ART EXPLOSION - Week #42: Real men cry
Hey, guys! How are you, today? :D
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I wasn't even sure what title to put on this post. The one that I had in mind was toxic masculinity (I probably chose it), but first I wanted to read a bit about masculinity to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding terms (I'm still a bit confused, haha). Well, I don't want to seem like one of those "feminists" who take everything to the extreme and only want to attack men just for being men.
We must take into account that both sexes are different, there's no doubt about that. But instead of attacking each other, we should appreciate the differences as much as the similarities that exist between us.
To begin with, I had no idea about what to draw, but after seeing some things on Facebook, I wanted to give my opinion and this seemed like a good opportunity since there's no theme for this contest.
A few days ago, I was reading some comments on Facebook about "real masculinity" and you could clearly see two sides. Those who wanted to feel free to do things without being judged as weak and others who called stupid those who wanted to do "girlish things".
We always hear about violence againts women, but it must also be taken into account that this type of attitude affects all of us even the man himself, by actions or phrases as simple as "real men don't cry".
This is my entry for the Art explosion contest by @juliakponsford.
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I literally read, that all this is the fault of women. That there's no such thing as toxic masculinity because it's only part of the manipulation of feminists. It's true that some feminist movements have taken things too far, to the point of making man look like something diabolic, but I do believe that it exists because definitely behaviors that harm you or limit yourself as a human being is not a good thing.
At the end of the day, what we call "masculinity" is a social construction that tells you "how to be a man". I think you shouldn't let anyone tell you what you have to do according to your gender. Don't let them tell you what it is to be a man, or what it is to be masculine. Man defines himself and doesn't allow otherness to define him (the same applies for women).
Here are some pictures of the process
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I only have three images of the process because as I'm a genius, I forgot to take photos during the whole process :( This happens to me often because I focus too much on what I'm doing.
Lately, I've wanted to practice with other things that aren't colored pencils so I used watercolors. I've made two other simple paintings. (Just follow the links of the previous posts if you want to see them :D)
For the eyes, I had to use colored pencils because I don't have small brushes for those details (I know, I must buy tools that help me with my work, but for now I can't). It was a little complicated to work with a brush of only one size for the entire painting. You probably noticed my lack of experience using watercolors, haha. So if you have some tips I would love to read them :D
Well, that’s all for today. Hope you liked it. Bye, guys! <3
Previous posts: (。・ω・。)ノ♡
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Those eyes! I love this so much, and you've touched on a real problem in our culture regarding "maleness". I'm tagging my friend @raymondspeaks to check this one out!
I also wish I could hugely upvote, but my voting power is just dismal at the moment!
I wish so too! Damn I love Ginabot lol. You're right, she did! And I'll expand a bit more in a reply to her :)
Ginabot is the best girlfriend ever @raymondspeaks 😎 Glad you made it here!
Hi, thanks for your kind words! :D Many of us are aware of this social problem, but it's good to keep it in mind to educate others to be better. It's sad to see how people attack each other for things like these.
And don't worry about the upvote, I'm grateful for your comment <3
@art-huntress, you are most welcome! Thank you :)
Great art there @art-huntress! I hope you win the contest!
I'm a prolific writer on the male psyche - mostly from my own experiences and observations.
Toxic Masculinity from what I've seen IS a thing, but not in the way that Feminists describe it -- I mean my Dad beat me up and Married 4 times. THAT's toxic masculinity.
What you touched upon is very right. I loved how you said that masculinity is ours to define, and not anyone else -- and it's a BIG problem in society right now. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what men should be -- and most of it comes from people that have never been men before.
I would never try to define a woman. Or tell them how to be.
The biggest problem men have right now (or so I see) is that, like you say, no-one is trying to be themselves, and when they are trying to do so we have feminists telling us it's wrong.
Hi! Thank you for stopping by and your good wishes :D
I'm sorry about what you lived with your dad, it must have been difficult. My father had a terrible temperament when he lived with us (my parents divorced years ago) and the gender role was very marked in his thoughts. The typical belief of "women in the house and men working".
The problem with some "feminists" is that according to what I see, they've a grudge against men. You know that decades ago, women were restricted by man in many ways and thanks to the struggle of those women, most of us enjoy more rights.
Little by little the roles have been reversed and it seems that these "feminists" don't seek equality. They only seek superiority for the sake of man, at least that's what I see and It's all wrong because feminism is about equality not superiority.
We must understand that we're different, but nobody is better than others. Men and women complement each other.
Dear Artzonian, thanks for using the #ArtzOne hashtag. Your work is valuable to the @ArtzOne community. Quote of the week: Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics. -Victor Pinchuk
@art-huntress. This is so great, i salute
Kindly check my blog @Rf-abol am also into art..nice pen art..hope to see you stop by
Thank you! I already saw your blog. You have some beautiful pen drawings. Good job! :D
A sad drawing, I feel the emotion when see it
That's right, I wanted the sadness to be reflected in my painting.
very lovely work ! the colours you chose really capture vulnerability and yet, strength. beautiful thought, i have to agree that bottling up negative feelings inside are not really advisable. it is healthy for both women and men to cry from time to time, because life is not always easy to deal with.
Expecting men never to cry is an ill-conceived approach!
Wonderful work, and very meaningful <3
Thank you for your comment! :D
Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing, haha. I chose the colors while painting, I think they make a great combination.
You're right, keeping our feelings inside is not a good thing at all because you end up tired of everyone and everything. It's healthy to let out what you feel.
To say that a man shouldn't cry is ridiculous. Either for happiness or sadness, it's something completely normal.