"But I'm not creative!"

[Circuit]

Rubbish, y'all are creative in one way or another! You just gotta find your niche!

Anyway, I'm sure you've guessed already what this thread is going to be about... That's right, it's Art & Design! (Totally not jumping on the bandwagon here... more like hopping on)

So, I want to hear from you guys what you currently think and feel going to A&D, and how the (small) community there makes you feel. If you don't post there, why don't you? What stops you from say, starting your own gallery for example? Why don't you post comments, or just little compliments there?

Similarly if you DO post there, how do you feel about the area? Do you feel it's active enough? What would make you post more, and engage more in the forum?

Lastly, what are the downfalls of A&D right now, and what improvements would you suggest that would make YOU post more there?

Tell me what you think of my little home within the home that is PC :3

 

[Flushed]

I have a gallery there, but lately, I haven't had the motivation to make much stuff. The site where I learned and started all of my graphics has since succumbed to inactivity, and there's nothing really egging me on to create new stuff.

I think in terms of other people, A&D can be a bit outside of their comfort zone, for things like galleries and comments. I noticed in my gallery there weren't too many comments (I know you have before, which I thank you for), but I don't blame them, it can be a little intimidating on those who aren't very familiar with what they're looking at.

 

[txteclipse]

I think Art & Design is a cool section. I used to post art there back in the day, but now that I have a deviantArt and a Tumblr dedicated partially to art it feels a bit much to post things on a third website as well. Which doesn't stop me from posting my fanfiction on dA, tumblr, AO3, here, and another forum, but.

Inactivity is plaguing a lot of creative communities these days. Even on PC, the Fanfiction & Writing section is also quite slow. I dunno...people just don't take the time to comment or critique very much. It's (a little bit) time consuming, and it requires a level of critical thinking beyond simply appreciating, which can ruin the experience for some. I don't even mind critiquing or simply appreciating, and I rarely post those comments these days unless it's on dA and takes two seconds. Inspiring people to be active, whether that's from a creative or a critical/appreciative perspective, is really, really, really hard.

 

[Candy]

You have to admit that simply appreciating the artworks there by posting comments is kind of hard. Sure, it's easy to simply go, "wow, I like your works" and then be off your way, and you think that's nice. However, sometimes the artist seeks a little more than merely a nice compliment, even when they reply with a thanks. They help motivate creation, but doesn't really help in the artists' improvements. Writing comments is harder over here than sites like dA.

As for why I don't post or even create a gallery... laziness on my side, can't help it.

 

[Circuit]

Of course simply appreciating some art isn't always helpful. I try where possible to give constructive feedback, but I don't always see possibilities for improvement. And I can appreciate that it is somewhat daunting to try and post comments and criticism, but all I've found criticism is, is saying what you don't like, and what should maybe be focused on instead.

I admit it can be quite a scary place to less experienced people, how do you guys think that could be improved?

 

[Skip Class]

Of course I've said it before, A&D is honestly my favourite section in the forum right under A&M and I've been pretty sad it hasn't been getting as much attention as it had been in years earlier. After all, PC was the thing that really pushed me into an addict of becoming a designer and artist and I definitely wouldn't be who I am today.

That said, I have really been lacking on the updates of my thread/gallery/thing. Everything I've been making the last few months have mostly been for uni projects or whatnot and there's nothing I'm really proud enough to post.
Though that leads me to thanking people like Aiden and Anna who've posted cute little threads like the work-in-progress thread or the doodle thread etc. since I'm very much a very WIP person. Small threads like these are still what keeps the section going and I can constantly post in the thread instead of a one-off.

Now I have a slight proposition/ project/ event which I was suppose to message Fairy about, but since this thread came about I would also like to hear what you guys would think/ if any of you would be keen to participate in

Pretty much jumping the bandwagon here since C&M, VG and A&M have done it or some form of it, but would if it did happen would anyone be interested in doing a 30 Days/10 weeks of Photography (E.G Photo-a-day/ Photo-a-week) sort of event. And this won't be some high-level photography skill event either. Whether you have an DSLR or just a phone camera and whether you're a photographer or just someone who likes taking photos - topics will be pretty simple too. I believe you can learn lots about another person just from the photos they take - and after all a picture does tell a thousand words.​

Back in the days where the graphics and photography section was high and mighty we had a fair amount of photography galleries as well. These days, photography galleries and photographers are pretty much obsolete which is quite sad and I'd love to bring even some form of photos back in there.

As for any other suggestions, maybe a discussion topic of the week to start with? I'd like to see more discussion and opinons within art and design than just art created by users (which is of course in no way bad xD)

 

[moon]

I don't do art. I do words. I photograph a lot of things but I feel like it's not artsy or at all interesting enough to be appreciated by anyone on PC. I also don't go there to comment on others much either because most often I really only have "wow that's so beautiful" to say and that's... Not okay there, is it? I don't know enough to comment on style or colors or shading or whatever. So I guess I feel like it's difficult to post in that section since I'm not into the subject.

 

[Lumina]

Spoiler:

That is why I don't post there.

As for making comments, it just doesn't sit right with me to comment on things without myself putting something up to be commented on. I also don't feel like I could give any constructive feedback.

 

[Ice1]

One of the biggest problems with A&D is that people just look. Commenting feels very awkward if you're just appreciating art work, and people don't tend to comment multiple times in threads, once they've shown their appreciation. Another one is that it doesn't handle discussion all that well. The DCC is mostly silent, and most discussion topics tend to get ignored. You'll have a couple of comments, but they mostly sink down to the bottom of the page. It's a shame, because it's really my favorite subforums on this site.
I recommend that people who look at art threads leave a response. It keeps the section alive, and it motivates the artist. Just a simple comment like "I really look this piece, the colors blend well," or "this design is really cool, I could totally see that being used." It's not needed to write out paragraphs of critique and praise, a simple comment is enough. Although simple writing "looks good" shouldn't be happening of course. All that is needed is a little substance.
Art threads that aren't shops can go on for quite a while without comment. I've seen sextuple posts by the OP's in their threads.
Would people be more interested in A&D if emblems were involved in posting? Although that may not be the best kind of activity, though :/

While were at the topic, I'm going to use this moment to advertise The A&D retype challenge voting thread. Come look at cool retypes, and vote.

 

[Megan]

When I create art, it's mostly to cover my own needs, instead of creating art for the sake of creating art, which, what I think, should be the reason to open a gallery. I also tend to be really moody when it comes to art creation. I can spend like a couple days on one project, but after that there could easily be a gap of multiple months where I don't even touch anything art related.

In terms of posting in the A&D section, I always prefer to give as constructive of critique as possible, but since I don't have a clue in terms of art, it would ultimately come down to those apprechiation oneliner posts and as far as that goes, I feel like those are better suited to start a little conversation via VMs. I'm not into art related topics (unless we count video games as art), so there's no real reason for me to post in A&D.

 

[Foxrally]

I should make a gallery in the A&D forum, composed only of my paint drawings :]

 

[Circuit]

People seem to have the wrong idea about commenting in A&D. As MI already said, its not necessary to give tons and tons of advice, just a little substance is necessary. For example, if you see a piece you like, spend a few moments thinking what about said piece you like, and tell the artist "I really like this piece because ... Looks nice." That is pretty much all that is needed.

As far as Nina's idea goes I think something like that is sorely needed in A&D, at least something to increase the engagement and enjoyment in A&D, to change it from what it currently appears to be as this dark serious place people feel unqualified to post in. I am going to create my own 30 days game for A&D, that is broader than simply photography, but I do like Nina's idea as a way to reintroduce photography posts and threads to A&D.

 

[moon]

I should make a gallery in the A&D forum, composed only of my paint drawings :]

DO IT OMG i'll be there

People seem to have the wrong idea about commenting in A&D. As MI already said, its not necessary to give tons and tons of advice, just a little substance is necessary. For example, if you see a piece you like, spend a few moments thinking what about said piece you like, and tell the artist "I really like this piece because ... Looks nice." That is pretty much all that is needed.

Really? I had the wrong idea then, I wonder why I thought you had to be deep about your comments :3 Sometimes you really just want to fangirl. like in chura's thread <333

 

[Hikamaru]

I'm not a very good artist, so that's why I never uploaded a gallery in my whole lifetime on PC. As a result, I never even post there a lot. In fact, the last time I even posted there was to comment on someone's gallery.

 

[Auticorn]

My art isn't really good enough for that place. :x I posted a gallery there once, and there weren't a lot of posts. I think I pretty much gave up and steered clear of the place. XD I'm not really a very good artist, so I'd rather stick to just drawing for those that actually deserve it. I do have a lot of inspiration from my senpai who is like... an AMAZING artist.

 

[Fairy]

Aw Ninja. <3

As her moderator, I love A&D. I've always loved it and, even though coming up with the substance or the art may be a chore at times, I always will. Sometimes I feel like people get the wrong impression of A&D, as though it's some isolated little island where only certain creative people of a certain medium with a certain mindset can participate. But the reality is, it's by no means a community exclusive to artists. A&D is meant to be for everyone! To make people happy with the common element we all share, an appreciation for the beautiful.

It used to be A&D suffered from a "post and go" mentality. Where people wanted to post their galleries, get all the praise, and not share that same courtesy with anyone else. And often they'd get annoyed and discouraged when they never got any responses. But over these past months, I've seen a big change in the community. Now there's a focus on substance, sharing, and entertainment. I see my regulars now (you know who you are <333) actively participating in the galleries/shops of other members, posting contests and discussion threads, and being invested in A&D's future! It probably doesn't seem like it, but A&D has been more active in the right kind of way than it has been in a while.

In the long run, it's not most active section and will probably never rival some of PC's busiest sections. But it sure as hell means the world to me and the section is changing for the better because of it. To all of A&D's current posters; thank you. To all of you who have yet to post your art; there's no pressure! Just say hi one of these days. Browse around, chit chat, maybe request an avatar. The goal is to have fun, and if your idea of that is not posting, hey, more power to you! Just never believe your art/knowledge isn't good enough or you won't fit in.

I promise A&D will surprise you. :))

 

[Kotone]

i must say, i use to be very active on there. i had about 3 different galleries since 2009. i havent been active much on here so i havent had the time to post art work. i usually change my theme around and just don't feel like posting anything on the forum.
i still every so often critique in the forum, i just sometimes don't like to type all that much (even though i'm typing much now!)
i want to be more active and i wish others would be too! it's hard finding people to talk about photoshop with.

 

[Skip Class]

i must say, i use to be very active on there. i had about 3 different galleries since 2009. i havent been active much on here so i havent had the time to post art work. i usually change my theme around and just don't feel like posting anything on the forum.
i still every so often critique in the forum, i just sometimes don't like to type all that much (even though i'm typing much now!)
i want to be more active and i wish others would be too! it's hard finding people to talk about photoshop with.

Please post sometime :D I miss seeing your awesome work around!!

 

[Kotone]

Please post sometime :D I miss seeing your awesome work around!!

awh thanks D: i need to post more. i just havent had the time lately. i seem to come on here every so often and become active every now and then. since i'm not working anymore, i bet i can make some time to post some stuff! i'll have to see what i got.

 

[Sheep]

A&D used to be my home when it was still called Art Gallery and had Pixel Art and Graphics & Photography as subforums. <3 Haven't looked around there in a while but from what I can remember Jo was doing an excellent job at keeping the forum cozy and welcoming for any artist, new and old. It's almost encouraging to get a new gallery up for me but the only reason I've not done so was due to lack of motivation in drawing overall so I'd be guilty of not uploading for ages like last time, haha. But the forum is definitely amazing and I love the regulars I've seen - you guys contribute a lot to the pleasant atmosphere.