So DA friend or enemy?

[Helen]

Aerieyna; Seriously? That's awful. They really are stupid sometimes, I've wanted to rant it out in their forums for a while but I don't really think I should ruffle any feathers as much as I want to. >>; We'll see, I feel more brash some days than others. xD

And the fanart, I fave some too so I'm not completely against it at all. Mostly Pokemon stuff. xD I just worry that original characters and art don't get as much love sometimes, and I even worry that it limits the actual artist a lot too since that's all some people ever draw. xwx;

[aerieyena]

Helen, yeah, it's pretty ridiculous. :/
I've been a member of da for six, almost seven, years now. I don't think I've posted in the forums once. XD

Fanart does get more favs, but like I said, it's a crowd pleaser. I think it does limit some artists, but others, who just do it every once in a while, not so much.
I think doing fanart every once in a while is a good thing (doing only fanart... not so much). It draws in people who might not normally look at your gallery and can get you more views and maybe even a watcher or two.
I dunno. I love fanart. XD Some of the people I watch, I watch just to see the pretty fanart they make. <3

[dreamer676]

wow a chat almost broke out in my thread when I wasn't looking lol

That is pretty ridiculous, but I guess they couldn't take it down if it just appeared or wasn't made explicitly clear that that is what she was doing because they would be taking it down through implication and it would just cause two tonne of unnecesary drama. It's probably just safest to leave it be, even if it does annoy the hell out of everyone else.

um fanart, I must say I love it in moderation - both drawing it and viewing it but as you've both said I think it does limit you. I mean I didn't realise how badly I drew until I stopped doing fanart/actually tried doing something original. With fanart and even avi art really, it's all there for you and not much creativity is involved. Doesn't mean I don't do it though or will ever stop doing it lol.

[Smite]

Ha Fanart on DA Definately gets WAY more views than anything original. In fact I think two of my most viewed/faved deviations are Fanart of The Labyrinth and Sailor Moon. Which is pretty much the ONLY fanart I have. That's if I don't count my Squiby I made. I don't really count that because most of the views are because of the link to its preview I have on Squiby(plus I believe it was featured in a news article about Squiby on DA) and not because of interest from the DA community.

Unfortunately I do still use DA. While I dislike the site in general it is an effect way to make a decent amount of money on commissions if you are willing to stay active. Even without a subscription. Hopefully eventually I can make off to my own freelance commission site.

The number one thing I think that pisses me off about DA is that they allow traced art to be upload. I don't know about anyone else but while I feel that traceing is fine to use as a tool for learning I don't feel that it is appropriate for it to be displayed in public galleries.

[tavis harts]

I'm neutral.

I don't get a lot of comments but I understand that, it's because it's a very fast pasted site.

From having art on other galleries I will say just because it's a smaller gallery doesn't necessarily mean you will get more comments.

In a lot of cases if you really want to get comments you have to really get yourself out there and start pimping your gallery out.

[dreamer676]

Smite; I somewhat agree with you. Fanart does tend to get more views/comments/faves than original art, but I think that's because users will search for fanart. I think it's actually reasonably hard to look for original art and more often than not find good artists through fanart. Or because I have followed a piece of fanart to the artist and then found a good artist in before meentioned artists favorates.
I think also some poeple get bored with original art. Some I think can have really good skills but then have boring art. But that's all a matter of opinion and id very much depending on your personal taste in art.

tavis; Yeah the only comments that I really get are from people that I have met there and we just chat/comment on journals rather than actually art orientated comments. It's kindof a shame really. But yeah as you said, it's a fast paced site so it's not entirely surpriising

[Jack Hemming]

I'm only on DA because it is the biggest site up to upload and comment on artwork. I still have account but I don't really upload anymore art on there because of the extreme issue of THEFT. D: Grrrrr.

I am completely guilty of fanart. xD In my opinion, I love drawing it because it's so fun (to torture my favorite characters)!

And, you guys are right about comments, criticisms, and the like... People don't tend to comment on original work and if people do comment there are a lot of people who abuse that power by flaming.

._. Tis all.

[dreamer676]

Jack; I've never actually had any trouble with theft. I have seen it happen but it's never happened to me. I guess I'm not good enough yet XD.

I love to draw fanart too. Sometimes I find that it helps with my original work as well because I take bigger risks wth fanart. If that makes sense.

[Jack Hemming]

I don't really think that it has anything to do with good or bad artwork. Just people taking other people's pictures (to post as their own or on other websites). By no means is my artwork half as good as a lot of the artist on that site.

And I think I understand what you're saying about the fanart. I'm working on a piece right now of Harley Quinn and I would never draw a full spandex outfit! But I am attempting it... ish.

[tavis harts]

Blah. Sorry to hear about the theft. :/ Thats annoying.

It's because I dislike things like that that I always double sign my work. (ones with my pen name once with my real name) It makes it harder for them to try to take them both off. Not to say that they can't still post them and pretend to be me. >.>

[Smite]

Art theft! Thats one of my biggest beefs with DA. They actually allow traced art to be uploaded. I just found this out recently too and I am really on the fence about staying with Deviant Art at all now. I don't have my own site and I cant really afford the advertising It would require to make a decent profit in commissions privately and you can make a decent amount in commissions on DA just by being active.

So I have to decide if I want to suck it up and put aside my morals or use whatever I can to make ends meet.

[Jack Hemming]

@ Travis: I never thought of signing my name twice to make it harder to steal xD

@ Smite: I know what you mean. Website are pricey to keep and advertising would be hell. And traced art, I don't really have an opinion on it. To me, it's just not art at all but I could be swayed to think otherwise.

[Maeve]

Bah, traced art is just one of the problem of DA. I also have an issue with some photos and picture, which are clearly porn/ against the rules and don't get remove, but anyway...

I don't post much art right now. I mostly use DA to waste time and see what some artists I love are doing. Thus I don't worry much about something happening to my pictures.

I don't think DA is the best place for a professional to advertise his things, but it sure is an easy place to get commissions. And it's free, which is a great advantage for someone who's just starting out or trying to get some money.

[dreamer676]

jack; Really? Hmm. That just sucks. >> I love Harley Quinn! I have drawn her more times than is probably safe to XD

tavis; I just don't see the point art theft. It's just like what do you gain from doing it? And they must feel guilty, surely.

Smite; I don't have that much of an issue with traced art. I think that sometimes it helps you learn from the other artist and it sometimes helps you discover things about your own drawing process. However I think that they shouldn't be uploaded as it causes people to angry or offended. I don't want my own site to be perfectly honest. I wouldn't get any views and I wouldn't know how to attract them either. I also don't have the money to keep one going.

Maeve; The rule on porn limits me I think, not because I draw it often or something, but because if I want to portray some nudity. I get worried that it'll get taken down or flamed. Sometimes I think intimacy or even sexuality can be portrayed tastefully, but I think some artists feel too daunted to try because of people crying porn. I know that there are cases where there is very much reason to; but it's just a shame that it limits others. But I guess that's half the argument really Though I guess it's not as if there aren't any sites that cater to that type of art *shrugs* It's getting too complicated for me XD

I don't either really, so I'm constantly checking up on other artists too

I keep wanting to open commissions, but I'm not sure that I'm talented enough to. But yeah you are right for professional's it is a bit of a dud site. Unless they are known to be someone really famous' dA. But only because someone would be stupid to steal from them; they'd sue in half a second XD

[Maeve]

I don't mind nudity, or even some kind of physical contacts, but some stuff on DA are just... weird. I've seen a bunch of pictures who clearly were not porn (people kissing/ hugging, but not that kind of hugging XP) that were removed from DA because they were consider porn. I've also seen a lot of picture of girls being rape by worms and various other things, or photos of girls that are clearly having too much fun, and those were still around the last time I check. Some even make it to the most popular section and showed on the front page when you open DA

I thought about opening commissions too, but never got to do it. I'm kinda perfectionist and lazy at the same time, so I don't want to send half-done work to someone, yet I easily get bored and push half-done pictures away because I'm tired of working on them. I wouldn't want to take orders from people and then never answer them because I got busy or something. I still have some pictures (contest prizes) that I need to finish since... last august...
That and I don't think I have the talent to open commission yet. I can make nice pictures, but I don't have a style yet, so the quality/ final look of my pieces varies a lot. When people commission an artist, they usually expect something similar to the examples the artist gave, and since I can't promise the outcome will be similar, well, I prefer just practising in my corner and trying to get better before I take orders.