Hi folks! 
First off, thank you so much to all for the great response I got in my latest journal, it has been the most commented one in this mini series so far and I can guess why. I know is a theme many can relate to, and I know as I've been there too. This journal will be half  a continuation from the previous one and also some kind of reply.

In case you missed them, here are my previous journals about DDs:

My Stance on Daily Deviations
To Select or not to select
Suggester's Frustrations

Re: Suggester's Frustrations

There's something I really should have included in my last journal, so I'll say it now: Remember that first and foremost, suggesting DDs should be FUN.  Don't lose focus, remember that your main motivation to do it should be to give exposure to art that deserves to be seen, but also keep in mind that is nobody's obligation and shouldn't be a weight or a source of headaches to anyone, so the moment it starts to be frustrating for you for whatever reason, then is time to stop for a moment, take a deep breath and try to see things in a more relaxing manner. It's not going to be the end of the world if your suggestion doesn't get selected, if you never receive a reply back or your suggestion gets selected but you don't appear as the suggester, etc. Try to don't take things way too seriously, don't give more importance to details that aren't important and try to don't jump into conclusions right away. No, the CVs aren't trying to make your life miserable, we aren't trying to be rude or unfair on purpose. If you're going to assume something, assume we are humans and make mistakes and if we ever do something that might seem unfair for you, assume we didn't do it with that intention.
ENJOY suggesting art. Know that by doing it, you're officially an amazing deviant who went out of their way and took some time to do something nice for somebody else, and all this regardless of the end result.

You won't like all DDs all the time, so stop expecting that.

In the last journal people mentioned their main frustration with DDs was because of the art featured. Some of the reasons: already popular deviants being featured,  because of the perceived lack of quality, the number of mature deviations (nudes or gore, etc) or because some galleries are more prominent than others, among some other reasons. One deviant even mentioned them being a popularity contest full of ass kissery and whining. There was also a deviant who didn't like my gifs, so from now on I'll stop using gifs in my journals.


Yeah right! :P

In all seriousness... all of these reasons are valid. I believe you're entitled to your opinion and that's ok, I respect that. It's something very subjective so everybody thinks different. It's something I won't discuss today, maybe for another journal. I just wanted to say one thing.
 
It's my belief that the reason for the frustration of many, is because they expect ALL Daily Deviations will be of their likeness, and when you expect this you're setting yourself for disappointment. Spoiler: you won't like all of them. A number between 30 to 40+ deviations get featured everyday  and it's impossible you'll like them all because all of us have different taste and our personal definitions of what's great differs.

I'm not saying you shouldn't have big expectations from them, but I think is wise to don't expect you'll like them all, so what to do? Don't focus on those, I'm pretty sure that among the DDs for the day you'll see at least one or two you will like. Focus on those!

I don't want to sound like "Don't like it? Don't watch it", (honestly I've never liked that attitude, it doesn't do much to resolve a situation, and I know ignoring problems doesn't solve them) but once again, try to don't take this whole DD bussines too seriously. It's not going to kill you to ignore a deviation you don't like. There comes the point when if anything else fails, maybe the best you can do is to stop watching  for your own sake and focus on other things, after all nobody is demanding you to see anything, you're frustrating yourself because you want.

Before we fight, let's discuss

If for any reason you still seem to don't be able to ignore a featured deviation, I can assure you CVs will always be happy to discuss with you the reasons for their selections, just remember to remain civil about it. Also remember is better to keep this out of the deviation itself, the featured deviant didn't choose to be featured, send us a note!

So, to close: suggesting, watching and receiving Daily Deviations should be first and foremost an enjoyable experience. Relax a bit! Breathe! Drama, misunderstandings, mistakes and awkward situations will come, but an issue here and there shouldn't spoil your day. Remember DDs are indeed something great and they're an important part of the site, but at the same time, at the end of the day they're just features for 24 hours, don't give the issues regarding them an importance they don't have for your everyday DA experience.

Hope this will help prevent you some frustration in the future, at least some of it Have a nice week everyone!

Welcome to a new journal in this mini series about Daily Deviations. In the first one I let you know about what I think DDs represent, and then about some of my personal criteria to select them.

Now is time to focus on the suggesters. Those amazing (almost always human) beings who take a moment of their lives to go the extra mile when finding an amazing deviation and suggest it for consideration as a Daily Deviation. Ya know? I wouldn't be able to feature so many amazing art on my own! So before anything else, I want to take a moment to thank all the amazing people who suggest. Thank you guys!



As a person who also suggests DDs once in a while,  I do understand the frustration suggesters often get. So I would like in this occasion to explain some of the reasons why these situations happen, I hope this will help you see the complete picture.

My suggestion got featured, however I didn't appear as the suggester / It got featured by a different CV

The reason is actually very simple. It's quite common to receive multiple suggestions for the same piece, by different people. When this happens CVs have various options. Some may opt to list only the person who suggested it first. Others might add a note in the DD description "Also suggested by ____". If the suggestions were too many, maybe the note could be simply "Suggested by many deviants" etc. Also remember some galleries have more than one CV, so it's quite possible another deviant suggested the same piece to another CV and then got featured. Sometimes can be even more complicated. In my case I schedule several DDs in advance, sometimes weeks. In the meantime the deviation gets featured I may receive more notes suggesting said piece. Going back to the deviation to edit the description can, at times, be complicated, confusing and time consuming. Why not investing my time in checking fresh suggestions instead of making sure every single suggester gets listed so I won't offend anyone?

In every case I think is important to remember that what should matter is that the art you thought deserved to be featured, GOT featured. I'm saying this in the most respectful way: it's not about YOU, is about the ART. I do think is important to give credit to the person who suggested the piece, but the whole point of Daily Deviations is to show great art, not the people who suggested them. If your motivation to suggest DDs is to appear as the suggester so you can get a little extra exposure, maybe you should reconsider your reasons to do it.

I suggest a lot, but my suggestions never get featured

I wish I could say something more inspiring, but maybe the reason why your suggestions aren't picked is as simple as because your personal criteria to determine if a deviation is awesome may differ from the given CV. This includes the skill level from the artist, the exposure the deviation already has and even personal taste.  I said in my previous journal that I do try to leave my personal taste out of the way as much as I can, however is also true that that's impossible. This is a subjective system and ultimately, is the CVs decision to feature the art they want. Try to know your CVs, check their favourites and the DDs they've featured. That way you'll get to know their taste and the art they like to feature. Most CVs have their personal guidelines listed somewhere in their profiles, read them! Another thing that always helps is to give your reason why you think the deviations should be featured. They do work! I've found myself featuring art that at first glance doesn't have anything special, but a good reason can make me change my mind.

Also remember the CVs have very high standards, for as much as you like the deviation, if technically is below average it's unlikely it'll get featured. Yes, the skill level is very subjective, but I don't think you need a degree in Graphic Arts to know when an artwork is not DD material.

Not everything is lost though, fortunately there are some galleries (like literature or Traditional Art for instance) that have more than one CV, more people with different criteria and taste for you to send your suggestions to! If you know for sure your suggestion won't get featured by someone, try sending it to another one.

I never get a response / The CV takes ages to reply

There are a couple of things you should always have in mind.
First off, CVs are VOLUNTEERS. We dedicate some of our free time to do what we do here with no obligation whatsoever, and some of us have school to attend, papers to write and/or a full time job, etc. Some even have family, kids or a husband! (you need to feed them and whatnot). What I'm trying to say is that we love the community and all, but some of us have more or less time to dedicate to it than others. We don't even have the obligation to feature DDs everyday. I know it sounds shocking, but it's true! Also remember DDs are only a portion of what we do as volunteers, and some may opt to do other activities instead of selecting DDs. I also know many CVs who are incredibly active backstage. So remember that a CV who doesn't feature DDs in a daily basis or never replies to their notes doesn't mean they're lazy or they aren't doing their job.

With that in mind, every CV is free to handle their suggestions differently. Some (like me) try to reply to every note, others don't. I know is polite to reply but some CVs are more busy outside DA than others, so maybe some of us don't have time to reply to all our suggestions. It's also worth mentioning that the number of suggestions we receive varies greatly. Some galleries are more busy than others, the range could go from 1 (or none) to dozens a day! That can also give you an idea why some volunteers may not reply to your note, or take a long time to do it.  Have a little patience!

In any case, remember you can always know when your note was already read, when the icon goes from to Even if you don't get a reply you can know if it was already read.

A note about the categories

Now comes the situation of sending your suggestions to the incorrect CV. Remember every category within DA has a CV assigned to it and you should always address your suggestions to the volunteers accordingly. You can always check either FAQ 18: Who selects the Daily Deviation and how is it chosen? or the Community Relations blog, before sending your suggestion.

But there are also times when I receive suggestions for deviations from the Digital Art gallery, so the deviant sent it to me as expected, but then the deviations is actually Anthro,  Manga or Fanart, etc. I get sometimes a deviation can fit several categories, like a digital cartoon can be in the Comics & Cartoons gallery, but it can also very well be in Digital Art, after all is a digital drawing, technically is not incorrect. It's something that I also consider case-by-case, however there are times when no matter how you want to put it, the deviation is a miscat. A good example are fanarts. I know you might think a fanart made with digital mediums could be in the Digital Art gallery, but if the subject and/or scene is based in a TV show, movie, anime, book, etc. then is fanart and it should be in the fanart gallery, so if I receive one of these, it doesn't matter if it was submitted to the Digital Art gallery, I'll redirect you to the fanart CVs.

So what to do? As a suggester you should stick to send the note to the volunteer according to the deviation's category, but if you consider the deviation is a miscat, send it over to the appropiate CV and explain it beforehand.


At the end I think is a matter of understanding each other and putting ourselves in the shoes of the other. In closing: remember volunteers are that, VOLUNTEERS. We do our best but this isn't a job. Every CV is different so it's always best to don't expect the same response from everyone. On the other hand, know that (and I think I can talk for all the CVs here) it's never our intention to be rude, but sometimes situations present themselves and misunderstandings happen. If you ever have a doubt or want a clarification on a particular situation you can always send us a note! We don't bite!

Hey wazaaaaaap!



In my last journal I talked about my stance on Daily Deviations. In this occasion I'll tell you some of the reasons that make me choose some artworks, and the reasons that make me not choose others. Hopefully it will be interesting for some, useful for others or simply a good reading if you're really boring.

What makes me choose a deviation to be featured?
Such a simple question with such an indefinite answer, and I apologize in advance for giving such a vague response but I'll put it simple: Sometimes not even I know!


There's not a secret formula I have to determine if a piece is going to be featured or not, sometimes I really have a hard time making a decision and it really is a case-by-case situation. The deviation needs to STAND OUT, be different, have that "wow" factor. Unfortunately this is very difficult to explain. However there are at least a couple misconceptions I want to clarify:

"It's only about being technically well done."

False. Yes, I do take technical skill into account, I have a very high standard when it comes to execution and presentation, and it's very improbable I'll select a deviation if I consider it to be below average. However the given piece may be anatomically accurate, incredibly detailed or is so realistic you could swear is a photograph, but that alone doesn't make me choose it immediatly. There are times when a deviation is technically well done, but it looks dull, boring or it simply doesn't stand out from others of the same type. A striking theme, an original concept and/or a story behind an image also have a lot to play in the game. This doesn't mean either that a very good concept but poorly executed will likely get featured, it's really a combination and a good balance between the two. So yeah, as I said, is a case-by-case situation.

"It only depends if I like it or not."

Haha! I wish it was that simple!


 But no, false again. In fact, sometimes I might decide to feature something I don't personally like but that I consider it should be featured. On the other hand, in numerous times I also decide to don't feature a particular deviation despite the fact that I love it. Why? First off, there are a lot more aspects I consider, (I'll explain some of them further on, so keep reading), secondly, I know not everybody share my taste, and that's ok! Besides, how boring would it be featuring the same everyday? If I say I completely leave my personal taste out of the equation I would be lying though, but it never represents the 100% of my decision factor.


What makes me NOT choose a deviation to be featured?
Ironically, it's a lot more easy to answer this one There are many reasons but the two most important are:

Previous DDs

Did you know the most common reason why I decide to turn down a suggestion is because the suggested deviant have a lot of DDs already? Sometimes I receive suggestions for deviants with 4, 5 or even more. Personally, it's very, very, VERY unlikely I'll give another DD to these artists even if the last one was from more than 6 months ago. Yes, I know this might sound unfair, but let me sing you the song of my people explain my position.


Digital Art is a very large gallery, with a very large number of artists submitting to it everyday, and there are tons of amazingly talented deviants out there waiting to be discovered who don't even have one DD. I know there are some categories within the site that are smaller, but unlike those, I don't see much point in featuring the same artists in a community as large as Digital Art. I very much prefer to give the feature to those artist who have never been featured, than giving yet another one to one who already have 5.

Of course this isn't a rigid rule, there are a lot of aspects I consider. Maybe the given artist only have one DD, and it's from 2007, enough time has passed. Maybe the artists has improved significantly since the last one. Maybe the artist have other DDs but none of them were given to digital art pieces. Maybe despite all else, the deviation SCREAMS to be featured. You see the point, I might do some exceptions, but they aren't the rule.

Exposure

This is a very relative subject.  I know a deviation with 2,000 favourites or 10,000 views might seem like "popular" but really, in a community of more than 20 million users, those numbers are relative. If 10,000 deviants already saw the deviation, that only means there are 19,990,000 deviants left who haven't seen it yet. (yes, fictional numbers, but you get the point) So in conclusion: I don't mind featuring "popular" deviants, however this "popularity" thing combined with other aspects might help me reach a decision either way. For example, a deviant you constantly see in the frontpage, who already has 2 DDs and reaching the 3,000 favourites with every submission, it's improbable I'll feature something from them. Another good example are those deviations "Popular of all time". What's the point in giving them a DD status? They already have a very large piece of the cake.


Maybe you're thinking, these two points have little to nothing to do directly with the deviation itself... so why taking them into consideration? As I mentioned before, this gallery is huge and I receive more suggestions than I can feature everyday. Not that I'm complaining, I love receiving them, but please understand I can't choose all of them! I wish I could! But I can't.  So I need a filter. Besides, if you think about it, in both cases it's because I consider the deviation already have its well deserved exposure.

There are also some other aspects, like clichés, themes or concepts that have been presented countless times before, very unlikely I'll feature those either. I know nothing is really original nowadays, but at least try to present it in a refreshingly way!

So what happens to those unselected suggestions then? A Daily Deviation shouldn't be the end of the road. They're nice, absolutely, but they shouldn't be your final goal. There are more ways you and I can give more exposure to the art we consider deserves it. I want to remind you that I'm actively using my tumblr to share some amazing digital art, and I recently started a new features series called Digitally Delicious in both places I feature some of these unselected suggestions, so it's not the end of the world.



So! That's all for today! On the next journal: some tips, things you might not now and myths about DDs. Until next time!

Daily Deviations. Just a portion of what we do as volunteers, but probably one of the most visible.
There are a few things to be said about them, but instead of writing a big ass entry you won't read anyway,  I decided to write a mini series of journals regarding some of these points, giving you some tips, some opinions and hopefully igniting some healthy discussion. Sounds like fun?

So, the first item on the agenda: my stance on them.

Everybody has their own perception of what a Daily Deviation is. I know FAQ 61 tells us the official definition of what a daily deviation is; "A feature chosen by a group of volunteers or staff members."  A FEATURE, that's it! That's what a daily deviation is right? Yes. But  I also understand that they're not just your everyday features. This little detail of being chosen by staff  and  put in a dedicated place very visible to all the community makes them special. (main reason why sometimes people complain about them). Even when being "just a feature", it's also true that they have a personal connotative meaning, people see them in a different way: some consider them a huge honor. Others think of them as some sort of "trophies", or that they're given to you if you are "good enough".  Some think they're just another part of this big popularity contest. Many others don't give a crap.

Something similar applies to the people who select them; some consider them a way to give exposure to the lesser known, an opportunity to introduce amazing artists, show amazing art or bring awareness about a theme or an art genre. And of course every volunteer has their own criteria when selecting them.

This is how I see Daily Deviations:

For me, Daily Deviations are the representatives of the site's galleries.

Think for a moment if you were about to introduce deviantart.com to someone who has never heard of the site before, and you can only show them a portion of it. What would you choose to show them?

Well, personally I would choose the Daily Deviations page.

This is an art site, so the obvious would be to show them the art, and while I could choose to show them the frontpage, which is also a good option, I would go with Daily Deviations. Why? In a single page with around 30 to 40 features a day, you can see most of the galleries represented there. Usually you can find at least one for each of the following: Traditional and Digital Art, Literature, Design & Interfaces, a great variety of Photographic works, Emoticons, Wallpapers, Anime & Manga, Artisan Crafts, etc.

Most of the galleries are represented each day in the Daily Deviations, which makes them something like the galleries ambassadors if you will.

I'm the volunteer for Digital Art, so what I try to do through my selections is to represent the gallery as a whole. Digital Art is one of the most popular galleries within the site, there is a great variety of works from a lot of genres and themes, from an equally varied group of artists of different skill levels and experience, professional, semi-professional and amateur. I try to represent all that with my selections, so I might choose deviations from different themes, techniques and even skill levels. (I do have a very high standard when it comes to technical presentation of course, but sometimes a strong concept or a very striking theme can be a decisive factor even if the technical level isn't precisely the top of the top. )

Also, Daily Deviations should show you something you don't see everyday.

The purpose of the frontpage (set to "Popular") is to show art that is popular be by the theme, the technique or the author. You'll always find some amazing art there, but it's also quite probable you'll see the same artists, the same subjects and the same categories there, quite often. It's driven by popularity after all.
But unlike the frontpage, which is generated automatically, I think DDs should aim to show you art you don't see everyday. Daily Deviations set a spotlight on a particular piece for 24 hours and when your art is exposed to millions of users, 24 hours can make a huge difference. So why setting this spotlight to something similar to what you already see everyday? I think DDs should aim to show you an artist, an artwork and/or an art form that probably you woudn't notice otherwise.

I mentioned a couple of journals ago, that I receive a great number of suggestions from Painting & Airbrushing > Fantasy. I understand Fantasy is a very popular theme, but there are many, many sub categories within Digital Art; Conceptual, Political, Surreal, Pop Art, Abstract, Horror & Macabre, and a large etcetera. Also remember I also take suggestions for Drawings and Mixed Media. What about those? If I aim to represent the gallery as a whole,  I want all those genres and mediums to be present also, if not everyday at least on a more constant basis.  Don't take this, however, as I'm going to get mad or I won't select your suggestions if they come from Fantasy. Not at all! But you're always encouraged to go and look for a more wide variety of themes when looking for works to suggest!

So, as mentioned, a DD is a feature, but as opposed to everyday features you and I can make in our journals, choosing works simply because we like them, for me it takes way more than just my own personal taste, if I like a deviation or not, to determine if I'm going to feature it or not.

The next theme I want to touch is precisely my selection process and the most common reasons why I don't select some suggestions. See you on the next journal!

Hello people! OMG I can't believe is finally friday!

It's Digital Art Month at #ArtHistoryProject!
The team is already covering some historic moments of Digital Art, some features and other interesting stuff. From my part, I want to take "history" from a different perspective and focus on our personal stories as artists. And I need your help!

I want you to tell me how much you think you've improved  over the years, as digital artists. It would be great if you could answer one, more or all of the following questions:
- How much time have you been doing digital art?
- What do you think are your main improvements over these past years?
- What helped you improve?
- Has DA helped you in any way during this process?

If you want to share your story COMMENT IN THIS JOURNAL WITH A SHORT TEXT, remember nobody likes to read walls of text, so try to be concise Also, include some of your oldest pieces and then some of your newest to compare! (It doesn't need to be a remake of an old deviation) I'll make an article (or series of articles, depending on the level of response I get) with your stories!


I'll start! To give you an example:

"I've been doing digital art for 7 years, precisely when I joined DA back in 2005. My first digital drawings were done using vectors with Corel Draw and then colored with Photoshop in a very simplistic way. I think I've improved greatly with the level of detail I give to my creations; my style has never been on the realistic side, however I think my characters have more... "shape" now. Another big step is the use of textures and different layer modes to create different effects.
I would say that what motivated me to improve was being exposed to a great amount of amazingly talented artists on the internet; before joining DA I was pretty much unaware such talent existed to this level.  deviantArt has played an enormous role in my development as artist, through tutorials or simply by observing others' work. "

GUYS! Before anything else, there's an important annoucement I want to make.


That's it. Thank you.



Just wanted to let you guys know that the end of Chapter I will end next October 25th. Just 4 more pages to go! After that the comic will go to a (hopefully) small hiatus. Take it as a season finale or sumthing ;P

I'm working on Chapter II but I need to sort other stuff out first. I hope to resume regular weekly updates again probably by the end of november/early december. Thanks for your patience!




It's Digital Month at #ArtHistoryProject! Be sure to watch the group because October will be filled with digital deliciousnesses.

So far you can already check:


• Pixel Art in Real Life
• Art made with MS Paint
• Milestones of Digital Art

For those who still don't know me... Hi! I'm Thiefoworld, but you can call me Thiefo, for short. I'm a graphic designer, a freelance illustrator and also an amateur comicker. I also like hamsters.

I'll be one of your Community Volunteers for DIGITAL ART from today and until my term ends, until I die or (if the mayans were right) until next Dec. 21st. Whatever happens first.

This is actually my second time as a volunteer. I was a Gallery Moderator (as they used to be called back then) for Comics & Cartoons alongside `majnouna from 2009 to 2010. It was an amazing experience, I learned a lot of valuable lessons, engaged with the community to a new level  and made some awesome friends. I also received a permanent Premium Membership and a tick for it.  So obviously I 'm impatient to do it all over again!

I guess some things have changed since my last term, so I'll take things slowly for now, re-learning all this volunteer business, but keep an eye on this space to see what will happen in the near future, my dear digital art community :3

However what you can already do is send me your DD Suggestions! MY BODY IS READY!

---

I'll dedicate a specific journal with what I look for when selecting DDs later, but worry not, I won't overwhelm you with wall of personal rules, basically remember just 2 things:

• The category. I'll feature from the Digital Art gallery only. Just be sure it's a digital category that doesn't have a specific CV, for example, Vector Art suggestions should go to `DomiSM, Vexels go to `jussta, Photomanipulations to ^Aeirmid, etc.
  I can take suggestions from Drawings, Painting & Airbrushing, Mixed Media and Miscellaneous.


• Remember a deviant can't receive more than 1 DD every six months, so be sure the author of the work you're suggesting hasn't received a DD in the last half a year.  

That's it! Easy huh? Oh! And also remember to send your suggestions via note. If you comment here or in my profile it will likely get lost. So! Send them away! I'll be waiting ;)

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Now! The floor is open! I want to hear from you guys! I love talking to people... and dogs, ocassionally. So tell me about you, introduce yourself, tell me something random about you,. share with me a favourite deviation of yours, let's talk! Trust me, I don't bite.
Anymore.