Ye Olde Art Section

So you all know that PC's got an art section, and perhaps you all know how it's faring.

I thought I'd take a bit to analyze the situation and dissect things that are probably obvious anyway. It is something I do a lot, after all.

Let's look at the nature of PC itself:

• It's a discussion forum, which means that words and text are arguably the focus rather than pictures.
• On the same note, PC being a forum automatically allows it to lean its imagery focus towards forum-related pieces like signature tags, avatars, and generalizing even out to web design/CSS-related things.
• PC is also a game-focused community, and while there may indeed be artists present, people don't come to a game site seeking a place to admire/discuss/give feedback to fine art, unless it relates to the game.
• Also because of the game-focused nature, pixel art is very strong, but also very tightly centered on the same types of work over and over, and the same techniques and subjects. Again, one doesn't come to a site about a sprite-based game franchise expecting to find unrelated types of pixel pieces.

A few years back, though, I oddly recall a good bit more life and variety. All three sections (main, pixel art, and G&P) were about even in terms of vitality, as far as I could see. I sometimes wonder how it came to be like that, how it stopped being like that, and if there is a way to reverse it all. Maybe PC isn't inherently meant to support a fine art section or house non-game-sprite pixel art, but something allowed it to be possible in the past. Perhaps it was the individuals there at the time, most of whom are gone or just don't post there anymore. Also, it seems to be the case even in art communities that getting feedback has gotten tougher because no one wants to give it, either. Many artists also might share my sentiment of 'If I can't get commentary on deviantART, how on Earth could I expect to get it on PC?' and then just link their dA gallery in their signatures and not even bother wasting the energy to make a redundant thread only for it to sit there collecting more dust particles than comments.

What are y'all's thoughts on this?

Some good points though I never visit there, Also great blog theme thingie.

Oh wow, thanks Nica! :3

...Why is there a 25 character limit on blog comments?

DA and PC might be too large, too impersonal. One person's art gets lost easily and the people who can and would give feedback have to spread that feedback over more people and more work.

dA's problem has to do with size, yes, but I think on the art front, PC's issue is the opposite. As a whole it's far smaller than dA, for one, and for another, the actual portion of PC's population that are artists or at least appreciators willing/wanting to discuss art is tiny. You don't get seen on dA because there are millions of others clamoring for their art to be seen, too. On PC? There are like two galleries that are alive and kicking and it's not like that's anywhere near enough to keep others out of sight. The problem is that not enough people care. If you post it's guaranteed to be on the first page long enough to get plenty of views. It's just that no one cares enough to say anything in most cases.