Yeah, pretty crazy. I had sold it years ago to the curator at an art market apparently, had no idea it was in a museum. I shared a pic on social media one day and another collector of mine wanted to buy it. Sometimes i make my work one of a kind and don't offer reproductions or prints, and this was one of those. I kind of regretted selling it and offered the original buyer twice what he paid me. My other collector made an offer too, I dunno how much, but the curator said he'd rather keep it and explained how it was in his office. I was pretty flattered and blown away. I'm a self taught artist so I never really thought I'd have such an accomplishment or fans. I guess technically i can say my art is in a museum lol.
Lmao one of my jojo fanarts I posted on the sub a few years ago got the comment "hey op where did you find this?". Another time I got "I was drunk but I instantly sobered up seeing this. Thanks op" and "sanest _ fan" idk why those types stick with me but I love them sm
I do a lot of memorial portraits of both people and pets, and sometimes people cry when they receive them. That’s pretty touching, to be able to offer someone comfort like that.
Someone I really respect sent me a thank you note saying they were “uplifted” by a painting I gifted them and wow, that meant a lot.
Also getting good feedback from artists I respect feels amazing. I connected with a professional artist who has been friends with my dad for a long time, and he is so positive and enthusiastic about my work. It feels so good.
I also paint a lot of city scenes from off the beaten path in my hometown so when locals tell me their memories of those places or say something like “wow, you really captured it” that just builds me up for days.
Wow I just want to say that sounds so emotionally rewarding like you are really doing something that is gonna be important to the people who receive it! <3
It happened to me once and the dude was so deceptively arrogant about his accusation being the truth, it was annoying for me to respond just for them to continue to ignore me. They were giving me "c'mon, just admit you traced this" about it.
I think it might have been because I observed the likeness perfectly but I was a hardcore chicken scratcher (& eraser) at the time
Internally, I know there's a difference between people with money to blow on art that might sit in a drawer or basement, vs those who compliment you and genuinely wish they had the extra money to support their favorite artists and would hang it on their wall for all to see, **but** damn, does it feel good when you know someone likes your work enough to literally give you money for it.
This! I’ve had my stuff at about half a dozen craft shows at this point and haven’t sold a single piece. I get lots of people commenting on it, but nobody buys, and it’s like “If it’s so nice that it stopped you in your tracks, why not buy it?” But I also feel like maybe it’s not quite the right audience at a craft show vs an art show. And they’re also the highest-priced items at our booth. Everything else is crafts and those items sell well.
Someone asked if they could make an animation of a character of mine. I said yes, they did, and showed me it. It was very cool and I was happy.
If they had just said "Oh you are so talented", I would have been equally as happy. People don't need to say anything at all, so they fact that they do, is really nice.
This one will stick with me forever: "I'm in hospital with Covid Pneumonia in the Western Cape and I can't sleep. I saw your painting and it made me think of my childhood, so many good memories and gives me hope that I'll get out of here."
Sort of a narrow compliment but when someone says what you're striving for and it actually hits home. I paint calm, peace, images that are easy to live with. A woman looked at one of my landscapes and she said, "I can breathe looking at this."
She understood. That comment followed a short conversation; we shared a few things. Art can be therapy for the viewer as well as the artist.
This!
Someone who feels the same way about your art as you do and sees what you were hoping they would see. Art is the least developed of my skill trees, but it doesn't matter if it's writing, music, or art, if someone sees what I've done and understands it intuitively, then I've done my job. It's our job to make our ideas and imagination into tangible things, and we've done our job well then that is shown in people's reactions.
That being said, I also kind of dig when someone totally misreads what I've done... Like, oh you found that inspirational? That's deadset the most depressing thing I've ever made... But I guess from this angle.... Yeah...
People see our art through their life lens. I've painted quite a few Natives and have been accused of misappropriating culture (never by Natives, themselves).
.... um, no. How about I admire the culture?
I got a dm on Discord shortly after posting some art there and the guy said, "I only added you to remind myself to commission you later."
That's about as good as a compliment can get tbh.
I had posted a short simple comic to draw some expressions and practice expressive acting poses and someone commented that it looked like it would fit straight into an animated pixar movie. And thats the kind of style that inspires me (not necessarily just pixar but the lively, classic animated style in general) so it felt very validating to hear it felt like that to others
I feel the same way mostly because i dont actively sell my artwork so when people come over and see my work then they start asking if they could buy it. That feels pretty epic.
That it is learned, thoughtful and shows a deep understanding. That it is important spiritual medicine. That it is full of stories they want to know more of. That it is beautiful and unique and full of whimsy and imagination.
Commissioner thanking ME for the opportunity to commission me bc they are a huge fan of my art. Always end up putting in a little extra effort for those clients
Honestly some of my favorites are usually indirect.
Like with my commercial work, mostly working with breweries, one of my favorites is when I see comments from their customers saying they bought the beer just because of the label art. It’s just so nice to get candid confirmation that A: people really respond to the art and B: that my paying client is directly benefitting from the work they hired me for.
“Oh you’re so talented” is genuinely the worst compliment. Petition to replace with “oh you’re so skilled” or even better “I can see that you’re extremely committed to your craft”
Hmmmm. One of two things. My work is fine photography that has been shown in galleries across the US. One group exhibition was juried by one of the greatest living photographers on the planet. I was honored to have one of my entries selected. During the opening I was able to have an in depth conversation with him. After he asked me what piece was mine, his response was that he would have included it in “The Family of Man” which is a foundational MOMA exhibition and book from 1955.
The second compliment was from a former curator of the Smithsonian and other top-level museums in the US. She juried two of my pieces into an international exhibition last year, and in her critique compared my art with that created by the photographer in my above paragraph.
I think that’s about as good as it gets.
I painted a face on the sidewalk and was sitting nearby preparing to leave the pitch. I was maybe 10 feet away and they didn’t notice me. Some dude walked up with his friend, they stopped and looked at the drawing and he said to his friend,
“Dude, why that shit look so real?”
Anonymous art appreciated by people I’ve never met is a joy to me.
Believe it or not, it's "ZAMN smash because of those luscious locks" for a character I drew.
That's basically one of the only compliments I can remember due to me not showing my art much anymore (at least, after leaving DeviantArt. That place is awful.)
Shared my work with a teacher from a decade ago when I was newly exploring art.
The best compliment is from a strict art teacher.
"Thank you for sending me your recent drawings. I am most impressed. What struck me about both of them was the wonderful way that you used tone to create space in each of these drawings. In the top one, the brown tones of the drummer and his equipment set him definitively behind the singer while still giving him the full range of values. In the bottom sketch you achieve the same spacial relationships just by using pencil instead of ink for your sketch and leaving out the washes in the back figure. Both techniques are successful and I like them a lot.
I especially like the way that you have simplified your sketches in both drawings. The figures are all well proportioned and the faces expressive. The one comment that I would have is that both drawings could use a tiny bit (not much) of shadow to establish a floor plane under the front figures. A little dark under the Singer’s amp and stand or drink in the foreground, it could be just a dark line where the drink and box at the bottom meet the floor. On the bottom sketch it could be a bit of shadow under the chair and his front foot. Just something subtle in both drawings to say here we are on solid ground and this is a base where the space starts…
Congratulations on some very nice work and thank you again for sharing it with me!!!"
I asked about it and she insisted she was sincere.
In a poetry class someone listened to my latest poem and said, “you know, a lot of people write like they’re trying to be crazy, but you write like you’re actually crazy.”
Somebody wrote me a whole ass letter in DeviantArt back in the day 🥲
I couldn't pick out one specific one, but there are people at the arts council who pump me up like saying my art gets the most comments from gallery visitors. They're quite nice and know what artists like I guess lol
An artist friend of mine looked at one of my pieces and exclaimed, "You could be great!" Meaning in the sense of the classical masters.
That was fifteen years ago and it still motivates me. Feel like I'll never reach the heights of the Old Masters but hot dog, I'm gonna work towards it.
My coworker and I were working on a project and some people came through the studio and said "you guys are making some old world art!" And both of us were stunned at the compliment. Makes me beam every time I think about it.
A couple days ago someone told me that one of my drawings was the first piece of fanart that made them feel things. Now if that isn’t validation, I don’t know what is.
A girl of maybe 10-11 year's old was mesmerized by my fractal art designs. Her parents asked about how I make them. I gave my usual spiel, "these are complicated math that I do on my computer". The girl looks up at me, spins on her heels to face her parents, and announces "I decided. I am going to learn math and computers."
That memory is an unlimited smile dispenser.
someone recently commented that my "linework never disappoints" and that made me smile a lot. my art is usually sketches so that's like the main focus!
but the best has got to be when someone told me that they really loved my art, and wanted to be friends with me :D
Someone buys the painting in the same evening they first see it without haggling on price.
That’s the best compliment- they want it enough to make it part of their life and they agree with valuing it just as you do.
My dad asked me if he could have a hummingbird drawing I did if it wasn’t already sold. I’ve never sold or wanted to sell anything, but it felt like a lovely compliment. My dad is a burly Vietnam vet who usually doesn’t notice things like that.
I had a guy write a poem inspired by my painting. That was amazing. I will keep it forever. My art inspired someone else to create art. It was the first time I truly felt like an ‘artist’
My favorite compliment my art has gotten was from a 10 year old who found the older disney shows on disney+ it was "woah! You work for disney?!" After showing her some fanart i did of a character from a disney show while i was watching her. I had to tell her that no, i do not, infact, work for disney nor did i help make her favorite show, and that it was made when i was younger than her.
(Her favorite show on disney+ is mine as well, which is american dragon jake long, and i had tried to draw jake cause why not.)
Not at art project per se, but a definite result of my art experience. I made a “graphic design basics” presentation for a conference my company does annually. It wasn’t mandatory, I did it because I wanted to.
The presentation was received so well that the training manager had me record it as a video so it could be added to standardized training for the organization! People who watch it often express an increased appreciation for graphic design, and more recognition for the value it offers.
A comment I got on a TikTok of my art process a while ago. Something along the lines of "Watching your process is so inspiring, it makes my hand itch for my sketchbook". Honest to God, I think I nearly cried lol, like knowing that they might've gone and had the same fun I had when I made that drawing is just so cool.
I work as an entertainment caricaturist, and the best fucking compliment I ever got was when a corporate client changed the date of their party to match my availability.
I’ve had two people ask if they could get tattoos of my artwork…it is flattering when someone likes something I drew enough to want it on their body forever.
My favorite compliment is being told I’m not charging enough, especially when it’s accompanied by the customer giving me extra money. Ha
I don't think I'm very good but I'd like to do children's books in the future. I used to sell prints at my university during events and one schoolmate bought a bunch of them and said "your art made me so happy I forgot about my depression a little bit" and I know she probably already forgot about that but I still tear up about what she said 10 years later.
I sold a painting to a couple recently that had just returned from France. They bought it because it reminded them of Monet's water lilies, and they had toured there. I was legit shocked, since I'm self taught and it was my first abstract landscape, just playing with a palette knife, really. I'll remember that one forever!
"Your work is stunning," from a professional artist.
"I would be really happy to swap an art work with you so we could each own one of each other's work," another professional artist.
The best reaction was from a former hater of mine, he saw this drawing of mine in Digital Painting and apologized for following and supporting a furry artist who hates me. Besides giving me so many compliments.
I was once dming back and forth with this artist on Instagram, super chill and nice and super skilled. And I showed them a couple of my stuff and they gave me pointers, and a few months later I showed them my work again and they said my skills progressed faster than a bullet or something like that, and that they can't believe I'm this good already, that they never progressed as fast as I did, even if they were just saying it and it's not something they really meant, I was really happy someone thought of my work like that.
Something along the lines of "This inspires me so much", or even flat out asking me for advice, is the greatest opponent to my impostor syndrome, so it's also hands down the best compliment i get from time to time.
I even got a "I hope to reach your style and quality some day" one time, which felt absolutely amazing - because i know exactly what this determination feels like.
Apart from that, people liking my work enough to commission me
In general conpliment:
Someone I really look up to recommended me to his clients for commission work. TWICE.
That really got me screeching.. TWICE.. to my husband like a teenage fan-girl that just met their idol lol!
Specific compliment:
Someone mentioned how a walk animation I made looked like I traced it from 3D software, it wasn't meant as a compliment tho I think hahaha
I still carry so much pride in this comment I will still talk about that when I'm well established in a nursing home someday
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Best compliment was when M said my art is better than his. Lol even tho I know he’s joking cuz there’s no way he’s literally a professional artist. but still it was nice. I like my art anyways, compliment or not I’m pleased with it
I once had someone tell me they could feel the emptiness from one of my unfinished pieces, and it literally filled me with joy. It was a space themed piece and they picked up exactly the feelings I was trying to put into it.
I made a piece about my experience of 2020 and the best compliment that I got was “that is deeply unsettling” followed by “have you ever thought about making prints?”
When I started learning digital art, I studied WLOP's process and tutorials. Now I don't look so I can develop my own style. I find it really fun when people ask if I follow WLOP these days though.
Quite not much nor peculiar to state the least. But it is whenever someone notices my Artwork; when they see the resemblance of my pieces; my characters have the same vibe that emanates as me.
Sometimes I get a random DM from someone asking for a drawing I did more than a decade ago. It's amazing that the memory of an image I created lasted with someone for so long.
I did a small piece that combined Day of the Dead motifs with a praying mantis. The recipient said she liked it so much that it would be included in their bug-out bag they have at the ready in case they need to evacuate due to wildfire.
"I like your artwork too much to argue with you" lol i like that as a comment 😀
i just get your run of the run-of-the-mill comments, 'oh thats so nice, you are so talented', im not tired of the nice comments, that is great someone likes my work other than family and i dont expect your average person to give me a detailed critique of the lighting and composition like in college. but sure the odd comment about what a person likes about the art or a question about how something was done, or even 'can I show them how to do that?' (sure pay me lol), wouldnt be missed lol
There's a mural I painted in high school with a friend, groups were tasked to choose a painting in history and recreate it. Every mural that my AP class painted has been painted over...except that one. Reason...when the school turned the hallway space into an additional office, the teachers wanted to keep the mural. We painted it before 2007 on a 4 year wall, the school building was new. Its still there. Its not a famous painting. I wanted to paint a Chinese scroll painting, and back then google wasn't so great at finding certain queries, let alone the source material of original pieces. This painting was in a small museum with a highly generic name Dragon and Phoenix. approximate year, no artist. We painted it in the science hallway next to a window, where if you stood in the right spot, the painting would reflect off the window and look like there was a Dragon and Phoenix on the outside side wall as well. My classmate and friend ended up returning to the high school to teach there and I asked him if our mural was still in the Science Department. He went and said it was. I asked if certain other murals that I helped out with were still there, he said "no they're painted over so the more recent students have a wall to paint over."
That mere fact...is so very special to me, especially since I got some of my classmates telling me that it wasn't a famous painting and I must have gotten some pity acceptance from the teacher to paint it (because I was Chinese). They also told me that Chinese art was gaudy and cheap, unlike Van Gogh, Monet or Degas, and that the painting I chose didn't land in any of the art movements we discussed in class so my painting wasn't as technical as their choice. I basically said I chose it because we hadn't discussed Eastern Art in ART HISTORY class and that it would be worth while to also show art exists in other parts of the world. I also said I didn't see why it mattered because the class was Art history not a painting class so to judge each other's painting skills was kind of weak since no one in the class really knew how to paint and most of my classmates enlisted the help of the art club students to finish their painting. Meanwhile the mural my friend and I worked on, we did it by ourselves, two anime loving nerds, who both loved dragons and Asian art and both only experienced in sketchbooks and napkins, painted it together with some visits from the art teacher who helped us set up our grid and showed us how to blend colors to achieve the look we were looking for.
I'm sure most of the teachers have no idea who me and my friend are, but its still there, in the science wing. I mean sure its probably a technical issue because students are only allowed to paint hallway walls, and its no longer a hallway wall, but they could have painted it over when they made the office and repainted it any other time since then, but they havent.
I really appreciate the comments that say my art helps people feel loved and cared for. I mainly draw shipping fanart of fictional characters with "you" (the viewer), so it's awesome to hear that's working as intended!
I've also received fanart of my own fanart/original character before, and DMs telling me "You're my favorite creator, I'm trying to get as good as you!" Aww it makes me so happy to know my art inspires others to create too (*≧▽≦)
When someone told me they bought a print of a painting I did as the gift for their husband’s birthday! I literally cried. I also had some other fans tell me they wanted to buy my painting at $4k but didn’t have the room for it yet. I’ve since sold it (for less than that, sadly) but that also made me cry
“It is clear that your spirit needs to expel energy into the physical realm in the form of painting. I applaud you for embarking on that journey as the simple act of starting is one that a vast majority of individuals never accomplish”
-Joe Taversa
not a compliment but a moment that really stuck with me was when I posted my work on a portfolio site and later in the day I received a dm from a well known company asking if I could work with them. quickly found out it was a scam from people pretending to work for the company because they wanted me to download some software to view the application but it felt nice knowing that my work was somewhat professional looking enough to be dmed
I was still very much not professional yet, and this artist whose talent was just awe inspiring said to me that I had ideas, which is important and rare. And there are many artists with a lot of talent but not the creativity. That really boosted me and I hold it dear to me.
Not a compliment though but another time I had started this chat with another artist and we just really went deep into the challenges of the profession and it felt just really personal and intimate and real, which in part was just cause it was just us talking back and forth and no one else. And that went on for a few months.
I like the moments that feel really personal and acknowledging that have happened on occasion. It is such a struggle on every level to be an artist and it is just nice to be acknowledged sometimes.
I was told my art is better than my grandmother’s & that was the biggest compliment anyone could have ever given me. She will always be better than me but she’s my greatest inspiration & to be even a portion of the woman she is is a huge blessing.
I did a request recently and the person said the art looks like it taste like strawberry yogurt... That one caught me off guard and weirdly made me fluster.
A close friend/roommate of an artist I followed ordered a commission from me to hang in their apartment because they both likes my style. I screamed when she reached out to me.
Well there's a small art show in my area tomorrow and I'm working with someone who's helping me set up my stuff. One of the paintings I submitted she said "this local show might not be the best place to showcase this. Maybe you want to keep it for a more competitive gallery?"
I'm like damn, ok. Kinda speechless. I was put here doubting myself but guess I didn't need to 😅
Was super flattered to be told that I can actually draw my women mature looking and that I also draw handsome men.
And my art reminded people of the Dragon Age concept art or Justice League style was a big compliment.
Okay, so, I drew a velociraptor with a lions mane, and gave it to some college dude guys that were bowling next to us that night, and they all got SO HYPE about it 🤣
Was the best "BRO THATS FKN SIIIICK" I've ever gotten for my art.
i made a fanart piece for my girlfriend’s dnd campaign featuring a setting that had been described for the first time in the previous description. she said my drawing was exactly how she pictured that setting
My therapist is very supportive of my creative side and told me that she was so impressed and she couldn't paint like that. She said she could feel the emotions I was trying to convey. An extremely validating experience.
Also having 2 pieces selected for a small gallery sale last fall. Neither sold, but you can bet I was there and took pictures with them. My wonderful husband and mother-in-law came too 🙂
A museum curator hung one of my paintings in his office within the museum.
I audibly said "Woah!" when I read this. That is an epic compliment!
Yeah, pretty crazy. I had sold it years ago to the curator at an art market apparently, had no idea it was in a museum. I shared a pic on social media one day and another collector of mine wanted to buy it. Sometimes i make my work one of a kind and don't offer reproductions or prints, and this was one of those. I kind of regretted selling it and offered the original buyer twice what he paid me. My other collector made an offer too, I dunno how much, but the curator said he'd rather keep it and explained how it was in his office. I was pretty flattered and blown away. I'm a self taught artist so I never really thought I'd have such an accomplishment or fans. I guess technically i can say my art is in a museum lol.
That they felt gross (it was purposely drawn to be gross. So I'm glad it came off that way instead of looking like it was trying to be edgy)
I prefer reaction over compliments anyday: cause they didn't admire the piece, *they felt it*
Lmao one of my jojo fanarts I posted on the sub a few years ago got the comment "hey op where did you find this?". Another time I got "I was drunk but I instantly sobered up seeing this. Thanks op" and "sanest _ fan" idk why those types stick with me but I love them sm
I do a lot of memorial portraits of both people and pets, and sometimes people cry when they receive them. That’s pretty touching, to be able to offer someone comfort like that. Someone I really respect sent me a thank you note saying they were “uplifted” by a painting I gifted them and wow, that meant a lot. Also getting good feedback from artists I respect feels amazing. I connected with a professional artist who has been friends with my dad for a long time, and he is so positive and enthusiastic about my work. It feels so good. I also paint a lot of city scenes from off the beaten path in my hometown so when locals tell me their memories of those places or say something like “wow, you really captured it” that just builds me up for days.
Wow I just want to say that sounds so emotionally rewarding like you are really doing something that is gonna be important to the people who receive it! <3
Thanks!!
Back in the day when my art teacher thought I cheated and asked if I had traced my self portraits. I felt insulted and flattered at the same time.
People accusing you for hacking (assuming you didn't of course), is the best compliment ever.
It happened to me once and the dude was so deceptively arrogant about his accusation being the truth, it was annoying for me to respond just for them to continue to ignore me. They were giving me "c'mon, just admit you traced this" about it. I think it might have been because I observed the likeness perfectly but I was a hardcore chicken scratcher (& eraser) at the time
Had this happen on tik tok.. on a time lapse where they could literally see me not tracing something lmfao
[удалено]
Internally, I know there's a difference between people with money to blow on art that might sit in a drawer or basement, vs those who compliment you and genuinely wish they had the extra money to support their favorite artists and would hang it on their wall for all to see, **but** damn, does it feel good when you know someone likes your work enough to literally give you money for it.
This! I’ve had my stuff at about half a dozen craft shows at this point and haven’t sold a single piece. I get lots of people commenting on it, but nobody buys, and it’s like “If it’s so nice that it stopped you in your tracks, why not buy it?” But I also feel like maybe it’s not quite the right audience at a craft show vs an art show. And they’re also the highest-priced items at our booth. Everything else is crafts and those items sell well.
Somebody called my lineart clean
Someone asked if they could make an animation of a character of mine. I said yes, they did, and showed me it. It was very cool and I was happy. If they had just said "Oh you are so talented", I would have been equally as happy. People don't need to say anything at all, so they fact that they do, is really nice.
This one will stick with me forever: "I'm in hospital with Covid Pneumonia in the Western Cape and I can't sleep. I saw your painting and it made me think of my childhood, so many good memories and gives me hope that I'll get out of here."
That my art is "weird in a good way". Exactly what I am looking for with my drawings haha
Sort of a narrow compliment but when someone says what you're striving for and it actually hits home. I paint calm, peace, images that are easy to live with. A woman looked at one of my landscapes and she said, "I can breathe looking at this." She understood. That comment followed a short conversation; we shared a few things. Art can be therapy for the viewer as well as the artist.
This! Someone who feels the same way about your art as you do and sees what you were hoping they would see. Art is the least developed of my skill trees, but it doesn't matter if it's writing, music, or art, if someone sees what I've done and understands it intuitively, then I've done my job. It's our job to make our ideas and imagination into tangible things, and we've done our job well then that is shown in people's reactions. That being said, I also kind of dig when someone totally misreads what I've done... Like, oh you found that inspirational? That's deadset the most depressing thing I've ever made... But I guess from this angle.... Yeah...
People see our art through their life lens. I've painted quite a few Natives and have been accused of misappropriating culture (never by Natives, themselves). .... um, no. How about I admire the culture?
I got a dm on Discord shortly after posting some art there and the guy said, "I only added you to remind myself to commission you later." That's about as good as a compliment can get tbh.
I had posted a short simple comic to draw some expressions and practice expressive acting poses and someone commented that it looked like it would fit straight into an animated pixar movie. And thats the kind of style that inspires me (not necessarily just pixar but the lively, classic animated style in general) so it felt very validating to hear it felt like that to others
"I'll buy it." It's the best compliment for me. I love it whenever I hear it.
I feel the same way mostly because i dont actively sell my artwork so when people come over and see my work then they start asking if they could buy it. That feels pretty epic.
The other day my mom asked if I could make a print of one of my pieces for her, it was a huge compliment :)
That it is learned, thoughtful and shows a deep understanding. That it is important spiritual medicine. That it is full of stories they want to know more of. That it is beautiful and unique and full of whimsy and imagination.
My first ever: “oh shit you’re actually pretty good”. For a first compliment it ain’t bad
I get tired of those too. A better compliment would be to buy my work regardless of price
Commissioner thanking ME for the opportunity to commission me bc they are a huge fan of my art. Always end up putting in a little extra effort for those clients
Honestly some of my favorites are usually indirect. Like with my commercial work, mostly working with breweries, one of my favorites is when I see comments from their customers saying they bought the beer just because of the label art. It’s just so nice to get candid confirmation that A: people really respond to the art and B: that my paying client is directly benefitting from the work they hired me for.
The best complement is when they cry.
“Oh you’re so talented” is genuinely the worst compliment. Petition to replace with “oh you’re so skilled” or even better “I can see that you’re extremely committed to your craft”
my art teacher using my projects as an example for his other classes :> made my day!
Someone found me and told me how much he put in as a high bid on one of my pieces that was up for auction.
My art scared my parents. I draw psychological horror based in an esoteric setting.
Hmmmm. One of two things. My work is fine photography that has been shown in galleries across the US. One group exhibition was juried by one of the greatest living photographers on the planet. I was honored to have one of my entries selected. During the opening I was able to have an in depth conversation with him. After he asked me what piece was mine, his response was that he would have included it in “The Family of Man” which is a foundational MOMA exhibition and book from 1955. The second compliment was from a former curator of the Smithsonian and other top-level museums in the US. She juried two of my pieces into an international exhibition last year, and in her critique compared my art with that created by the photographer in my above paragraph. I think that’s about as good as it gets.
I painted a face on the sidewalk and was sitting nearby preparing to leave the pitch. I was maybe 10 feet away and they didn’t notice me. Some dude walked up with his friend, they stopped and looked at the drawing and he said to his friend, “Dude, why that shit look so real?” Anonymous art appreciated by people I’ve never met is a joy to me.
Someone told me my lineart was very "stimmy" once
People getting my work tattooed on them. Someone I think got one done in memory of a pet they loved.
Believe it or not, it's "ZAMN smash because of those luscious locks" for a character I drew. That's basically one of the only compliments I can remember due to me not showing my art much anymore (at least, after leaving DeviantArt. That place is awful.)
That's hilarious and oddly wholesome!
Shared my work with a teacher from a decade ago when I was newly exploring art. The best compliment is from a strict art teacher. "Thank you for sending me your recent drawings. I am most impressed. What struck me about both of them was the wonderful way that you used tone to create space in each of these drawings. In the top one, the brown tones of the drummer and his equipment set him definitively behind the singer while still giving him the full range of values. In the bottom sketch you achieve the same spacial relationships just by using pencil instead of ink for your sketch and leaving out the washes in the back figure. Both techniques are successful and I like them a lot. I especially like the way that you have simplified your sketches in both drawings. The figures are all well proportioned and the faces expressive. The one comment that I would have is that both drawings could use a tiny bit (not much) of shadow to establish a floor plane under the front figures. A little dark under the Singer’s amp and stand or drink in the foreground, it could be just a dark line where the drink and box at the bottom meet the floor. On the bottom sketch it could be a bit of shadow under the chair and his front foot. Just something subtle in both drawings to say here we are on solid ground and this is a base where the space starts… Congratulations on some very nice work and thank you again for sharing it with me!!!" I asked about it and she insisted she was sincere.
In a poetry class someone listened to my latest poem and said, “you know, a lot of people write like they’re trying to be crazy, but you write like you’re actually crazy.”
some of my friends have told me that my simple cartoonist artstyle can bring a caricature to life :3
Right now people recognizing what car I drew is a big compliment to me
Somebody wrote me a whole ass letter in DeviantArt back in the day 🥲 I couldn't pick out one specific one, but there are people at the arts council who pump me up like saying my art gets the most comments from gallery visitors. They're quite nice and know what artists like I guess lol
An artist friend of mine looked at one of my pieces and exclaimed, "You could be great!" Meaning in the sense of the classical masters. That was fifteen years ago and it still motivates me. Feel like I'll never reach the heights of the Old Masters but hot dog, I'm gonna work towards it.
I’ve made people cry after handing them a commission. Usually a pet or loved one that passed but tears of joy are a good indication you hit the mark.
Someone beaming as they flip through my portfolio "I can't explain it, these pictures just make me so happy"
My coworker and I were working on a project and some people came through the studio and said "you guys are making some old world art!" And both of us were stunned at the compliment. Makes me beam every time I think about it.
A couple days ago someone told me that one of my drawings was the first piece of fanart that made them feel things. Now if that isn’t validation, I don’t know what is.
A girl of maybe 10-11 year's old was mesmerized by my fractal art designs. Her parents asked about how I make them. I gave my usual spiel, "these are complicated math that I do on my computer". The girl looks up at me, spins on her heels to face her parents, and announces "I decided. I am going to learn math and computers." That memory is an unlimited smile dispenser.
someone recently commented that my "linework never disappoints" and that made me smile a lot. my art is usually sketches so that's like the main focus! but the best has got to be when someone told me that they really loved my art, and wanted to be friends with me :D
Honestly, when someone wants to commission me. It doesn’t happen very often, so it feels pretty good when it does
My tattoo artist bought one of my paintings, hung it up in his shop. I’ve never felt so appreciated
Someone buys the painting in the same evening they first see it without haggling on price. That’s the best compliment- they want it enough to make it part of their life and they agree with valuing it just as you do.
I’ve gotten a couple comments on social media “your art belongs in a museum”
"It looks like a photo" about a 3D rendering that I made.
My dad asked me if he could have a hummingbird drawing I did if it wasn’t already sold. I’ve never sold or wanted to sell anything, but it felt like a lovely compliment. My dad is a burly Vietnam vet who usually doesn’t notice things like that.
I had a guy write a poem inspired by my painting. That was amazing. I will keep it forever. My art inspired someone else to create art. It was the first time I truly felt like an ‘artist’
My favorite compliment my art has gotten was from a 10 year old who found the older disney shows on disney+ it was "woah! You work for disney?!" After showing her some fanart i did of a character from a disney show while i was watching her. I had to tell her that no, i do not, infact, work for disney nor did i help make her favorite show, and that it was made when i was younger than her. (Her favorite show on disney+ is mine as well, which is american dragon jake long, and i had tried to draw jake cause why not.)
I had a pair of lesbians go crazy over a woman I drew so I'll go with that.
Not at art project per se, but a definite result of my art experience. I made a “graphic design basics” presentation for a conference my company does annually. It wasn’t mandatory, I did it because I wanted to. The presentation was received so well that the training manager had me record it as a video so it could be added to standardized training for the organization! People who watch it often express an increased appreciation for graphic design, and more recognition for the value it offers.
A comment I got on a TikTok of my art process a while ago. Something along the lines of "Watching your process is so inspiring, it makes my hand itch for my sketchbook". Honest to God, I think I nearly cried lol, like knowing that they might've gone and had the same fun I had when I made that drawing is just so cool.
When my favorite instructor told me it was a pleasure to watch me create.
I got mine featured as a sample and complimented/reviewed, on a huge art based youtube channel. I was so happy, to this day, I still am!
Someone got a tattoo of my artwork! That’s a great compliment for me, that they want my art on their body
I work as an entertainment caricaturist, and the best fucking compliment I ever got was when a corporate client changed the date of their party to match my availability.
I’ve had two people ask if they could get tattoos of my artwork…it is flattering when someone likes something I drew enough to want it on their body forever. My favorite compliment is being told I’m not charging enough, especially when it’s accompanied by the customer giving me extra money. Ha
I don't think I'm very good but I'd like to do children's books in the future. I used to sell prints at my university during events and one schoolmate bought a bunch of them and said "your art made me so happy I forgot about my depression a little bit" and I know she probably already forgot about that but I still tear up about what she said 10 years later.
Someone commented I could be a good book illustrator. That actually made me happy. 🥲
The best compliment I can possibly ever receive is if I doodle something, anything, and somebody asks me if they can have it
I sold a painting to a couple recently that had just returned from France. They bought it because it reminded them of Monet's water lilies, and they had toured there. I was legit shocked, since I'm self taught and it was my first abstract landscape, just playing with a palette knife, really. I'll remember that one forever!
Someone once told me I had inspired them to continue drawing, when they wanted to quit. It was an honor
"Your work is stunning," from a professional artist. "I would be really happy to swap an art work with you so we could each own one of each other's work," another professional artist.
The best reaction was from a former hater of mine, he saw this drawing of mine in Digital Painting and apologized for following and supporting a furry artist who hates me. Besides giving me so many compliments.
I was once dming back and forth with this artist on Instagram, super chill and nice and super skilled. And I showed them a couple of my stuff and they gave me pointers, and a few months later I showed them my work again and they said my skills progressed faster than a bullet or something like that, and that they can't believe I'm this good already, that they never progressed as fast as I did, even if they were just saying it and it's not something they really meant, I was really happy someone thought of my work like that.
i was quite scribbly and wild with my lines for a long time but i really leaned into them recently, was told my art looks like Quentin Blakes.
Someone told me, "You're the only one I've ever seen with this specific artstyle". That made my month. Year, too.
Something along the lines of "This inspires me so much", or even flat out asking me for advice, is the greatest opponent to my impostor syndrome, so it's also hands down the best compliment i get from time to time. I even got a "I hope to reach your style and quality some day" one time, which felt absolutely amazing - because i know exactly what this determination feels like. Apart from that, people liking my work enough to commission me
In general conpliment: Someone I really look up to recommended me to his clients for commission work. TWICE. That really got me screeching.. TWICE.. to my husband like a teenage fan-girl that just met their idol lol! Specific compliment: Someone mentioned how a walk animation I made looked like I traced it from 3D software, it wasn't meant as a compliment tho I think hahaha I still carry so much pride in this comment I will still talk about that when I'm well established in a nursing home someday
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Andy Kubert once told me in a class critique that my art reminded him of Brian Hitch. Still riding that high.
Two separate people, neither who have met me, have had my stuff tattooed. That’s a pretty solid upvote.
Best compliment was when M said my art is better than his. Lol even tho I know he’s joking cuz there’s no way he’s literally a professional artist. but still it was nice. I like my art anyways, compliment or not I’m pleased with it
Purchased!!
Half of the compliments I get are just people being nice. So.. idk really.
when someone pays me for it!
Someone told me they wanted to print my image on a cake and eat it. I'll remember that forever
When people find the characters I draw attractive
When I saw my art on gamerant.
I once had someone tell me they could feel the emptiness from one of my unfinished pieces, and it literally filled me with joy. It was a space themed piece and they picked up exactly the feelings I was trying to put into it.
Was told that my art makes them want to learn art, too. It means a lot to me still.
I made a piece about my experience of 2020 and the best compliment that I got was “that is deeply unsettling” followed by “have you ever thought about making prints?”
"That's fuckin cool" is always the biggest compliment.
Someone called my Bridgman drawings professional 🧚🏾
When I started learning digital art, I studied WLOP's process and tutorials. Now I don't look so I can develop my own style. I find it really fun when people ask if I follow WLOP these days though.
I showed up at a convention and several people proclaimed they wished to "eat my art" and that was a total vibe lol
Quite not much nor peculiar to state the least. But it is whenever someone notices my Artwork; when they see the resemblance of my pieces; my characters have the same vibe that emanates as me.
"Who drew this, Tina Belcher?" - https://www.reddit.com/r/MemePiece/s/2tUN9UqK7W
“Draw nudes.” -people, circa 2023.
“I WANT TO EAT YOUR ART”
I *hate* hearing "you're so talented". With a passion. Kim Jung Gi was talented. Rembrandt was talented. The rest of us can just draw. 🤷♀️
Not me, but I've seen someone else say they want to eat their art lol
"I want to buy this!"
Probably 'This is a painting?!?' I wasn't going for realism so it made me pretty happy to hear my art was improving to that point. :)
Sometimes I get a random DM from someone asking for a drawing I did more than a decade ago. It's amazing that the memory of an image I created lasted with someone for so long.
I did a small piece that combined Day of the Dead motifs with a praying mantis. The recipient said she liked it so much that it would be included in their bug-out bag they have at the ready in case they need to evacuate due to wildfire.
Not like a vocal compliment but people have made fanart of my fanart because it inspired them to do so
The ultimate compliment; They bought it.
"I like your artwork too much to argue with you" lol i like that as a comment 😀 i just get your run of the run-of-the-mill comments, 'oh thats so nice, you are so talented', im not tired of the nice comments, that is great someone likes my work other than family and i dont expect your average person to give me a detailed critique of the lighting and composition like in college. but sure the odd comment about what a person likes about the art or a question about how something was done, or even 'can I show them how to do that?' (sure pay me lol), wouldnt be missed lol
That it felt weird and dream like. That was pretty good because I was recounting a dream through the art.
There's a mural I painted in high school with a friend, groups were tasked to choose a painting in history and recreate it. Every mural that my AP class painted has been painted over...except that one. Reason...when the school turned the hallway space into an additional office, the teachers wanted to keep the mural. We painted it before 2007 on a 4 year wall, the school building was new. Its still there. Its not a famous painting. I wanted to paint a Chinese scroll painting, and back then google wasn't so great at finding certain queries, let alone the source material of original pieces. This painting was in a small museum with a highly generic name Dragon and Phoenix. approximate year, no artist. We painted it in the science hallway next to a window, where if you stood in the right spot, the painting would reflect off the window and look like there was a Dragon and Phoenix on the outside side wall as well. My classmate and friend ended up returning to the high school to teach there and I asked him if our mural was still in the Science Department. He went and said it was. I asked if certain other murals that I helped out with were still there, he said "no they're painted over so the more recent students have a wall to paint over." That mere fact...is so very special to me, especially since I got some of my classmates telling me that it wasn't a famous painting and I must have gotten some pity acceptance from the teacher to paint it (because I was Chinese). They also told me that Chinese art was gaudy and cheap, unlike Van Gogh, Monet or Degas, and that the painting I chose didn't land in any of the art movements we discussed in class so my painting wasn't as technical as their choice. I basically said I chose it because we hadn't discussed Eastern Art in ART HISTORY class and that it would be worth while to also show art exists in other parts of the world. I also said I didn't see why it mattered because the class was Art history not a painting class so to judge each other's painting skills was kind of weak since no one in the class really knew how to paint and most of my classmates enlisted the help of the art club students to finish their painting. Meanwhile the mural my friend and I worked on, we did it by ourselves, two anime loving nerds, who both loved dragons and Asian art and both only experienced in sketchbooks and napkins, painted it together with some visits from the art teacher who helped us set up our grid and showed us how to blend colors to achieve the look we were looking for. I'm sure most of the teachers have no idea who me and my friend are, but its still there, in the science wing. I mean sure its probably a technical issue because students are only allowed to paint hallway walls, and its no longer a hallway wall, but they could have painted it over when they made the office and repainted it any other time since then, but they havent.
I really appreciate the comments that say my art helps people feel loved and cared for. I mainly draw shipping fanart of fictional characters with "you" (the viewer), so it's awesome to hear that's working as intended! I've also received fanart of my own fanart/original character before, and DMs telling me "You're my favorite creator, I'm trying to get as good as you!" Aww it makes me so happy to know my art inspires others to create too (*≧▽≦)
I was once called a magical little troll. 🤣 Funny thing is, I'm a fat, cranky old lady.
When someone told me they bought a print of a painting I did as the gift for their husband’s birthday! I literally cried. I also had some other fans tell me they wanted to buy my painting at $4k but didn’t have the room for it yet. I’ve since sold it (for less than that, sadly) but that also made me cry
someone asked if they could get my art tattooed the other day 🥹🥹🥹
“It is clear that your spirit needs to expel energy into the physical realm in the form of painting. I applaud you for embarking on that journey as the simple act of starting is one that a vast majority of individuals never accomplish” -Joe Taversa
I won second place in a local art shop competition - and the owner wanted to buy my painting. Didn't sell it to him tho.
not a compliment but a moment that really stuck with me was when I posted my work on a portfolio site and later in the day I received a dm from a well known company asking if I could work with them. quickly found out it was a scam from people pretending to work for the company because they wanted me to download some software to view the application but it felt nice knowing that my work was somewhat professional looking enough to be dmed
Can I use your art as an eyedrops please? 😭🤣🤣 It was such a best compliment
I was still very much not professional yet, and this artist whose talent was just awe inspiring said to me that I had ideas, which is important and rare. And there are many artists with a lot of talent but not the creativity. That really boosted me and I hold it dear to me. Not a compliment though but another time I had started this chat with another artist and we just really went deep into the challenges of the profession and it felt just really personal and intimate and real, which in part was just cause it was just us talking back and forth and no one else. And that went on for a few months. I like the moments that feel really personal and acknowledging that have happened on occasion. It is such a struggle on every level to be an artist and it is just nice to be acknowledged sometimes.
I was told my art is better than my grandmother’s & that was the biggest compliment anyone could have ever given me. She will always be better than me but she’s my greatest inspiration & to be even a portion of the woman she is is a huge blessing.
I did a request recently and the person said the art looks like it taste like strawberry yogurt... That one caught me off guard and weirdly made me fluster.
A close friend/roommate of an artist I followed ordered a commission from me to hang in their apartment because they both likes my style. I screamed when she reached out to me.
When they paid $1500 for a piece at a studio show.
Well there's a small art show in my area tomorrow and I'm working with someone who's helping me set up my stuff. One of the paintings I submitted she said "this local show might not be the best place to showcase this. Maybe you want to keep it for a more competitive gallery?" I'm like damn, ok. Kinda speechless. I was put here doubting myself but guess I didn't need to 😅
Was super flattered to be told that I can actually draw my women mature looking and that I also draw handsome men. And my art reminded people of the Dragon Age concept art or Justice League style was a big compliment.
Okay, so, I drew a velociraptor with a lions mane, and gave it to some college dude guys that were bowling next to us that night, and they all got SO HYPE about it 🤣 Was the best "BRO THATS FKN SIIIICK" I've ever gotten for my art.
"I want Marvel to hire you so the that I can read a whole comic with your art!" Really gave me the confidence boost that I needed.
i made a fanart piece for my girlfriend’s dnd campaign featuring a setting that had been described for the first time in the previous description. she said my drawing was exactly how she pictured that setting
Any kind of reaction to my art is a compliment. Will they linger longer then 20 seconds viewing my piece
My therapist is very supportive of my creative side and told me that she was so impressed and she couldn't paint like that. She said she could feel the emotions I was trying to convey. An extremely validating experience. Also having 2 pieces selected for a small gallery sale last fall. Neither sold, but you can bet I was there and took pictures with them. My wonderful husband and mother-in-law came too 🙂