Being Nagged into Creating Art for Nonartists?

[JessieNebulous]

Has anyone else ever had this happen? My mom is pretty devout and had a dream of Jesus coming down through a tear in the sky on a horse and now she's nagging me into drawing it for her. I'm going to, because she's my mom and she lets me stay with her rent free (I'm disabled, and unable to work full time to support myself) but I really, really don't want to do it.

She thinks it's because we have religious differences, but that's not it. It's just a very difficult piece, at least for me, and she doesn't understand that. Being a nonartist, she doesn't understand how complex things like anatomy can be. And I'm not great with human anatomy. I'm especially not good with MALE anatomy. I never draw men because women appeal to me more artistically, with all our lovely curves and whatnot. Whenever I've tried male subjects, which is rare, they always look very effeminate. And I doubt she wants a drag queen Jesus.

I don't want to do it because I just don't think it'll be very good and I don't want to have to see my weaknesses displayed every time I walk through the house. Sigh.

 

[Martin C]

Perhaps you've found a use case for AI-generated art?

 

[Terri]

Martin is making a joke, but actually I was thinking somewhat along those lines. As in, if it's way outside your comfort zone and you really just don't have your heart in it, find a workaround that you ordinarily wouldn't use. Google images of "Jesus on a horse" and see what stuff might pop up. You don't want to copy anything, per se, but you might get some ideas - maybe you can incorporate several components of various tableaus and cobble something together that she would like.

Your mom is giving you a compliment because she trusts in your ability to do it. But I agree with you that she likely doesn't have that "artist's mind" so she can't comprehend how much of what we do is guided by our inspiration. And for this project, you're not feeling it. So you're feeling more like a draftsman than an artist, maybe? Try to look online, and then doodle around, and you will likely make something good happen.

Sorry you've been put in this position, though.

 

[Artyczar]

Maybe you can use some amount of partial tracing on a reference if you don't want to use AI. Or keep trying to explain it to your mom that you don't have the skills (right now). Maybe "one day" and keep putting her off until she hopefully forgets about it.

 

[Artyczar]

Also, this has happened to me many times where people say, "you should draw a horse running off into the sunset!" or "paint my portrait with my dog on my lap biting my finger..." I tell them to hire a "real" artist for that stuff. Ha ha ha.

 

[16ga]

Quoting a price tends to get people to stop asking.
Also I think you should go with drag queen Jesus.

 

[Bartc]

Copy something from antiquity for the basic form. If she's unhappy with the result, tell her that it was she who was divinely inspired, not you.

 

[Enyaw]

It's your mother. She will love whatever you do.

 

[mill]

You get plenty of comments when sitting out in public to paint, I remember two little boys watching me closely in silence from a distance for several minutes, as the were leaving one said to the other, "not bad for an amachoor!"
John