Karukara
| Fan | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Karukara |
| Alias(es): | Kara |
| Type: | fanartist |
| Fandoms: | One Direction |
| Communities: | |
| Other: | |
| URL: | tumblr art on tumblr deviantart |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Karukara is a popular One Direction slash fan artist known for doing realistic and anime-style digital drawings. They have made single-character and ensemble portraits, as well as some smutty and fluffy scenes. Karukara is a Larry Stylinson shipper, but has drawn many 1D ships.
In 2015 they were interviewed for articles in the press: MPREG versus Homonormcore by Owen Parry in The New Inquiry (August 24, 2015) and an article in SALT. #7 (not online?). Parry also discussed Karukara's work in a 2016 episode of Fansplaining.
In 2014 on Tumblr Karukara was the subject of a few controversies. Some fans were incensed when they discovered that parts of Karukara's fanart were traced (and without attribution), though some seemed to be equally incensed by Karukara's use of photo references, which other artists pointed out was a standard art technique.[1] (Tracing is controversial among artists, but using photo references is not.) Another wank started when they posted a story illustration for a fanfic in which Louis Tomlinson was abused, and some fans thought they were "glorifying" abuse.[2]
Karukara has since moved on to C-Drama fandoms on new Tumblr accounts. In 2022 Karukara resurfaced after a long absence to comment on their past 1D experiences:
I’ve both traced photos and created original work, but the art world is cruel and climate around referencing/tracing for own growth is frowned upon i was afraid to admitting it, as if my original work would get devalidated as well, to which i now say FUCK THAT, tracing helped me with anatomy so much and now i’m able to create works on my own without having to look at reference. I know many starting artists who feel bad for tracing, but seeing how happy they are to get that help to share with the world what was on their mind, it almost feels above anything else. just the love to create, to share.and lastly - i look SO FONDLY on the years despite everything. i’ve been way overrated (really, only like the art that happened during my last months in the fandom, the rest... y’all’s taste is bad, other artists were RIGHT THERE) but i’ve been treated so kindly. I’m a vain creature, I live for the spotlight and validation and you all gave it to me, you made me experience it, I just wish it could have happened when i was more grown up and my style was polished so I felt deserving of it.[3]
Fanart Examples
Scene from the Domestic Larry series (2014); fans pointed out that clear evidence of tracing could be found in the strange distortion over the faucet where the original model's long hair had covered it.
Portrait of Niall Horan from the You & I music video (2014). line drawing with color added, showing Karukara's trademark delicate lines. This, too, may have been traced, though it was not the subject of the tumblr discussion.
References
- ^ See the outraged responses to defineboyfriends's original post, archived (July 6, 2014), comparing stock photos to Karukara's domestic Larry series. The responses mainly address photo references. The original poster's comments in a different post suggest that their problem with Karukara was specifically the sale of traced art: shes taking others pictures and tracing them, and then turns around and sells that “art” for money. shes making money off of art that she didnt honestly draw [1] archived
- ^ the-cheshire-pussy-cat's reblog, posted 26 July 2014.
- ^ tumblr post by karukara, Archived version, 23 February 2022.