I have always loved art ever since I was a kid. To this day I follow too many artists because I love the work they do so much. Meet LethalAuroraMage, a commission artist whose art is adorable and also one of the sweetest people I have ever met. That is enough gushing lets move on to the interview.
So Mage, how are you doing?
Hello! Overall, I am doing well, nothing major to complain about.
Good to hear. What made inspired you to do art and the occasional animation meme (short animations based around songs that usually spread throughout the art community)?
Nothing, in particular, had inspired me to do art, really. I’ve always drawn, ever since I was little. It was part of my life like breathing and eating, I never questioned why I did it, I just did. As for the animation memes, they looked like simple enough little projects that even someone without proper animation tools could do, so I decided to give it a shot. Turns out, they are very fun to make, but personally, very time-consuming.
Do you have any major influences on your work?
This might sound odd, but no, not really. I never developed a habit of looking up to any person. Ever since I was little I had this mentality of ‘I want to be myself, and not like anyone else’ so I never had such things as idols. That being said, my art style is clearly an amalgamation of all the media I have consumed and has seeped into my subconscious, as is the case with a lot of artists, I think.
I can see that, mainly the anime influence, along with the clean lines and coloration. By the way, do you have any hobbies besides art?
I play games, watch anime and roleplay in my spare time. Not very unique nor interesting hobbies, but they suit me just fine.
Back to the topic, a lot of artists are against people posting their art besides them. Could you give your perspective on this topic?
Oh, this might get lengthy. I apologize in advance. I have to agree with those artists, I dislike it if others take my art and post it somewhere else without my permission. I often see my art on sites like Pinterest and other sites as well, and not always with credit. It’s a little hard to explain to people who cannot empathize with the pain we artists feel when we see our art used in ways we didn’t intend it to be used… Perhaps if you imagine yourself creating something very dear to you, achieving a goal that not only took many hours to make, but many years to even get to this point where you’re good enough to make it, then someone you don’t even know takes that away from you in a matter of seconds and displays it around, with no mention of your name, or worse, claiming they did it themselves and even worse yet, trying to make money off of it. It hurts. You’d feel robbed of your accomplishment, wouldn’t you? Feel disrespected as an individual. Sadly, to a lot of people, artists are not seen as hard-working people, art is just ‘a hobby’ and the view on art is even worse if it’s a purely digital medium like mine because ‘the machine does all the work for you’, some claim.
I have had my art stolen many times, to the point of a person claiming that because they found my image on google that I didn’t own it, THEY own it now and to shut up. Not in so many nice words, of course. Behavior like this is why I personally no longer draw much fanart. I know at least two artist friends who either do not post their art publicly online or post it on a protected twitter account where only their friends can see. And it is such a shame because their art is absolutely incredible and the world is just that little bit worse off without it. Art is not just a hobby. For a lot of artists, each drawing is something dear and precious to them. I might sound like a bit of a romantic when I say it, but it’s sort of like we put a little piece of our soul in each piece we make, so when that piece gets ripped away from us, it really does hurt. To the point of tears.
A lot of people think that artists don’t like their art reposted because they do not get as much exposure, like those accounts that steal art also steal views and potential customers from the artists. While this is no doubt true in most cases, this leads people to believe that sometimes not crediting is okay because where they used their art isn’t something a lot of people saw, so no harm is done. This is not true. Although exposure is important to the artist, what is most important is just the basic show of respect. If you do end up taking a drawing, show some respect to the individual and ask them if it’s okay to take it. If that is too much of a bother, at the very least, credit the artist in the end. I hate it when my art gets reposted, but so long as they acknowledge me as an individual, a creator of this content, and properly credit me, I can’t be too upset… I am still to a point if they did not ask, but if it’s fanart, then sadly, it is an unavoidable reality that art will most definitely get reposted. The least I can hope for is a credit. I apologize for the long ramble and if I meandered a bit, but it is a sensitive topic I have a lot of feelings and it is a bit difficult to condense it.
I think such a topic needed to be elaborated on. It can be hard for people to empathize with artists in these cases. Pinterest is a big problem because I will often find the link to Pinterest instead of the artist’s social media. I want the artist, not a posting site.
As a follow-up, some artists against people using their characters. Could you elaborate on this position?
Another topic that might get lengthy, haha… as a person who makes original characters, seeing others take what I created and using it as their own is the worst pain. My characters, unlike fanart, are purely my creation. Many like to refer to their OCs as their children, thought babies, ect, just because they are that important to us. They were created for ourselves, each part of their looks and personality catered to our wants and needs, but then having someone take that which is so personal to us and making them act in ways you know that oc would never… I just do not have an analogy to make people understand how hurtful that is. Beyond the personal injury, having someone use your character is dangerous in the sense that you might end up losing ownership of your own creation; if a person takes your character and lets say, starts roleplaying them, commissioning art of them and become popular in their community, pretty soon you will have people coming to your page and berating you for stealing ‘THEIR’ oc! And you can explain and complain all you want, but there will always be someone new the next day to post thoughtlessly cruel comments to you, simply because they believe their new favourite ‘creator’ could not have possibly been the thief. It might seem like an unlikely situation, but it has happened before and always has a chance of happening again.
I think it is very unfortunate stuff like that happens. I guess it’s like someone dressing up your child in clothes that you know make the miserable, but they cannot articulate their pain. Now I would like to ask, what pros and cons are there for posting your art on various platforms (Instagram, twitter, deviantart, etc)?
This is a bit more difficult to answer for me personally, simply because I do not like posting my art on too many platforms. I used to post it on deviantart, now I stick mostly to twitter, simply because it’s a convenient way to share my work. I’m not too eager to become ‘popular’ so I don’t bother myself with trying to post on as many sites as I can, but I suppose that’s a pro for artists who do want to be seen? If you post your art on many places, you will get more eyes watching you, but for me, posting art in many places means it’s more likely for the art to get stolen, so, a pretty big con if you ask me, and it outweighs the pro for me.
I can see that. A bit out of nowhere, but what is it like being a member of a podcast? Has it improved your talking skills?
Oh right, podcast, haha. I suppose it has. At the very least, I am better at interrupting people now. 🙂 Though I still try to be polite when I can. As for what it’s like being part of it? Well… it can be stressful and frustrating at times, but also a pretty fun experience. It highly depends on the topics and the people involved on the day. The podcast is like a box of chocolates, never know what to expect until we actually start recording. 😀
Sounds chaotic, but fun. Now you mentioned artist misconceptions earlier in the interview. Are there any misconceptions about art that you would like to clear up?
I think there are many, far too many, misconceptions about art. The most prevalent one is that art is easy, especially digital art. Me saying it’s not will probably not make anyone change their minds, but I’d really wish people would consider the years it takes people to get as good as they are now, with any medium. Digital art uses tools like any other art form, tools which are meant to help you in your pursuit. People criticize things like the ‘undo’ button for making it too easy, but you do not see people complain when a painter uses a cup to dunk their paintbrush in, instead of seeking out the nearest natural body of water if they want to clean their brush. Art isn’t meant to be as difficult as it possibly can be.
From my experience, people who know very little about art and have very little care for it are the ones that are the loudest about what art or an artist should be like. These people make terrible assumptions and push for unhealthy standards onto artists, like ‘an artist should be suffering for them to make good art. If they’re happy, their art is shit’. Yes, I have seen people actually say it. It’s terrible and I wish people would grow out of that mentality. It feels like it’s on the same level as still believing the moon is made out of cheese, or that rabbits mainly eat carrots. (carrots are like sweets to rabbits. Please give your rabbits more than just carrots).
I did not expect to learn rabbit facts from this interview. Anyways, some artists like to work in fandoms as a way to promote their art. What is it like working in a general fandom compared to a hyper niche one?
I haven’t been super active in a fandom in almost a decade, but I suppose it’s easier to get noticed in a niche one, only because there’s less artists and less art produced for it, so you get seen more often by people who seek out that content. It’s easier to become a big fish in a small pond, whereas if you are a big fish in an ocean, you’re still just a drop of water in the sea. Popularity aside, niche fandoms might give you a better opportunity at making new friends with the same interests as you, since you might see each other a lot on your timelines and inevitably end up interacting, whereas in general fandoms people are less likely to approach you. On the reverse side, if you get perceived as someone who has done wrong in the niche fandom, you can bet that everyone will know about it and might end up ostracizing you, whereas in a general fandom you could still have corners to retreat to. I don’t think I’m really saying anything new here, though, it’s something most anyone could deduce if they looked into fandoms and their culture. Things like these happen a lot.
Witch hunts are always bad to see. You’re pretty good at giving advice. Is there anything important you learned online that you wish you could tell other aspiring artists and creators?
Don’t give up. The anonymity granted by the internet can often bring out the worst in people. They can sometimes sound more harsh than they meant to be or are harsh only because they wish to be and not because there are any issues with you or your art. That said, learn to sort through genuine, helpful criticism and hecklers, because ignoring everything you dislike or disagree with is just plain ignorant. No one’s perfect and sometimes you might need an outsider’s perspective to see a flaw you had been overlooking. Also, don’t be discouraged if your work doesn’t get much attention. It is quite difficult for original art to break through and get seen among all the fanart nowadays. If you even want a boost in views, fanart is usually a good way to get it, but just know that not everyone who likes your fanart will stick around for your original work. Easy come easy go.
You heard her go support your favorite artists.
Do you have any future artistic endeavors?
I am working on a project, but I’d like to keep it a secret for now.
I am looking forward to that. What is the best way to support your work?
Commissioning me is a pretty good way to support my work. I also have a ko-fi, in case you do not want art and just wish to give money. I also always appreciate likes and reblogs of my art!
Do you like the fan community you have cultivated?
I feel like I do not really have a ‘fan’ community, per se. Most of the people who interact a lot with me or my work end up just sort of becoming friends.. not all, of course, but the community of friends I’ve made is very heartwarming. It’s very small, but I always feel happy when I see them talking to each other on my discord, being friends with one another, and I feel like I am part of them too, just another friend who pops in and says hello and chats. It’s very comforting and I wouldn’t trade it for any other community.
That is really kind of you to say. Are there any creators you would like to shout out and do you have any final words for the readers?
I’d like to shout out my good friend Khantaya. She is exceptionally talented with her work and possesses the fabled skill of being able to draw backgrounds! Haha. That aside, thank you dearly for having the patience to read through my ramblings.
It was a pleasure to read them, Mage.
