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Photomanip: Challenges and possible solutions

Journal Entry: Thu May 9, 2013, 10:08 AM

Hi everyone,

I am still on hiatus because my 18-hour exam is just a week and a half away. However, I had a few moments, so I wanted to tell you about the results of the photomanipulation community meeting we had the other week.

First, let me say that I am extremely grateful to those of you who came. Everyone had a positive, constructive attitude, and I really think we were able to make good segue into a community that will acknowledge everyone's talents.

Here are some themes that came up and the solutions we decided to create for them.

Copyright

Problem: People are concerned about what stock is and is not allowed to be used. They are also concerned about being able to copyright their own work and keep people from stealing or copying them.

Solution: I am not sure there is a solution for this one that will be satisfactory to all people, as this is kind-of a risk you take when you post your work online-- especially if you do not use a watermark. If someone copies your work exactly, you can certainly contact the Help Desk. If someone is copying your style or doing a generic but not exact rip-off of your work, I agree that that's terrible. However, keep in mind that ideas are not copyrighted, and it's absolutely possible for someone to see the same stock and have the same idea you had. I think as a whole the community could be more creative. We discussed the possibility of having creativity challenges more frequently, but my question is: would the right people even participate? Would love to have some feedback from you about this issue before we move forward.

About following copyrights with stock, remember that the bottom line is that you need to make sure you are following the license terms of the original stock provider/photographer. If you are using a premade background, for example, know where the original photographs came from and be sure that the original photographers allow their stock to be used in premades. If you are using stock from a stock site, make sure the original photographer allows his or her stock to be used in photomanipulations. Nothing has changed; these have always been dA's terms for the use of stock materials. See FAQ #157: Can I use things created by other people in my submissions? and FAQ #217: What are "Stock and Resources" and can I use them in my submissions?.

Exposure

Problem: People feel that the photomanipulation community doesn't get as much exposure as they would like. For example, we would like to see more photomanipulation on the front page. People feel that photomanipulation is pushed aside and not taken seriously and that better exposure would help with this issue.

Solution: First, it may not be a lack of exposure.

Regular features have been made of photomanipulation artists in #communityrelations and throughout dA; my site-wide features get thousands of views. Moreover, people in the community are really great at featuring one another in their journals, so we're definitely seeing each other's stuff. That needs to continue: we need to ALL be featuring one another's art in our groups and on our journals. Maybe together we can make a difference, but it will take all of us reaching forward. I love seeing all the articles and features people are promoting.

An idea that came up was that we could create a big group of people who can help promote the community. This group is #CRPhotomanipulation, and we will do that in conjunction with a new group, #Photomanip101, which I will tell you about in a minute. For #CRPhotomanipulation, what if we were to get as many people in there as possible and then all do our features there as well as in our own groups/journals? It could be a centralized location for photomanipulation-- as it was intended to be-- and house YOUR features as well as mine. It would take a lot of promotion and cooperation, but I think that if we joined together as a community we could make it happen.

Projects around the site, like Project Educate (#projecteducate) are also great for getting more exposure, as artists from many different media and genres pay attention to it. We are planning to have a Project Educate week either in late May (yes, this month) or June, and it would be great for people to get involved again. You can read the articles from our last Project Educate week and see how united we were as a team here. We need some people to get involved-- especially if you like Dark Photomanipulation.

As far as making the front page, I will try to keep an eye on the front page and continue to promote the artists whose work makes the front page by putting up a poll to show you their work. We really do have someone there regularly; I think you just have to catch it. But I think there are two main things that can help get us there more frequently:

Reason 1: We are so busy searching after DDs and front-page features that we forget to be artists. The combination of technical skill and heart is what will get us ahead. We should stop worrying about the accolades and worry instead about putting together a piece that does us and our community justice, a piece that has tested our own abilities and creativity and makes us truly proud. THAT is what will get us ahead. And why not help another artist along the way?

Reason 2: We do not support each other very well as a whole. WE should decide what our high quality art is, and WE should work together to promote each other. I see stunning works all the time from artists who have less than 50 favorites or 500 pageviews, and I do my best to promote them. Some of them are eligible for DDs, and some are not... and either way, I can't promote the same people all the time. It would be great if we had some system in our community for promoting art in a way that is not a popularity game. How could we do that? Join #CRPhotomanipulation, and let's figure it out together.

I think the bottom line is this: We are in this together. We need to work together to support high-quality art *as well as* artists who are new and deserve some attention. If you see work you like, fave it and leave a comment. (Did you know that comments are also important for exposure statistics?) Offer a word of support and encouragement to the artist. Show some love. If something is especially wonderful, suggest it for a DD.

Education and encouragement of new artists

Problem: People felt that there was little education or encouragement available for new artists. This concept of "new artist" was expanded to mean "artists in general," as no one really wants the label of "new" or "beginner."

Solution: We have decided to open a sister group to #CRPhotomanipulation, which we will call #Photomanip101. Here, photomanipulation artists of all levels can interact with the following features:

An advice column, where the member writes to us with a question that will be answered either personally or via blog by an experienced photomanipulator

Mentoring, where anyone can obtain an experienced "coach" to help them learn (We are still trying to figure out how this will work, exactly)

Education on everything from copyrights to how to photomanipulate

A structured plan for getting feedback on our work

Interviews and features

Anyone can join. We hope a lot of you will. We will be opening the doors soon. I will also be reaching out to some of you to be coaches. This program will take a lot of support to run, but I think it can be a great benefit to our community.

Negativity

Problem: People feel that there is an unnecessary amount of rancor between community members, especially when it comes to groups. People are afraid to critique each other's work (constructively) because they get attacked when they do so. So, no one is learning from one another, and we are going stale.

Solution: Simply stop it. I know it hurts when someone points out something that could be fixed in our art. And it especially hurts if we perceive that person to be a beginner. On one hand, stop it! The ego games will get you nowhere. On the other hand, everyone has the right not to receive feedback on their work if they don't want it. But how to tell who wants what?

The group proposed a couple of simple strategies. (1) If you do not want critique on your work, simply say so, or disable comments. (2) If you DO want critique, say so! People would love to critique your work and just want to know it's okay for them to do so. Also, again, remember that #Photomanip101 will have structured activities to help people get involved with critique and support.

As for the general negativity, I'm really tired of hearing about it, so I'm not going to bore you further with admonitions. I will say, though, that you shouldn't be vying for a community to get ahead in one moment and then stabbing them in the back the next. It's sink or swim... together.

In conclusion . . .

We will get nowhere if we do not work together. I am always open to your ideas and would love for you to get involved. But, it's not about ME. How can WE make things even better for our incredible community?

I have to study now. Talk to you soon.

Jade

30 Comments

See you in a couple weeks. :)

Journal Entry: Sat Apr 27, 2013, 9:32 PM

My leave of absence

I have an 18-hour exam to take mid-May so I can move on to write my Ph.D. dissertation. I'm therefore away from dA until May 23rd, starting immediately.

By "out," I mean I will not be as active. I will still be checking messages and notes frequently, though I may not reply immediately. ^Elandria and ^neurotype will be keeping an eye on the photomanip community in my absence. `miontre and =bmxking1000 will be looking after Community Projects.

DDs

^neurotype will be posting some photomanip DDs. Please do not send her suggestions; keep sending them to me and I will forward. This is because she gets a lot of suggestions on her own for the Literature gallery, and we do not want to confuse everybody. I will forward anything I get, without screening.

Take care of yourselves, and spread some love to one another. Can't wait to see what you've created when I get back!

Jade

26 Comments

Photomanipulation Groups Feature

Journal Entry: Sat Apr 27, 2013, 9:07 PM

Welcome

I wanted to help bring some exposure to some of our premier photomanipulation groups! I hope you will take a moment to check these groups out and consider joining!

Our featured group for this issue is #Manipulating-Dreams. I was able to catch up with the group's founder, *levifreelife:

"My group is only for Manipulators and Digital Artists. Manipulating Dreams is interactive and hopefully a group for anyone who has something to do with manipulations. We are all about the art: if you can dream it..you can do it...

We are trying to collect the best of the best, so we look at the effort, the concept, and the skill level.

Some of our favorite recent submissions are these :

Recently we finished our Christmas contest. We make our weekly and monthly features and the polls of course. In addition, every week we make features about AN UNKNOWN ARTIST. (In other words,in this feature we show deviants which are members of #Manipulating-Dreams, with less than 50.000 Pageviews and a promising new gallery.)

All members can submit work. We are a new group and we do not have a lot of members, but the daily submissions has reached 10-20! Our goal for the future is the group to be recognized by everyone for its quality So come on and enjoy us!!!

Other wonderful groups to enjoy

#Fantasy-Glow is a group that looks for high quality deviations that feature a glow about them while trying to providing tips and tricks. They are looking for admins!

#The-Imaginarium is a group that collects all types of digital art, especially manipulation, of all types and levels. All digital artists are welcome!

#Quality-Manips is a no frills group (no contests) that is interested in Intermediates-Pros, teaching about Creative Common licenses, encouraging creativity while protecting the artist/stock owners.

#Manipulation-Masters supports any kind of photomanipulation art. We accept and feature this kind of art. We also run contests and events. Our way to support photomanipulation is by giving more attention and exposure to excellent photomanipulation artists.

4 Comments

Photomanip DD guidelines - April 2013

Sat Apr 27, 2013, 9:30 AM

Hello everyone!

I wanted to refresh my Daily Deviation (DD) guidelines for you in hopes of clearing up some confusion. As always, please feel free to ask me anything you are uncertain about.

I gladly welcome all Daily Deviation (DD) suggestions and am always excited to receive them from you.

DDs are meant to showcase the best deviations that the community has to offer. Anyone, popular or not, can receive a DD if they do exemplary work. That means you!

For a better understanding of what they are and their purpose, you can visit FAQ #61: What is a Daily Deviation? .

Basic Requirements

Your suggestion MUST:

Be a photomanipulation. This means it needs to be in the category Digital Art > Photomanipulation. A photomanipulation involves 2 or more photographic images that have been combined to make something new. [That being said, I may feature Mixed Media (Digital Art > Mixed Media) if there is at least 1 photographic element.]

Have stock properly credited. You do not need direct links, but you should at the very least link to the artist's page. Credit must be provided for every element in the image, not just the model or the background. If the stock belongs to the artist, it would be great if the artist could state that in the comments.

Follow the stock provider's rules. For example, if the stock provider says not to use her children in horror-themed manipulations, don't do it!

Use legitimate resources. Please make sure those cut-outs and premades come from photographs that the stock provider has taken him/herself or that he/she has permission to use in stock that can be redistributed. Most stock providers (both on pay-for sites and on dA) do NOT allow their stock to be redistributed. For more information: FAQ #217: What are "Stock and Resources" and can I use them in my submissions?

NOT have had a Daily Deviation in the past 6 months. There is nothing I can do about this rule, and it applies to everyone. For more information: FAQ #313: How can I find out if someone already has a Daily Deviation?

What do I look for?

A Daily Deviation should:

Stand out both in comparison to the rest of the artist's gallery and against the rest of the photomanipulations on dA.

Be technically solid-- including, but not limited to, having good lighting and composition and seamless blending.

Have a discernible concept and be more than just "pretty."

Be original and creative. It's one thing to go along with popular trends, like "girl in cemetery," but making it your own and putting your own unexpected twist on it is what makes your deviation stand out from the crowd.

Have "Wow!" factor: It should make you want to study it for a little while.

Suggesting a DD

I love DD suggestions! Here are some things to keep in mind:

You can suggest one deviation per note unless you are suggesting multiple deviations from the same artist.

Please include THUMBNAILS, not links. This helps me better keep track of who suggested what very quickly.

It is okay to suggest yourself! You don't have to be listed as suggester if you suggest yourself, so you don't need to worry about modesty.

If you want to be an anonymous suggester, please let me know. If you do not specify that you want to remain anonymous, I will include your name on the DD.

Please include a brief comment about why you think this piece is so awesome! It really helps me (and the community) understand where you are coming from.

I usually don't respond to suggestions for two reasons: (1) Time: would you rather have me doing more for the community or spending hours answering notes? (2) I don't like revealing whether I will feature something because I like to think about it for a while, so I literally cannot give you a decision right away.

Be Considerate

Only suggest something to one member of the Community Relations Team or Community Volunteer at a time. If your suggestion is not featured, why not suggest something else?

DD features are not popularity contests. Please don't have your friends spam me (or anyone else) with requests to feature your art.

When you Disagree

Not everyone will agree with every DD. What fun would it be if we all had the same tastes in art?

But, each one was chosen carefully and for a reason. If you disagree with a DD that I featured, you should tell me about it via note. I am happy to explain why I chose it, and I am happy to hear your point of view. Or, if you would prefer, you can contact $Moonbeam13, Director of Community Relations.

Please do not write hurtful or overly critical things on the artist's page or attack them behind the scenes; it is not their fault that they received a DD. See FAQ #873: What do I do when I disapprove of a Daily Deviation feature?.

Got questions? Shoot me a note!

Thanks, and I look forward to your suggestions.

Jade

9 Comments

Photomanippers: You're invited!

Journal Entry: Wed Apr 24, 2013, 5:33 PM

What is this madness?!

Before I take a break to study for my exams, I wanted to do something positive. A group of us were talking last week about having a community meeting or "forum" to get people together to find positive solutions to some negative feelings and opinions. It would give us all an opportunity to hear one another and clear up misconceptions so that we can start to grow together once again.

I thought about whether this would be a good idea, being that I'll be away for almost a month. I was concerned that momentum would be lost.

Then it occurred to me: It's not about ME. It's about YOU. It's time to get more people involved with making the changes they want to see in our photomanipulation community.

So, won't you join me in making progress?

Also, feel free to post the deviation linked at the top of this journal (the invitation itself is a deviation) anywhere you see fit. Let's get our community together to celebrate photomanipulation and make positive changes.

We will meet in the chatroom #CRPhotomanipulation from 11 AM to 1 PM Pacific Time on this Saturday, April 27th. Hope to see you there!

Jade

7 Comments

Need photomanip group promotion?

Journal Entry: Wed Apr 24, 2013, 8:11 AM

Hi all,

I am getting ready to do a promotion for groups that support photomanipulation. I have one featured group all ready to go, but I would also like to give others a chance to be included. If you are interested, please send me a few sentences about your group (what it is about, what your mission is, what level of art you're looking for, etc.). Please send these to me via NOTE by Friday 4/26. Also, I will only promote groups that support photomanipulation in this particular feature.

Note: I will do a similar feature for Community Projects, perhaps next week.

Thanks,

Jade

No Comments

Photomanipulation News and Feature, 20 April 2013

Journal Entry: Sat Apr 20, 2013, 3:51 PM

Welcome!

Welcome to the latest edition of the Photomanipulation News and Feature. I hope you will find it interesting and informative. Here's an overall summary of what we will talk about today:

Gallery Restructure project

Winners of our official contest

"Take back photomanipulation" project

Dark, horror, and macabre art

Unity Quilt

Current and near-future events that are going on in our community

My absence

Feature

Enjoy!

Gallery Restructure project

The Gallery Restructure: Photomanipulation and Mixed Media project is part of a larger initiative that is going on within Community Relations that is designed to help streamline the process of submissions to the deviantART galleries by making the galleries more straightforward and intuitive. We hope all members of dA will get involved in the projects by making suggestions to their respective CVs. Here is the feedback we have gotten so far for the Photomanipulation and Mixed Media galleries:

Get rid of:

Animals and Plants (make subcategory; see below)

Pop Art

Psychedelic

Abstract

Political

People

Add:

Digital Collage? (in Mixed Media gallery)

Photo retouching (in Mixed Media gallery)

"Our World" (with subcategories for Landscapes & Scenery, Skies, Cityscapes, Animals, and Plants)

Space

Action

Tradigital (in Mixed Media gallery)

Now, we are supposed to be making things more SIMPLE here.

You still have time if you want to weigh in with other ideas! We need to figure out whether we want subject categories (our world, space, etc.) or stylistic categories (dark, emotional, etc.). It's too complicated and too much overlap to have both. Thoughts?

Winners of the "Rebirth and Renewal Contest"!

I wanted to share the winners of our official photomanipulation contest with you one more time!

Beginner category

"My Last Breath," by *iam-SHERLOCKED

Intermediate category

"Rebirth," by ~dreamswoman

Advanced category

"World Reborn," by *ReyeD33

Take Back Photomanipulation!

There is a lot of negativity in the community; people are tired of infighting, drama, cliques, criticism, behind-the-scenes attacks, upfront attacks, and whatever else people are doing to hurt one another.

I think it's time to take back Photomanipulation. To do this, some of us are proposing two strategies: EDUCATION and MENTORING. Look for these projects and some other positive solutions coming up in May.

I think ultimately it comes down to taking a moment to support our fellow artists in front of ourselves. If you have thoughts about this issue, I'd love to hear them.

Dark, Horror, and Macabre Digital Art

Dark Art represents one of the most creative and innovative artistic endeavors around, yet sometimes it seems like it is underrepresented in the photomanipulation galleries. So, in an attempt to bring it back to the forefront of people's consciousness, we have created #Ombre-De-Nuit.

We are looking for high-level art from all galleries of digital art, and we especially focus on photomanipulation. Everyone is welcome to join, but we do not accept every piece of art that is submitted.

Unity Quilt

I know it's been 5 months.

I have finally added all 130+ of the unity quilt submissions to #CRPhotomanipulation in this folder. I apologize for taking so long to do so; I have had a thousand higher priorities that competed for my time. But, go look at the amazing entries! What patterns do you see appearing as we see a piece of everyone's personality? It really is like having a small peek at their soul.

The original goal was to paste each of these into a larger manipulation, but when I made that goal, I was expecting maybe 25 entries. With over 130, they will have to be a collection rather than a downloadable deviation. Thanks to all who participated; it was amazing to see who was connected to whom!

Upcoming Events

Photomanipulation Contest at #Manipulation-Masters

Dark Digital Art week in #projecteducate May 27

Have an event you want pimped? Let me know!

My absence

Starting pretty soon (hard to say exactly but probably the end of this coming week), I will be really scarce. I have enormous exams to prepare for, one of which will get me one step closer to that Ph.D. Personal life must come before dA, so, while I will be around, you won't see as much activity from me until the near-end of May.

^Elandria and ^neurotype have agreed to help me support you in the interim. You should still send DD suggestions to me, but they may be posting some as well. We're going to play it by ear, as we say.

So, in that time, I appreciate your patience, as it may take me longer to answer a note or view your deviation. Projects will be quiet during that period unless someone else wants to stand up and take the lead, which would be fine with me!

I look forward to seeing you when this is over.

Feature

Random goodness from my favorites:

SuperSmokingPsuedoOctoLove by *JJohnsonArtworks

A place of Peace and Silence by *cat-meff

All From Nothing, We Became Something, 2012 by ~parablev

'Til next time!

Peace,

Jade (^SanguineVamp)

18 Comments

Project Positivity

Journal Entry: Mon Apr 15, 2013, 10:05 PM

The following report comes from =bmxking1000; I am merely sharing it!

With a site like deviantART, there can be a lot of negativity and as artists, we are often subject to harsh criticism and many of us are faced with mental illness. #ProjectPositivity aims to empower us to create positive images through our art and stand by our brothers and sisters who are our follow artists, who are affected by mental illness.

We are very lucky to chat to founder of #ProjectPositivity, KathrynODriscoll.

Hey there `KathrynODriscoll, thanks for taking the time out and answering some questions about Project Positivity.
Well it's an absolute pleasure! :]

First of all when did this project get started?
We started up the group in February 2008, um, and then in 2010 I took some time away from dA and `LadyLincoln came on board and really stepped up to keep the group active whilst I was gone. She's a star.

What are the project's aims/goals?
The purpose of the group is to challenge people to think of at least ten things they like about themselves, now some people can do this easily, and that's awesome, but there are people who really struggle with it. I was one of them. The best thing about this project is that just by participating, you make a difference to your own life and mental health. It doesn't cure anything or change your life overnight but it can help to ensure that you are aware that you have good points as well as bad... and everyone who's done this and who really struggled to complete it, said that they really benefited from doing so. So that's why I think it's something that everyone should do at least once. I've done it, I think four times, in my life so far.

Why did you start this project?
I started it because here on DeviantART at the time I was very open and honest about my mental health, through my work and through my journals and I knew a lot of people, hundreds of people, who had similar issues with their self esteem and it seems to affect so many people, that when the idea came up I made it a public thing and tried to get more people involved.

How do you go about promoting positivity through out the community?
Uh, well I used to run competitions etc, so I would have say a month where people would submit to our group and then we would pick five winners at random... but since my break from DA I don't have as many followers so right now I'm focusing on trying to make new friends here before I kickstart the group again, it's something I still believe in and feel passionately about and want to encourage people to do. I'm thinking about having another competition in the next month or investing in a bunch of points to really encourage people to participate depending on my finances once a couple of family birthdays are out of the way - laughs.

How many people help you run your group?
Right now, just me and the lovely `LadyLincoln but actually I'd love to see more people involved, the main duties of the group are to make sure all Project Positivity deviations are in our gallery, encouraging people to try it, welcoming people to the group, basically doing everything we can to try and make a friendly safe environment for people to feel like they can take this step towards a better mindset for themselves. Any volunteers, just yell.

Anything else you would like to add about #ProjectPositivity?
Not really, it's a simple group with a very simple but effective mission. I challenge anyone to try it, and to post it, and to give themselves a break and try to remember positive things and not only the negative. That's all I can hope for. :]

#CRCommunityProjects proudly supports #ProjectPositivity

12 Comments

Winners of the Rebirth and Renewal Contest!

Journal Entry: Thu Apr 11, 2013, 8:54 PM

Welcome!

I am pleased to announce the winners of the "Rebirth and Renewal" photomanipulation contest here on deviantART!

Get excited!

Without further ado . . .

Beginner category

"My Last Breath," by *iam-SHERLOCKED

Intermediate category

"Rebirth," by ~dreamswoman

Advanced category

"World Reborn," by *ReyeD33

Prizes

Each winner will receive:

5,000 dA points from Community Relations and $Moonbeam13

1,000 points from ^SanguineVamp

500 points from *PerlaMarina (to be dispensed by ^SanguineVamp)

200 points from =Alex-Blaszczynski

100 points from =PSHoudini (to be dispensed by ^SanguineVamp)

65 points from `J-u-d-a-s

35 points from *ReyeD33

3-month premium membership from *Ellyevans679

2 exclusive stock packs from *CAStock

Exclusive stock pack from =CelticStrm-Stock

Exclusive stock pack from ~10eke-stock

Exclusive stock pack from ^PirateLotus-Stock

Two prints of the winner's choice from =NiAnluain

Exclusive stock from =FairieGoodMother

dA features from ^SanguineVamp, `AlexandraVBach, *PerlaMarina, =Nameda, *Ellyevans679, and *Selunia

dA feature from #CRPhotomanipulation, #ECE-Group, and #Digital-Art-Club

Feature on surrealpsd.com by `conzpiracy

Thank you, judges!

I wish to thank our most fabulous panel of judges:

Thank you so, so much for your hard work!

Thank you all!

Thanks to everyone who entered. You were all amazing! I hope the world will check out the contest galleries over at #CRPhotomanipulation and see how amazing our community is!

For the winners, please be patient with all of us as we get you your prizes. However, if you have not received your prizes within the next 3 weeks or so, please poke me so I can check on them for you.

Good night!

Jade

40 Comments

My agenda for the next month and a half

Journal Entry: Tue Apr 9, 2013, 8:47 AM

Hey, all!

I wanted to give you a heads-up on some personal stuff that's going on with me. I have to take an 18-hour exam mid-May that I need to pass to get my Ph.D. (although I still have to write my dissertation afterwards). It's going to take a lot of time to prepare for that exam. On top of that, I'm in the middle of final exams for classes and working at the same time. So, for now, I am cutting back on some commitments to groups, projects, and such.

I need your help.

Any DD suggestions you can send would be great. I was up until 3 AM scouring dA for some last night, but eventually I had to go to bed. I want to get as many DDs lined up as possible for the months of April and May so I can get through my finals and comprehensive exam without having to worry too much about DDs and just focus on other CV responsibilities as well as my exams. Thanks to those of you who suggest regularly already!

I'm not leaving you.

To be clear, I will still be around-- I will just be a bit slower to respond and not as able to engage in activities. The illustrious ^Elandria and ^neurotype have graciously agreed to help watch our photomanipulation gallery in my stead so that it gets the attention it needs. I'll send more information about that as May gets closer.

My agenda for April and May

This month, I am hoping to get a chance to set up another Photomanipulation Workshop, this time with `conzpiracy. It is going to be awesome. I am just trying to come up with a time that will work for everyone.

Originally, we had Dark / Horror / Macabre Photomanipulation week in Project Educate starting April 29th, but I am moving it to the end of May because I don't need that stress right now. You guys have had some great ideas, and I really look forward to working together to make them happen!

Hearing your ideas for revamping the photomanipulation gallery has been a lot of fun, and I'll keep you in the loop as that moves forward.

I am working on getting some more feature journals put through #communityrelations.

Finally, judging for the Rebirth & Renewal contest is underway.

If you are a judge, please remember I need your votes by tomorrow.

Thanks!!

Photomanipulation Feedback Ring?

I have gotten a lot of positive responses on my earlier "Feedback" journal about providing more than just a "Beautiful, dear!" when commenting on people's work. I have also seen a lot of people writing similar journals or requesting feedback. It seems like the number of people requesting formal critique has increased as well. That's amazing!!

I was thinking of having a feedback project for the photomanipulation community only. Currently our community has #FeedbackHub, which is run beautifully by `kuschelirmel and her team (go check it out if you haven't already!). I was thinking more along the lines of creating an ongoing GAME. Does this sound interesting to you at all? Would you participate?

People ask me for feedback all the time, and I just don't have time to write critiques for everyone, so please know it is not personal. But, I am willing to commit time to this sort of project if there are others who are willing as well.

Again, I appreciate your patience with my slow responses for the next month and a half or so. If there is anything you ever need or have a question about, by all means please note me, and I'll reply as quickly as humanly possible. Hope you have a great week!

Jade

45 Comments

Community Projects on deviantART

Journal Entry: Mon Apr 1, 2013, 11:30 AM

Welcome!

Welcome to Community Projects on deviantART, which will be housed in the "unofficial official" group #CRCommunityProjects. Community Projects is back, and we're really excited about working with you to help you meet your goals in running your own community projects!

What is a community project?

A community project is a project or contest that is designed by community members to promote a positive, supportive environment here on deviantART. Community projects build community spirit and help all of us to grow as artists and as individuals. They have specific goals and serve to bring people together. These projects are supportive of artists and of artistic growth and provide a stepping-stone to help people achieve their goals.

What our team does

#CRCommunityProjects is designed specifically to support community projects and the community leaders who run them. We can be involved as much or as little as you need us to be. Here are some of the things we can do:

Consulting and assistance with project design and implementation

Liaising with Community Relations to (1) provide a special gallery folder for the project and (2) request prizes for your project

Promotion through site-wide features and even Daily Deviations, as appropriate

Objective assistance with troubleshooting problems that the project team may encounter

Help staff the project with other enthusiastic deviants

. . . and more!

Contact us if . . .

You have an idea for a project and want support to make it come to life

You want to help with other people's projects

You have a vague idea for a project you'd like to do and would like some help with fleshing it out.

For more information . . .

Drop by our group today to learn more and find out how to get involved!

We look forward to working with you!

The CRCP Admin team

8 Comments

Photomanipulation: Have you met these deviants?

Journal Entry: Fri Mar 29, 2013, 7:30 AM

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Have you Met . . . ! Today we are featuring 5 deviants who have been in our community for less than 3 years and who create gorgeous and unique art.

Enjoy!

- The #CRPhotomanipulation team

Note from ^SanguineVamp : I want to thank all the deviants who worked so hard to help put this feature together, especially =thefantasim and =Ashe-Art. You guys are amazing!

~bpbradbury

harvester (lair of a photomanipulator) by ~bpbradbury

~beyzayildirim77

=mi-eterna-primavera

=KarlaTorresART

*robhas1left

'Til next time . . . Stay devious!

20 Comments

Favorites, Comments, and Artistic Growth

Journal Entry: Tue Mar 19, 2013, 9:57 AM

Favorites!

No use in denying it; we all love receiving them on our work!

In fact, they can be a real source of butthurt in our community if we do not get them. But what do they really mean?

The bottom line? Maybe they don't mean much.

deviantART has given us these nifty little statistics like page views and

's so we can gauge others' level of appreciation for our work. I've learned through watching and learning, conducting polls, and talking with people that a lot of people feel pressured or bribed into giving favorites, which tells me that favorites really do not have meaning except perhaps to judge one's influence in the community. So, why are we (myself included) sad when we do not receive as many as we once did in spite of a lot of care put into technical improvements?

I think that favorites have become a source of bitterness in the community. Let's be real; I have seen some really, really bad pieces of work get more than 800 favorites recently while amazing pieces got maybe 50. Other times, it seems more fair. But, approaching this disparity in terms of bad versus good artwork completely misses the point, and going down that road will only lead to more negativity.

A positive way to support one another

deviantART is an art site. The point of being here is to learn art and to grow as an artist. This isn't (or shouldn't be) Facebook or MySpace.

The single most powerful tool we have at our disposal as members of dA is each other. The feedback you receive from fellow artists is what helps you grow. When we create our art, we become really close and attached to it, and sometimes having an outsider's perspective can help us see what is really great as well as what we can do to improve.

I therefore want to emphasize the importance of a good comment.

Commenting on someone's work (and I do mean more than just "Great job!" or "Amazing!") can give them a boost to keep creating. It can also give pointers to help people learn. I am not saying that we all should take 15 minutes to critique every little thing about every deviation we want to add to our collection; none of us has that kind of time. A simple, "Hey, you did a really great job with your shadows on this piece; they're not too heavy at all!" really goes a long way toward supporting the artist.

I remember a really long time ago, !bitchinblack pointed out to me that my models always looked like they were floating because my shadows weren't correct. I was actually thrilled to receive this critique because it meant I could get to be a better artist; I still remember exactly which piece it was and what she said. Thank you, Miranda.

Another thing I should note is that a critique or comment isn't the same as an attack. An attack would be, "Your artwork is terrible, and it's just pathetic that you don't know how to do shadows yet." Being guided in a way that helps you understand that the shadows could use some work, such as, "You painted the shadows in black, but I feel that is too harsh. Have you considered using a darker green shade from the background?" is a critique.

Getting over ourselves

I know that one reason a lot of us (myself included) do not leave detailed comments is that people generally don't want to hear what they can do to improve. Sometimes even when people beg for "harsh" critique, I refrain from giving it because people are sensitive, and I don't want to look like a bitch (or at least, not more so than usual!

). And I've had more than one friend get upset with me for giving an honest appraisal of their work even in response to their request for feedback.

Newsflash: None of us are perfect artists. We could all use a little help. And honestly, regardless of whether your critic is the world's worst photomanipulator or the world's best photomanipulator, he or she has something valuable to say.

Some people will point out that a critique is just one person's opinion. That's sort-of true. I mean, if lighting is inconsistent or colors are not blended, then that's a fact, but it is ultimately up to you as to whether or not to accept the critique.

I wonder if it would be more conducive to community building and feedback value if those of us who are willing and open to receiving critiques to help us grow were to say that in our Artist's Comments? I really admire artists who say, "Critique needed and wanted!"

Even if you are leery of giving an honest, full-blown critique, you can leave a thoughtful comment on the work and concentrate on something you DO like. Positive comments can be as informative, if not more so, than critiques because they let the artist know that you appreciate what they have done and that their hard work has paid off.

Also, not to beat a dead horse, but I know the time factor is a concern as well. People just don't have time to leave a lot of thoughtful comments on others' work. But, really? How long does it take? It takes me one minute-- okay, MAYBE two if I am really being thoughtful-- to say something nice about someone's work or to leave a tip for making something even better. Even if you fave 10 and leave 1 comment, that's better than nothing.

Reaching a new level of artistic maturity . . .

Fave all you want to. Don't get me wrong; having someone collect your art is great.

But, also stop to give a comment or two that is more than just "Amazing, dear!"

You're supporting your fellow artist a whole lot more by helping him or her learn how you see their art. You'll make more friends that way, too.

Thoughts? Should we launch a "Project Critique" type thing in photomanipulation, where you can win prizes for critiques made to others' work (with their permission) or something?

Jade

82 Comments

Photomanipulation: A personal feature

Journal Entry: Mon Mar 18, 2013, 7:14 PM

I have always refused to give a list of artists I admire most on dA, since I will undoubtedly leave someone out by mistake and end up hurting their feelings.

Nevertheless, the following art is only a small sampling of my very favorite photomanipulation and mixed media artists on dA. Some of them are extremely (and deservedly) well-exposed, whereas others don't get the traffic they deserve. I hope you love this feature as much as I do. I will share my other faves with you soon!!! There are many!

-- Jade

The cold world. After the apocalypse by ~An-gora

Home 3- Home for Dinner I by *damnengine

Emporte-Moi Comme le Temps Nous Emporte by *emilieleger

26 Comments

Photomanip: Working with Textures

Journal Entry: Sun Mar 17, 2013, 9:19 PM

Welcome!

Textures are a critical part of so many photomanipulations, but they're not as easy to use as they appear. Below are some great examples of photomanipulations that, in my opinion, demonstrate excellent use of textures:

The goal of this article . . .

. . . is to serve as a resource for those of us who enjoy having textures be a predominant part of our photomanipulations and mixed media work so we can learn to use textures properly. Texture misuse or abuse can ruin an entire photomanipulation that otherwise might have been good. No matter how good we are at something, we can always grow to be better.

This journal represents the opinions of only one person: me, and it does not claim to be the end-all, be-all of texturing.

Common errors with texturing

I see the same three errors quite frequently and am guilty of making these errors myself. Let's take a look, shall we?

Simply laying it over top of your manipulation and setting it to some layer blending mode like overlay or soft light

This isn't automatically a sin; at a really low opacity, laying a texture over your whole image can be really pretty, especially if the grain and colors are complementary to what you are doing. But, more often than not, it is inappropriate because you will not want to cover EVERYTHING with the same texture. It's therefore a good idea to use a mask to blend away the texture where you do not want it to show so that the texture enhances rather than detracts from your piece. And, don't be afraid to use more than one texture so that different parts of your image have different effects, as appropriate to your concept.

Using your eraser brush to take out harsh edges or to blend a person/animal/object into the texture

Again, this isn't automatically a sin. The key is to gradually take away one image so it blends into the other rather than having harsh edges. If I must erase, I have the best luck keeping my brush soft and large. Even better, learn to use masks to blend your textures together so that you can undo any mistakes. I personally like using a layer mask set to 'reveal all' and then using a gradient to blend one texture into the next. I bet there a hundred other ways to do it that are even better, and all give a more natural effect than simply erasing.

Laying it on too heavily

Again, textures should enhance your work rather than detracting from it. Even in dark art, the most effective textures are carefully placed, well-blended, and often somewhat delicate (like peeling or cracking of skin, as one example). Careful blending (such as using gradient masks, as mentioned above) can help keep things more realistic-looking. Again, don't be afraid to use more than one texture blended together to create the effect you're going for.

My mini-tutorial for smooth transitions between textures

I don't claim ownership of these techniques only from the perspective that I have read so many tutorials over the years that they all blend together in my mind. While I am not copying anyone intentionally, I have no doubt that there are others who have published tutorials on these techniques before me. I am merely explicating them a bit further according to how I personally do it.

To show the technique simply, let's say I want to have a seamless transition from one texture to the next. You can apply this same basic idea for transitioning between a texture and, for example, a model's skin or clothes.

I've dragged one texture file onto another one; you can see the hard line from the edge of the photograph:

Now, in the image below, you can see what it looks like after I take a large, soft eraser brush to the line:

See how it is still super obvious that I just erased (and I did put effort into trying to make it look good)? That's not fixable even if I were to adjust the colors and lighting because the change from one texture to the next is too drastic. It's like patchwork rather than smoothness.

One way to fix this problem is to use the clone brush to blend the edges of one texture so they are more consistent with the other texture. But, in this case I particularly want one texture to flow into the other texture. So, I'm going to use a gradient mask.

First, I create a layer mask set to "reveal all":

Then select your gradient tool and make sure it is set to "foreground / background." It should be white and black.

Now it's really simple. Just match the cursor to where the line is and experiment with different lengths of the gradient to see what looks best. You want your line to be erased; that's where the black part of the gradient should be so it doesn't show through. You really may have to play with it to get it to where it is blended to your liking. Remember that white shows the texture whereas black hides it.

Also, you can play with the circular gradient, too-- for example, this would be good if you want just a patch of the gradient to show (for example, for a face) and not the part that surrounds it.

Here is my final result for transitioning between these textures with a gradient mask; keep in mind that I have not adjusted the lighting or the colors, so of course it is not blended completely yet. I am just trying to show you how to make a more seamless transition:

Learning textures

I am no guru on textures, but I've been working hard to learn. I think that, like anything else with photomanipulation, you're going to learn the most by experimenting on your own and seeing what different combinations you can come up with.

However, I highly recommend you check out the texture and blending tutorials from =kuschelirmel-stock. Here is one to get you started:

`night-fate does amazing tutorials, too, and she is widely known for her beautiful work with textures. Don't miss her two-part series on blending and texturing your work:

And finally, some explanation about using textures for darker work, created by `conzpiracy:

I hope this has been a useful article for you. Happy texturing!

Jade

My previous article on this topic:

Photomanipulation: Exploring textureTexture: We love it!
If there's one thing a lot of photomanipulators love, it's texture, glorious texture! Texture can change your entire image and make it or break it. In our community, it is frequently used for creating a "dark" effect, but it can be used to create or enhance absolutely any theme you can dream up. I wanted to share some brilliant examples of art that use textures well. I also want to provide some tips of things I've learned and direct you to some tutorials.
Let's get started!
Brilliant and inspiring

Tips for success

Use textures to highlight positive assets of the manipulation; don't use them to try to cover flaws of poor blending or cropping.
:bullet

33 Comments

REMINDER: Photomanipulation Workshop on Lighting

Journal Entry: Sun Mar 17, 2013, 10:24 AM

Hi all,

Just a gentle reminder that the Photomanipulation Workshop on Advanced Lighting starts in about 40 minutes (11 AM PDT). Everyone is welcome to attend.

Here's the information you need:

Location: Click here--> #CRPhotomanipulation
Time: 11 AM to 1 PM PDT (at the latest)
Subject: Advanced Lighting Techniques
Presenter: *TheDarkRayne
Date: Today! March 17th

We hope to see you there!

Thanks,

Jade (^SanguineVamp)

6 Comments

Photomanipulation News and Feature - 16 March 2013

Journal Entry: Sat Mar 16, 2013, 7:55 AM

Welcome

Welcome to the March 16th edition of the Photomanipulation News and Feature. There has been a lot of excitement in our community lately, so I hope this newsletter will help clear some things up, spread some really positive news, and get us back on track.

Sit back-- We have a lot to talk about!

The sxc.hu issue

For those of you who missed it, sxc.hu is not allowing their stock to be used in photomanipulation. Therefore, for the purposes of Daily Deviations, I am not going to feature images that use art from that site unless you have written permission or can otherwise document that you have followed the copyright holder's (that means original photographer's) license terms of use. Here was my final journal on the issue. You decide what is right for you and your group.

See also:
FAQ #157: Can I use things created by other people in my submissions?
FAQ #217: What are "Stock and Resources" and can I use them in my submissions?

Some positive solutions

A lot of people have put together journals documenting other accounts here on dA and some other sites that allow their stock to be used for photomanipulation. I wanted to share their efforts with you because I think they're pretty awesome. Here you go:

Unrestricted use directory by `shelldevil

Tutorials and stock by =B-r-a-c-i-a-t-a

My stock by *tamaraR

Regarding the use of sxc.hu stock by #Manips-Central

Those are the ones I have added to my own collection. I know there are others; if you show them to me, I'll be happy to include them.

Gallery Make-over

Community Relations and the Community Volunteer team are making over dA's art galleries!

Our goal is to streamline the submission process so that it is easier for you to know where to submit your art.

Our task is to restructure the Photomanipulation and Mixed Media galleries, and you guys have come up with some really great ideas. You can see what people have come up with and add your own thoughts and opinions here. Your contribution is still welcome!

Upcoming events in our community

Photomanipulation Workshop Series

March 17: Advanced Lighting Workshop at 11 AM PDT (find your time here) in #CRPhotomanipulation

Led by *TheDarkRayne

April date TBA: Composition Workshop with `conzpiracy

Please give these deviants some love for being willing to share their time with us!

Rebirth and Renewal Competition

Remember that the official Rebirth and Renewal Contest ends on April 1st at 11:59 PM PDT! That gives you 2 weeks to submit your entries to #CRPhotomanipulation!!

Remake that Manip challenge

Coming in April or May, you will have a chance to remake a classic photomanipulation and add your own flair!

Photomanipulation Gallery War

Date not set yet, but we're looking at starting in April or May. This will be a duel between the galleries of phomanipuation-- for example, Dark versus Emotional, Fantasy versus Macabre... to see which galleries come out on top! It will be a team competition and will likely span a few months.

If you haven't joined #CRPhotomanipulation yet, now is the time to join so you can keep abreast of these activities and more!

Other contests

Protect our Nature contest

Lost in Another World contest

Sounds of Madness contest

Queen of Darkness contest

Fallen Angels / The Other Side of a Queen dual contest

Contest for Animal Rights

Contest by *ilona-veresk

Out of Place contest

#Digitalists

There is a new "official unofficial" home for digital art on dA, and that includes photomanipulation! #Digitalists is run by your friendly digital art CVs (including yours truly), and anyone can join! Come join us today!

Also, we are looking for contributors who can help submit really fantastic art to the galleries, assist with organizing events, and share ideas! Find out more here. If you are interested in helping and love digital art, we'd love to hear from you.

CR Community Projects

I have recently taken on the position of CV for Community Projects in addition to Photomanipulation. I have a really great team, without whom I could never do both. We will be officially opening our doors soon, but if you're super eager and want to get involved now, come join us at #CRCommunityProjects!

#In-Obscuro

#In-Obscuro is a new group dedicated to bringing dark, horror, and macabre photomanipulation back to the forefront of dA's attention. Anyone is welcome to join, but only art that is truly dark (in concept and/or in presentation) will be accepted.

Other news

Some other great stuff that I have collected recently:

Video tutorial on surreal photomanipulation

"Requiem" art book

Dark Eyes tutorial

Pimps and Whoas

10 Phenomenal Photomanips under 100

Here is a collection of gorgeous manipulations that deserve more attention; at the time of this posting, they each had less than 100 favorites.

Happy creating. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Jade (^SanguineVamp)

20 Comments

Reminder: Photomanip Workshop on Lighting

Journal Entry: Sat Mar 16, 2013, 6:02 AM

Hi everyone,

This is just a reminder that the first Photomanipulation Workshop is tomorrow (March 17th). This workshop will be led by *TheDarkRayne based on your questions.

Here are the important details:

Date: Sunday, March 17th, 2013
Time: 11 AM Pacific Daylight Time (dA time)
Check what time that is for you here!
Location: #CRPhotomanipulation

There is still room in the interactive group (the "class")! If you want to interact with the speaker, please let ^SanguineVamp know via note. If you just want to watch, there's no need to RSVP. Only people in the interactive group will be able to ask questions (this may change at the end, depending on time), and we are doing it this way as to not overwhelm the speaker.

We hope to see you there. Come with lots of questions!

Thanks,

Jade

4 Comments

My Mistake... and My internet is down

Journal Entry: Thu Mar 14, 2013, 7:51 AM

My cable modem died, and I can't get online (I am not at home right now but can't stay here long). Just letting you know that I am not ignoring your messages, notes, etc.

Also, I made a mistake today with today's DD, which used sxc.hu stock. I am human, and it was a genuine mistake. The sxc.hu link was between two icons and I just didn't see it despite multiple double-checks. It was a simple mistake, and I have checked with dA and removed the DD. I most sincerely apologize to the artist and will note him about it.

Thanks guys,

Jade

12 Comments

Photomanipulation Workshop: Advanced Lighting

Journal Entry: Tue Mar 12, 2013, 3:42 PM

Mark your calendars!

Our first LIVE photomanipulation workshop will be on Advanced Lighting. The date will be THIS Sunday, March 17th, at 11 AM PDT (dA time) (Find out what time that is for you here!).

We will announce the chatroom at a later date.

Our lovely instructor is Renu Sharma, also known as *TheDarkRayne. We really appreciate her time and are excited to work with her! Here is some of her gorgeous work:

How to register:

Registration is required if you want to be part of the INTERACTIVE chat (i.e. to ask questions and things like that). It is NOT required to sit in the audience and watch. If you want to be able to interact with the presenter, please send me a note with the subject "Photomanipulation Workshop." Interactive seats will be very limited and will be first-come, first-served.

If you want to attend but just watch, you don't need to note me.

Please also feel free to send me questions or topics that you would like Renu to focus on. For example, maybe you want to learn to make things "glow." Or, maybe you are curious about what we mean when we say "lighting is inconsistent."

Thanks! Be well.

Jade

36 Comments