MOR, because i mean its just a drawing lol? also ur dad seems funny “needed some lashes” 😭😭😭

Your parents are disrespectful af. Unfortunately you need to let it go and focus on fixing your picture.

NOR. Look on the bright side, he didn't actually put any pen on the pencil, so a bit of tipex might help.

Yes it was disrespectful. And your parents arent very smart or thoughtful

I’ll take a neutral stance. Your parents obviously don’t value or get art. Especially from your mom’s response. Keep practicing and show them how much it means to you. Next don’t get attached to your art. Shit happens. You will keep getting better with practice and maybe even sell or give away art. His contribution was fine and barely messed anything up. Maybe this is smt you can come to laugh about.

I’m gonna tell you how to fix it looks up graphite transfer on YouTube. And as an artist you have to know these things will happen and happen again your not over reacting but the way you hold yourself is also important to show your mature and this did matter but as I have learned as an artist the only work that doesn’t get ruined is unfortunately the ones I’ve never shown

YOR. Do not listen to anyone here. You’re absolutely overreacting. Keep that drawing and move on. Quit acting like a child. If you like drawing, continue on with it. You’ll eventually be able to draw even better than the picture you provided. You’ll look back a while from now at that drawing and love that your father added to it.

that’s so heartbreaking. you’re definitely NOR. that drawing looks amazing, and i’m so sorry on behalf of your shitty parents decision to be upset with you. you should be proud of yourself and maybe to fix it you can paint over it in colour? don’t give up on drawing and i hope you never have to deal with a situation like that again.

Maybe print out any pictures you took of it? You could put them together to make a small collage of sorts of your drawing so you can put it in a portrait, maybe write on the back "first and proudest drawing, ruined but not forgotten" 

Scan it in and have someone remove the pen in r/PhotoshopRequest - ask for money for christmas and get a high-quality print of the drawing

Yup not overreacting. Time to leave the house and find your own place

NOR! Your family sound shitty af, and clearly don't understand how much effort drawings take. "just make another one" my ass. And I bet, if you ruined something belonging to them, they'd be mad.

Absolutely NOR I would have been so upset! 😭 your parents are so wrong for that; your dad for ruining the drawing and your mom for how she reacted. Im so sorry that your parents did that to you 🥺

P.S, you did such an incredible job. That looks professionally done. I would have never known you didnt have some sort of background in art! Keep up the amazing work 💖

someone else drawing on your art is like. most people’s first i guess “trauma” as an artist, right beside someone making fun of it or snooping and finding a more personal drawing of yours. but it’s like a younger sibling and they’re a child so you’re hurt and disappointed but it is what it is… why on earth would a grown man think this was okay? you know, there’s a reason a lot of artists refuse to share what they create, are protective of their sketchbooks, hesitate to even call themselves artists, quit drawing altogether. art isn’t respected, neither are artists. your 15 year old cousin didn’t even mess with it, if you were being childish he was being toddlerish

NTA your dad ruined your art.

I'd advise maybe pooping on the lawn and telling him you thought 'it just needed a touch of brown'

Okay, so you aren’t overreacting, parents were really rude and dismissive…

Now onto the art, this drawing rocks! Keep up the good work! ❤️ you take this piece of paper and tape it to a window during the day with another blank paper on top, you can trace the original drawing in a basic way lightly with the pencil, then you can erase and make any changes, then do the shading and details and do the outline by pressing harder.. work on keeping you darkest lines as fluid and smooth/ solid as possible (learnt this in animation school) nothing wrong with tracing you own art .. it’s actually how we made changes in class to perfect our drawings! You’re doing amazing and keep up the great work! Parents still suck but at least you can still frame this awesome pic!! ❤️❤️❤️ you got this! Merry Christmas!🎄

First off NOR. It's disrespectful and also dismissive. You're finding a passion for something and create

If he thinks your over reacting maybe test your paint brushes on his car and see if he still feels the same way!

I could understand them not understandjng the emotional significance of the drawing for you, but doing anything in another person's drawing is rude no matter what, let alone their dismissive tone when accused

It still looks awesome though

How long were they left on the coffee table? If you left them on there for days and didn't stick them in your room or somewhere safe it's kinda a little bit on you too. Either way I still wouldn't want someone touching my stuff.

You’re not overreacting.

Save the drawing and frame it for your dad, birthday or Father’s Day? Also buy him a sketch pad and some art pencils, maybe then he’ll leave yours alone.

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Your parents are both shitbags for prioritizing their own feelings and ego over yours. Some parents are just like that, they don’t feel that they need to respect their children. He disrespected your property/art work and then they were dismissive when you reacted in a very understandable way. Parents like that are always so shocked when their kids peace out and go NC after years of this crap. NOR. 

How hard is it to just leave other people's stuff alone? Fuck.

NOR-trust is broken, and something you hold dear was marred, then they dismissed your feelings, refused to apologize, and turned the focus on your reaction. Textbook gaslighting.

Can you use whiteout to erase his disrespectful graffiti and frame it? It’s a beautiful drawing and it deserves to be honored. Good job!!

Shame on him and your mother for taking his side. I would write them a letter explaining why this was important and how their disrespect hurt you. You (I assume) were raised better than what they are showing you. Tell them you will accept a full apology, but until that time you are removing yourself from the family for a bit. Eat in your room, stay to yourself. Also, show them this post, with all the support you are getting.

I’m so sorry your parents did not raise to the occasion and make this right.

It looks amazing, never say you're bad at art! I love doing artistic stuff and I can't even come close, don't let them dim your love of being creative.

NOR, it was a dick move to draw on someone else's drawing. For Halloween, me and one of my kids drew a pac man and ghosts to decorate the wall. I like books outlines, and kid's ghost didn't have the same outline, know what I did? ASKED him if I could add the outline so it matched everything else. It's not hard to be considerate of other people's effort (he said yes, but if he would have said no, that would have been fine!)

Nor, you’re in nuttertown

You're not overreacting to what your dad did, that was a dick move and reeks of a situation I'd be dying to get out from under my parents roof because of. But at the same time understand that your work is not gone, and your work is not done. Continue on your new path and understand neither your talent or your knowledge can't be swayed by a single mistake, or one drawing being desecrated. The beauty of art is its impermanence; whether it's the art itself or its surrounding context, and that creativity within yourself is your true source of pride.

It’s fucked up that other people draw on shit that you draw ofc, at the same time tho “leaving it out for everyone to see” with a younger cousin that doesn’t know any better is pretty risky, plus, the drawing can always be salvaged, if erasing doesn’t work ( I’ve had that happen before) try using white-out, if the paper looks the same as it, you should be golden.

Have fun drawin

Edit: take picture of art before attempting any of this! I can't promise a happy ending.

You may be able to save it still, although you may risk damaging the paper.

☆☆Tips you can test on another piece of the same paper and pen! Test before doing this to your art please! They all have risks to damage it.☆☆

fine grit sand paper, use a little rub gently and slowly. You can buy sand rubbers too.

Ipa (rubbing alcohol) or nail varnish remover can also work, use a cotton bud dipped in ipa and gently dab the area with it and use a dry cloth or kitchen roll to lift the ink and repeat till gone.

Knife try and scrap off the ink.

Theres YouTube videos that show these methods if you want a visual guide.

Another idea is download a art app on your phone and take a well lit picture, digitally remove the marks on said app - i know you rather have it in person but still may help? Android Apps i like - ibis paint, hipaint, infinite painter.

Other cover up ideas but you will see them up close. Practice before trying! Tipex pens (correction pens), acrylic paint along with a fine brush or acrylic paint pens brush or fine nib. Basicly try carfully draw over the damage, try your best to not smother it in paint. You won't be able to tell well from a distance that its been done.

Good luck fellow artist I hope this helps 🎨

Not even gonna read the story.

No you're not. Every parent should take a child's artistic endeavour seriously. If you scratched his car, he'd freak out. This is no different.

Well you already got a lot of confirmation that no, you are not overreacting. However I would say, keep the drawing, not only it already have a lot of value from that you explain being one of your firsts… but I feel it might have extra value in the future.

Ts still fire

People think that if you can draw, you can reproduce the same art piece over and over and that it only takes 10 nanoseconds to do so. They don’t understand or value the time spent on it. OP, if you can get some tracing and transfer paper, you might be able to get it back. It won’t be the original, but it will be framable, and still your work.

I think the compassionate people in this thread have covered most things so I will just add: as you move forward in your life, I recommend (from experience) being aware of seeking out relationships that mimic the unhealthy dynamic with your parents. Don’t accept that behavior from anyone. Your feelings are valid. It doesn’t matter if someone else deems something you did as important, if it’s important to you, then it should be important to them to respect it.

First off, you’re drawing’s really good! From someone who’s father has ruined numerous of my projects out of carelessness, I can only say, “don’t leave your stuff where he can reach it. He’s proven that in this regard he is no better than a toddler and you can’t leave important things around a toddler.”

I’m really sorry he scribbled on your art and then downplayed it and got mad at you for having a normal emotional reaction. Drawing on someone else’s art is messed up and he literally could’ve tested his pen on a napkin.

He can’t be trusted with your stuff nor can he be trusted to act like an adult.

Can you take a really good-quality picture and edit it to remove the "eyelashes" and then print it? I know it's not the same but it's something.

ETA: I love Aang and ATLA.

NOR. As an artist if I created something this good and someone went over it in pen id end up on the news. Maybe a tipex or white pen can fix it?

Your parents sound like assholes. NOR. Show them this post, if they refuse to see your point maybe they'd get it from strangers online. 

You and your feeling are deeply valid. Your parents sound ….conditioned.

Your mom is an asshat protecting your dads feelings. It sounds like both your aunt and cousin knew how much this drawing meant to you and were very likely on your side, meaning it made your DAD look like an ass and that’s what they’re really mad about. NOR

Lesson from this is to set boundaries. I’ve been in this situation (being you) and often this kinda reaction from my own dad was from shame or guilt, or even embarrassment. Let it cool off and calmly and firmly say “your actions hurt me, it is fair for me to ask for an apology and for more respect in the future”.

What he did was inconsiderate and disrespectful, you cried because you were hurt, and discrediting your emotions is unfair. You don’t deserve to be treated this way, and as your parents their job is to put your wellbeing first.

I don’t think your parents should’ve acted like that and sorry should’ve been the first thing out of your dad’s mouth.

HOWEVER…

Yes, you are 110% overreacting. Maybe for a reason, but it’s an overreaction. Everyone in here is just trying to play up to you, and yes you have a reason to be annoyed and upset, but not to this level. Growth in handling these kind of things can make you an even better person so try to learn not to overreact.

P.S. just wanting to clarify, yes you have every right to react, but this is an overreaction because of the self-described amount of noise and crying.

Not overreacting, that was an asshole thing for him to do. Some white gel pen might cover the eyelashes

Also I've been drawing for years and for someone who isn't very experienced, your Aang drawing is pretty good 🙂 if you keep nurturing your art skills, you could get even better and more confident in your abilities

NOR. You’re allowed to have feelings, and the appropriate response from the other person is to sit with it, empathize, and apologize. I don’t know why they decided to die on this hill of defensiveness, but it was very childish of them to do so, and I’m sorry. You deserved tenderness and care, and they didn’t give you that. Your drawing is lovely, BTW. I love ATLA

Burst into tears. Are we deadass lol

I'm an artist myself and firstly I want to say, well done! Secondly there are ways where you can copy and paste your drawings to another paper, essentially. I got a five dollar thing for that at five below and there are free ways as well. Thirdly you are not overreacting, I'd be PISSED and have been in the past when this happened. I'm not saying to do this but it would be funny if you asked them to draw something and then did the same thing back. Or like someone cleans something and you just put crumbs on the table because "they can just clean it up again, it's not big deal".

Would it be embarassing for them if they weren’t wrong? They need to reflect on that first. You’re not overreacting it was very dismissive and insensitive. Also such callous way to handle your feelings. Even if he didn’t intend to do it maliciously. Even if he thought it was a funny joke. It still upset you for that I would of apologized for not considering your feelings. You shouldn’t feel bad for crying or supress your emotions just bc ur around family.

NOR that is your drawing, no one should be touching your art without your consent and sure as hell no one should be "contributing". I'm so sorry this happened, I'd have had the same reaction if someone did that to my drawings. I remember being the same way when I first started drawing, I hung my finished ones all over my room but would go ballistic if anyone went near them with a pen. I kept a tight hold of my drawings. Your parents are both wrong in this, for drawing on your art and acting like it's nothing and for blaming you for being upset at what someone did. Clearly your aunt and cousin understood how much it meant to you and your parents didnt

your parents are dicks

Also idk how many years you’ve been practicing, but that drawing is incredible. The shading is fantastic. I feel like that’s something a lot of new artists overlook.

NOR. I’m an artist too, your dad is totally out of line. He could’ve tested a pen anywhere else.

Just ask him not to disrupt your drawing next time, he didnt know that it was close to your heart. How sensitive one must be to cry about it? You lack empathy yourself . In future at one point when you look back the drawing you did wont matter anymore if you didnt pursue art. The memories will matter coz your father isnt permanent in the world. Care for humans not for strokes of graphite

OP, tour last post says you are an english teacher. Now you’re 19. Are both of these things true?

I like how they’re calling you immature when they’re the ones being immature by not owning up and apologizing. SMH your parents need to work on their empathy

You are not overreacting and sorry to say this, but your parents sound like pieces of shit.

No, u are not overreacting, even I would have felt bad about it. You are quite considerate.

Something similar has happened to me , except that my mother did it while on a rush to find a paper to note down something, apologised afterwards and never did it again.

I understand the pain, I was angry and I would be beyond furious if my parent did it fully on purpose and never apologized for on top of it. Your father is definitely an absolute jerk.

But that being said I do think that crying over it WAS an overreaction. Awful situation,you definitely aren't at fault but you could indeed have handled it a little better at the age of 19. Judging by the immature behaviour of those who raised you though it's not surprising at all that your emotional regulation is rather poor. I hope it all gets better soon OP.

Destroy something your dad likes, and see how he reacts

1. Love the drawing, amazing job
2. As a professional animator… get ready for clients 😂😂😂

I've been drawing for 10 years so I don't hold too much sentimental attachment to my sketches at all, so I apologize for coming off as too dry here but just trace it over. You can put a paper above it and trace it like that or you can take a picture and trace it digitally. I want to say it's a shitty thing to do but it's also so easily fixable.

Like I feel like there's probably other issues with your parents if your first reaction is to cry, I agree that's overstepping a boundary or two. I think their reaction is pretty shitty, don't get me wrong, the right thing here is to apologize to you. Now if you're immidiatly bursting into tears over something like this at 19 I'd be a tad bit worried, again this doesn't take the blame off your parents for being dicks, but like, drawings are fragile and sometimes you can't count on them being intact, what if someone spilled coffee on it, or if a kid drew over it (if you have baby cousins or work with children, which is generally my case). Be ready to have stuff like this happen, and remember that pen marks are not un-erasable with certain tools, ig what I'm saying is don't cry over spilled milk, get a new carton. What ultimately matters about a piece is not the piece itself but what skill you acquired with it. Most of the time anyway.

Sorry if this came off as rude.

Nor. Your father is a bully. I'm sorry you had to find out that way.

tippex or a white paint pen, carefully dabbed once on each blue pen mark, should make it not visible unless you look closely

You are not necessarily overreacting but it's not the end of the world.

Yes, it's completely wrong for your father to mess up your drawing and for both parents to downplay it like it's nothing important, but that may have come from them simply not realising how much it means to you.

That may have come from different places, and while I hope they are not generally unsupportive towards your interests, you have to be aware that "normal" people don't take art as serious endeavour, especially when you abruptly start taking interest in it, so be aware that it will take some time for your surroundings until they start taking it seriously.

Get over it, forgive him, but explain that you find it unacceptable for future reference.

You have talent there, so you have an obligation to prove to yourself and to others that it is serious and meaningful to you.

Also, taking pride in your work is nice, but your father did make one fair point - you can make another one. It will happen that your work gets ruined by your fault or by fault of others, and learning to get over it is also part of the growing as an artist or working person in general.

My advice is that you frame that drawing as it is, and put it somewhere in a prominent place to remind you and yours of how important that is to you.

Good luck!

I don't know what kind of relationship you have with your family but you need to let things go. You as a grown 19 year old still living at home, you can not be crying about a drawing LIKE THAT. Upset sure, but the drawing seems low effort. Your a beginner with potential but its not like he drew over your next Monet.

I think if you generally have a loving relationship with him, then one day he will pass, and that drawing will remain. Bet you'll wish he was around to draw lashes on your drawing! Very minor doodle might I add.

just seeing a lot of "Your parents are insufferable OP, you did nothing wrong!" With 0, nuance, a little ridiculous considering the world of horrendous parents out there.

I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud, but crying at that big age sounds like we need to take things more easy.

Have fun with your art. Laugh at it. Rip it up. Be comfortable with the idea of ruining your "best work". Stay hungry.

I also don't know your relationship with your parents but this is how I'm viewing this post. With a people oriented view. Everyone telling you that your parents are "assholes', probably have some kind of personal bias.

I was also in a similar experience. Once I drew a picture and my dad added to it. Given he was an artist, he was trying to engage with me, and I got angry. I regret it so bad. I wish I let him work on it with me.

You are not overreacting. I would get into fights over this when I was younger. It is a very cruel and hurtful thing to do to you. Maybe they can’t see it that way, because it would force them to confront their own misgivings.

I don’t think it should destroy the family, but you are not overreacting. What he did was wrong. very wrong.

If he wanted to test a pen be could've used any kind of paper, but chose yours which shows he doesn't care about your work at all.

Hey there, I know it wont be the same at all but if you send me a clear file of the drawing, I can try to just “erase” the eyelashes and you can print it off and frame it in your room. I know it wont feel the same though

I know this won't change what your father did but you can try trace it so you can redraw it. Just stick a piece of paper underneath it and sticky tape them lightly together and take it to a window or light source and trace. I am so sorry that your parents didn't think it was a big deal

Dope drawing

Your father is an unsocial asshole.  Can you maybe resketch it? When you put another paper over it and put also light under it? Your feelings are right and you are not an ass for feeling them. 

Life lesson learned. Your parents are unfortunately not the type to join in celebrating your achievements but rather the type to trash them to feel better about themselves.

If he’s a car guy ask him how he would feel if you changed his paint color to muted yellow with a hot pink racing stripe without telling him

Yes

Your dad shouldve been sorry. That being said, I think that was just a lesson for you to protect stuff you like. Also your drawing is cute and you should be proud of it but there is a lot of room for improvement. Writing a paragraph on reddit complaining about it sounds like a waste of time, couldve drawn another 3-4 of those in that time to get some practice in. Shit take I know but small stuff like this preps you for the real world, toughen up and keep drawing. All the best!

nor

Its an amateur drawing. And youre 19.

Yes, you're overreacting.

Draw lashes on him with a permanent marker when he’s asleep. He needs them.

Have you tried using Wite-Out?

Start setting yourself up to be independent, i wouldnt want to live with those kinds of parents

I would be furious! You are not overreacting.

Drawing on someone else’s drawing or property without permission is already insanely disrespectful, but to do it in pen so they can’t even remove it?!?! If it was in pencil you could atleast erase it, but in pen?!?! Who the hell decides to “test a pen” on someone else’s drawing?! And even more so that he knew that you wanted to put it in a frame to preserve it!

I would not trust them with anything of any value higher than a dirty sock after that… That is some “I’m entitled to do what I want with my child’s stuff” behavior…

They are your parents and they will live once. Don't think that your father ruin your drawing but gave it a touch. If my father did this to me i will be so happy that my father find himself comfortable with me. It will be better and more meaningful for me. Now the drawing is a more meaningful memory. You can always draw another masterpiece, but your parents will live once. Dont broke their heart.

Your mom and dad are both fucking assholes. My own parents would never in one hundred million years do something like that.

time to start drawing on their stuff lol

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You showed them your drawing because you trust them, but they didn't care. NOR.

Yeah worksheets is not a fair comparison because it's stupid work crap that has no human value. Your art did.

I can understand being pissed, but your parents aren't that wrong either for being mad at you.
The picture looks good, but it's also not something you would waste an hour on.
Breaking down crying because of this is a little immature. I mean, the more you draw the better you get, and you will be way more proud of those than this drawing anyway.

Your parents sucks and are selfish inconsiderate assholes.

Shave his balls head at night

When he asked say say

"It needed trimming" "I was just testing the razor"

Hey OP, first of all that is such an amazing drawing!! I have also been practicing lately and I know how good it feels when you finish something you’re proud of. Your parents are massive AHs. 

Have you thought about tracing the drawing onto another piece of paper? It won’t be the same but you could maybe even colour it or do line art. I have done this before when I accidentally rip or damage a drawing. There are a few different methods, maybe look it up on YouTube. 

NOR

Not sure if anyone’s suggested this already but there are ink removal erasers/liquids. Be sure to test on scrap paper first. Sometimes regular erasers can lift it as well but might smudge it so again just test it out. I know this doesn’t fix the bigger issue here.. you set boundaries and told them what they did upset you, they chose to react poorly and make you look like the problem. Even if you did overreact, they should care about your feelings no matter what.

Blue pen on a pencil drawing is insane. Your dad is an adult and should definitely know better by now. Not everything is a joke and some “jokes” are too far. It won’t be the same, but you can trace it onto a different paper and frame that, treating this like your rough sketch. I’m so sorry that your parents aren’t being accountable for their actions. Your feelings are completely valid about this. I would be absolutely livid if I was a fly on that wall.

NOR. Parents might be narcs though. Take care of yourself 😢

your parents could have done a better job. But this is a huge overreacting. I'd understand if you were child but you're 19. Are you going to cry over every little thing that happens? It's time to grow up and not seek coddling from reddit strangers

Sorry your m parents are both AHS.

Go scratch some flames onto the side of their car and say “slaps hood this baby needed some racing flames”

Na, it's a shit move of him.  the good part of making art is, with each piece you will get better! (it's also a curse but you will learn that later :D ).

Hi OP! This one time when I was younger, I was working REALLY hard on a drawing of my first ever realistic human face. I had spent hours on it and was using a special type of pencil that would smudge if you rubbed it (good for shading, which I was practicing.) My mom came by to talk to me and saw I had eraser shavings on the paper, and she wiped her hand across the entire drawing and smudged it up pretty bad. I was so frustrated and upset that I started crying, and my mom got upset with me because she also thought I was overreacting.

All of that to say, I understand what it’s like to work really hard on a drawing and have a parent mess it up and then get mad at you when you’re upset. My mom didn’t even do it on purpose like your dad did, and I still remember it! You aren’t overreacting. Your drawing was a big milestone and I’m so sorry that your dad messed it up and is being mean about it. It’s a very specific sort of hurt that non-artists probably won’t ever get. I hope that this doesn’t diminish your desire to create art. You’re doing really great!

He’s right, it’s not a fair comparison. His work spreadsheets are much more replaceable. You are NOT overreacting!

Even used pen. Yeah, dick move on dad

Hey, op. I'm sorry about the situation. the adults are the true assholes here.

But if you warm up an eraser in your palm till it gets squishy then rub it over the paper, if it's a thicker kind like watercolor the top layer of said paper will rub off

I've done it on my own ink works for when I accidentally make a stubborn stray line. It won't be perfect of course, and that area on the paper will have a different texture but it's better than horribly childish pen marks

Ngl yeah bruh you can redraw that shit. Soft as butter. 2-3 years Dagestan and forget

Aang, the bald guy, needing lashes? At least if he drew them as lashes. Those look like sewing marks

Not overreacting, I felt sad reading this, it reminded me of that one time My mom let her friend and her children stay (a boy like 2 yo and a girl 8 yo), and asked for My room to let her friend sleep, which I had to Say yes because it was the only room available as it was during the day, and her son went with her, and shortly after My sister warned me that he was messing with the drawings I had on My wall, when My mom's friend woke up I went to check and absolutely everything was Taken down, most of them were ripped, mind You, it was a mini mural, covering the bed length, I broke down crying trying to collect all the pieces of drawings I had Made over years, fanarts, ocs, random things, etc, and My mom got mad at me because her friend felt bad after seeing me cry and left. So yeah, maybe I'm a bit biased but, you're not overreacting, it was pretty disrespectful of him, however, you could try using tiny pieces of paper to cover the lines he Made? Or pen corrector, may not be perfect, but at least can make it better

If my dad did this… oh boy

Hi! I also have a similar experience. I once was sketching for a university project. In the room was my sister and my brother in law also. I remember my dad being in the room at some point and I just showed my dad some sketches and he pointed out some things I could improve.

Some of the advice was getting condescending. I knew my sister and her husband began to listen. At some point he returned one of my sketches, one that I liked, and there was doodling on the faces of the characters.

My heart sank. My head immediately heated with anger. He did not respect my work. I did not matter. He knew it was for university and he just decided to doodle on my work. I wanted justice. I think I remember confronting him a bit, but in the end I remained mostly silent and angry. I got the feeling that no one was taking my side then.

That I wasn't worth making a fuss over. That my work did not matter. I felt like I did not matter, nor what I made. I felt sad, and still feel so when I remember. I'm sorry this happened to you. Some parents need to understand that the way they approach the work their child makes really impacts their child. It's not about a piece of paper, it's about the child.

You are gonna get through this, I know that. You'll meet people that will hold your art delicately in their hands so as to not alter it in any way. Others will not care for it. But the ones who do care are the ones familiar with the work it entails (or just caring people).

I don't think my father knew how much my work mattered to me. And I don't think your father knew either. They just don't appreciate others' work because they haven't been appreciated themselvs when they were young. They just keep the chain of trauma going. But it's up to us to break it, is what I think.

God bless you! Be strong!

Dad was an asshole for ruining your drawing. It's very fair that you are angry.

But it's valid that you can not yell/cry over it when family is over.

So not per se overreacting, mainly poor at communicating

You are definitely right to be upset, this was a very dumb thing for your Father to have done, and then not even properly apologize for.

Unfortunately, I don't think there will be a way to remove the pen marks without doing further damage, but I do have an alternate suggestion! You said you are also working on becoming a better painter; I say you should keep this drawing until you are more confident in your painting ability, and then paint it in! That way, you will be able to "repair" this sketch you so dearly cherish, and it stays with you as you grow as artist. Good luck!!

Now you have a collab with your dad.

One day, when he’s gone, hopefully this becomes a happy memory.

You've already got your answer here, but I really wanted to chime in and say that I love this sketch!! It's so cool that you're starting out drawing Avatar of all things, humans are hard! I've been drawing for almost 30 years and still can't get them quite right. You're right to be proud of this, and I'm excited to see where you go!

My family was like this. The best way to deal with parents that always think they are in the right is to embarrass them in front of family. I had my father yell at me once because he opened the fridge and something fell out. His older brother then started yelling at him causing a kerfuffle. With men specifically they like to 'show off' this way (idk why but it's something I have noticed) However your parents did indeed just give you permission to make another may I suggest a wall everyone will see? If they get mad it's fine they can re-paint it. After all your parents did say make another. With people like that you need to either play their game smarter or get shit on while ignoring them. I prefer playing the game. It will also give your parents kind of a 'hold on' moment if your not the type of child to do that. They might also just scream yell and ground you. Parents are fun like that. Just want to add that is of course after you have tried speaking with them, but if they continue to disrespect you and your things well. As mentioned I'm sure the walls can use a new coat of paint. Good luck OP and I truly hope your parents do apologize and recognize they were in the wrong.

Sorry your fave drawing got altered. It's good you have a photo of the original. You're just starting out but if it ever interests you down the line you can scan your drawing into your computer and make digital edits to it to restore the original look or remake it as a color digital drawing to show how far you progressed. Tons of my pencil drawings look great then I sometimes screw them up a little with ink when I preserve them. Digital art is very forgiving. You could copy a huge intricate layer delete it and regain it with basic keyboard short cuts. Art is very personal, my family isn't always supportive of it and there's been plenty of times I get told it's a waste of time because of Ai or not earning money off it. I don't think you overreacted.

NOR.

These are the type of parents that their kids will go no contact with. Stay strong. It won't be long until you are out of the home - you can leave and slow fade out until no contact. Better for mental health when you're not around people who tear you down and blame you for being upset.

Just don't make my mistake and say anything about it, I got punished and had a lot of things controlled from then on until I could finally break free.

I'm sorry your parents are bullies.

Yo your dad kinda sucks

No, not overreacting.

No offense but is your dad sane? I could never imagine doing that unless I were an insecure bully?????

Sorry bro, but that’s kinda funny

Your father didn't realize how important this was to you and, in his ignorance, messed with your drawing. Once it became clear that this mattered to you, he began to feel shame. However, many people don't want to feel like bad guys or villains, so he deflected it by saying you were overreacting, and your mother joined in to protect his ego.

While parents can make mistakes, doubling down instead is incredibly immature of them. I'm sorry this happened to you, and I hope they realize they should apologize. NOR

Crying over a drawing? Wait until you find out about taxes etc lmao

Disgusting behaviour.

Me and my sister had a fight quite a few years ago because she wanted the bigger room. She had moved out at I think seventeen and moved back in after having a fight with her boyfriend. At that time, I was still moving stuff from the room I was in into the room I was moving to, and hadn’t gotten my art off of the walls yet. Out of anger she ripped my art work to pieces and then showed me. I honestly don’t know what happened, but I blacked out. Next thing I know is she’s being held down by our mother, screaming bloody murder. According to our mother later, I slammed her head against the wall. Never mess with an artist artwork. It’s a really bad idea. 😅

NOR. questions of whether he improved it or "contributed" something completely miss the point. of course you "can just make another one," but again, not the point!

this wasn't a bunch of lines on paper, this was something sacred. it represented your desire to build this new skill, the progress you've made, and your pride in yourself. you made something that gave you feelings of accomplishment, and you showed it off because you were proud. you didn't think it was the best drawing in the universe, just that it was the best drawing you had done so far. it represented not only a character you love, but more importantly your journey as an artist, both the place you've reached and the places you hope to reach in the future. this drawing was a totem, a relic, a milemarker.

regardless of his intent, regardless of the "practical" impact his actions had, this is so upsetting because your dad desecrated your drawing. he disrespected it, and in doing so he disrespected your growth as an artist, the joy and pride you felt creating something you loved, and your artistic future.

not only did he damage the drawing itself, he showed you that it meant nothing to him. that he didn't recognize or appreciate its importance to you, what it represented. people doodle on napkins, receipts, things that will be discarded immediately. doodling on something says "this is just a piece of paper." it was NOT just a piece of paper.

you were upset not only because your drawing was defaced and your relic was defiled, but because your dad wasn't proud of you, and didn't even seem to care that you were proud of yourself. he may as well have told you you're a terrible artist and should just give up (you're not, and you shouldn't).

add to this your mother's betrayal. she's not mad at your dad for hurting you so badly or being so disrespectful, she's made at you for making a scene? her priorities are fucked. if I were you, I would be left feeling like nobody takes me seriously in that house. of COURSE I'd be hurt.

you're not overreacting. I'm sorry this happened. don't let it discourage you <3

I’m gonna get downvoted but he was just messing around with you and made a joke saying he needed lashes. You’re an adult you don’t need to cry ober your dad messing with you

it's completely valid to feel protective over your creative work. Our drawings can feel like extensions of ourselves. That said, it might help to remember that your parents likely come from a place of curiosity and love, not a desire to disrespect you. To prevent this, maybe try keeping finished drawings in a dedicated portfolio or sketchbook stored in your room. It shows it's valued work and keeps it safe. Cherish your parents they won't be around forever. And please don't listen to people that are telling your parents are bad.

People here are coddling you too much. Yes you over reacted. You're right to be upset, but breaking down is not a normal response. It does seem you have some growing up to do, which makes sense since you're 19.

Now those are some shitty parents man jeez. Initially I saw the post without reading and was like "yeah it's shitty when little siblings do that but it's just they do" but this being grown ass adults makes it so much worse

NOR, that was an amazing drawing OP 🥲 don’t let this stop you from doing what you enjoy

Cool

What shitty parents..
I'm sorry you had to experience this, op. You are not overreacting.
Fwiw, you did excellent, try to not let it get to you and continue to practice. People will always be shitty, but acquiring such a skill is invaluable, and your work is very promising:)

NOR. just because it isn't done by some famous artist, doesn't mean this stops being vandalism. it's on the same level as the lesson of "don't break other people's things" that I learned as a child. i'm very glad you have a photo of your sketch before it was tampered with. you did a really good job with it.

And people wonder why they get to the end of their life and die alone, with kids across the country that haven't seen them in years. OP im sorry they downplayed how important it was to you.

Not in the slightest. Don’t ever let anyone try and gaslight you into believing you don’t have the right to feel the way you do because you’re justified in being sad about it. You were really proud of something you made and they came and messed it up for no other reason than they wanted to mess it up and that’s not okay made even worse by instead of admitting it was a mistake, they were more concerned about your being sad and supposedly making them look bad in front of family than with understanding why it hurt you and that tells me everything I need to know about their priorities as parents.

Your drawing is amazing and you should be so proud of it. Also if I’m being honest, I don’t believe that experienced artists aren’t going to look at thinking something along the lines of it sucks, they are going to be happy that you’re taking an interest in their passion as well and if anything they’ll simply want to give you helpful tips to get better. I love drawing but can’t draw realistic people to save my life but I like drawing cityscapes and abstract kinda things so regardless of how long you’ve been doing it, your Aang is absolutely amazing and I could only ever wish to be that as good! I wish you the best and would just like to ask that you try and remember that as sad as it is, you’ll hopefully always have the opportunity to create more drawings you’ll likely be even more proud of and that it’s not a crime to be proud of them or feel hurt if someone messes it up

As someone’s who’s also trying to get back into art the drawing looks really good how’d you draw it

The drawing so good and sick especially the meditation pode it really very good but 2 nd time drawn could be more nice it's just one try far I know you can do it

No i don’t think so . Artists are very sensitive and introspective. That was your first piece that your proud of . But forgive your dad . Never have divides with your parents. Remember out of great pain can come great creativity. Good luck with your art , and love your parents. They’re the only ones you have . Faults and all .

Definitely overreacting if my dad did that I would be even more inclined to get it framed cause now it’s a funny story.

NOR. He ruined something that you put time into. Comes across as very spiteful.

Damn your parents are assholes

Your drawings are fire, don't let your parents demotivate you

I might get down voted and go a little against the grain here... Are you the asshole? No, not at all. But are you overreacting? Yes, just a little bit.

It's absolutely true that nobody should have touched your drawing, especially with a permanent pen, but (in my opinion) it's just a little immature to scream and cry when dad thought it was harmless (he wanted to contribute like you said). This should've been a conversation about respecting things that you make, or at least asking before any contributions.

I understand it can be very overwhelming to see something you worked hard on altered like that, but a fight won't prevent that from happening again. Perhaps a nice conversation will. If he really wants to contribute to your journey maybe you can work on something together? Just a random shitty doodle with no strings attached.

Reddit loves to jump straight to extremes and burn every bridge they see, so take every comment, especially this one, with a grain of salt. I hope your day gets better! :)

Not overreacting ,buuut keep it somewhere safe. If its just on a table like you said, anything could happen to it

Your parents are assholes

Are they mad bc you're mad? Or are they mad bc you crashed out? Did they dismiss your feelings before or after the crashout? I guess it's kinda hard for us to know if we didn't see it lol. I don't think your dad had bad intentions, just made a bad move he didn't think through

Yes. You are 19 having (what sounds like) a childlike meltdown over a sketch. That is definitely an overreaction.

Is your dad still in the wrong? Yes

Not overreacting. Your dad had no right to do that to your drawing even if he thought it was just some random doodle. Parents who dismiss their children's feelings/emotions are very frustrating. This was something sentimental to you and you have every right to be upset over someone altering it. Also, you might be able to save the drawing by going over the pen marks with a white fabric pencil or with liquid paper/white out!

You're not overreacting at all, this is mean and he knows it. Could you digitalize (scanner, photo?) your drawing and get rid of what he did? Then you could print the corrected version and frame it. Don't let your father ruin your joy in drawing.

Could you take a pic of it, edit out the lashes, and then print that version? I know it isn’t the same, though ☹️

NOR, wow some parents really are terrible at taking accountability or supporting their kids goals. I’m sorry this happened. He could could have praised and encouraged you to continue. Instead you got mockery and ridicule and shame on your mom for not sticking up for you.

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Are yall missing the part where OP said it's not about the drawing as much as it is their parents dismissing their feelings????

I don't know if you have a printer and a computer, but if it was me, I would either scan that picture on the computer, and print it and trace over it, or, scan it in and do the art digitally C:

Take this as permission to deface anything they care about and use their own arguments at them when they get upset. Show them only the same respect they show you.

no tottaly not he souldent have touched ur work

Fake and gay

As a parent I look foward with glee to a time when I can fuck some of my kids stuff up in return for them fucking up pretty much everything I own

I guess yes your dad shouldn’t have done that and could’ve apologised, but whilst you’re upset about a drawing being vandalised your parents are concerned about jobs, mortgage, other bills, your schooling and general health etc etc etc. so in their context this isn’t a big deal. Not making excuses I think they should definitely respect your concerns and treat you with more respect, but you shouldn’t have exploded in front of them and others causing a scene. They were wrong. Yes maybe you did overreact. Life is full of shtuff not going your way and you’ll hopefully get better at taking it on the chin. Btw I like sketching too and like you had my friends and siblings constantly “vandalise” my work for a laugh. Sometimes I was annoyed but I kept drawing regardless.

A little white paint could help

That or get a tablet or iPad, put the sketch on top of the screen, and use it as a light box to trace it into another sheet of paper

Nice drawing

Drawing on someone else’s drawing is crazy

That’s a great drawing and you should be proud of your work! Your dad is an asshat who has no hobbies that bring him any joy (sorry but that’s my opinion). If my eldest daughter had done a sketch this good and I knew she had been working hard on getting better at drawing, the last thing I’m going to do is doodle some stupid as fuck lashes on her art.