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Fine, I'm going to go on record and say that anime should only be produced on computers then. That is not what I meant to begin with, but it is now.

Actually, anime should not be produced at all. It's garbage.

The talent you use to mix colors would be more usefull if you attached them to good things. With details, and style mayhaps.

if you're talking about anime as a style, i think it's certainly possible to execute it with traditional media and come up with something unique and full of expression. sure, the stereotype is to use thin clean lines, minimal detail, maximum appeal to the broadest audience, bright, pleasant colors, etc. that doesn't mean it can't be taken in a positive direction elsewhere. i know exactly what you're getting at, and there is a lot of truth in that, but that doesn't mean it's time to write off anime forever, and it doesn't mean that there aren't things from anime that we can extract and use to our advantage.

one might say something similar about american-produced syndicated cartoons (some feature films too, land before time XVIII or whatever they're on now comes to mind). most of them are created for the money and not for the art, with the goal of telling a predictable, inane story with cheap gags around every corner and selling a bunch of dvds to antsy children in grocery store checkout stands. when profit is the primary goal, you're almost destined to end up with crap.

however, that doesn't totally exclude either japanese or american produced animation from the possibility of creating something unique, worthwhile, expressive, beautiful, shocking, artistic, or whatever.

i think a lot of people might feel something like this as they mature, realizing the childishness, repetition, and predictability of something like anime. most would probably just stop watching it and consider it the end of a phase of something they liked. dedicated artists who have 'studied' anime are probably more aware of it and might feel repulsed by it.

but as i said, i don't think it's completely without its merits. as in any style, there are things that are important to it and things that it ignores. for example, you won't see many sharp angular lines or blaring contrasts in art nouveau, you won't see realistic perspective and rendering in cubism, nor would you see any nice clean lines in impressionism or any fantastic embellishments in realism. however, they're all respected styles, and each has it's own level of appeal to different people. i suppose you might say much anime is a form of idealism, an attempt to create the closest possible look to the ideals of beauty.

i personally believe that it's possible to combine that sense of idealism and broad appeal with the expressive textures and tones of traditional media.

I mostly agree with you- except I think if you took SOME aspects of anime, and added them to a picture that doesn't suck, it's not really anime anymore. If after you take traditional media- and mix it with "anime" you still have "anime", then it's gonna be bad news. If you can fit some good aspects of anime into your traditional media- and make a stylish awesome-thingy, then bravo, and grats for making art that is no longer "anime".

i think in this case a very clear definition of "anime" is needed. from what you said, it sounds like you're using the term to describe everything you dislike about it, and that it's mutually exclusive with any kind of traditional media.

in your comment, you implied that you agree that there are some good aspects of anime that can be extracted, emphasized, or mixed with other styles and/or media. but it doesn't make a lot of sense to say that anything anime inherently sucks but at the same time has good qualities.

so your analogy is that anime is like bad cake, but the raw ingredients that make up anime, like eggs to cake, can be used to make something else good. i still think this is in need of a clear definition about what anime is, maybe some thought about what those raw ingredients represent, and a less biased black & white, good & bad outlook towards it.



i think of anime more as a style than a specific technique. line art and coloring are not techniques specific to anime, so stating those techniques in the context of extraction or influence from anime can only apply to the specific line art and coloring styles common to it. styles which, by your definition (so far), are inherently bad.

to put it another way, if you're comparing coloring and line art to eggs and flour, then those are general techniques used in many styles of art, just as eggs and flour are ingredients that can be used to cook many tasty foods. just because they're used in bad cake doesn't mean that they're ideas specifically extracted from it and used in other recipes, which is what i think a thoughtful artist (or chef) can do: isolate the essence of what makes something appealing (or delicious) and use it to his advantage. so i think it's possible to come away from anime with some of the essences of its appeal and create something new, fresh, and attractive without being another copy of the same cheezeball popular style.

imo, saying that one is "covering up the anime" with another style represents a negative mindset. and in my experience, blind negativity and criticism (as opposed to open-mindedness) has a very detrimental effect on creativity. that's not to say that you shouldn't be critical about any artwork you see. in fact, i think it's essential to remain critical. but the flipside to that, as there is to everything, is to keep it balanced with an open-mindedness and look for even the possibility of something good in there, which is much different from just writing off an entire style because 75% of it isn't to your liking. i'd say a style that still has 25% of appeal to you is worth at least some thought.

anyway, i really think we need a clear definition here. i want to know if you would consider artists like katsuya terada, stanley lau (artgerm) or anyone else in imaginary friends network for that matter, or directors like miyazaki or satoshi kon part of that definition.

Taboo is that you?

Had i known that posting that little painting was going to escalate into this dead horse i wouldn't have posted. Quite frankly i don't think i draw/paint/whatever in anime style, i was just trying to make her face look more like my avatar.

haha live and let live

no ******** way

eat my opinions or die