2006 Preteen Goth

Stop telling us that you didn't put effort into your art/creations of Black people

"oh it's just a bad sketch I did to the side" "oh I just didn't feel like drawing his hair this time" "oh I just didn't feel like doing her skin well"

Okay well if you didn't feel like putting effort into your depiction, why are you showing it to us? Why are you TELLING us that you didn't care enough to be thoughtful this go round, while expecting us to still applaud you for your work? Especially if you and I know you're capable? It's insulting.

If you didn't want to draw me, you didn't have to. But you don't have to make it seem like it's excessively difficult, especially if you don't say this about anyone else you draw.

Black viewers of your work deserve to know you cared. I'm not saying every piece has to be the Mona Lisa. But if your character is supposed to have deep skin or curly hair, and you just... Decide that's too hard to do sometimes... Why should I settle for your half effort? Just don't share it 😅 wait until you do care 😅 take your time until it's done 😅

Terry Pratchett: "!" said the stranger.

Because of ArtFight's recent rule clarification, I've seen discussion on whether tracing your own photos is the same as references them. This is, in my opinion, a matter of semantics. Tracing your own photos IS a method of using them as reference. It is perfectly normal and doesn't hurt anyone. When it comes to self made resources (photos, sculpture, maquettes, 3D sculpts, etc) and resources made explicitly for artists to use (stock photos with appropriate permission, 3D models in CSP, etc), tracing can be ONE step of using them as a reference. It isn't a "crutch", it isn't cheating.

You can also put the photo up next to what you're drawing, and draw from sight. Or trace the photo a few times, then draw it separately. These all have value for different situations for learning, speed, and accuracy, and I recommend trying them ALL.

Thank you for your continued patience. We have released a newspost going over the concerns raised by our recent rule wording update. We recommend reading it in full below.

We would also like to sincerely apologize for the delay in releasing the feedback form. We wanted to ensure that the time was taken to carefully review and consider the many factors involved in a rule change of this scale. We want to emphasize that we have heard the community’s feedback and, after extensive internal discussion, are prepared to make adjustments to our rules based on community input. Our goal was to create a form that thoughtfully considers a wide range of perspectives while also remaining realistic within our current moderation capabilities. We truly appreciate everyone’s patience and willingness to share their thoughts with us throughout this process.

The feedback form will be open until May 30th, 2026 at 8:00 PM United States Mountain Time.

inat has options for this! for each observation you upload, you can choose to keep the location public, not to disclose location at all, or to obscure it.