Alphonse Frankenstein - Tumblr Posts
so I don't 100% know how making posts works here but if you see this caption I've succeeded I guess
first post! is frankenstein art because yes.
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[2023 Mini Edit Essay: This is such a relic oh gosh. Okay, I feel this is worth discussing when looking back— it's not clear here, but although Justine's complexion appears a little darker than the other characters, she was still supposed to read as white in this piece. It doesn't help that the others are extremely pale (this Clerval was just based on a random existing design I had seen, and not my own yet). As such, Justine had much more tanned, sun-kissed skin and a naturally rich undertone, as if she enjoyed spending time outdoors. I say this because if Justine were to be seen as the only non-white character in this image, it would perpetuate a harmful racial implication, considering she's a household maid and is unjustly executed.
I experimented further with her design and then regrettably considered her being a POC for a while slightly later (being biracial, with Indian and white heritage), before I soon recognised the above problems. Even though she wasn't the only non-white character in my designs, the issues still stood. I had designed her with no malicious intent, but I messed up and didn't consider my actions regardless. Of course, it goes without saying that artists who are POC have every right to present her character this way to explore her identity: but as a white person, it's my job to be conscious of my choices, particularly when the topic of her race is not part of the story.
I moved my design away from this; she now had a similar, tanned complexion to Elizabeth, only with cooler undertones. After these changes, I ended up adapting this old design into an OC instead, and again returned to the drawing board. With this second try, I ensured the newer Justine had no chance of being interpreted as anything other than white by lightening her tan and hair. I soon stopped drawing Frankenstein art anyway, but felt this was all worth mentioning. I apologise again, and hope it's clear this initial drawing was not part of the later choice I made. Thank you for reading!]