all you liars. "i consider it a hobby"
skullbrain is one of the few places that almost openly understands that humility converts into clout over time.

in any event, people buying things painted by you is artistic validation as a craftsman. their purchase states that they recognize your ability to amplify an object they already like with your judicious (and artistic) choice and application of colors. Paul Kaiju painted my Kaws x Pushead at around the same time as he painted that Mummy Doughboy for me. every time i post a pic of that doughboy, people are all like "oooh, what's that?" PK amplified the advertising icon vinyl through his artistry. not through his craft. he did not make something with a function like most craftsman do: weavers, potters, furniture builders, stone masons etc. he did not catch me a fish.

he saw possibilities in the object that were not inherent to the toy.

the common response would be from many is that PK is an exception. the truth of the matter is that there is a struggle for self-identification in the customizer's world BECAUSE of PK (and Lash/MVH now). they act as models for other customizers. the path to success is visible and possible. now let us all scratch and poke each other while we climb to the top searching for recognition.

if your goal is sales, your investment is a waste of time. minds are better than wallets.

on a side note, i think R Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders explains the situation for the individual aspiring artist who gets into finding the best sell-able "thing" in their little ditty "Fine Artiste Blues"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHWG91UbwOE

Crumb had a fascinating attitude towards commercialization. I don't know if it's because of his experience with his father, coupled with the way that people took advantage of him early in his career, or simple integrity. He was violently opposed to selling out. Imagine an independent artist having the gall to turn down an appearance on SNL, or do album art for the Rolling Stones, even after being offered 100,000 just to start talking (and this was 1970's money).

No one bothered to try answering my question of what defines a hobby versus an art, so I looked it up myself:

Art: Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect.

Hobby: A hobby is an activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.



I see nothing to suggest that these are mutually exclusive.

all art is hobby, but not all hobby is art. i see it come down to the purpose behind the endeavor.
art is intended to make you "see"... to experience something in the world around you in a whole
new way. art is emotional, spiritual and intangible. when you do it for money, it becomes a craft,
because there is an expected and predictable result that has to be achieved over and over again.
(see also: chefs, graphic designers, architects, etc.)

as for me, i like toys.

...

The point.

Yup... I like toys, I like painting toys for others. I think it takes some technical skill, but i wouldn't call it "art" per say

I call it art

I paint cause I like the smell of vcolor. Painting mask?....Bah!!

Exactly

I honestly dont understand the appeal of custom one offs.
My oppinion on the whole matter is this.....
These toys ARE art and the people/companies that created them have a vision for them. Obviously you can do what ever you want with it after you've bought it, but would you repaint a print you bought from your favorite artist? I kinda doubt it
I always feel a little wierd when someone sends me a pic of my ceramics that they've repainted.

I have far too much respect for the artists to alter the vision they had for their toys.
I personally do not own any non production pieces. Not to say I havent seen some awesome and tempting customs from skilled painters.
I dont know the full story of blanks but I assume they are made for custom painting and thats fine, but Im still going to horde m1go unpainted yellow matangos to save them from customization.

wait, what?! people repaint your ceramics? that seems very odd, and to a degree, disrespectful. but i guess that's what this whole discussion is about.

great idea. i'd rather see that than someone horde blanks and production releases by the dozens to get repainted.

Miles summed up my feelings quite well. I guess I treat toys the same way I treat music - the "artist" (for lack of a better catch-all word) released it with an intent, and I like to experience the original intent of what was released. That's why I listen to albums in their entirety, and that's why I'll never own a custom toy.

And I'm SHOCKED that people would paint your ceramics! While I personally don't care for custom toys I don't consider them "rude" - but taking something like your ceramics, or as you mentioned - a print (or painting!!) - is just stepping over the line.

At least the repainted ceramics were painted with enamels so its not permanently altering the piece. Which I guess could be said for toy customs too unless it was stripped of its OG factory paint. Stripping a factory paint IMO IS rude, to the artist and to seeking collectors.
Which brings up a question, how many times can you strip a vinyl before it affects the vinyl negatively? Or does it at all?

So that's where they're all going!! I just want one for my collection to go with the green unpainted. M1go matango sculpt is really great...maybe my favorite matango sculpt.

Well honestly I only have two so I dont think it qualifies as hoarding , but my unrealistic dream would be to buy them all up and hoard . Oddly enough the yellow unpainted m1 matango might be my all time favorite toy, at least long term favorite.

a lot of toy artists flood their market with paint variations of a sculpt to the point that a $60 retail item sells for $10-25 in a couple months. they seem to disrespect themselves and their fans by creating artificial hype that will be replaced with next month's artificial hype. neo-kaiju customization has been embraced by many japanese artists as both a creative outlet and a money-maker. with the high cost of legit customs and the easy availability of cheaper "less desirable" versions, it seems kind of natural for fans to paint these toys even if they have to strip them.

Here's a "professional" custom this disrespects the toy, the artist who made the toy (killer j), and the fan who got it in their blind lucky bag. is vinyl so precious? because molds last a long time.

Sarumon, 2nd Custom Show by Killer J Compilation, on Flickr

tender sensibilities to the rigidity of artistic "correctness" always permeate the art world, and its counterpoint are the artistic rulebreakers. not everyone's a warhol, but everyone's a critic.
its the chaos versus order dichotomy of representation. for example Jim Henson was a crazy genius and that crazy energy inhabited his work, but one of his most popular and core characters, kermit, was such a neurotic prude. but i digress.

slim, put down the bong......

fixed

hahahah. no. I learned my lesson with Slim long ago..

I have sorta mixed feelings on this... I just about exclusively paint blank toys, but Jeff brings up a very valid point where there are some cases of severe market flooding by the toy makers leading to too many and undesirable releases that are 'fair game'. I don't really think repainting an older unwanted factory paint is too big a deal, but I would certainly never alter a HP run or one-off by the maker. What I think is worse are far more legitimately disrespectful is customizers who get the 'hottest' new releases ASAP and repaint brand new versions as they come out so that they can get built in sales from the hype-bubble of a new toy, all the while collectors are having a hard time finding that new release.

I heard someone painted a boss carrion.

get the torches out....!

Yeah and it's got a lazy eye. Fucking idiot.

Valid points indeed.
I think what it all comes down to is just dont strip and repaint MY wants

PK gave me a blank to paint... but didnt paint it