A picture is indeed "worth a thousand words", a complex idea can be conveyed with a single still image. This quote also characterizes one of the main goals of visualizations, namely making it possible to absorb large amounts of data quickly. In our perception of artworks we see every day, some get closer to our hearts than others. Imagine a painting, strong and powerful, technique showing an experienced, steady hand, needing nothing but a pair of eyes to enter one's sensitive soul. Are you satisfied with what you see? I wouldn't count on that, but I would be quite sure that after a while your head fills with numerous questions.

On the contrary, your favorite artist publishes their recent work and you, as always, immediately love it. If, however, you would allow your mind a little exercise, you could clearly see that if this work was shown to you at random, under different circumstances and you would not know the author, hardly would it catch your interest for a second.

What is important than, the picture or the context? I will let you decide for yourself, what I intend to mention in this article are a few tips for artists that can hardly understand why their wonderful artworks go around unnoticed. Meanwhile, I strongly hope these will help you on your way to become properly understood and recognized.



SIGN IT - In all your creations, you should always use one specific signature, the one that is readable by people. The importance of signing every artwork you make is clear, every time someone sees a piece of art they like, first question asked is "Who is the artist?" The answer needs to be there.


 TITLE IT - This is very important, many artists does not bother with titles and their works end up either "untitled" or with numbers as if their creations were cups of coffee. Title says quite a lot about your perception of your own work - giving it a proper name establishes personal attachment, revealing part of its message, thought, idea.

beware of - Offensive and inappropriate titles, numbers, random letters.

DATE IT - Especially when the artwork you are presenting was made earlier and your style has developed ever since. By dating your works, you provide your audience a timeline in which they can follow your progress, development of your technique and subjects.

beware of - Providing a false information.

EXPLAIN IT - on DeviantArt we have an "artist description" window that gives you enough space for anything you would want to say about the artwork and I suggest you use it. Personally, nothing saddens me more than to see a wonderful artwork with blank and deaf description. Besides artwork commentary, you are welcome to mention your progress, was the work spontaneous or carefully planned, what thoughts command you to work this way, etc.

beware of - Overly long essays, inappropriate phrases but mainly indecent self-criticism - if you truly hate it so much, don't publish it.

PLACE IT IN A LARGER CONTEXT - What and who influenced you? What book were you reading, what music were you listening to? What was going on in your personal life? These questions seem to be too much, but often it is exactly a deep personal experience that leads you towards creating something unusual. If you dare to share it, you are on a good way to form a strong connection between your artworks and your audience.

beware of - Listing numerous insignificant events or publishing inside jokes nobody but you understands.

LIST THE INGREDIENTS - Techniques you've used shouldn't under no circumstances remain a mystery, make it transparent, list your tools consistently. Not only you will help starting artists and students by pointing them to the right direction towards a specific technique, but you will most likely avoid suspicions regarding origin of your artwork.

beware of - There is no need to list 20 graphite pencils you've used in your sketch one by one, your eraser or a tissue. As with everything, stick to the point.

BE - THERE - Publish your works continuously, give it time, be open for discussion and opinions. Write personal journals from time to time, if you like. People will start perceiving your work in a context of yourself, your thoughts and circumstances in which you create. Remember that a "familiar thing" is always seen differently than an unknown picture out of context.

beware of - Overdoing it.

What is your perception of thoughts mentioned in this article? How do you go around giving your artworks a title? Do you have a habit of publishing continuously or keep your art to yourself?

Write your thoughts in the comments below

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Articles:

Perspective is the angle and depth of a piece of art. Changing perspective allows for drastic differences. There is more than one kind of perspective, and all of them allow for more dynamic pieces of art if used correctly.

There are three common choices, and these are explained later.
Usually perspective deals with how close things appear, and correctly rendering perspective adds depth to an image and increases the impact of the composition.

 One Point Perspective

=TheGalleryOfEve asked recently about SLR settings and in particular, a troubleshooting article focusing on ISO. So here it is! Hopefully this article will help you to understand ISO better, whether a beginner or not.

What Is ISO?

ISO within traditional photography, was an indication of how sensitive a film was to light. Within digital photography it measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. Basically, the lower the number then the less your camera is sensitive to light. Higher ISO numbers are generally used in dark situations to get faster shutter speeds but this can often mean that your shots are noisier. ISO 100 is the most widely used and gives crisp shots with little to no grain. Shooting in automatic means that the camera will select the appropriate ISO for the situations that you are facing, and work out the rest for you to reduce noise as much possible. But it's when you start getting more technical and manual that it's important to understand how to get the best out of the setting for the best kind of shots. So, in summary ISO = the higher the number, the more sensitive to light your camera becomes.

Thinking about ISO

When thinking about ISO, consider the following:
Is my subject lit well already?
Is it moving, or likely to move?
Do I need a tripod?

Examples of situations that require higher ISO...

Sports events, particularly indoor ones, might require you to change your camera settings to get the best shots possible. Sporting events are most likely coupled with moving subjects, and often with poor lighting depending on what kind of setting you are in. A fast moving subject means limited light available, and thus ISO needs to be pushed higher.

Birthday parties are another great example of when a higher ISO is needed. Whether this is because you are taking photos of people dancing at a disco - and again this is important with wedding discos too - or whether you are capturing somebody blowing out candles. These sorts of opportunities can often be ruined by flash, and so pushing your ISO higher will help to compensate for that.

Churches are another situation that may require you to think more about your lighting and achieving the best possible shots. Often with poor lighting, or lit only by candles, they can be tricky subjects. Getting the best out of the environment you are given requires working with the settings to accurately capture the situation as it is presented to you.

Below are some fantastic tutorials, rather than write what others have already written, check them out. The video tutorial is a great visual accompaniment to understanding ISO and the chart below shows exactly how ISO should increase with situation - thanks to PetaPixel!

Previous Photography Troubleshooting Articles

Money Matters
Tripod or Not
The Watermark FAQ
From Snap to Pro
Lighting
Backgrounds
Noise
What Digital Camera?
Filters
Dull Images on dA
Winter Wildlife
Grouping People
Christmas Lights - Shooting them!
Photographing Food
Working with Mist
Capturing Autumn
Photographing Pets
Capturing Fireworks
Capturing Halloween
Photographing Babies
Capturing Snow
Being a People Person

For 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.
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 need to be built up over time. Bird Feeders strategically placed work wonders and even an old tripod with a little food for a Robin on could encourage that Christmas Card perfect shot to be captured. Check out Ten Tips for Photographing Robins for more ideas.
So Winter brings animals closer as they search for food and nourishment, but it also provides the perfect setting for moody, atmospheric and emotive shots. Early morning mist framing the outline of a Deer in a field makes a much prettier scene than usual. Early morning sunrises and early evening sunsets, especially on snow, can prove incredibly beautiful.
Winter is the fantastic time for capturing birds flying en masse. I've been lucky enough to see it just once, and not in any grand scale. But seeing birds dip and fly in formation, in a huge group, is just something else entirely. Starlings are the perfect candidate. Grab your telephoto lens and have your wide angle handy in case you're lucky enough to get a huge spread of birds flying, and snap away. To freeze fast moving flocks, a shutter speed of 1/500 seconds or faster is useful and use a large aperture and increase the ISO where necessary. If light levels are low, don't be disheartened. Choose a slower shutter speed and get a fantastic blurring effect.


If you don't have a garden, or you're not a haven for the animals of farthing wood, then don't despair! Many areas have lots of nature reserves that you can head to and utilise for the best shots ever! Many reserves set up feeding posts, wildlife cameras and hides so that there are plenty of chances to hunker down and get shots of incredible animals and nature.
Keep an eye out for the Squirrels. Here in the UK, they start to come into the gardens sometimes half a dozen at a time. They move fast, but if you can catch them flying, or eating - then it can work out quite well. Get creative with angles, get closer or use a wide angle to show your environment and your animals.

Winter means that a lot of animals have a thicker coat, birds have their most beautiful plummage and generally they can be at their best in terms of Photography. Make the most of this, find out if a local wolf trust has any open days for the public and see if you can tag along with the camera - this time of year is the best for photographing wolves as naturally as possible due to their coats often hiding collars.


As with all photographic subjects, the key is to get to know them before you start shooting. You'd do the same for a Wedding, a portrait shoot or even shooting still life. You learn your subject and work out how to capture it best. Spending time looking into the habits of the animals you want to shoot can sometimes turn out to be quite useful.

5 EXCUSES why you just can't do better!

You really want to, you've worked hard to develop the skills you have and you enjoy every minute of doing what you love. And besides, people say that your artworks are...nice. Cute. Doesn't that count for something? Sure it does, there is no reason to panic and pointlessly push yourself forward. Enjoy your coffee break!

Besides, even if you didn't like the current level as much, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it at the moment. So many unfortunate happenings stand right between you and your dream. Recognizing any of the following?

1 - You don't have the time

You're right! After all, you are a human being, not a machine, waking up early every morning, heading to school/work, afterwards taking care of the household/kids/your homework, studying, you barely even finish all the tasks during the 24 hours that's been given to everyone.

On the other hand, is there absolutely no way to squeeze in one hour to practice? What about that two hour lunch you have with your friend just to talk through all the pointless news? How about cutting a few minutes out of your gaming/tv time? Think harder, you'll realize that our time is distributed amongst things we WANT to do.

2 - You don't have enough money to buy proper supplies

Sure this is a valid point, I mean look at those artists and their work, they use such fancy paints and equipment that makes them achieve the best results without probably no work at all. Where would you get such material? Without such advantage, there is no point in trying.

On the other hand, have you seen those exceptionally awesome artists who work with nothing but pencil and paper? No the pencil is not magical, I'm sure you have one of those by your side right now. Pick it up, because this excuse has just expired.

3 - You're not talented enough

Of course, famous artists were born with different hands and eyes like yours, you have absolutely no artistic talent swimming inside your veins. You tried your best but your subjects are stiff, coloring just wrong, better to give up now before you make a fool out of yourself.

On the other hand, you still can't be sure whether you have the talent. You won't know that when your mom gives you pencils at 3, you won't know when you're trying to paint at 20 for the first time in years. You might find out perhaps after months / years of continuous training and practice. Only that and nothing but that can release and show your talent. The questions is, do you WANT to find out?

4 - Nobody supports nor likes your work

It gets tough when you're alone at what you do. You want to share your results but nobody seems to care, or - in a worse scenario - you meet the cruel reality of your family telling you that this is simply not your cup of tea. Have you ever had a sibling yell at you that you're just no good and should give it up right now? (I did ) How can one proceed with no support?

On the other hand, good luck basing your decisions on other people's opinions and preferences. Even your family, even if you love them, they have their own hobbies and taste in arts. When you make your peace with this, you are a big step ahead with your work, and you will be doing it only for yourself - this is the best motivation and it lasts whole life.

5 - There is too much competition

So you took the time to practice, obtained material that you can afford, risen above the talent rumors, made your peace with not having your family blessing and keep on making your artworks. However, it doesn't sell, there is no opportunity for exhibition right now, and online world is full of such brilliant artworks beyond compare. Too many great people around you, what's the point in trying?

On the other hand, THIS is exactly the point in trying harder. Competition hurts sometimes but it has one great side effect - motivation to beat it. If you never saw that brilliant illustration and so many people being excited about it, perhaps you would be on your coffee break again, thinking how you've mastered the craft already. And now you are working on yourself instead and that makes the tomorrow's YOU better.

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

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We all experience the loss of our muse from time to time. It can get quite challenging to even pick a subject for our next painting. What to paint, what to paint...However, staring at a blank canvas / paper won't make it better - in this article you might, hopefully, find a few ideas to explore.



         

Daily 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.

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, but there are many ways to do that. Something doesn't need to be technically perfect to be interesting and provocative. There are many different standards of what constitutes good art, and sometimes our opinions will differ. For example, sometimes, I want to show the world what is new and fresh in the photomanipulation community from talented, up-and-coming artists. These pieces may or may not meet your standard of "flawlessness," but they are creative, demonstrative of very solid technical skill, and worthy of attention. If you ever have a question about why a CV has featured something, feel free to note us, and we'll be pleased to tell you what attracted us to that particular deviation. But, please do not harass the artist. More about this topic later this week.

Myth 2: Getting a DD is about who you know.

Yes and no. Being a friend of a CV or staff member (yes, we do have friends!) does not make you a favorite for a DD. In fact, we are very careful when giving DDs to our friends because we know that people will cry favoritism if we are not! So, being our friends, or even simply being on our watch lists, may bring your art to our attention, but it does not increase your chances of receiving a DD.

People often wonder whether they need to be a CV's friend in order to suggest a DD, too. It's not the case. There is no such thing as having "the right person" suggest your deviation for a DD. To be honest, we don't even give any weight to who the suggester is, what their user symbol is, etc. Speaking for myself, I've even declined suggestions from other CVs before, and I've had mine declined.

Anyone can suggest a DD; in fact, you can suggest your own work as a DD! We even encourage self-suggestions! It is neither arrogant nor in poor taste to suggest yourself, and no one has to know. When you suggest yourself, we do not list you as the suggester, so you will not look like you are egotistical.

We very much enjoy and even prefer to give DDs to unknown artists. The truth is, it is PARTIALLY about who you know simply with respect to the fact that if we never see your work, we cannot DD it. Speaking for myself, I watch more than 200 groups and 900 individuals, and I plow through our galleries at least twice a day. But, it is impossible for any of us to see everything. Please, if you feel your work is worthy of a Daily Deviation, suggest yourself, or have someone you know and trust (ONE PERSON, not your entire watch list) suggest it for you.

Myth 3: If I complain loudly enough about not having a DD, I'll get one.

NO. We do not condone trying to pressure or guilt us into giving you a DD. If you want to know why you do not have a DD, ask us for a critique. We will be happy to point out where your strengths are and where you can improve. Who knows, maybe we'll see something in your gallery that we feel deserves a DD! Don't write a journal or a poll to cause drama over something that easily can be resolved without it. Doing so spreads negativity and does no one any good. Moreover, making a fuss about not having or getting a DD may make us less likely to give you one, assuming your work deserves it. If all anyone had to do to get a DD was write an upset journal about not having one, and if we gave in to those who did so, then dA would be full of negative journals. And we'd like to keep the place warm and cozy and conducive to artistic growth. Stick to the art; think llama, not drama!

Myth 4: I'm afraid to suggest. CVs are scary people.

Pssh. We're cuddly and loving and warm. Give us a chance.  We were regular members, too, and we will be regular members again very soon. We are not here to police you, judge you, or harass you. We are your cheerleaders and supporters. We want to promote you, and our main role is to serve as liaisons between you and the $taff of dA. Have YOU talked to a CV today?

Myth 5: CVs just ignore my notes.

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We're not ignoring. Promise! If you don't get a response, it's for one of a few reasons: (1) We have 20+ pages of notes, and we just haven't had a chance to reply to yours yet. (2) We don't have time to reply. Would you rather us spend time replying to your suggestion note or doing something positive for the community? (3) A lot of times, when we reply, people expect us to give them an answer about whether the suggestion will be featured. Sometimes we aren't ready to do that just yet, or we want to keep it a surprise. So, we don't answer.

Myth 6: Some things (e.g. stock, icons, pixel art, nudity) are not "art" and should not get DDs.

Seriously? Who are we to say what is and is not art? Moreover, have you looked at the the galleries you are criticizing lately and taken the time to explore the work that goes into creating those deviations? Do you know the details, the intricacies . . . the techniques? We will have a series of articles on this issue very soon, so I won't belabor it now. Suffice it to say that it's wonderful to live in a world in which we all have differing opinions, tastes, and preferences and to have an art site that embraces our diversity.

Myth 7: If I get all my friends to suggest my latest deviation for a DD, or if I send suggestion notes to more than 1 CV, my chances of getting a DD will improve.

That's just not true. Also, intentional multiple suggestions will likely frustrate us and decrease your chances of getting a DD. Really. One is enough, and we DO look at every suggestion we get. If we aren't going to feature it on the first suggestion, we are definitely not going to feature it on the fifty-first.

Myth 8: The 6-month rule [i.e. one DD per six months] doesn't apply to me.

Uh, yes it does.

Myth 9: Those who suggest lots of DDs get their names known among the CVs and get more DDs themselves.

This is kind-of true. Sort-of. Speaking for myself personally, I frequently visit the galleries of people who suggest DDs to me. That's because I am a "give-and-take" kind of person; if you are willing to give someone else a shot at a DD, I'm willing to consider your work as well. But, I think what it boils down to is that, if you are "putting yourself out there" and being a part of the community, you are more likely to be seen and recognized. That doesn't mean that you can't be unknown and still get a DD. It just goes back to what I said above: If we don't see your work, we can't give you a DD. And even though we search and watch and wait and check our messages, looking for unknown artists, there are some things that slip by us. Visibility is important, though it is certainly not everything. Oh, and I will also say that we prefer quality over quantity in DD suggestions. We prefer 1 good suggestion over 10 mediocre suggestions any day, so please don't start tossing every deviation our way just to try to gain visibility; you might end up frustrating us.

Myth 10: DDs are just a popularity contest.

See the point, above, about it not mattering how many people suggest your deviations, or who suggests it, or whether you are friends with a given CV. It doesn't matter how many page views or watchers you have. What matters is the art. I can name 5 people off the top of my head who get less than 100 faves on most of their deviations but have multiple DDs to their name. You don't have to be known, but you DO have to be VISIBLE. Again, we search and search, but no one can find everything. So, I would recommend you post in groups, make some friends by supporting their art, and of course suggest your own work if you really feel that you don't have enough "popularity" to receive a DD. Oh, and I should also note that getting a DD does not make you popular. In fact, it can have the opposite effect.

Myth 11: You have to have a DD before you can be a CV.

Nope, not true. There are several of us on the team who have never had a DD. And furthermore, we don't have to all be immaculate artists, either. We just have to care, have some time to share with dA, be motivated and knowledgeable, and love this community.

Myth 12: DDs are a prize you need to "win."

Wrong. It is a one-day feature designed to expose your work to a wider audience.

Myth 13: DDs are a great way to get feedback on your work.

Oh goodness no! No, no, no! We try to DD things that are clearly finished, not works in progress. Why? Because receiving a DD unfortunately makes you a magnet for people who just want to criticize your work. You WILL receive feedback--wanted or unwanted. But, we've seen people get torn apart for receiving DDs as well as people get praised and boosted in popularity. Feedback is important to helping you improve, but this may not be the type of feedback you are looking for, nor is it the purpose of the DD.

Myth 14: Only people who have a ton of views get DDs.

This goes back to what we were saying above. It has nothing whatsoever to do with their popularity. It has to do with their exposure. So, get involved in dA! Join groups! Come to a critique event! Talk to your CVs and your fellow deviants! Join contests, and participate in critique groups! If nothing else, write journals and display others' work, and make sure to tell them about it! Do something, anything, to get involved. When you are involved and have exposure, people start to take more notice of your art. Regardless, please note that "unseen" artists with very few faves and DDs get featured as well. In fact, we enjoy featuring them.

Myth 15: Suggesting DDs helps improve your chances of getting senior status.

I'm not equipped to talk about seniority with any sense of authority, except to refer you to the FAQs about it: FAQ #29: How do I become a Senior Member?




Many thanks to the deviants who brought these myths to my attention!

We hope this clears up at least the major misconceptions about Daily Deviations. Above all, we hope it will help you feel more confident in suggesting yourself or others! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or any of the other CVs: FAQ #18: Who selects Daily Deviations and how are they chosen?

Thanks, and enjoy DD Week!




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1. - WHAT IS COLOR?

The human eye and brain together translate light into color. Light receptors within the eye transmit messages to the brain, which produces the familiar sensations of color. Newton observed that color is not inherent in objects. Rather, the surface of an object reflects some colors and absorbs all the others. We perceive only the reflected colors. Thus, red is not "in" an apple. The surface of the apple is reflecting the wavelengths we see as red and absorbing all the rest. An object appears white when it reflects all wavelengths and black when it absorbs them all.

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"Colors are the deeds of light, its deeds and sufferings."

(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

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Red, green and blue are the additive primary colors of the color spectrum. Combining balanced amounts of red, green and blue lights also produces pure white. By varying the amount of red, green and blue light, a wide range of the colors in the visible spectrum can be produced.

The human eye can perceive more variations in warmer colors than cooler ones. About 8% of men and 1% of women have some form of color impairment. Most people with color deficiencies aren't aware that the colors they perceive as identical appear different to other people. Most still perceive color, but certain colors are transmitted to the brain differently.

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"Color is a powerful physical, biological, and psychological force. When less color and less intense color is present, trace amounts and subtle differences become highly significant and are strongly felt. "

(John Paul Caponigro)

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2. - HOW DOES COLOR AFFECT US?

Color is light and light is energy. Scientists have found out that actual physiological changes take place in human beings when they are exposed to certain colors. Colors can stimulate, excite, depress, tranquilize, increase appetite and create a feeling of warmth or coolness. This is known as chromodynamics. 

Experiencing color is both objective and subjective - our personal and cultural associations affect this experience. Colors are seen as warm or cool mainly because of long-held (and often universal) associations. Yellow, orange and red are associated with the heat of sun and fire; blue, green and violet with the coolness of leaves, sea and the sky. Warm colors seem closer to the viewer than cool colors, but vivid cool colors can overwhelm light and subtle warm colors. Using warm colors for foreground and cool colors for background enhances the perception of depth.

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"It is the eye of ignorance that assigns a fixed and unchangeable color to every object; beware of this stumbling block."

(Paul Gauguin)

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Although red, yellow and orange are in general considered high-arousal colors and blue, green and most violets are low-arousal hues, the brilliance, darkness and lightness of a color can alter the psychological message. While a light blue-green appears to be tranquil, wet and cool, a brilliant turquoise, often associated with a lush tropical ocean setting, will be more exciting to the eye. The psychological association of a color is often more meaningful than the visual experience.

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"Red is a color I've felt very strongly about. Maybe red is a very Indian color, maybe it's one of those things that I grew up with and recognize at some other level."

(Anish Kapoor)

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Colors act upon the body as well as the mind. Red has been shown to stimulate the senses, raise the blood pressure, increase the appetite and is also associated with danger and anger. Blue, on the other hand, calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure and orderly, but it can create feelings of sadness or aloofness. Blue lowers the pulse rate and body temperature. Green is a cool color that symbolizes nature, represents health, good luck, inspiration but also jealousy. It is thought to relieve stress and helps heal. Yellow is a bright color, often described as cheery and warm, but quite fatiguing to the eye. While it's stimulating and represents energy, it can create feelings of frustration or anger. Purple represents nobility, royalty, wealth, wisdom and spirituality. Purple does not often occur in nature, it can sometimes appear exotic or artificial. This color, especially shades of violet, will definitely make a statement. 

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(Edgar Degas)

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Brown is a natural color that evokes a sense of strength and reliability, bringing to mind feelings of warmth, comfort and security. Brown is considered a neutral color. Orange is an energetic color, bringing out excitement and enthusiasm. It is often used to draw attention, it's easier on the eyes as yellow but not as bold as red. Pink is essentially a light red, it's often associated with love and romance. It is thought to have a calming effect.

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"With all their damned talk of modern painting, I've been forty years discovering that the queen of all colours is black!"

(Pierre-Auguste Renoire)

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Black and White are not colors from the physical point of view, the first one absorbing all light in the color spectrum, the other reflecting all. Black is often used as a symbol of menace and evil, but it is also popular as an indicator of power. In many cultures, it associates with death and mourning; in ancient Egypt, it represented life and rebirth. In fashion, black is used for its slimming quality and associates with elegance. White represents purity and innocence, also hope. It is described as cold, bland and sterile. White helps reduce any nagging feelings of disappointment or drudge.

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3. - COLOR HARMONY

In art as well as music, harmony comes from a pleasing arrangement of the parts. The science of color harmony categorizes colors and determines harmonious groupings, but where science becomes art is in knowing how to use these colors, in what proportions and in what order.

In color and music, contrasts intensify each other. Complementary colors bring out the attributes of each other. White becomes brighter on a black background, blue enhances the warmth of orange; opposite hues are especially attention-getting. This hue contrast can cause tension in the image, if you are using fully saturated colors. Complementary colors can be brought into harmony by reducing the saturation or by mixing a little of each color with the other.

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This tension is at its strongest when large areas of complementary colors touch, this effect is known as simultaneous contrast. For the most part, it's visually disturbing and should be avoided. Separating large areas of complementary colors with a thin line of neutral white, gray or black will diminish the effect.

Varying the saturation or brightness of a color can cause light and dark contrasts. By simply working with complementary and analogous colors, a harmonious color scheme can easily be created. Pay attention to the saturation and brightness of the colors to prevent unexpected contrasts or to create intentional ones. If two colors are equal in saturation and proportions, the dominant color will be the one whose brightness is furthest from the background's. Similarly, if two colors have identical brightness, the dominant color will be the one whose saturation deviates more from that of the background.

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DDs: The deviantART definition

So, as the title says, What in the world IS a Daily Deviation (DD), anyway?

You know what deviantART says about it, right? Under FAQ #61: What is a Daily Deviation? it says:

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.

That says nothing about a DD being a perfect specimen of art-- in fact, it doesn't even use the word "art" at all. Basically, as CVs, when we are giving a DD, we are doing so because we think the image is interesting and well-done and deserves your attention. It may be technically exquisite. It may be technically quite good but exceptionally thought-provoking. It may be exceedingly creative. It may be all of these things! Above all else, it should stand out in some way from others in that medium or gallery.

But, that's what WE think. And in fact, I dare not even say "we," because every CV thinks differently. But the point of this article is to find out, what do YOU, the community members, think a DD is? Let's explore!

Community Insights: What is a DD?

We asked several community members how they would define "Daily Deviation." Here are their responses:

"To me, a Daily Deviation is an award crossed with feature given to deviations which are unique, interesting, and hopefully something most people on deviantART will enjoy (which is why they're posted in certain places for all to see)."

"In my opinion it's a large scale feature, It's not like an award or something to compete of; it's more like an opportunity to let all the members of DA see what you can do."

"Daily Deviation to me is work that is almost seamless, above others in thought and technique. Unique in stature. The kind of piece when someone sees it is inspired to do their own art. Something inspiring creativity. I believe there are many different mediums of this but I know in the past I have seen some Daily Deviations and thought 'wow I wish I had thought of that idea'. To me that is the true meaning behind something deserving. I see it and I love it and I think, damn I wish I had thought of it, but it is either so unique, different, artistic or something special that inspires me to begin a new piece!"

"I think that DD is a cool 'trophy' that recognizes the artists' efforts to make a better art!"

"A DD for me are an artwork who gets recognition to be an exceptional good when it comes to creativity, imagination, and execution. Then if there is an 'famous' artist or not doesn't matter, this is only about the artwork itself!"

"In my opinion a Daily Deviation is something kinda 'perfect' that has to be stunning in its own category. I am trying to explain better... Of course for a DD I wouldn't like to see any flaw, everything should be good, but I think at first it has to be something that hits you, that leaves you breathless for the emotions that it makes you feel. Obviously, a conceptual work would be different from a fantasy one; no need to shine or to glow to express a concept. At first this kind of works, like the minimalism manipulations, seem less edited at people eyes, or easy to do. But that doesn't mean they are not breathtaking. I don't know if you got what I want to explain... DD= Good technique (not necessarily perfection) + I have to feel something looking at the piece, judging its category. When I think about stocks images, like textures, brushes, pngs... I would give DDs for their utilities. Sometimes, when I search for some stocks and I find what I need I say: This DD is well deserved! I would say that everything I said is also for the other works, like photographies for example, or paintings. I don't about these arts so emotions are what I would like to feel."

"A Daily Deviation is a very special feature given to an artist's piece of work that has an exceptional quality and meaning to it."

"A DD is a piece of art that is exceptional. It's well done, amazing even. It is supposed to wow the viewer and make jaws drop. The best of its 'craft'. That is what I think a DD is."

"A DD to me is a award given to artists that have proven great ability of their work by either being different or doing a great job with their work."

"To me a DD is an artwork I can look at and go WOW, That's amazing!!! DD's must stand out from the everyday."

"A DD for me is when I see a picture as fascinates me. An artwork that somehow captures my attention in a positive direction. It can be a pretty picture - a funny picture - a dark image and so on. It can be an image that is very well done and is therefore worthy of attention."

"DD's are myth and legend. They represent artists and art that show outstanding understanding of their genre, weather its photography baby portraits, concept art to ice sculpture and all in between. Personally I love DD's that tell a story, is complete in concept and execution and the artist shows a true understanding of their craft."

"For me a Daily Deviation is an artwork that stands out in these things: originality, expression, concept, technique and very important: the empathy that it calls from the people who see it. You got to FEEL something when you watch at it, feel shaken inside. It needs to catch you in the heart... that's for me more important for a DD than technique itself."

"To me (when I suggest DD's) a DD is an art work that both invokes some sort of feeling or sensation in me as a viewer, as well as an artwork that I find well executed, with a good blend of atmosphere & merging of techniques. The subject/theme of the art work itself can vary quite a lot, as I can appreciate the artfulness and great technique even if the subject/theme of the art work is something I would not have chosen myself. A DD is NOT a popularity contest no matter what people tend to say. It is only a way for others to appreciate an art work that another person found worthy enough to share by suggesting it as a DD."


Thank you to `AutumnsGoddess, =FP-Digital-Art, =ChisSweetArt, =CindysArt, =hybridgothica, `IdaLarsenArt, =LuzTapia, =mippieArt, *MoodyBlue, =NiAnluain, =SweediesArt, =michelle--renee, `miontre, and *XilaPhoenixArt!

Synthesis

Some of you think that DDs should be specimens of near-perfection. Others think they should be striking but, more importantly, meaningful. They should be inspiring, thought-provoking, and/or beautiful. All of you seem to feel they should be kept to a standard that is very high but still inspiring enough to be within our reach.

Still, there really is no concrete, hard-and-fast "rule" or "checklist" for what makes a good Daily Deviation. The beauty of dA is that it takes ALL kinds of artists to make it work, and life would indeed be dull if we didn't give every gallery an opportunity to shine. We will discuss this issue and others in upcoming articles this week!

Thanks for reading, and happy deviating!


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