true lies and passion washing on your shore

I feel bad being passive aggressive, but I can never think of good, strong arguments until the confrontation is over and I've had time to think. So here we go.

My art teacher told me today that the style I used in one of the sketchbook assignments we did (to draw a cartoon version of ourselves) was anime, when it was atually modelled after the Flapjack style of cartoon--much more Cartoon Network.

She then went on to tell me that drawing in the anime style (the style which I've been drawing in for 7+ years and the only style I've ever had; though it has drastically evolved over that time) is not a valid style in the art classroom, or for that matter, in the art world, when I move on to college and a career.

I don't understand this, for several reasons.

One: The style I did the assignment in was not anime. She has been after me on this for two years already, and this must mean she's hypersensitive to it with me. Other kids in her classes, at my level and higher, do similar styles (more anime-reminiscent, in fact) and don't get bothered by her for it. She's seeing an anime style in my work when it isn't there.

Two: I can draw realistically. I took a whole course on it over the summer to strengthen my skills, and I have a whole sketchpad full of drawings of my classmates, rendered in a purely realistic style, to prove it. I do have the abilities, but the style I have is mine, and I prefer it to the more realistic style.

Three: She specifically said she wants me to have a style I can modify and apply to a wide range of things. That is what anime is essentially all about. Anime varies from styles like the ones in Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon, to those in Miyazaki films, to things like the highly realistic style of MushiShi. No two anime styles are the same. And mine, in my opinion and experience, is one that drastically changes from project to project. It can be more or less realistic based on where I'm using it. What about that isn't what she wants?

Four: I have been drawing in this style for over 7 years. Maybe more like 8, actually. I have no plan to change my style later in life--I want to stay in or around the anime field, because I like the culture and the concepts, as well as the people. Isn't this course getting me ready for what I'll do later in life? Why should I scrap all of my work thus far in my life and start from scratch for one high school course? That's like telling someone they can't listen to metal music anymore because the people around them like alternative. Or telling someone from India to stop eating indian food because they live in America, and here in America we eat hamburgers.

Five: She says that an art college won't take me with an anime-style portfolio. Problem 1: I don't have a single anime-style piece in my portfolio. I know it's not widely accepted yet in the art world, and wouldn't put something in there that would jeopardize the portfolio as a whole. Problem 2: I attended a Portfolio Day in Boston last year where I talked to a representative from the college I want to go to who said that they have a large part of the fine arts staff who is discovering this style as being more and more popular, and it's beginning to be recognized. By the time I attend that college, it may even have validity in a classroom. Just because this teacher wants realism, doesn't mean I have to abandon anime.

Six: Art is expressing yourself in your own way. If I can't use my own methods for what I do in the art world and how I express myself.... what's the point? Why should I express myself the way one person wants me to? She wouldn't want me doing a painting that someone else told me to do, and claim it was an original idea. It's the same thing. That's like lying to the art school I'm going to, or the people I'll work for later in life. That doesn't seem logical, or right, to me.

Seven: My style is not that much anime-ish. It has eveolved drastically over the years, like I've said, even between freshman year, when she started to notice it, and now. I believe it's a well-developed style that I've worked hard at. Really, really hard. And who's to say I'm going to be drawing people all day at a future job? I may go into literature, or photography. It's not worth the hell she's giving me over it. Grade objectively. That's the idea. Right?

Eight: I suppose I wouldn't have as much of a problem with this if she wasn't being condescending to me about it, like I'm some child who she's scolded and who won't listen to her. I do like her as a teacher; she's a very effective, knowledgable one, and is good at being criticizing of me and making me better. And I hear and understand what she's saying and why she's saying it to me, I really do. But my opinions differ. (My friends tell me just to smile and nod, because senior year we won't be assigned anything specifically, because it's a studio art course, so I just have to get through this year and completely avoid cartoon-drawing in my senior year. I'm incredibly tempted to do just this.)

TL;DR: What do you guys think? Grin and bear it? Fight back? Keep going on my merry little way?

Currently~
Mood: discouraged
Music: Careless--Amos Lee
Video: news
Lit: the Jungle--Upton Sinclair

if ten million fireflies lit up the world

SOOO. Yesterday was my birthday... and the day kinda sucked, but Ema made me a lovely cake and came over to my house after dance to eat it with me.

Today we're actually celebrating it, because the fam was too busy last night to celebrate.

I feel seventeen. Usually on birthdays, I still feel like I'm the age I was. But this year, 16 seems young. Junior on high school seems old, but seventeen doesn't. Maybe I'm coming into something. An era, perhaps.

We'll see.

To 17 years on this beautiful, messed up planet of ours.

Currently~
Mood: a bit stressed
Music: Owl City--Ocean Eyes <3<3<3<3
Video: w/e
Lit: The Jungle--Upton Sinclair