Okay, so I guess my spree of bad luck started yesterday during art class. But before that, I'm going to go into a premise to explain my grudge against the teacher, first of all.
So on the first day of freshman year, I had the art teacher as my 'homeroom' advisor on the first day of school, and already I knew that she didn't like the manga style of art, which I totally understood. I really did. But I asked her anyway what problem she had with manga art and her reply was, "Because people who draw in that style only copy." And you know what? That's not it. What set me off about her is that she told me that if ever I took her class and drew something in anime form, I would never get an A. What set me off more? She told me that I would never be successful in life with the style I drew in. And, of course with the flow of anger I already had running through my mind at the moment, I abruptly said, "Yeah, you know, unless I'm planning to move to Japan to become a manga artist, where my stories and art will be popular to an audience that actually matters and I'll be payed more than you." or something along those lines. Then, after about a year and a half of little to no interaction, I went to the Academy of Art University for summer last year at her recommendation(which was kind of out of the blue and strange, honestly), and when I came back, she had the strangest idea that I would join her class and because I owed her. Yeah, that may seem like it makes sense and all, but that's a little strange. She knows she doesn't like my art. And she knows that I don't want to show her my art.
But I decided to take it this year because, okay, I didn't think it would be that bad. She bothered me all year because I took culinary instead of art and I decided that I could try her class. I signed up for AP art at her approval and LO AND BEHOLD I WAS PUT IN A BEGINNING ART CLASS. Now, I'd be fine with that and all because the classes are overcrowded and she set me and another AP student to be in the beginner's class but still get the AP credits, but the things we're doing are ridiculous. She's basically making us draw the exact same thing over and over again and tracing it over and over again and I just feel like the class is useless because she doesn't teach anything. No techniques, no examples, nothing.
And let me make a note that I have not drawn in the manga style ONCE in her class because I know how she is. I draw realistically or semi-realistically so that she won't bug me.
Now that we have the premise, here's what happened. Just yesterday, she kept me after class because she noticed the drawing I have on my binder(my part of an art trade I did with my brother--a drawing of his character). She asked me, first of all, if I drew it or copied it. When I replied that it was my brother's character drawn in my style, she rolled her eyes at me. Kind of rude, yeah? But not too bad.
After that, she was all, "Oh, see? You don't even have your own original characters. That's just copying." And me, hiding the fact that I was fuming inside, slipped a stack of unfinished drawings out of my binder and slapped them onto the table and said, "These are all original. These are my characters." And she looked through them and pointed at just about every single thing and said, "I don't like this. Oh, that doesn't look good. I don't like that. Why is it so stylized?" She didn't explain at all what she didn't like, why she didn't like it, or how I could fix it. That's all she said before insulting the rest of my art and calling it "simplistic" even though I spent hours sketching, lining, and cleaning them up. And I didn't even ask her. And art teachers aren't supposed to do that. Not under ANY sort of circumstance. Art teachers are supposed to be supportive and helpful, even if they don't like the style you choose to draw in. The Academy of Art showed me that, and I'll never forget it. My teacher took the situation completely out of hand, and I in no way appreciated her "constructive criticism" as the stupid people call that kind of behavior.
But I'm really not one to try and start conflicts, even if I know I'm right, so I just told her, "I'm going to be late for class," and dipped out. Today I didn't talk to her at all, and seriously the moment I stepped into the room, my chest tightened and I felt like I was having an anxiety attack. I knew that if I spoke to her at all, I'd just snap and start yelling at her about things so I just ignored everyone and blared music in my ears.
I swear I've never been in such a bad mood in my life. I mean, I've been depressed--seriously, seriously depressed--but never this completely and utterly angry. And the problems I've been having with requests on FB aren't helping my mood. Just last night, a friend of mine told me that he was chatting with the people who made the requests, and the one that requested for me to draw his weapon, after I SPECIFICALLY SAID no complicated weaponry, told my friend that he could "smooth talk" me into it like the sucker I am. Seriously. Excuse me? I'm the sucker? After I've already drawn your character for free before you requested the weapon? No. I don't think so. I'm seriously sick and tired of people thinking they can manipulate me for my talents, or tear me down because of them.
I'm really fucking tired of it.
Fuck this, and good night.
