So what's your fursona?

[Bush Punk]

i kind of have split-personality when it comes to fursonna's, i have one for each aspect of my personality. species are as follows:
Kitsune, Cow, Goat, Lioness, Flat-coated retriever, Jackalope, Malayan Fruit bat, and a very lesser known stitched up calico.  

[Psycho Lee]

Jungle Boots

thats no reason to just call someone a whore here. Lee i get really tired of hearing you b***h about people interested in sexual activity or being generally sexy. I sympethize i do, i understand but please try to tollerate it. it is an inavoidable part of the furry culture to wear one's sexuality on one's sleeve. and please try not to get in peoples faces about it.

The furry fandom shouldn't be wearing our sexuality on our sleeve in the first place. It's what gives our kind a bad name.

Also: http://forums.furaffinity.net/showthread.php?t=72032  

[Jungle Boots]

i dissagree, it fights this prudish sense of puritin tradition every other sub-culture in our little side of the world seems to never be able to get free of.

reguardless of wether you feel the same way as me the situation is WE WILL YIFF! AND IF WE WILL YIFF IN HELL SO BE IT!!

get used to it... or keep wasting your hot air.  

[[ Grynn Wolf ]]

Wolf, here. But I do spend a decent amount of time as a spotted hyena as well.

 

[Garek Maxwell]

Jungle Boots

reguardless of wether you feel the same way as me the situation is WE WILL YIFF! AND IF WE WILL YIFF IN HELL SO BE IT!!

Demons tend to be rather sexy... ninja

And Jungle's right. Sex is going to be a part of the fandom. Much like the anime fandom, we can either pretend it doesn't exist or unleash a tentacle beast upon unsuspecting Japanese school girls while sex robots rise up and make people their sex slaves.

.... This happens all the time in anime, doesn't it? gonk  

[xXxZeh_Emo_FluffersxXx]

Garek Maxwell

Jungle Boots

reguardless of wether you feel the same way as me the situation is WE WILL YIFF! AND IF WE WILL YIFF IN HELL SO BE IT!!

Demons tend to be rather sexy... ninja

And Jungle's right. Sex is going to be a part of the fandom. Much like the anime fandom, we can either pretend it doesn't exist or unleash a tentacle beast upon unsuspecting Japanese school girls while sex robots rise up and make people their sex slaves.

.... This happens all the time in anime, doesn't it? gonk

Yes it actually happens alot, or girls in anime go psycho.  

[Jungle Boots]

they either go crazy.... or grow their own penises...

lol futa.  

[Quintessence]

Jungle Boots

i dissagree, it fights this prudish sense of puritin tradition every other sub-culture in our little side of the world seems to never be able to get free of.

reguardless of wether you feel the same way as me the situation is WE WILL YIFF! AND IF WE WILL YIFF IN HELL SO BE IT!!

get used to it... or keep wasting your hot air.

The in-your-face sexuality is actually why I don't claim the fandom. I have vaguely shamanistic ways of thinking, I move in some furry circles, and I like anthro art, but the name which the Furry Fandom (tm) has built for itself is embarrassing to me. The name is virtually synonymous with bizarre-a** porn.

I don't shy from talking about sex, but I don't want it to be perceived that inexplicably weird porn is any fundamental part of my identity. Which is what saying "Hey, I'm a furry" tends to mean to people.

Also, as an artist, sexuality has aways struck me as the cheapest way of getting your art noticed. Everyone likes something a little sexy-- it doesn't even have to be very well executed. But to draw something that expresses things that people don't already like by instinct, and make them communicate to the viewer? That's more of a sign of an artist's skill, to me. Not saying I've achieved that myself, but it's something I strive for.

I don't see it as a prudish attitude. I'm quite open about my sexuality, if it comes up in conversation. I'm just not one to advertise, which I see the fandom as doing far more often than there is a non-repulsed ear to listen. And then people start complaining that no one will accept them. @_@ If you drive everyone away by metaphorically shaking your junk at them until they leave, why the hell would they?

I'll stop griping now, haha. It just makes me sad, sometimes, that I have to be careful not to post any of my furry art on my professional or googlable sites, because the reputation of the fandom scares away clients. I'd like to be honest about what I like and what I think without people immediately thinking I'm going to go all humpy on them. gonk  

[Garek Maxwell]

Quintessence

Also, as an artist, sexuality has aways struck me as the cheapest way of getting your art noticed. Everyone likes something a little sexy-- it doesn't even have to be very well executed. But to draw something that expresses things that people don't already like by instinct, and make them communicate to the viewer? That's more of a sign of an artist's skill, to me. Not saying I've achieved that myself, but it's something I strive for.

scream I object in the name of postmodernism!
...but in a nicer way. xP

What makes good art though? Something that people don't like by instinct? Should the golden ration be thrown out because it appeals to deeply ingrained human aesthetics? What about fractals? Is the human body, nude or not, acceptable when we have deeply ingrained programming to see and place emotions and thoughts upon them? Are symbols any worse because they may speak to us rather deeply like a swirl/swastika or even through the use of color? Do we only use boringly neutral colors because the psychological response to warm colors versus cool colors is too "below" an artist?

We might as well ban anything enjoyable and anything unenjoyable in art and whitewash it all with beige. Replace the Mona Lisa with a pantone swatch. Remove all ornament as Adolf Loos would have liked, and throw away what we know to be beautiful and useful. It's like a rejection of all things Arts and Crafts, Modernism, Postmodernism, Renaissance, Baroque, etc...

As a porn artist and a clean artist, and as a designer, I object to the notion that drawing porn is somehow worse than not drawing porn. With all the research and focus groups dedicated to making products and art that target all or particular groups either deeply or culturally, I'd say sex is just one tool in the crammed full box that many artists choose to throw away merely for feelings of superiority.

That said, I'm fine with toning down the sex so it's not automatically in your face. I even think it's a good idea to segregate your furry art (or porn, obviously) from art you would show to clients in a job. However, that doesn't mean porn is inferior. Heck, I think porn is great practice for anatomy. Sure, you could do "artistic n***s", but why bother when you can have more fun when doing something? Porn has it's place. It shouldn't be everywhere of course, but it has a place. Just as every other single tool for communication has its place.  

[Quintessence]

Garek Maxwell

Quintessence

Also, as an artist, sexuality has aways struck me as the cheapest way of getting your art noticed. Everyone likes something a little sexy-- it doesn't even have to be very well executed. But to draw something that expresses things that people don't already like by instinct, and make them communicate to the viewer? That's more of a sign of an artist's skill, to me. Not saying I've achieved that myself, but it's something I strive for.

scream I object in the name of postmodernism!
...but in a nicer way. xP

What makes good art though? Something that people don't like by instinct? Should the golden ration be thrown out because it appeals to deeply ingrained human aesthetics? What about fractals? Is the human body, nude or not, acceptable when we have deeply ingrained programming to see and place emotions and thoughts upon them? Are symbols any worse because they may speak to us rather deeply like a swirl/swastika or even through the use of color? Do we only use boringly neutral colors because the psychological response to warm colors versus cool colors is too "below" an artist?

We might as well ban anything enjoyable and anything unenjoyable in art and whitewash it all with beige. Replace the Mona Lisa with a pantone swatch. Remove all ornament as Adolf Loos would have liked, and throw away what we know to be beautiful and useful. It's like a rejection of all things Arts and Crafts, Modernism, Postmodernism, Renaissance, Baroque, etc...

As a porn artist and a clean artist, and as a designer, I object to the notion that drawing porn is somehow worse than not drawing porn. With all the research and focus groups dedicated to making products and art that target all or particular groups either deeply or culturally, I'd say sex is just one tool in the crammed full box that many artists choose to throw away merely for feelings of superiority.

That said, I'm fine with toning down the sex so it's not automatically in your face. I even think it's a good idea to segregate your furry art (or porn, obviously) from art you would show to clients in a job. However, that doesn't mean porn is inferior. Heck, I think porn is great practice for anatomy. Sure, you could do "artistic n***s", but why bother when you can have more fun when doing something? Porn has it's place. It shouldn't be everywhere of course, but it has a place. Just as every other single tool for communication has its place.

I don't object to what other people choose to do. Sexuality is the easiest emotion to convey, to me, since all you need is an organ to be showing. And yeah, I think sexuality is a easy or cheap way to get stuff noticed, but I think the advertising world in general will agree with me on that. Can't think of a good way to advertise your product? Put girl in a bikini in the ad. People will look. It's the default position of the attention-grab.

I sure as hammers didn't say sexual art should not exist-- I don't think anything should be prohibited like that. Everyone should have the right to express themselves the way they want to. Hell, I'd be good and pissed if all porn disappeared from the world! I just think it's boring as crap to draw it.

If someone has something to say about sexuality through art, then go ahead. I have nothing to say about it, though, because everything has been said a thousand times already. I don't even draw romance art for the same reason. There's already a crap ton of things expressing love in the world, and I can't think of a damn new thing to say about it, haha. So I can't get motivated to spend time on the drawing.

But sexuality is especially boring to draw, for me. It's easy to depict and I know exactly where I stand on the subject, so there's no issue to get caught up in, no story to tell as I'm drawing. Well, other than "lul, she's gettin' boned." So, pretty much exactly what you said. Why bother when you can have more fun when doing something?

So if I want to convey an emotion through imagery, I'll stick to the emotions that challenge me both in how to clearly communicate what I mean, and what the subject personally means to me.

But I think there is a very obvious fundamental difference between dicks and basic knowledge of good composition and color handling. XP That shouldn't even need to be mentioned. And I'm not saying people do or should only draw things that people don't instinctively like-- I did say that drawing those sorts of things well is something I strive for. I think it takes great skill to make a person feel something for a subject they normally would not consider. But I draw a lot of fluff stuff! I have boatloads of fanart for various things I'm interested in, and all that stuff. :> It's fun, I love it, and I'll never stop drawing silly, fun stuff like that! But I don't strive to ultimately be a fanartist. I'd be sad if I'd already met what I'm striving to be. There'd be no where else to go.

So in short, untwist those knickers, kindly do not imply things I did not say, and please don't make me talk about art anymore. XP It makes me feel frumpy.  

[Garek Maxwell]

Quintessence

So in short, untwist those knickers, kindly do not imply things I did not say, and please don't make me talk about art anymore. XP It makes me feel frumpy.

Okay okay, I just thought you were knocking on porn for being inferior to a Jackson Pollock or something. (Which I really don't get the point of nor enjoy, but that's my personal taste. It's still very different from visually representing something so that's why I picked him as an example.) I was just arguing that it's only a matter of perspective and that they're on equal footing really.  

[Aijo_Iceblood]

i am a polar bear mostly. but i have recently discovered a second sona, im also a bat by teh name of Rasputain Alucard. no specific type of bat just a bat.  

[Razuma Uzuro]

A mountain lion here :3  

[Jungle Boots]

@ quintessence:

I dont think Garek twisted your words... I think you twisted the entire world of art when you say that artists are just hacks when they express explicit sexuality.

Thusly how can you feel justified in saying good art is the art of propriety where as art of a sexual manner is an outright marketing scam?

you are in effect trying to guage the value of art to humanity which goes far beyond emotion, and connection, and interest in the viewer. So of your philosophy of art i am not at all sold.

What im saying is the fandom will be sexual... it will be, its unavoidable! This sense of fear you have of not being able to show clients furry art. this sense of bad reputation is not combated by completely cleaning up and censoring the fandom. Censorship only represses this cultural movement. The method of combating this bad reputation is to stand strong reguardless of our bad reputation and show through the example of yourself that the furry fandom is not an emmense cess pool of pornographic perversions but a strong metaphysical, spiritual, and social movement that DEMANDS respect from the rest of the world.

We all have to remind the world, that art is a matter of passions. And perhaps unrealized by most; passions are challenging. This is reguardless of if they are from the canvases of Pollock, the image of Venus de Milo, or the overt sexuality of modern western counter cultures. That passion is what makes that art worth veiwing, that challenge is what makes it worth respecting.

No matter how hard you cry, and how much you complain the porn will be here forever. It HAS to be here forever! It HAS to be ingrained! And any effort against it is again... a waste of breath.  

[Quintessence]

Jungle Boots

@ quintessence:

I dont think Garek twisted your words... I think you twisted the entire world of art when you say that artists are just hacks when they express explicit sexuality.

Thusly how can you feel justified in saying good art is the art of propriety where as art of a sexual manner is an outright marketing scam?

you are in effect trying to guage the value of art to humanity which goes far beyond emotion, and connection, and interest in the viewer. So of your philosophy of art i am not at all sold.

What im saying is the fandom will be sexual... it will be, its unavoidable! This sense of fear you have of not being able to show clients furry art. this sense of bad reputation is not combated by completely cleaning up and censoring the fandom. Censorship only represses this cultural movement. The method of combating this bad reputation is to stand strong reguardless of our bad reputation and show through the example of yourself that the furry fandom is not an emmense cess pool of pornographic perversions but a strong metaphysical, spiritual, and social movement that DEMANDS respect from the rest of the world.

We all have to remind the world, that art is a matter of passions. And perhaps unrealized by most; passions are challenging. This is reguardless of if they are from the canvases of Pollock, the image of Venus de Milo, or the overt sexuality of modern western counter cultures. That passion is what makes that art worth veiwing, that challenge is what makes it worth respecting.

No matter how hard you cry, and how much you complain the porn will be here forever. It HAS to be here forever! It HAS to be ingrained! And any effort against it is again... a waste of breath.

I'm not sure you read my post. I said clearly that I didn't even come close to wanting porn to disappear (and I'm 99% sure I didn't cry. :>). I did say that I see sexuality as an easy trick for art, because it immediately grabs attention. The marketing reference was to show that idea in action, I have no idea what you're imagining that I think porn could be scamming.

No where did I say porn artists are hacks. I did say... and am saying again... that sexuality attracts easy attention, which is just a fact of human nature. You see boobs (or dingledangs), you look. Because boobs are wonderful bags of happy. And danglies are... floppy joy or something?

I just don't want to draw them, because I like the challenge of finding other ways to create appeal. Even if it's a simple, totally non-high-art thing like fanart. Fanart works as a similar trick to sexuality for the initial "Hey, look over here!" factor of gaining interest in the piece. And it's totally indulgent and fun. X3 But fanart I can at least show clients, so it seems like a more worthwhile effort, even if it's still fluff.

I know the fandom is going to be sexual and I don't strive to make it not so. There is literally nothing to be done about it after the rep is already there, even if I wanted to. But that doesn't mean it has to be something I'm proud of, or even like. I still see it as an embarrassing side that creates an annoying reputation. I've been in plenty of communities that are well known for having porn associated with them... but I really don't want to sidle up to the dude who draws baby furs getting their pampers ripped off and things shoved where the sun don't shine, and say, "Hey, I'm with him!" And unfortunately for me, kiddie pr0ns, scat, gore... all that really fricking bizarre-a** porn is what we're famous for.

So no, I don't want to be associated with that. If you do, then great! You have nothing to complain about. But in the interest of freedom of thought, guess what? We have different opinions, and that's okay! That's great, actually. The world would be boring if everyone thought the same way.

...And I really, really hate talking about What Art Is. Everyone has a different opinion, and people in certain communities get more pissed off over it than abortion. I have an opinion, and you have an opinion! We can have our opinions without getting all worked up. biggrin I think I've explained mine quite thoroughly, so this will be my last comment on the subject... the discussion is already is getting a bit ranty for my taste.