my opinion an 'artist' is very versitile and can do lots of different styles and mediums.

Me - I can just cartoon and theme park caricature. I've never painted - not watercolors, oils, acrylics, or anything. Don't know much about markers or colored pencils. Don't know anything about printing or having artwork 'camera ready'.


Since I have a very limited range - I'm am not an 'artist' IMO, but I am a cartoonist / caricaturist.


><> Frank Zieglar <><
-- There were computers in Biblical times:
Eve had an Apple

[corky]

We were talking about this subject in my drawing class, last week. My instructor has his Masters Degree in Fine arts. He showed us several slides of the Old Masters work, and said, "art needs to be visually exciting. It isn't always about the statement, it needs to be about the mark." He believes that art shouldn't be just a statement, that the marks or the way you draw, is more important. He told us stories about students who submitted drawings and went on at length explaining what their meaning was, how this symbolized that, how the colours signified something else, and he'd look at them, and say, "but visually, they're not exciting. So what if you're making a statement about this issue or that issue? You need to get excited about drawing. Start from there, and find the statement later." I like that...sometimes being an artist is just about drawing for the sake of drawing. I don't think my caricatures will ever change the world...but that isn't why I draw them.
I love getting excited about making a mark, and it's so pleasurable to be in a class with an instructor who loves to see the mark...and nobody worries about how deep or relevant the message is.

[Frank Zieglar]

If I make my mark with a Marks-A-Lot am I a marker or an artist?

Seriously though, I'm enjoying this discussion. I do use the term artist quite often and even refer to myself as one (of a group).

Another thing that bothers me about the term is that it's just to general. If I tell somebody I'm an artist - then do I mean a painter, sculptor, singer, etc etc etc?
They'll think I'm calling myself whatever they consider an artist to be.

ME - I'm an artist.
THEM - I didn't know you could sing!

But calling myself a caricaturist and cartoonist narrows it down a bit - but they still will think of their verison of a caricaturist or cartoonist.

ME - I'm an artist.
THEM - I didn't know you could sing!
ME - No, I draw.
THEM - Oh, can you draw a Mickey Mouse for me?
ME - No, not an animator.
THEM - But it's a cartoon ain't it?
ME - Yes, but I draw people.
THEM - Can you draw me a portrait?
ME - No, I'm a cartoonist and a caricatuist. Here look at these samples.
THEM - Oh, I thought you were an artist. My son can draw like this; he's really good.
ME - What kind of stuff does he draw?
THEM - He can draw anything. He drew his sister and it looked exactly like her.
ME - Well, we can always use some help out at the park. He could try out for caricatures or portraits. Would he might want to work out there this summer?
THEM - Oh, he would love it! He always wants me to take him everyday - but he's only 7 years old!


><> Frank Zieglar <><
-- I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone. -- Bill Cosby

[toonMom]

I bet you've had that conversation many times - frustrating to you, but funny to me! It gets the point across though.

[Caricature Shop]

Artist- It's much like beauty, right? Doesn't it lie in the eyes of the beholder?

Whose to judge? Fortunately/unfortunately there are plenty, including ourselves out there filling this void.

[ebethalan]

Okay, my definition of art is this : something that touches someone (no dirty minds)

Now, there is this fancy art in museums.... lovely stuff, only I find it boring. The Mona Lisa.... I think she's ugly. I'm never excited or interested in these things. And yet, I can come on this board and see posted caricatures and laugh, or smile, or just die to see more. My daughter, who is 7, loves to draw. It's her favorite thing to do (like mother like daughter). We refer to her as an artist when talking about her personality.... She has created many things that touched me more deeply than any million dollar piece of art ever will. So is a caricturist an artist?? Most definately. For the majority of people who haven't studied art, don't know the difference between a "good" painting or a "bad" painting, take those same people and ask them if they've ever read the funny pages in the newspaper, ever had their caricature done, or ever read a comic book? Do they watch cartoons? Bet most of them would say yes. Ever been in an art museum? Less would say yes. Anyway, that's my take. And for the record, this is the coolest bunch of artists I've ever talked with!!!! Ebeth

[Ricky]

ebeth,

I agree. I believe if you create something (regardless if it's a portrait or a caricature or even something from a paperclip) if you create with passion and your heart is in it, then you are an artist. Just my opinion.

Ricky

[toonMom]

You make a good point ebeth. Until taking an art history class, I thought the mona lisa was ugle too. Now, I can look at it with admiration. Of course, I had a really great art history teacher who was always "pumped up" about all the paintings we learned about. I find it annoying when people say cartoons aren't art or caricatures aren't art. There is a lot more to art than the price it can get and some of it (like the smile on a persons face) is priceless.