Fan Art.
We love it.
Can’t get enough of it.
Especially the bad stuff.
We’re serious. Oh lord, we are so serious.
Lately, there hasn’t been nearly enough to quench our bad-fan-art needs. We fear that this dearly beloved art form is going the way of the dodo, as good taste and talent slowly push it more and more to the fringe. This, gentle readers, is not right. So, here ya go. The PopGurls’ Primer to Bad Fan Art. Use it, add to it, make it your own. And send us your art, because we’re going through withdrawal here.
PopGurls Presents: Amy and Michelle’s Primer to Bad Fan Art
- Choose Your Victim.Make it someone you love. Yes, it’s fun to tear down someone you hate, but it’s much more fulfilling if it’s personal and comes from the heart.Actually, you can make hate personal. True. Okay, but if you hate them, make sure you really hate them. Do not just defile Mulder and stick him in some horrendous creation if you’re merely bitter that he was mean to Doggett. Now, if you’re bitter that he’s mean to Doggett and you think that his inconsistent-since-returning character is ludicrous and undeserving of Scully’s possible affections, then it’s perfectly fine. And, probably, going to be a hell of a lot funnier.
- Fear is for Sissies.Have a hankering to put Kermit with Pacey and Joey? Afraid that you will be mocked for being unconventional and torn apart because your scenario is not even probable? Ha! Do you even look at fan art? And who cares what the “mainstream” thinks! The people who will be mocking you are people who probably still think Joey belongs with the Chin instead of the Perfect Tear! Should you let this stop you? Hell no.
- Find the Pictures to Create Your Masterpiece.The web is full of photos, ripe for the mangling. Don’t be afraid to mix and match – bodies, heads, hair, backgrounds…they’re all fair game. Don’t be afraid to be creative.Besides, we think Max’s head would look lovely on Jen’s body. Really.
- Sizing Schmizing, Blending Schmending
Yes, some people worry about scale. Pish. Posh. We don’t really feel it matters if the head you use doesn’t quite fit the body, or vice versa. Who cares, this is your vision, right? Well, there you go. Reason enough to leave as is. Same goes for shading. Some people care that all tones match, especially when using images from many different sources, but really, isn’t this just a time-consuming exercise in futility?
Yes, it is.
- Cutting and Pasting
We say, as long as you get the basic contour, who cares if bits of the original image can still be seen? Exactly. No one. - Poetry is Good
Some artists choose to incorporate, prominently, the lyrics to their favorite song or poem into the work of art. We are in total support of this.
May we suggest something from the Cure? Or Toad the Wet Sprocket? Ooooo, or even Sarah McLachlan?
Remember, it sets the mood of your piece. Placing it in large font over the artwork adds to the experience. Think about the characters involved and find the song that they’d be doomed to listen to in hell. Want to do up a Michael Guerin pic? It’s Backstreet Boys time. Making a 7th Heaven family portrait? Go with Nine Inch Nails (Perhaps “Closer” or “Kinda I Want To”).
- Drawing
Sometimes, you just can’t find what you need in any image you find. Have you tried the drawing option in your program? Really, drawing a little eyeliner, some facial hair, maybe a little heart somewhere in the background…it can make all the difference. - Filters
Use them, abuse them, confuse them. You can never use too many filters on one project. Heck no, and don’t listen to those who say excess is bad. A pox on them, indeed! You can really get some great psychedelic images by mixing and matching your filters. Play around with ’em, have fun.
Because that’s what fan art should be folks. F-U-N.
Unless you’re doing it to create realistic images for gossip rags or blackmail, then it should be for P-R-O-F-I-T.
Oh, and last, but certainly NOT least, one must consider the scare factor. Close the pic and open it again. Do you recoil in shock? Do you think “Dear God, what the hell kind of drugs was I on?”
No? Sorry – go back and add something.
Yes? Congrats – move on to the next one.