Addressing the term: Whitewash
8 comments
ItsMeDuh[OP]
12.03.2022 00:54
LinkTo start this off simply… Let me get straight to the point.
Don’t whitewash. If you’re going to draw a person of color… draw them OF. THAT. COLOR.
Now… before I start today’s little topic, I want everyone here to note a few things…
I will be mentioning two people as an example, and I want you all to know I IN NO WAY dislike these people. I love their art, and I appreciate them making fanart for me, but this is something controversial I feel like I need to talk about as a person of color. Please do not go to their accounts and call them mean names and harass them, because that’s not why I’m making this post. I want people to understand what whitewashing is and why it’s such a serious topic and very sensitive to people in the art community.
Without further ado, let’s begin.
ItsMeDuh[OP]
12.03.2022 00:55
LinkFirst off, some of you may be wondering…
What is whitewash? Why is this such a big deal?
Well, whitewashing is actually a racist term; It’s when you take someone, any original character of color (that be in movies, in a game series, art, ect) and replace their skin with a lighter tone.
Why is this such a big deal?
Like I said… it’s a racist term, and it’s taking away something that makes an original character.. Who they are.
This came up a lot in the Encanto fandom where a lot of artists drew fanart of the Madrigal family with a much lighter tint… in this case, whitewash. These characters are Colombian and have a kind of caramel color (except for Pepa, who’s more on the white side) to change their skin color deliberately is… not a good thing.
ItsMeDuh[OP]
12.03.2022 00:55
LinkNow, this is fanart a user I will not mention made for me (though their username is in the title of the post. Again PLEASE do not attack this person) I love how this came out, and I did compliment them on their work (as you should when you’re given fanart) but I also RESPECTFULLY MENTIONED the slight skin change. You guys know Woof- she has kind of caramel skin, not white. Now, they mentioned they originally wanted this drawing to have a glitchy feel to it, and I completely understood that. They ended up deleting the post soon after. (I wish I knew the reason why, but after mentioning it they might’ve gotten a little insecure and decided to take it down)
ItsMeDuh[OP]
12.03.2022 00:55
LinkHere’s another example. (my character is in the top right, if you guys can’t see her) This artist is obviously on the younger side, but that’s still not an excuse for changing Woof’s skin color like this. I can tell they put a lot of effort into this, but obviously not enough was put into the skin tones… I didn’t mention to them that they did this in order not to hurt their feelings, but I might still mention it later on anyways, because it is something that needs to be said.
ItsMeDuh[OP]
12.03.2022 00:55
LinkSo guys… in saying all of that. Please… PLEASE.. And I BEG OF YOU!!
BE RESPECTFUL OF CHARACTERS AND THEIR CULTURES. A person’s culture is SO important, and their skin tone REFLECTS that. Whitewashing is such an easy fix… and it just requires effort, not any kind of skill.
If you notice you do this with maybe some characters, PLEASE fix it, because it may not seem like a big deal to you… it’s definitely a HUGE deal to others.
It’s a matter of being respectful to another person’s work.
Thank you to any of you who read all of this :)
And again PLEASE be respectful if you notice someone whitewashing… Do not call them mean names, curse at them, or harass them. Just point it out respectfully and go on about your day.
Thank you again ^^
