Mmm yeah - I'm pretty sure you weren't mean about it and that the artist herself didn't mind. It's just that the art community, especially the freebie community, tends to view freebies automatically as "gifts" (it's free labour, no payment involved) - it's very likely why folk like her friend react that way sometimes.
As far as I've learned from lurking in anime forums (aaaaaand Reddit, that site is giving me carpal tunnel syndrome from incessant voting LOL), free art threads are generally viewed as
charity, or a sort of goodwill if you will - they aren't necessarily for practice. Some people get really militant about defending artists who give freebies for that reason. It's a bit of an.... internet social thing, I think.
I'm pretty much with you about the free art thing and references tbh. I'm not a huge advocate of giving art freebies - we don't really know who or which author we'll offend when taking artistic liberties with the design. Most authors take their personal character designs very seriously, so if we changed a few details (such as the jaw thing for example) it'll probably set them off LOL "THAT IS
NOT WHAT MY CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE"
The whole freebie shebang is a lot of work for little to no payoff. I feel it's on us artists to study the potential recipient first before picking an author's stuff to draw, even as fanart or a gift or a freebie or whatever - then we'll be able to pick to draw for the person who'd appreciate those artistic changes or liberties taken.
I don't make it a habit to offer free art in writing forums or the like so I can't fathom how so many people are able to do it. I'm that cray ass crabby Edna who'll change everything about a character's design because I hate it, hate the face, hate the silhouette, hate the hair, hate the styling, hate the garment being from the wrong era than stated in their description,
NO CAPES PEOPLE
And people posting for art will be offended because I told them I didn't like their initial design
It'll be total drama island LOL
Oh, and while I'm at it:
ASKING a friend for an opinion on our art/writing/cat/dog/whatever and getting criticism is **NOT** UNSOLICITED critique
We ASKED for an opinion = A.K.A SOLICITATION
View attachment 8075
In the case of solicited opinions, both criticism and praise are fair game since neither are stated as a preference on the get-go. Critiques are opt-out, not opt-in.
Example of an opt-out of criticism: If we want an opinion from a friend about our art but don't want critiques, we can say something along the lines of: "
What do you think of it, but please be gentle with me, no crits please "
UNSOLICITED CRITICISM/ADVICE = Posting something in your own personal account/space/thread/blog or watching/writing/drawing/doing something in public or whatever and someone/a family member/friend etc appears suddenly or randomly, unasked, to criticize or advise you
Scenario A:
You: //Randomly painting a dog
Person A: //Walks by and sees it over your shoulder like a busy busy bee
Person A: Ayyy you got the dog's spot wrong, ain't like that, and the tail should be longer too
Scenario B:
You: //Randomly posting art in your own Tumblr account
User A: //posts comment in your post
User A: CHARACTRE NO LIKE MOE MOE REM DESUWA, YOUR HAND TOO LONG ANATA NO SKIRT TOO SHORT ALSO FULL BLUE HAIR IS WRONG KIMI WA MUST USE A SLIGHT TINT OF LAVENDERRRR ARUUUU
Scenario C:
You: //Feeling depressed
Aunty A: What's wrong hun?
You: Nothing, just depressed.
Aunty A: NOW THAT'S WRONG, GIRL. YOU SHOULD BE GLAD YOU'RE ALIVE. OTHER PEOPLE ARE STARVING AND DYING OUT THERE SO YOU SHOULDN'T BE DEPRESSED. BANISH YOUR SADNESS
Scenario D:
You: //Jamming to Butter in your room
Cousin A: //Walks in
Cousin A: WOW COUSIN YOU HAVE SHIT TASTE IN MUSIC
UNSOLICITED means encroaching on areas not directed at us - in short, being a busybody
Here is a song directed at aforementioned busybodies:
Enjoy