PE: Daily Deviations - The Myth and the LegendDaily Deviations, or DDs . . . for some deviants, receiving one is the epitome of awesomesauce in the deviantART world. For others, they are a nice way to show off the work of lesser-known artists. Still others treat them as a special way to bring attention to great art that exemplifies works being done by a particular gallery or community.PE: Daily Deviations - The Myth and the Legend9 months ago in Projects More Like This
Perhaps because there are so many different ways of conceptualizing DDs, there are also many myths and misconceptions. I would like to address some of those myths by responding to the ones most frequently heard. Please note that these opinions are mine and reflect my experiences with the photomanipulation community, but perhaps they will be informative nevertheless.
Myth 1: DDs should always be perfect.
To many of us, the ideal Daily Deviation goes to an artist with amazing talent whose work draws you in and makes you think, "Wow, everyone needs to see this!" A DD should move you, inspire you, and provoke you to think, b
PE: Giving and Receiving Quality FeedbackPE: Giving and Receiving Quality Feedback6 months ago in Editorials More Like This
Giving and Receiving Feedback
One of the most useful things on deviantart is the option to give and receive feedback. There are different kinds of feedback. This article aims to inform you on how to give quality feedback and hopefully receive it.
Types of Feedback
Comments
One of the quickest ways to interact with others. From journals, to forums, to art, to profiles, comments are used everywhere. However, the quality can range from spam, to constructive.
Critiques
Any deviant can write them,(~,*,=,`,^ etc.) but only premium members can request them. Constructive comments can substitute for these. Critiques take some time to write, and really provide insight. If used correctly, can be a wonderful way to give/receive constructive criticism.
Giving Feedback
This is important to receiving feedback. If you give, you are l
PE: Tolerance Towards Daily DeviationsIf you're like me, one of the first things you do every morning is turn on the computer to check the DDs for the day, if you make this a habit sooner or later you'll see something featured that you won't like at all, making you spill your morning coffee all over the screen.PE: Tolerance Towards Daily Deviations9 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
Oh the crime! That poor coffee going to waste.
Before you hit the Caps Lock button and begin an essay about the drop of quality of DDs, stop. Take a deep breath, maybe walk around for a bit to cool down, and think about what you're going to do. To begin with, complaining about the DD leaving a comment is extremely disrespectful for the artist because most of the time, they didn't even ask to be featured. Instead, take a moment to consider why was it picked, DDs are chosen for far more than just being visually attractive, as the article Daily Deviations - The Myth and the Legend explained; we often look f
dA Related CR Update: November 2012Welcome to this month's Community Relations Update for the deviantART Related gallery!dA Related CR Update: November 20126 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
Recent News
Sta.sh App Preview by =PickleyGroups: deviantART Related by `Infinite-HeartMovember by $Moonbeam13dA Related October 2012 DD Recap by ^ladygagzCSS Did You Know? - October 26th, 2012 by ^ladygagzCSS News: November 2012 by `ginkgografix
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Pimps and Whoas - October 26, 2012PimpsPimps and Whoas - October 26, 20127 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
Official dA NewsOdyssey Update 1
Dante's Inferno - What's the Worst that Can Happen?
Witch, Sorceress, Enchantress
Site Update - Literature Apperance, Sta.sh Writer
Site Update: More Like This Updates
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PE DDs: When It's Not Always PositiveWhen DDs Go AwryPE DDs: When It's Not Always Positive9 months ago in Projects More Like This
Daily Deviations, or “DDs,” are frequently held in very high esteem on deviantART. After all, what artist does not want his or her work displayed for more than 20 million viewers to see and admire? The benefits of receiving a DD feature include increased exposure for your work and a day in the spotlight for you as an artist. Many people therefore view DDs as badges of honor, awards that make them proud and validate the time they spend in our community.
Be careful what you wish for!
Don’t get us wrong-- DDs are wonderful for the purposes listed above. But, they can also bring a lot of drama upon the artist, especially if they are controversial.
Let’s talk about some of the sources of this drama.
The Critic
Some people feel that people who post art-- and especially those whose art is worthy of a Daily Deviation-- should have thick enough skin to accept criticism as well as praise. They argue that criticism is part
Getting the Most out of dA: GroupsGroups are a platform on deviantART which allow you to share your art - what it is primarily used for. Immediately, once your art is accepted into the Gallery, your art is sent to the message centres of many members of that particular group, gaining you instant and wider exposure. However, to really enhance your deviantART experience, and to get the most out of deviantART, +Groups shouldn't, and aren't, simply used for that.Getting the Most out of dA: Groups4 months ago in Editorials More Like This
There are many roles you can play within a group. By taking up a role, you immediately get more out of deviantART than if you had not done so.
Let's start with being a...
Member
Not only do you get the chance to submit your art to the group, as a Member, you alsothe many happenings within the group too. This means you can read about the immediate happenings as soon as they are launched through the group, such as contests, projects and more in between. As a member, seizing the
PE Art Features and Daily DeviationsDaily Deviations:PE Art Features and Daily Deviations4 months ago in Editorials More Like This
As per :faq61:, The Daily Deviation is a daily feature chosen from galleries here on deviantART.
A small assortment of submissions are chosen each day by a select group of staff/volunteer members who wish to showcase an image which they found impressive or otherwise interesting enough to deserve being brought to the attention of the community-at-large.
Benefits of suggesting Daily Deviations:
helping artists gain more exposure
deviantART is such a large website with many members, often great art can fall through the cracks and go unnoticed as a result. Daily Deviations are usually a wonderful way to put a bit of a spotlight on a particular piece or artist. Often people like to focus on the lesser known artists, though it may be worth noting that even deviations uploaded by popular artists can at times use more exposure as well
PE Interview with =jane-beataI won't even try figure out how to present Jana, because, as her friend, my opinion only may not impress you, so i'm going to present to you what others think of her and her art:PE Interview with =jane-beata6 months ago in Interviews More Like This
~13-realpeople-42-333: "She makes some of the best art pieces I've ever seen. Really inspiring."
~Marts-NZ: "Her work is just amazing, i love coming back to see the immense beauty she creates."
=PandaLannee: "Her art makes me feel like I've been kicked in the face by a unicorn dancing in a meadow of pansies and fairies. What I meant to say is: really excellent art!" (this is the most original comment i've ever read!)
Aside from praising her amazing skills and works, i will add that she's also a wonderful person, kind and involved with the community, always wanting to spread the dA love to everyone she meets.
First, please introduce yourself to those that might not know you yet.
PE Daily Deviations- Presentation of your workHello all!PE Daily Deviations- Presentation of your work9 months ago in Projects More Like This
Well we’ve had a fascinating week so far; a week which hopefully has provided some insight not only to the process of DD selection but helped you understand what we look for in DDs as CVs. As we draw to the end of this week, I bring you an article which will whet your Saturday with thoughts that don’t just apply to the DD feature, but something which should be a consideration to everything you submit to dA. I am talking about deviation presentation.
Why is Presentation important?
Art isn’t always about just being “creative”. There are techniques and skills which develop over time which contribute to the quality of the work you produce and alongside this comes a developed understanding of good presentation.
Good presentation could be anything from cropping a photograph, to spell checking your literature. These are common sense things that in the rush of wanting to show off your creativity can sometimes be
There's something new in town...For a long while now, I've been itching to create a group that encompasses the whole of the People & Portraits Photography Gallery. After chatting it through with ^3wyl today, we decided to launch one - and so ~PeopleAndPortraits was born! It's for every single sub-gallery of People and Portraits Photography. Every single one. You'll find a folder for every one of them and you'll find that you can submit not one but TWO works a week to each one. What else are we giving you...well...There's something new in town...8 months ago in Photography More Like ThisThe chance to show case your work by having it submitted to the group
A 'photographer' of the week each week
People and Portraits Exposed - a weekly series of articles
Articles from other community volunteers who handle People and Portrait Galleries
Feedback - we would LOVE to give you feedback!
A contest ---- our contest is launching next week and we're ready for you! Standby to see what it's all about.
So head
It's All About Presentation (Mostly)As more and more people start taking pictures of their nether regions on their iphones or posing myspace style in front of their HTC's - the competitive world of getting a Daily Deviation gets just that much harder...It's All About Presentation (Mostly)7 months ago in Community Relations More Like ThisI kid. But... daily, I am bombarded with awesome suggestions (which I love) and I'm not complaining about. But there has to be a criteria of sorts, that sets an image above the rest. Here are a few things I look for that you might not have noticed before... The first thing I look at when I stumble across an image or view a suggestion from somebody, is how the artist has presented their work to the deviantART Community.
Title
Your image isn't everything. Not anymore. In the past I have given Daily Deviations to pieces with titles that are a combination of random letters and numbers, or that are very obviously still the source file title - or that tends to be just a keyboard mash-up. Everyday CVs are sent many many notes suggesting pieces o
PE Interview with DD Suggester Minato-KushinaAs part of Daily Deviations PE week we have interviewed the lovely `Minato-Kushina who has been suggesting DDs since November 2010. She has since then had over 500 suggestions accepted and as a result of her regular suggestions, made her name known on the DD page.PE Interview with DD Suggester Minato-Kushina9 months ago in Interviews More Like This
What first got you interested in wanting to suggest DDs?
I don't really remember the exact point when I started paying attention to DDs. I guess, I saw these beautiful pictures at the bottom of my page. Gradually, I understood that they were a kind of "award" for outstanding pieces. I was also wondering how some people could suggest DDs! By searching here and there, I found the way.
I eventually decided to send my first suggestion to ^rydi1689, the then Fan Art Gallery Moderator. She is so kind, she accepted it immediately! This encouraged me to suggest more and eventually to love this task. I am generally shy with others. So this gesture, although it may seemed normal to her, it was
Did You Know? - Browser Scripts, Notes IconsDid You Know? - Browser Scripts, Notes Icons5 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
CR Newsletter: September/October 2012 Director of Community Relations :iconmoonbeam13: :CR Newsletter: September/October 20127 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
Table of Contents
1. Miscellaneous vs Other
2. Attacking the Artist
3. Volunteer Openings in Community Relations
4. Community Projects
5. Official Contests
6 Project Educate 2011/2012
7. Art History Project
8. News from the Chats and Forums
9. News from the Galleries
1. Miscellaneous vs Other
Over the past few months, we've been diligently working on cleaning up the category tree of old and unused categories. While most of this will go unnoticed by the community, what you will notice is the change from "Miscellaneous" galleries to "Other". The reason for this change is simple. The concept of Miscellaneous leads one to believe that it's a junk drawer category for everything under the sun when the intention was to be an "Other" category for deviations that don't fit well in other sub-categories of the tree. We're also working on u
CR Newsletter - November/December 2012 Director of Community Relations :iconmoonbeam13: :CR Newsletter - November/December 20125 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
Table of Contents
1. Happy Holidays and Merry New Year
2. Volunteer Openings in Community Relations
3. Community Projects
4. Official Contests
5 Project Educate 2011/2012
6. Art History Project
7. News from the Chats and Forums
8. News from the Galleries
1. Happy Holidays and Merry New Year
As the old year begins to fade into the sunset, it is customary to reflect on the passing year and make plans for the upcoming one. Some do this in the form of resolutions, some people make action plans, some people just swing into the new year the same way they swung out of the old oneWhatever way you intend to welcome in 2013, I hope you're surrounded by love and that you do it safely!
I've been reflecting on the year and like many, with some focus on the unimaginable events of the last few weeks. Specifically, the shooting in Newtown. I know that it's "human nature" to want to find
CR Newsletter January/February 2013 Director of Community Relations :iconmoonbeam13: :CR Newsletter January/February 20133 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
Table of Contents
1. New Submission Process and Thumbnail Examples
2. New Galleries and Gallery Additions or Change Requests
3. Why Wasn't I Chosen?
4. Volunteer Openings in Community Relations
5. Community Projects
6. Official Contests
7. Project Educate 2013
8. Art History Project
9. News from the Chats and Forums
10. News from the Galleries
11. Vacation Notice
1. New Submission Process and Thumbnail Examples
In my opinion, one of the greatest advantages to the New Submission Process, are the thumbnail examples and descriptions that appear when you're selecting a category. It's no secret that we have misplaced deviations throughout the galleries and it's probably the most complained about topic I deal with on a daily basis. My team and I have been working hard to improve the descriptions and thumbnail examples for all of the galleries, and I'm happy
Everyday we're CV'ingAs a Community Volunteer - I do as much or as little within the community that I feel comfortable doing. We're not pressured to do this and that, we don't even have to give a Daily Deviation every day, we choose how we promote our selected galleries/chats and forums and we're not fixed to any specific rule on how much or how little we do. But I do believe that it's important to share with you just what the community volunteers do and why we do it. More importantly it's so easy to get lost on this site full of many people - and miss out on the awesome that's going on. So I'm going to share with you exactly what the latest awesome is...Everyday we're CV'ing7 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
Project Educate
Almost every week since October last year the Community Volunteers have been working hard both independently and as part of small teams to bring You Project Educate.
Project Educate is about bringing forward art forms whether they are popular or overlooked and giving
Origami - Art of Paper FoldingOrigami is an art form that transforms paper into a sculpture through paper folding and sculpting techniques. Thus, cutting or gluing paper would not be considered to be origami, but 'kirigami' instead. The name 'Origami' is Japanese, in which 'Ori' is the Japanese word for folding, and 'kami' the word for paper.Origami - Art of Paper Folding5 months ago in Artisan Crafts More Like This
It is generally believed that origami originated from Japan, but, as there are few records, this is not certain. Nevertheless, Japan developed origami into an intense art form that still exists to this day.
In the past, instructions for origami were passed down in spoken form and not written down. Some say that origami first originated in China in 1st Century, in which paper was then brought to Japan by Buddhist monks in 6th Century. Others claim that paper was made in the 8th Century by the Arabs, with Moors bringing the art of paper folding to Spain in the 12th Century. Spain then spread to South America, and as trade routes developed, origami was thus introduced to Europe a
People + Portraits: Capturing WeddingsThe Weddings category within the People & Portraits Photography gallery is often misused and misunderstood. It's not for capturing those generic wedding shots of shoes, cakes, decorations and rings. The idea is that there needs to be a person or people captured in the shot to make it portraiture photography. There also (and i know it's mind blowing) needs to be a wedding theme going on! Simply cropping in close on hands or shoes or a part of a dress isn't enough to get it into the gallery. If the gallery were simply 'Weddings' then it would be different of course. You should consider the use of the Photojournalism - Weddings Gallery too and if your shots are journalistic in style they need to be pushed towards that gallery.People + Portraits: Capturing Weddings9 months ago in Community Relations More Like ThisFiddle with your settings to ensure you capture the bright white of the wedding dress (as this is the common colour anyway). A lot of cameras will over compensate if you've got this large white area in your view finder and expose the dress as being
Fix that miscat! ~ Artisan Crafts V. Still Life Fix that miscat! is the first of a series of articles which aims to help you distinguish between galleries that are commonly confused or abused in the category system here on deviantART. Submitting to the correct categories here can make a huge difference to exposure and feedback for your work as well as features within the Daily Deviations so we want to give you the best chances possible! Let's get started with Artisan Crafts Versus Still Life Photography!Fix that miscat! ~ Artisan Crafts V. Still Life5 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
Artisan Crafts (Culinary) & Still Life Photography
DeviantART is a hive of activity with work from all sorts of genres and areas being shared and submitted on a daily basis. So it's only natural that sometimes, confusion happens. And there are a few pesky categories that are difficult to define and differentiate between. We've recently found that Photography -> Still Life and Artisan Crafts are a great example of this.
Still Li
Photography Troubleshooting: Winter WildlifeFor many parts of the world, Winter provides a beautiful backdrop for some of the best landscape and water scape Photography out there. Snowy hills, Frosty trees and more help to convert a world of vibrant Summer or Autumn into subdued yet awe-inspiring Winter. But what about the wildlife? Extreme weather conditions can make it more challenging to get out and about with the camera, but can also give you more opportunity to capture those elusive animals.Photography Troubleshooting: Winter Wildlife5 months ago in Community Relations More Like This
When I first started investigating Winter Wildlife Photography I thought that I would have to aim for things like Foxes, Deer and other wild and sometimes elusive animals. But actually, wildlife Photography and in particular in the Winter - can start right in the back garden.
Birds in particular get hungrier and needier during Winter months in England. I'm sure this is true for many parts of the world too. Depending on the kinds that frequent your garden, you could encourage them to linger pretty quickly or it might
Project Educate: Classic Portrait PhotographyClassic Portraits are Photographs of people in traditional pose. These are often formal, refined and restrained in style. As you will see within the Gallery they often involve a plain and simple background which is a popular feature of Classic Portraiture. One of the most notable things within the Classic Portrait Photography Gallery is that there are a lot of art nudes. This actually occurs across the board with People & Portraits and I cannot stress enough - that if your work features nudity, it belongs within the artistic nude gallery!Project Educate: Classic Portrait Photography9 months ago in Community Relations More Like ThisConversion to black and white with concentration on bringing out tones and shadows creates that timeless classic look and is often favoured by the elite artists that submit to the People & Portraits - Classic Gallery.
Whilst D-SLR's have a monochrome function, for the most part (mine h