I do art/sewing as a hobby and sent my friend a picture using black charcoal?

Question

She told me that because it was in black, she didn't like that fact and thought it may be interpreted as me feeling depressed. The thought hadn't even entered my mind - I just like using black because it is easy to draw and work with and the effects of the picture (I thought) were good. What am I to think of how she reacted? I know she reads a fair bit on psychology, but I never even dreamt that this could be interpreted as what she interpreted it as.

Answer 1

her pschology reading may have gone too far. i have a friend who also thinks she has to sort everyones problems and some conceived by her own thinking. if she touches a raw nerve i think about it, but when she is just being ridiculous i tell her. after all how is she going to learn her interest , if we don't puther right. mind you, i am never rude about it, but firm. our other friends we have in common also have to deal with her in this manner.
she does mean well.

personally though, if anyone presented me with a personal work of art , i would be honoured.

Answer 2

How a person interprets a drawing says an awful lot about how they are feeling. Charcoal is used frequently by artists but not always to convey those feelings. Yes it is dark and grey, but then so is a 2b pencil. It was one of the first tools given to me to use in Art school, so unless they thought we were all depressed... Her interpretation may have been based on subject matter and colour (you don't mention the subject matter), but if it is just based purely on your use of the medium charcoal then she's been reading some very poor psychology books

Answer 3

Don't worry too much about an off the cuff comment by an armchair psycologist! Black is the most common colour used to communicate with - what colour is the text your reading now? Does this make me depressed?

You use black charcoal on white paper as this gives the widest range of possible tones and shades with which to create.

I hope your friend learns a little consideration when offering analysis in the future.

Answer 4

Everyone has their own taste for art and I, personally, think
that there is a lot of junk going around all "in the name of art"
yet people will pay a fortune whereas I would pay nothing.
I do not mean this as a consolation, but I have a lovely painting
of "Charlie Chaplin" all in black (because he only acted in B&W.)
The only colour on the canvass is the artist‘s signature. Cheer up
and tell her this short story.

Answer 5

She's right that people who are depressed may draw in black, but that doesn't meal all people who draw in black are depressed!

In my experience people who do psychology (especially those who are new to it) like to analyse people and tell them what they think and why. When she becomes more experienced she'll realise that not everything she reads applies to everyone, and that some 'psychology' is completely misguided nonsense.

Answer 6

I love to paint in black and white! There is something so crisp if you will about those colors..you can get shadowing and depth that in black and white is so different than colored. I like to paint with color as well, but love black and white, not depressed when I paint, and the fact your friend brought up what she did, maybe she is depressed to have looked at it like that, or she looked at it and got jelous she can't do that and said what she did cause it was really about herself and not you!

Answer 7

I disagree with her because the whole of Asia believe Black is lucky and colour white is bad luck. I was in tsunami and saw thousands of people carrying white flag marching on the street, I asked one of the marchers, what's the meaning of white flag, I was told that white flag signifies bad luck and tragedy. The westerners reversed it to belittle other races.

Answer 8

Every person sees a piece of art differently (music, writing, paintings, etc.). Because we all bring ourselves and our personal experience to what we are seeing and experiencing.

You can't always control the way people see it. All you can do is tell her that she's wrong and tell you will send her something else (maybe something you sewed).

Answer 9

Some people have a tendancy to over-analyse everything.
Tell her it's black because charcoal is black. Duh
She'll drive herself crazy if she carries on like this

Answer 10

Well ya don't need to react anyway, just because she has her hypothesis that you are depressed because you used black, the simple solution is tell her your not and stop worrying about it. i feel it is a slight case of making a mountain out of a mole hill here!!