Hey all! I want to share with you some fabulous things from the deviantART forum this week. The forums here on deviantART are a great way to share your art, meet new people, and express a common interest or common gripe. It's also one of the very first places a lot of newbies start out. (myself included!) It's also one of those places that sometimes gets forgotten. I hope these features can help bring some love and appreciation for active forum users

GREAT THREADS
My top three fun, interesting, and sensational discussions going on right now!

DrawPLZ: "Draw your Favorite Color as a Person" - I've seen this idea floating around before but this particular thread has some really interesting drawings in it. It's worth a look and heck, you should reply too!

Deviants: "I am being Stalked" - The responses in this thread....are priceless.

Art > General: "What sort of things should todays artist know?" - Brand new thread today- it's a great conversational opportunity to share your knowledge!

FAB ARTS
Here's some great pieces I've found in the Thumbsshares that are worth some lovin!
by Beautiful beautiful work! This piece (and artist) could really use some love!
More fab arts!



That's all for this week! Be sure to poke around on the forums more often! It's a treasure trove with lots of nooks and crannies to explore!

#AnthroConvention  is a brand new channel on dAmn for con-goers and the curious alike to share ideas, network, and talk about anything and everything convention related. This room offers an open art share, open critique and links to fabulous resources on the web. Most importantly, the Anthro Community now has an awesome tool to use for getting live tips and advice from fursuiters and fursuit makers on every aspect of costume design and construction like no other place.

Why go to a furry con? Check out this blog entry for great info and myths about furry cons debunked!

It will take some work to get this room running with active members. This is why we need you! Please spread the word! Tell your friends who are curious about going to cons. If you are a fursuit maker and you would like to do a Q&A event in the room, send ^Katmomma a note! If you're an active chat user on dAmn, pop in and lurk for a while. Let's get this room on the map and extend this resource to everyone

 SHARE YOUR ART:
As said above, this room has an open art share! This means you can come in and show us your latest work! We want to see!At a convention, there is no time for being shy. We're going to help you build strong networking skills! In job or client situations, it's imperative to know how to advertise yourself (and there is a way to do it without being pushy or snobby!)

 TINYCHAT EVENT:
Fursuit Tinychat events will be scheduled through this room. Tinychat is a tool used like skype, where you can see the other people you are talking to. The room is private and the link is only given through this channel to ensure that it is a friendly environment for everyone. In previous Fursuti tinychat events, we've had some amazing critique sessions, fun dancing, and intense discussions on construction and material use.
Our next event will be Monday, April 29, 2013 at 8:30pm EST (find your time)


 GET INVOLVED:
If you are interested in moderating the channel, please apply via note to ^Katmomma
Here are the Chatroom Rules.


Thanks! and I hope to see you there!

My 12 year old sister draws them.
I think a lot of us went through a similar phase of building confidence in character design at an early part of our art development.
Do we as a community/fandom for art involving animals strive so hard to be "original" that sometimes our character designs turn downright corny? How are character designs best developed?
Why do we yearn to be 100% original all the time?
Why do some furries/artists try so hard to use their "fursona" to become popular in the community? What value is popularity in the community outside of marketing artwork?
Where does the dislike for "sparkledogs" stem from? Where does the appeal come from?

...just things to think about. What do you think?

After taking a few years off (after two years of prior service) I've come back into Community Relations once again! This time, I'll be moderating dAmn and the forums. As far as anthro goes, I hope to get you all more motivated in taking advantage of the chat tools deviantART has to offer and to talk to each other! Networking is a beautiful thing! Speaking of networking, check out my recent journal about Conventions and Meets for Anthro/Furry artists and appreciators!

See you on dAmn!

Bringing this post over from #AnthroCommunity ........ One thing that seems to be really quiet in our community is our IRL (in real life) meets, whether it be devmeets or cons. I would really like to see more people get involved in planning or attending real-life get-togethers because I've seen the sheer awesome these opportunities bring. For 3 years now, I've been attending Furry conventions, and regional meets and it is really an amazing experience to be able to see and talk to people you have met online.

On other more niche websites such as furaffinity, people have developed regional/local meets and specific "group" pages that update when and where these events occur. DeviantART has even pushed the idea of "devmeets" which is very similar to what furry fans have put together offsite. Of course, when these regional meets grow in size, some of them become conventions, and the bigger they get, the more room for artistic and social networking there is. In an age where we are constantly communicating through a screen, meeting people from the internet in real life is a very rewarding experience. You can put a face, a voice, and an actual person behind the username.

Consider the opportunities a meet or convention can provide.

1.] People meet each other in real life, thus promoting respect AND building new friendships
2.] Whether they identify as "furry" or "anthro appreciator" everyone unites under one roof to enjoy the things they like.
3.] It is a brilliant way to network with other artists, share tools of the trade and tips
4.] also a great way for artists to make a ton of money - and promotes entrepreneurship.
5.] Great way to get your name out there. Want more commissions? Go to Cons! People impulse buy on things they can see in front of them.
6.] Buy artwork of your character! It's also a fun excuse to make your own reference sheets and badges too!

STAY SAFE! Although meeting people from the internet is fun, please remember to stay safe and only go to meets where other people are going. Go with a friend! If you're under 18, you'll need a parent as most conventions require a parent or guardian to attend with you if you are under 18. Do your research and make safe choices. Do not make plans to meet someone alone. Make sure you always have someone you trust with you.









If you have any questions or thoughts about conventions and devmeets for this community, let us know!
Thanks!
^Katmomma

How many of you think of art criticism in a more or less negative way?

I read an incredible book by Terry Barrett called "Criticizing Art" for My Visual Cultures & Critical Practice class in my senior year of college. This author and the class has enlightened my view of what art criticism is and the components of it. And I'm posting this here on dA to share it with you.

This community is part of the bigger Art World, believe it or not. And every person who posts a comment on an artwork is practicing a form of art criticism. You don't have to be some snobby Art Historian from New York to be an Art Critic. Critics come from many different backgrounds- poets, musicians, historians, artists and everyday people- using what they write about to add to communicate what is "likeable" to the community. Critics are what drive the popularity of artwork- which essentially drives the interest in the communities they work in as a whole.

So here are some REAL Art World thoughts for all of you out there who are actively involved with feedback on artwork here in this community- straight from an Art Educator:

Criticism is neither denotes or connotes a negative activity.

Why give publicity to something you hate by talking about it?

The clarity of your feedback will determine who and how many people read and reflect upon it.

Criticism lends credibility- so artists in general like their work to be reviewed. The usefulness of criticism is subjective to the artist, however. Some artists could care less about what others have to say about their work.

Is criticism an angle for marketability? Absolutely! The most popular artists in this community are those who have been reviewed by the most people/ featured in the news/ guests of honor at conventions...etc.


So what is the point? The point is, If you are here leaving comments on artwork & faving, you are all officially Art Critics according to the definition by the Art World. Congratulations. Now use your capabilities to better our community- Continue to talk about the artwork you love and be as thoughtful as you can about it. What you post reflects on you as a critic to the artists you write about, and the audience that reads what you write.

Food for thought.

I've been away for a while, tying up some loose ends and getting myself set up for the next five years of life. I'm ready to roll now! One of my favorite tools on this website are Thumbnails. It gives everyone that opportunity to feature artwork. Below are some artworks I found noteworthy from my inbox that I'd like to share with you! All of these artworks contain some inspirational use of the Art Elements. All of these pieces could use a lot more love!

by *HotahMai fabulous colors used in this pixel art! I mean, wow! Very attractive to the eye!
by *LarryWilson You can tell this artist worked very hard to create a focal point with hue and value. This artwork could use a lot more love!
by ~DanarArt Contrast is used so well in this piece. Striking and simple!
by *QuinneCL Illustrates the fun working with a limited color palette can have!
by ~FunkCrusader Rad lines, Rad movement, Rad color, Rad PERIOD.
by *KerriAitken Beautiful and fitting use of color theory! Those lines are really working the depth too!

I hope to feature more next month!

I'm finally getting  settled after having moved to New Hampshire a month ago and I've been on the job hunt for art teaching. Still no interviews yet but I think everyone is still having their summer vacation. Meanwhile, art projects have kept me busy and away from dA. I finally went through my message center...going through a years worth of comments I read but couldn't find the time to respond to. You folks in the community have said so many nice things and have showered me with support even though my presence was limited here.

Thank you so much I do read every comment. It is your continued support that really makes what I do worthwhile.

This weekend, I graduated after 5 years of school and I now have my Bachelors of Science in Art Education. Over the next month, I'm working on filling out the paperwork to get my teaching certifications in both Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. It's been a wild 5 years but I'm glad to have come this far. I don't quite feel done yet because I still have to get my masters- but I have 6 years to do that. haha.

Also this weekend, ~LogarthSheppy got down on one knee with a beautiful ring....and I was asked if I would do him the honor of marrying him.
.....of course I said yes.
Next summer Perhaps <3 In the meantime, it's a beautiful ring and a beautiful promise.

100 years ago, today was the last day a luxury steamship would cruise on her maiden voyage.

15 years ago, one of the greatest movies related to the tragedy was made.

Today, the director realized his sinking wasn't accurate.

hurrrr

[link]

Also, I support Bob Ballard's effort to stop adventure seekers from diving and retrieving artifacts from the wreckage. 1.] the more human contact, the quicker the ship deteriorates. 2]. The wreckage is a grave site for nearly 1,500 people that passed away that fateful night. Looting the ship is disrespectful for the families of the loved ones who perished.

I started yet another anthro group, but this time, I wanted to make the gallery open to members for submission. As an art educator and someone who has a great love for anthropomorphic themed art, I want to advocate an appreciation for anthro both online and off the internet.
This means, I'm looking for the best of the best- artwork and artists that can connect with more than just the furry fandom or anthropomorphic appreciators.

Now...while all of that sounds elitist, hold your pants up! The favorites folders in this group are open for every skill level and are unlimited for members to submit into! As a teacher, I know that greatness doesn't just poof out of nowhere. I want to encourage all artists interested in anthropomorphism to think about how they can relate to people of different interests.

While the furry fandom provides a very strong audience, clinging to it hasn't helped the bullying, the put-downs, and the de-valuing of anthro art. Today, we have people in our own community that put-down other artists with the term "furry" (and we all had a big discussion about how inappropriate that was). I know my one group is not going to eliminate that. However; I want a person that looks at this group to come out of it with a better appreciation for the artists and the theme. I also want our community to question the value of narrowing themselves to one audience.

This is.... #HausOfAnthro

$Moonbeam13 helped us by donating a subscription for #AnthroCommunity! For those of you that donated points, thank you so much! Your support means a lot

"....I'm afraid other kids are gonna make fun of my drawing because I'm not good at it."

....said a fourth grade student to me last week at an Elementary school during my character design lesson. The little boy's comment to me about how worried he was about not being able to accurately represent what he wanted to on paper made me stop and think about something our society sort of imposes on our artists.

Since when did skill in drawing = how good of an artist you are?

I'd like to know.

Of course, we all know drawing is a fundamental skill in which every "artist" is expected to understand the Elements and Principles of Art and Design with because these elements and principles translate to ALL forms of visual art.


LETS STEP BACK AND THINK.........

Think of Art Mediums like Musical Instruments.
Think of Drawing as the Piano.
It's the instrument that most people develop an understanding of Music Theory to begin with.

But what if you picked up a guitar first instead of a piano-- and you learned Music Theory with the Guitar instead? Would someone say you aren't as good of a musician because you can't play the piano that well?
.....I don't think so, Bob Dylan- You're a rock star.

So what if you're an artist who understands elements and principles in Ceramics....instead of drawing? What if you're an artist who uses emotion to power vivid color undertanding rather than using the colors infront of you? What if your process of art making becomes your elements and principles on paper?.....What if your art doesn't exist on paper and it goes somewhere else?

Is it really fair to disregard an artist because they cannot or are unwilling to draw the most accurate, highly detailed, realistic things?

Why do we hold "realism" on a pedestal over every form of visual art? Why do we favor that realistic painting over the simplified minimalistic design?


I told the little boy about artists like Jackson Pollock, who used "action" to drive his final pieces. Certainly, being good at drawing is one way to get something out of art making-- but it's not the only way.

So as an Art Educator, I leave you all with this:
The art you make comes from you-- and that is the single most important thing about art making.

I have a dream. A dream that certain artists in the anthro community here will one day, stop being ignorant about what "furry" is...and they will stop using the term incorrectly and discriminating art because of it. Any art community has a right to set limitations on what they accept in specific collections. But being so vague in saying "we only accept anthro, we don't accept furry" brings up a deep rooted semantics issue with the terminology being used. Being an Art Educator and a former community volunteer for this gallery, I cannot sit here and watch the ignorance and not say a word. I see people promoting stamps, design charts and even groups with false information and it sickens me.

Most commonly, I see people using "furry" as a term to describe an art style.
FURRY IS NOT NOT A STYLE. IT IS A SUBJECT MATTER.
ANTHRO is NOT a style either. It is ALSO a SUBJECT MATTER.
Style refers to the unique use of the Elements and Principles of Art and Design within the content of the artwork. Subject matter is what the artist is trying to represent/interpret within an artwork.

I had someone say to me once "I'm sorry but your piece is too furry. We are looking for anthro."
WHAT

So...acccording to their definition (which I have seen reoccuring in this community), this is what I gathered:


If it's an anthropomorphic creature running around in a loincloth + tribal human stuff OR naked and has super realistic qualities with evey single hair on the body drawn......it's anthro...not furry


If it's an anthropomorphic creature wearing a suit and a tie, drinking a martini and holding a pistol and perhaps it could be very realistic in style or very cartoon in style APPARENTLY...... it's Furry and not anthro.

CONCLUSION: I think....I think they are trying to formulate a difference between "WILD" and "CIVILIZED" but instead, lumping it with "ANTHRO" and "FURRY"

Of course, I understood what they were looking for and I was more than happy to change things to cater what they were looking for. But my inner educator went off on that one. And what frustrates me is that there are big-name artists over here in the community teaching false information to newer/younger artists defining anthro and furry as a spectrum of how much human characteristics are implemented into design. STOP DOING THAT. The spectrum of human characteristics is a spectrum of personification.

Be more specific like... "we want anthros who are depicted more natural and wild" "We want to showcase realistic anthro art with a more tribal-esque feel" or "we want anthros who are interpreted with urban sophistication" "We're looking for artwork pertaining modern stylized anthropomorphic creatures"

ALSO- Artists like to bring up sexual deviance in furries. Yes, of course it's okay to not want to be associated with sexual deviance- a lot of people don't want to be. But when you are trying to define Anthro and Furry....Sex is irrelevant. It's not part of the definition and it is very ignorant to think that it is. Many people do not understand this simple fact which is why we continue to have a stigma- which we really shouldn't have on dA.


Below is the correct use and definitions of Anthro and Furry. This information is what I gathered from being both a part of the anthro deviantART community, and the community on Furaffinity. If you agree with my statements, please share this with any person who really needs to know what these things are.

There is a difference between furry and a furry. "Furry" is an adjective and "a furry" is a noun.

"Anthro" or Anthropomorphism is a philosophy of conceptual design.
" A Furry" is a person with specific state of mind
"Furry" is an adjective to describe a specific quality of anthropomorphic art. (and it is also an adjective that describes anything extensively covered with fur lol)

Anthro is the conceptual philosophy involving the projection of human physical or behavioral traits onto anything that is not human. (also known in literature as personification).

"A Furry" is a term invented by a group of people who have many levels of interest in the personification of animals. If the anthropomorhised thing happens to be an animal that has fur....people of this state of mind assume it is "a furry." People who say they are "a furry" associate with what is called the furry fandom.

THEREFORE:
Not all "anthro" is "furry" (a talking toilet is anthro..... but does not have fur)
Not all "furry" is anthro (a drawing of a feral wolf is furry....but is not anthropomorphic)
Someone who draws anthropomorphic art IS NOT ALWAYS "a furry"
Someone who draws anthropomorphic art CAN BE "a furry"

IN CONCLUSION: I would like to conclude that saying "ANTHRO vs FURRY" is about the same as saying "BATHROOM vs TOILET"
So please stop comparing the two. The terms are not a comparison. Know what they are and use them correctly.



I REST MY CASE.
Happy MLK day too!

I've had a dream to see anthropomorphic artwork get more involved in the real art world outside of the internet. There is so much talent in this community beyond all the furry states of mind out there. I've been to New York, wrote several reviews on artwork there and honestly....in some exhibitions, I've seen better work here on the internet. Some of the galleries are laughable. But a lot is not.

I was so happy to see this advertised-- Finally, someone pushing for more art world exposure to anthropomorphic art! If you are serious about selling your art as a Fine Artist, please consider entering your work for jury. The information is below!

From
"This year two galleries in downtown San Jose are hosting open-to-the-public art shows concurrent with Further Confusion 2012.  This is REALLY AWESOME.

The objective of these shows is to get high-quality furry art out in the public, and introduce San Jose's downtown gallery scene to the wealth of artwork our community produces; to show them there's a lot more going on at a furry con than people running around in animal mascot costumes.  The gallery owners we've contacted are completely on board with these exhibitions and are excited to welcome convention-goers to their venues in January.  And we think this is a pretty amazing opportunity for our illustrators and artists to elevate their profile, grow their audience, and score more sales.

The exhibition will open Thursday, January 12th, and will be on view through Saturday, January 21.  Both venues will have a general show, and one location will also host a special exhibition on conbadge art.  The local news media will be notified of these exhibitions.

Note that the public art shows are not (currently) part of the official Further Confusion 2012 programming; they're being organized independently from the convention by the Art Track events lead, B. Root.  Direct any questions or comments you have about the public art show to hello@dawnchapel.com. "

CLICK TO FILL OUT THE FORM. READ IT CAREFULLY--> [link]

Wow... I'm really honored! Thank you so much `RipfangDragon and ^KovoWolf for the feature And a big thanks to everyone who left such kind comments on my page and artwork today. I don't have time to respond to everyone these days, but I do read and I very much appreciate. This website has been pivotal in my growth and development as an illustrator and Art Educator and no matter where I go, deviantART will always be my "hometown". I am so proud of the folks who have dedicated their time to the foundations I helped to build 2 years ago. Keep up the awesome, and it is such an honor to be part of another fantastic feature! make sure you visit all of todays DDs! Thank you so much!

Are you interested in making your own costume? Did you want to commission someone for a costume? Here is a compiled list of really helpful links for all of your fursuiting needs!