Demi Lovato to Fan Artist: I Can Be a Beautiful Mermaid Without DDs

Imaginative fans often put pen to paper to depict their favorite celebrities and characters through new lenses. Some, like Instagram artist Jovan Rosario, aka @ponyy­_boyy, keep it light. Rosario has amassed a 304k+ following thanks to his hyper-stylized, cartoonish renderings of Disney characters as fashion icons, the Kardashians as themselves, and angels like Selena, Amy Winehouse and Aaliyah rocking today’s trends. Others, like Tumblr artist dellbelle39, opt for more politicized subject matter, depicting Harry Potter characters as races other than white. Vladimir Serbanescu, a 17-year-old artist from Romania, illustrates popular images of celebrities, sometimes with an imaginative twist, with the intention of entertaining, not making a hard-hitting statement.

Half human, Half fish @ddlovato|| please TAG her and feel free to repost #demilovato #bodysay #art #drawing #illustration #art_collective #art_worldly #arts_help #arts_gallery #art_spotlight #nawden #worldofartists #worldofpencils #fashion #follow #mermaid

A photo posted by V L A D I (@vladyart) on Jul 21, 2016 at 11:24am PDT

However, Serbanescu’s recent drawing of Demi Lovato got a mixed review from its subject, thanks to his unrealistic portrayal of the singer’s body.

If i make your waist slimmer and your boobs bigger to accentuate the fact that i drew you as a mermaid, a mythological creature, doesn’t mean I say that you should look like that or all girls should look like that. That’s how i imagine mermaids. I worked a lot on that drawing and i was proud of it, but not anymore. @ddlovato. The coments are from @sexlikelovato_’s post #demilovato

A photo posted by V L A D I (@vladyart) on Sep 29, 2016 at 9:30pm PDT

Lovato, who often uses her much-followed social media accounts to discuss her mental health and body image issues — and thus help break down the stigma surrounding these very common struggles, found the picture “gorgeous” but took issue with Serbanescu filling out her chest. She commented on the image, which, of course, got the Internet trolls going. (See below.)

Chill, I have fixed it for you. @ddlovato pic.twitter.com/lhsNfD2nLI

— m (@hisillusion) September 30, 2016

hey @ddlovato, I hope you like my drawing!! I tried to draw you as realistically as possible and I’m very proud of it!!! xo pic.twitter.com/56J3Yd4VAQ

— (@illumariah) September 30, 2016

Some fans saw Demi as ungrateful, given that fan artists typically spend hours on their homages and distort reality to conform to their style, whether that means adding a mermaid tail or upping someone’s cup size. However, given that Demi has been vocal about her ongoing recovery from an eating disorder, others backed up the “Body Say” singer and decried the potentially triggering image.

The truth of the matter is that Demi has every right to call out fan artists for perpetuating unhealthy, unrealistic standards of beauty. Repeatedly Barbie-fying celebrities who don’t want to conform to a certain ideal isn’t truly celebrating them. Obviously, people are free to exercise their artistic freedom. But why not mix creativity with social consciousness?

[ via Cosmopolitan ]