We're All Fine Here, Thanks. How Are You? - The FanFic Social Thread

My favourite swear word is vukojebina. I don't think it exists in any other language - it's the place where a vuk (wolf) goes for the sake of jebanje (err, mating...except not really).

 

Oh, for more irritation, my niece—who likes to draw, but doesn't want to learn how to draw, but constantly complains that she can't draw what she wants—refuses to learn anatomy (even simplified) because then she has to draw people in their underwear, or—gasp!—nude.

And then she'll berate me because my art books have nudes in them, and then berate galleries and museums because of the nudes.

Girl, you're nearly 13. Grow up.

 

I blame american culture, with its stupid taboo agains human nudity or even showing some parts of human anatomy

 

And then they seemingly think that insane sexualisation of everything is progress. LOLNOPE. Progress is being normal about it and accepting it as long as it doesn't harm you for real - and it most likely doesn't, unless somebody's wiggling their junk in your face - then it's outright harassment.

 

I did think about that as well. But the problem with the kids I see, mostly girls, is that they end up going from one extreme to another and often never find the balance.

 

Agreed. Art gives one's life a purpose, more often than not.

 

See, that's perhaps one of the bigger problems with American culture—we're puritanical, yet permissive, and it is increasingly becoming a veritable maelstrom of mixed messages. Sex sells, but at the same time, HOW DARE anyone show even a sliver of skin in the "wrong" area—to whit, the "wardrobe malfunction seen 'round the world." Such contradictory norms and mores are enough to turn anyone's head, or at least promote the sort of mentality that might spur preteen children into such acts of defiance that seems to have manifested in Trak's niece. There's obviously more to it, however, but I don't think it's fair to blame "oversexualization" without also taking into account the artificial moral panics that have run amok all over the Western world for the past century at least.

 

Here's the thing: My niece doesn't watch TV. She's lucky in that she gets to avoid a whole lot of stuff that we're normally exposed to.

She just needs to learn to appreciate art. Her mom's an artist, I'm an artist, and her brother wants to learn anatomy to be a better artist. She should give up her puritanical crusade as she's woefully outnumbered by artists.

 

I'm trying to imagine her going into any medical profession. She would be in for one rude awakening lol.

 

Indeed.

In other news, Jehovah's Witnesses stopped by this morning.

My front porch still has the gore and severed heads and skulls around because I won't take those down until December. I also answered my door in my PJs and wearing a Happy Tree Friends t-shirt that said "Prepare to Die."

May have freaked them out a bit. :B

 

Could just be the attendant weirdness of being 13. At age 13, I would have been uncomfortable being told I needed to draw nudes to become a better artist. By college, though I still felt awkward at my first life drawing class, I quickly found that drawing nude people was about as titlating as drawing a basket of fruit.

 

It's also that she grew up in a different environment. I was exposed to art nudes at an early age, so I got used to it.

 

She just could be shy around adults. I know I didn't have any problem drawing half naked men at that age, but I would have died of embarrassment if my parents saw them. Kids that age are usually shy around older family members. For example, my kids can watch a movie that has some racy parts in it while they are alone, but if I walk into the room they get embarrassed and turn off the TV. They told me they don't want to watch certain things in my presence.

I found this out when we were watching some late 70's or early '80s teenage slasher movies. For some reason I forgot there was an unwritten rule that there must be at least one topless scene in those movies to justify the killer slaughtering the teens.

 

I certainly think it could be what Jedi_Lover says, she's uncomfortable with nudity and adults, but add the cursing thing in with it and I think it might be something bigger. Maybe some other influence (friends, family members, etc.) that's telling her these things are wrong?

I can understand the teenager being embarrassed, I started listening to the show Hair (which has a lot about sex) when I was 8 years old and didn't under half of the things they were talking about. I used to sing the songs in front of my parents all the time. Then I became a teenager and learned what all the sex words were and wouldn't sing it in front of my parents even though I had been for years. My parents just thought it was funny. When I was in high school I watched Sex and the City with my parents and then later True Blood, so suffice it to say, I got over it.

 

Why do artists draw nudes? I'm not being prudish, it just seems a bit odd. If I were to take photography classes, taking a pictures of nudes is not on part of the curriculum...so why do art classes end up there? I mean, I guess I see the point, you need to be able to draw and paint someone accurately, and that would entail knowing how the human body looks...but what if I just want to paint haystacks a la Monet?

 

Sure would've fooled me with how often she sticks her nose into everyone's business, especially her parents.

 

Then don't take photos of nude people. Besides, for photographic purposes, isn't it just fine to take pictures of fully-clothed individuals to learn how best to use your camera, available light, etc.? Near as I can understand, the main point of "life drawing class" is to learn how to draw the human anatomy, what works and what doesn't in terms of poses and whatnot, regardless of whether or not you end up creating your own artistic nudes or if you just want to draw people.

I'm looking at you, Rob Liefeld.

 

The human body is one of the hardest things to draw, and to get comfortable with drawing it and to learn how to draw it, it usually helps if the model is either naked or wearing as little clothing as possible.

 

In photography you don't have to really know how the human body works, moves, etc. It is something that's essential to drawing a life like human. If you draw something that isn't natural, the human eye will pick it up. An untrained eye might not know exactly what it is, but will notice something isn't right.

 

That makes sense...

To the uninitiated, painting/drawing nudes is the first thing we think of when 'art student' comes to mind, which is really rather strange seeing that most professional artists probably will never paint a nude portrait as a commission.

 

Hey Mav, I know you are an RT. If I have a question about spirometry & FEV1, can I ask you?

 

I love True Blood. My son would walk into my room and ask me, "What're you watching, Mom?" I would tell him True Blood. He would then turn about and walk out, telling his brother, "Mom's watching vampire porn again!"

 

Sure! I'm happy to answer your questions, though I'll warn you, spirometry/Pulmonary function tests aren't my most knowledgeable subject, we don't use it a whole lot in critical care.
Send me a PM and I'll do my best!