Rules Art Studio Rules [Updated 2024/01/18]

[Kitty]

INTRODUCTION
Your path to a colorful PC!

Welcome to Art Studio! This section of the forums is dedicated to showcasing your artistic talent, learning and growing your skills, and fun activities with the rest of our community. Our Studio is home to all kinds of art (audio, visual, performing, you name it!) with the exception of writing based arts which are covered in our sister sections in the Create and Discover Category- check them out too!


General Pokecommunity Rules

› Community wide rules apply. That means no NSFW content or graphic images, no posting stolen artwork, and no linking to illegal/suspicious content. Common sense should guide your actions. If you need a refresher course, please read the global rules.

› Offering commissions is allowed in a Paid Shop, but PokéCommunity staff are not responsible for any transaction issues. Sale of physical goods is not allowed on-site. See the corresponding rules section before offering commissions.
​

Art Studio-specific Rules

› Plagiarism is not allowed.
› (Generative and non Generative) AI Art, nor use of AI Art in pieces is not allowed.
› Mild artistic nudity or Mature Content is allowed only with clear warnings.
› If you have multiple Showcase or Shop threads, they must be for different purposes or projects. Sticking to one of each is recommended.
› Limited advertising of off-site galleries or shops is allowed. Content must be safe for work and relevant.
› All threads can be revived at any point, but it is generally recommended to just make a new one.
› Images larger than 1500px x 1500px must be enclosed in spoiler tags.
› Always credit images/assets used. We have a crediting format to be used as general guidelines.
› If there is any problem, don't hesitate to contact the current Art Studio moderators!
​

Quick Links:
#artist-studio on Discord ● Promote your art on SMT ● Contribute to Pokecommunity Daily

Current Moderators:

Kitty ● Sapphire Rose

 

[Kitty]

POSTING GUIDE
In-depth rules, what you can and cannot post.

What you CAN'T post

› Stolen or Uncredited Works
You can not post artwork that you did not create! Even if a friend made it for you, you can not make a showcase for it. You're free to share it in talk or learning art threads as long as your friend has a link to their name, but otherwise do not post things you do not have permission from the artist to post! Uncredited works will be warned, and plagiarism will be dealt with very seriously. Editing another artist's work, using it as a base/trace for your drawing, and doing pixel over count as things you must give credits for.

› Pornographic Material (and the difference of Artistic Nudity)
You can not post explicit material here, even if you consider it art. Explicit means nudity or other acts of a sexual nature, as well as overly violent gore. Mild artistic nudity is allowed. Things such as anatomical studies, general underlying sketches and things are fine as long as they are not explicit. The PokéCommunity staff reserves the right to delete any or all drawings/pictures that defy this rule.**

› Requests
The request tag is now permanently removed. You are not allowed to create any threads, or even unsolicited posts for requests. You may request things in an artist's shop if it fit their criteria, and if none of those suits your needs, feel free to use the Small Requests thread.​

**When using mild artistic nudity or mild violence in your image, use the Content Warning Tags!

To use the header, include the following code:

Spoiler:

[center][cd="width:600px;background-color:#EA1B4A;border-radius:10px;padding:2px;"][URL=" "][COLOR=White][SIZE="6"][icon]exclamation-triangle[/icon][/SIZE]
[SIZE="4"][B]Warning![/B][/SIZE]
this image contains mature content![/COLOR][/cd][/center]
[SPOILER] Image goes here [/SPOILER]

The result will look as such:

Spoiler:

Warning!
this image contains mature content!

Spoiler:

Image goes here

What you CAN post (Prefixes Explained)

Main Section - Showcases/Shops, Talks, Games​

Showcase​

A showcase allows you to post your artwork, music, or design for anyone to view and comment on. This is often the best place to start when getting involved in the section, and making a showcase is a good way to request feedback if you're working on improving your skills.​

We recommend sticking to one showcase thread per person, with each showcase thread having at least one piece of art posted. If you wish to have multiple showcase threads, they must be demonstrably being used for different projects - for example, you might create one showcase to get feedback on Fakemon designs, and one for all of your other miscellaneous artwork.​

Things to take note of:​

› As a showcase owner, you may revive your showcase thread at any time.​

› When giving feedback, be respectful. Any criticism should be constructive.

Free Shop, Paid Shop​

The shop tags allow you to offer your skills in art, music, or design to other members or link to a place where you do. Shops can be either free or paid. If you wish to make a paid shop, please see the section on commissions below.​

You may have at most one free shop and one paid shop open at any given time. If you are closing requests for a significant period of time, please contact a Moderator to have your thread closed for the duration of that period. Please note that these threads still act like showcase threads and you must have at least one piece of art directly uploaded!​

Things to take note of:​

› As a shop owner, you may revive your shop thread at any time.​

› You can showcase some of your artwork in the first post of your shop, and post the results of commissions, but please avoid using the shop as a general-purpose showcase thread. Use the Showcase prefix instead.​

​

Talk​

Previously called the Discussions tag, this one is to talk about art, and anything related to art! This can include colors you like, artists you follow, or even why artists like Van Gogh is extremely overrated (don't @ me). This is not a tag to talk about your artwork or getting help with it. That is for the Learning tag.​

Game​

This tag is for fun stuff!! Contests, activities, or other user made events will go under this tag (note: anyone can create a game). Examples of this is the "Create-a-Fakemon!" game that's been played for years, pass that art where you pass around wips and create a finished product together, and doing 30 days of drawing, and even just quick five minute sketches that you draw with your left hand. Threads of this nature are designed to be interactive with the community where you and your fellow artists can play along and have fun!​

Resources Subsection - Learnings and Resources​

Learning​

There are multiple purposes for this tag! If you'd like help with a drawing, using this to alert people that you need real help figuring something out. If you'd like to give a tutorial for the people who are in need, feel free to use this tag as well and we can add that to our tutorial thread! Generally speaking, this is for your own improvement, or to help in other's.​

Resources​

A resource is a constantly updating thread that is meant to be used by all. Either a collection of information, or a group editing project, people work hard to maintain a database of art or art related information for everyone to use and keep up with.​

 

[Kitty]

CREDITING
This is mandatory.

Why do we need credits?

For both legal and respectful reasons, you need to credit when you use an artist's work, either in editing, using, and referencing it. You should do this to respect the artist's wishes first of all, expose people to their work overall, and also in case of any disputes we have clear evidence to where everyone's art came from with dates and proof. For this reason, crediting is mandatory.

In any and all cases, always ask for permission before using/editing another person's work.
Except when the artist clearly states that it's free to use, then always link to the artist and where you saw the usage permission.
​

(Venia Silente#1183, Discord, 10/15/14, permission)​

What is considered "using" the art?

If you are presenting a work of art that you claim you had a hand in creating, you must credit the artist if you traced, edited it, or referenced their specific idea. Pixel overs count as tracing the artwork. The specific idea means, if I were to draw an image of a person's fakemon with the exact design as they created, I would need to credit them.

If you and one person have a different interpretation of the same idea, it is not necessary to establish who 'thought of it first'. The reason widely licensed game/media/series is not necessary to credit is because those copyrights are already protected well and the artist were paid/gave up their license to the company. We are most interested in protecting individual artist who commonly get their art stolen and directly depend on being credited to expose people to their art.
​

Okay. How do I credit?

Example:

(princess-phoenix, deviantart, 11/27/14, free usage)

Use this code:​

Spoiler:

[SIZE="1"]([URL="enter art url here"]Name of artist[/URL], Website, Date image was created, [URL="enter usage url here (opt)"]permission or free usage[/URL])[/SIZE]

Key Requirements:
Original Artist Name: Non-direct link to image, a link to where the sprite was posted that contains the artist who posted it and the date it was posted.
Where it was posted: deviantart, pixiv, tumblr, etc. This is NOT the link, it just shows you where it's from before it's clicked.
Date: The date the art was created and posted to that site.
Usage, if Applicable: A link that shows where it says it's able to use, if it's free to use in the first link just say free usage here.

If you have problems finding these on a page, please contact Art Studio's Moderators!​

Written by Nina.

 

[Kitty]

CRITICISM
Good vs bad critique

Art is an experience, for both the creator and the audience, and naturally lends itself to observation and analysis. This is where the intricacies of criticisms come into play. There is no rule that says you must be an artist or artistic in general to be able to appreciate the inherent value of the arts and experience emotion based on those arts. Visual arts can be simplified down to the "act of visual communication" - and as living, breathing, and independent agents of our own experiences, even the most uneducated of minds can offer the most valuable critiques.

That being said, there is an appropriate way to offer critique that raises the artist's knowledge and perspective without belittling them. In the Art Studio, while we are lenient to what kinds of critiques we allow since many of us are still amateurs, there is a vague yet fair set of guidelines to help you form a reasonable, coherent, and respectful review. it also bares mentioning that "one liner" reviews should be kept to an extreme minimum. It's important to address the artist's work personally and help them -and yourself- learn and grow.

Remember, art is subjective.

Negative feedback does not mean you've failed as an artist. Everyone has their own interpretation of art and your concepts may not be congruent with the viewer's preferences. That is perfectly okay!​

Critiques you shouldn't leave

Bad criticisms should never make the artist feel ashamed, humiliated, or discouraged and such comments are not appropriate for the Art Studio. Also be mindful not to critique works that are still in progress.

Examples of a bad critique include:
› Ew, your anatomy sucks ass!!1!
› Green is a shit color.
› Did you even try in this one?
› [artist] is so much better than you.
› You'll never be a professional with that level of work.

How to deal with negative criticism:
First off, take a deep breath and don't respond with anger. We realize that posting your personal art is like posting a piece of yourself online and to be rejected can be painful. But take aggressive criticism with a grain of salt and reflect on it in a more positive light. Remember that you can't please everyone. If you see any overtly hurtful comments in your thread or anyone else's thread, please report them immediately.​

Constructive criticisms you should leave

Always consider the art before saying anything positive or negative. Perhaps look at the artist's prior works to see if they've improved. Remember to critique the work exactly as it is and not what you believe it should be. A good critique should highlight the artist's strengths and explain how the artist can evidence your suggestions. If you're not an adept artist, you can always remark about how the art makes you feel.

Such examples include:
› I can see you've really improved in your use of color! I hope you experiment with more contrast at some point!
› Your poses look much more realistic, but still seem a little stiff. I recommend using a model to help with anatomy!
› Those lines look so clean, but maybe you should try decreasing the opacity a touch?
› Your use of blue is stunning, it has a very calm and melancholy feel to it.
› I've tried that technique before and it was very hard! I'm impressed you pulled it off so well!
​

Rules created by Fairy

 

[Kitty]

COMMISSIONS
A guide to buying and selling art

In this segment we'll be discussing how to operate commissions. PokéCommunity allows artists to advertise commissions in a Paid Shop thread. You may either conduct transactions on PC, or provide an off-site link to a place where you do. This does not include the buying or selling of physical goods, which is not allowed.​

Client-side Relations

Spoiler:

There is buyer etiquette that you are expected to follow. These include not harassing your artist, not being overly demanding, having reasonable timeline expectations, keeping communications open.

Understanding Fees
If you are using paypal the artist can not ask you to cover the fees of the transaction. If they gave you the price of $40, the price you pay is $40. Paypal will take a fee out of it as it is a business transaction, and that's just how it is.

However, there's other kinds of fees that the artist can ask from you, and should outline before hand, but just in case here's a list to be aware. If these are not covered in an artist's terms of service, just ask them.

Rush Fee
› If you are asking for the artist to do something very quickly, they can and should charge you more for this.
› Ask what an artist's normal turnaround time is to get an estimate on when your due date would fall.

Licensing / Exclusivity Fee
› If you are asking for artwork that may then be turned around and sold in another product, the artist should up their price to cover licensing fees. Whether or not a contract license is signed, it is generally expected that the artist will not re-use artwork commissioned for you if you wish to sell it in a product. If this is not agreed upon, the artist may cover their costs by reselling part or all of the artwork to anyone else interested.
› In the case you want to do something like commission artwork for a game, you will want to make sure the artist is including their licensing fee as well as make a contract. If you want to 'buy out' the art, meaning you want to be the only one who can ever use the art, not even the artist, then expect a 100% increase at the very least.

Revisions Fee
› If you are very particular about the work you want done, make sure you read closely or ask the artist about this.
› A revision is a change to the artwork not known about before the original work was priced. Sometimes these are minor changes that weren't thought about, sometimes these are major changes, and they were not made clear to the artist.
› An artist may charge for a number of revisions. If the artwork is not representing the original intent at all, this is a bit different, but some artists may still count this as a revision.

Cancellation Fee
› If, by no fault of the artist, you must cancel your commission, depending on how far along the artist is you will not always get a full refund.
› If the artist finished a critical stage, such as an approved sketch, or lines for eventually coloring, they still did part of the work obligated to them and usually this is specifically outlined in an artist's terms of service, or shown on things such as commiss.io. A portion of your total will be kept.
› This fee varies per artist and by per stage, so please tell the artist quickly if you can no longer pay for a commission.

When to Pay
You, as the client, are responsible for paying for the commission at some point before the drafting phase of the work. This means that you will have needed to pay in full or put a down payment on the artwork / writing before it is completed, or when specified by the artist. Tipping your artist is encouraged.

How to Pay
Payment will be done online, we will cover payments through Paypal and Stripe (Commiss.io).

Paypal
› Do NOT ever give money to the artist through the friend's or family route. The artist can get in trouble for this, and may reject your payment and delay your project.
› Do use the invoice function to pay. You should get an email saying you have an invoice from paypal.
› Do NOT put your address to pay for an invoice of digital goods. The artist should now be able to control if you are asked or not. The artist can get in trouble for Paypal thinking something is supposed to be shipped to you when it is infact not.
› Read the invoice before payment. Take note of the due date. If needed, ask the artist to break down price so you have documentation of each step of work. If a dispute arises because the artist did not color your work, you have documentation that you requested that as part of the initial agreement.

Stripe (Commiss.io)
› Each artist has a different policy set on cancellations, fees, and when you pay. This information is available on the project page for each different listing. Please read carefully. The price listed may only cover the base description, not exactly the image you are seeing.
› Depending on the artists' policies, they may send an invoice either right before they start working or right before they finish work. Either way, you will get an invoice notification from commissio. if you have email notifications enabled, the email should contain something to this effect "x sent an invoice to start work".
› Please keep in mind that before this happens, if you and the artist agree on anything that would require a price change (such as additional characters for example, depending on the artists' policies), that would be reflected under the final price, as well. The artist would make the price change and Commiss.io would request whether you would accept or deny the price change.
› If you agree on the final price that the artist set, then you're ready to pay with "Pay Invoice" button on the project page. Although Commiss.io would request your name and address, keep in mind that this information will not be seen by the artist.
› If you enabled email notifications, any fees that you and the artist have agreed upon are broken down in the email, as well.

Problem Artists
If your artist has been unresponsive after accepting money and has not previously indicated a reason for it, first come to Pokecommunity Staff. Afterwards, file a complaint against the artist with whichever site used to process your payment. Obtain a refund.

Life is unpredictable. Allow reasonable time to pass before demanding a refund. Check your artist's social media, they may have posted an announcement stating all commissions will be delayed by two weeks.

Your Rights to a Piece
If getting a general (non-commercial) commission:
› Your right as the commissioner is not to the artwork, but to the content or the character portrayed within it (this does not include fanart).
› You are allowed personal use of the piece for non-commercial purposes.
› You may post it so long as appropriate credit is given.

If getting commercial work done:
› Unless specified, the artist still has the the right to show the artwork for portfolio purposes.
› You may use the artwork in the terms specified. If the artist designed your artwork for a t-shirt, this does not mean you have permission to create a poster from the artwork. If you are worried about this, purchase a buy-out from the artist, though it will be more expensive.
› Credit is not required, but recommended.​

Artist-side Setup

Spoiler:

As an artist, you are expected to be realistic about your artistic ability. You are providing a service and should therefore prioritize customer satisfaction. You are expected to keep communication lines open and available to your client(s). Remember, you cannot copyright ideas.

What can I or can't I do on PokéCommunity?
You are allowed to take commissions from this site and carry it out here, however, Your gallery must still consist of uploaded artwork. You may promote your store in your signature. You may not sell merchandise or physical goods on PokéCommunity, but can put a link in your shop to an external site where you conduct such sales.

Any and all commissions must follow the Pokecommunity Rules, meaning no mature content should be offered or purchased. This also applies to the sharing of links and Patreons.

Commission Locations
There are multiple places to which you can take commissions, and get paid for doing so. We will be covering three ways: Paypal, Commiss.io, and Ko-fi.

Paypal is a way to get paid, but is not a gallery site in of itself. You will need to link to an external site to show your commission information. An example would be to link to a twitter with an image of your body of work, prices listed out in a tumblr post, or on your own website along with a terms of service. Quick start guide here. Remember to use the invoice feature and mark your goods as digital!

Commiss.io is both a way to get paid (via Stripe) and a way to display your commission information, as well as a system to set your terms of service and cancellation policies.

Ko-fi is a free way to get paid for your services. By opening a Ko-fi shop you will be able to offer your services on the website itself too as this option does allow the use of an on-site gallery. It allows you to post updates of your creative journey and receive messages of support from supporters. Moreover, other than showing your artwork, you will also be able to sell physical goods through Ko-Fi. Keep in mind that Ko-Fi is still connected to a Stripe or Paypal account but less directly than the previous two options.

Creating your Terms of Service (TOS)
We heavily suggest every commissioning artist makes one and to make sure your clients read them to prevent miscommunication.

General Terms
Your Do's/Don't's of your art, this could include:
› Are you willing to do color work or do you want to just sketch? Will you don't do pixel art? Will you only write non-fiction? etc.
› Are there fandoms you don't want to draw? Is there sensitive material you would prefer not to work on? Political?
› Specify what you want your client to do (will you require references, preferred methods of communication, etc.)
› Specify how to want your client to behave (anything that would cause you to reject their commission.)

Your Abilities
Your qualification on what your process will be during the commission:
› Do you have a clear timeline for your work?
› Will you set a time limit for all commissions (for example: each commission will be completed in two months or less regardless of complexity.)
› Will you make allow extensions for yourself based on your health/money/family/etc?
› What is your in-creation process? Will you be providing regular Work-In-Progress updates for your client?
› How the type of medium you're using might change any standardized prices.

Payment
The etiquette under which best monetary transactions can occur for you:
› When you expect payment to occur (before or during the commission starting process).
› Are you open to negotiations in price?
› Do you have a standardized pricing system in place?

Copyright and Usage
What are your rights as an artist and your buyers rights to your work?

If the commissioner requests full rights (you no longer own the drawing or the permission to show it where you please) to your drawing, you may agree to that, but it is not standard and you should charge extra for it. Some recommend doubling your rates for it.

Non-commercial Usage
You're allowed to use the copyrighted artwork to:
› Promote yourself with in any place or site with or without monetary gain.
› Publish books with.
› To display it anywhere to your liking.

The commissioner is allowed to:
› Use the copyrighted artwork for personal use only unless agreed otherwise.
› Print the art, and claim the right of their character(s) but not the drawing itself.
› Use the art to promote themselves with proper credit given to the artist.

If the buyer breaks contract, they could be subject to Copyright Infringement.
The following is considered Copyright infringement:
› Reproducing/using the copyrighted artwork commercially.
› Taking Credit for the creation of the artwork.
› Removing any watermarks/signatures.
› Altering the artwork without the artist's consent.

Commercial Usage
Your client may request that you:
› Not post the artwork publicly without permission.
› Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement to enforce this.

The commissioner is allowed to:
› Use the content in terms specified, usually with a contract.
› Leave your name out of the credits, unless specified in a contract.

If the buyer has a full-rights buyout they may:
› Reproduce the artwork commercially in any way they please without further revenue for you.
› Choose not to promote you when displaying the artwork. You sold that.
› Change or alter your artwork.

Refunding
The conditions under which you would be canceling or refunding a client:
› You have the right to decline a commission or cancel and refund a commission at any time for any reason.
› The commissioner has the right to cancel the request at any point so long as money has not been received.
› If the art was approved and had entered finalization, you may ask for a portion of the payment still. 50% is recommended.
​

Rules created by Fairy, Nina, Kitty, Sapphire Rose, Flowerchild
Assisted by Colours
Edited by Venia Silente

 

[Flowerchild]

[a id]seven[/a id]

BANNER
A Pokémon collage!

Navigation:
[alink id=one]Main Rules[/alink id] ● [alink id=two]Posting Guide[/alink id] ● [alink id=three]Crediting[/alink id] ● [alink id=four]Critiquing[/alink id] ● [alink id=five]Commissions[/alink id] ● [alink id=six]Badges[/alink id] ● [alink id=seven]Banner[/alink id]

Art Studio's collage banner was created by the forum community contributing one (or occasionally two) Pokémon each! Individual member contributions are listed in this post. You can click on an image to see the original submission post.

MODS: DO NOT EDIT BY HAND. YOU WILL DIE. DAKOTA GENERATED THIS VIA CODE, ASK HER IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE IT

Aldo

Meowstic

Aquacorde

Charmander

Boxhead

Hypno

Ech

Qwilfish

Fairy

Sylveon

Flowerchild

Oddish

gimmepie

Appletun

Groc

Cubone

Hyzenthlay

Shinx

Inky

Inkay

Kitty

Pikachu

Megan

Phione

Megan

Aron

Redesignated

Gourgeist

ReKoil

Amaura

ReKoil

Tapu Lele

Retek

Porygon

Wuzzy

Volcarona

Yume Tsuki

Froslass

Aldo

Meowstic

Aquacorde

Charmander

Boxhead

Hypno

Ech

Qwilfish

Fairy

Sylveon

Flowerchild

Oddish

gimmepie

Appletun

Groc

Cubone

Hyzenthlay

Shinx

Inky

Inkay

Kitty

Pikachu

Megan

Phione

Megan

Aron

Redesignated

Gourgeist

ReKoil

Amaura

ReKoil

Tapu Lele

Retek

Porygon

Wuzzy

Volcarona

Yume Tsuki

Froslass