7 Tips To Instantly Become A Better ArtistPractice, practice, practice.  Gah.
Attend life drawing classes over the summer.  Blegh.
Take a sketchbook with you everywhere you go, and fill up ten of those bad boys at the coffee shop.  Pfft.
Let's be honest here.  We all want to become better artists, like, right frickin' now.  We don't even want to have to suffer through hour-long tutorials of some pompous snooty hack bloviating over the intricate methods of drawing eyes on YouTube.  We want progress, we want improvement, and we want it on our desk in ten minutes ago!
Fine, fine, I hear ya'.  While these aren't going to make an instant Leonardo da Vinci out of you, these might get you up to...ehh...Basquiat caliber.  Sure, I've made tutorials, but those are more about setting up Photoshop for the sake of coloring an image, and not so much building yourself artistically.  Those are more technical lessons.  Artistically

Get your Art some Attention on deviantARTFive basic tips to get your Art some Attention, Appreciation & Audience on deviantART
Here's some tips that may not get you a consistent spot on the front page right away, but that will definitely help getting some watchers and friends, whether you already have some, or not.
First, let me make clear that this is only about 'good' attention – if you just want, say, a certain pageview count, there are probably better ways.

This article is for those who would like some people to take them serious as an artist and to actively watch them.

Also note that you needn't follow all of the tips below, but it's recommendable to follow at least 3 of them. Just one or two will not usually get you very far.
So here we go! :iconeagerpee:
Submit art regularly.
Try to find a balance between quality and quantity. Personally I think it's best to submit one or a couple of de

How to promote yourselfToday I listened to Bobby Chiu's audiobook "The Perfect Bait" and when he talked about Exposure and self-promotion he said something that might sound familiar to some of you:

"If all you do is go around on the forums and leave comments in random threads like, 'Hey, check out my art,' and leave a link, that's not genuine. In fact, that's the online equivalent of leaving junk mail in people's mailboxes and is more likely to annoy people and turn them off from ever visiting your little island.
Don't be lazy; take the time to read the posts, read the comments, look at their art, and say something meaningful."

Think about it next time you want some artist to look at your art, a small critique may be a lot more encouraging than a simple "Awesome art"
Cheers!

Trolling vs. Criticism: The DifferencesOK, so this is a more informative journal mostly addressing a particular situation which I won't mention, but I feel that on deviantart, there is a huge fundamental misunderstanding of the difference between trolling and criticism of any flavor. All too often I see popular or talented artists get huffy because they disagree with something someone else (including me) says and then claims it as 'trolling' solely under the observation that what I/he/she/they said was not in alignment of their personal opinion or how they perceive things. This journal is going to clarify that. I am sometimes flagged by artists I have criticized as a harasser or a troll when in reality and in context, it is nothing more than a dissenting opinion in which the artist and their watchers do not agree with. As a result, I get targeted by these watchers and (to use the term in appropriate context) "white knighted" or have notes and slander with highly bent and contorted

Gaining Exposure To ArtGaining Exposure For Your Own Art:
Being active on the site is probably the best and most effective way to get yourself and your art seen. Leaving thoughtful comments on others art will often result in them coming to your page to find out more about you and see your art. Being involved and making friends will promt people to focus on you and your art giving you a bit more exposure. Leaving critiques, helping to moderate groups, posting in the forums, or simply chatting it up in the chatrooms. These can all be beneficial in getting you more exposure. Below I'd like to outline some of the wonderful ways, I believe, you can gain extra exposure to your art.
Groups:
Joining groups which are relevant to your interests and the art which you make can be very helpful in getting your art out there and seen by like minded individuals. The introduction of groups by dA has made it very e

How to Win Friends and Influence Deviantart Part 1*Title stolen from a well-known and favourite book of mine
Part 1: Submitting with POWER
I know there are a million "how to be popular" guides on DA and a million more parody versions of them. This article isn't about becoming popular, or starting drama or racking up pageviews as fast as possible for the sake of seeing a larger number.
This article won't make your art better, or make you more a more popular personality. However, what I've noticed is that many artists are missing out on feedback and exposure that they should be getting if not for a few common mistakes. Time after time, I've read on Artist's Confessions, or just browsing through members' personal journals that their gallery doesn't recieve any traffic and they can't improve because they're not getting any feedback. They feel like their lack of popularity is a personal statement. That their art isn't worth looking at. This is entirely untrue.
Hopefully this will help you, the underexposed artist, to b

Yamino's Coloring TipsA lot of people tell me they like the way I color! It's pretty easy once you learn the tricks. I made a set color palette for each character (keeping their base colors consistent in any setting), then add shading and lighting effects over the image.
Here is Gabrielle's color swatch palette:
And here is the Photoshop file to see how I layer the effects. Hope this helps.

IP confusionIt's sad to see people fighting about intellectual property rights when they apparently have no clue what those are, how they work and what is allowed (and not).
Prime example: http://boltstrueno1fanever.deviantart.com/art/Onyx-Forepaw-Feb-2012-Ref-286737985 vs. http://yasuoxingxing.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d4vcima
Obviously the latter is similar to the first.
The question is: is this allowed?
To answer that question, it is important to understand what rules apply and what intellectual property (IP) is.
There are three different kinds of IP that can apply here:
1. Copyright
As the name hints this is the right to make copies of a work. It does not protect ideas, only the actual recorded work - artwork, documents, music etc.
This means that if someone copies your art (by directly copying it, by tracing it or otherwise adapting your work) you can certainly take action, but there is little you can do to prevent someone else creating their own

Enhancing the quality of your journalsHello, deviants!
In the last couple of weeks, we've been rolling out changes to the journal system, and with the introduction of the Journal Portal, your journals now have the potential to be showcased in the Footer of deviantART or in the Popular section of the Portal –- something that could draw tons more eyes to your work!
So, how do you make a journal that’s worth sharing? Even if reaching a wider audience isn't your goal, these tips will help you get better feedback and spark more conversation, which is one of the best things about our vibrant community.
`megturney's Top 7 Tips for Enhancing the Quality of Journals:
#1. Write what you’re passionate about
Love black and white photography? Let’s talk it! Do you have a deep philosophical discussion you're itching to bring out to the world? Fluffy and serious blogs alike, the most important part of any journal entry is showing your audience

How To Improve Your ArtI was going to call this 'how to become a better artist', but then I realized, there is no such thing as a 'better artist'. If you are an artist, you are the best artist you can be - your art can always ALWAYS improve, but you are already and always will be the best artist you can be. Remembering those two facts is the most important thing you can do.
But other than that, find someone to be excited about art with! They don't have to be an artist themselves, they just have to be able to get excited about art. Having someone who'll always be around to listen to your ideas, even if they don't contribute anything, is HUGELY helpful to keep you motivated. I've found that having someone for me to bounce ideas off of, or even just someone to explain my stories to, is my favourite thing in the world and almost always leads to me discovering new things about my stories and characters.
And now for the list of links you all were waiting for!

Things you should do on DeviantArtA big hug to all my sweet friends

:iconredheart-plz::iconorangeheart-plz: :iconyellowheartplz::icongreenheartplz::iconvioletheartplz:  :iconblueheartplz:
This journal is for every Deviant out there struggling to be known. Here you will find some advice on how to get more exposure on DeviantArt.
I have met so many Deviants who are having a hard time getting feedback on their work, be it favs, comments, getting watchers...  Well  if you follow these next steps, I'm sure things will change.
:iconcuteflowerplz:  How can you get yourself known if you just sign in and sign out and expect people to find you.  BROWSE DEVIANTART

get out there in any category you like, check people's work, give them a

a comment, if you like the artist

them. They will come back to your page and most likely to do the same for you.
:iconcuteflowerplz: If someone gives you a

Please, watch them ba

Adoptables Tutorial

Apparently dA randomly changed this deviation's format from 'image' to 'text'. Until I figure out how to fix this, please follow the link:

http://karijn-s-basement.deviantart.com/art/Adoptables-Tutorial-Repost-315020091

How to create a successful GroupMy beautiful friends

I hope everybody is doing fine and enjoying their summer

Today, I want to talk about Groups. I’m a member of so many groups and I always encourage my friends to join as many groups as they can, a group is always a great place to meet new artists and let everybody know what you do.

But, I’m sure that you guys notice every now and then that there is a group that is not active or it has been around for a long time and it has so few members, or a group that doesn’t respond to their members and so many other problems. There are so many groups people create them just for the sake of creating a group and they leave them just like that, with no activity at all.

How to create a successful group
:iconFlowerhdplz: Commitment: Before you start thinking about creating a group, you should ask yourself, are you ready for it, do you have the time for it, ar

Browse More Like This

Featured in Groups

How to gain popularity

Journal Entry: Tue Apr 3, 2012, 5:04 AM

I've had various people ask me what they can do to get noticed on DA so I'll write a little journal about my experience with various methods of getting your stuff out there.

I am not at all claiming to be popular myself, I'm just providing feedback.

1. USE GROUPS

Seriously people. It's probably one of THE best ways to get exposure.
There are so many groups too! You will always be able to find one that is suited to your art.
Groups are effective because it gets your artwork exposed to a new batch of watchers (the people who watch the group) besides your own. Try to join groups with lots of members and watchers, as these will give you the most views.
A really great group to gain exposure from is

2. USE THE THUMBSHARE FORUM AND CHAT

Lots of people go to the thumbshare forum and the thumbchat to find new artists to watch and to share their works. These are great places to meet new people and aquire feedback on your deviations.

3. DRAW FANART

You don't need to dedicate your entire gallery to fanart or be unoriginal. A few fanart pieces can really help you get your artwork out there as more people will be searching for it. Also let's not say things like "OH SO UR TELLING US TO SELL OUT AND DRAW FANART EVEN IF WE DON'T LIKE THE SHOW!". There has to be at least ONE or two shows/games/comic series that you like. We can all find things to creat fanart for that we can enjoy.
I won't lie though, drawing something from a very popular show is more effective.

4. HOST CONTESTS

This can be a little more challenging than the other things I mentioned since you will need prizes. A good way to get prizes is by temporarily opening point commissions and then when you get enough, start a contest offering premium memberships. Free art can also be a good prize. This will sound harsh, but art as a prize is usually only effective if most people find your works to be good.
The reasons contests help is because everyone likes prizes! More people will want to come to your page if they know you have an event going on that they can benefit from. It's a win win for everyone!

CHECK OUT MY FRIEND MADI'S CONTEST:[link]

5. DO ART TRADES

When you do a trade with another user, you also get exposed to their watchers. It's a great chance to get more people oogling your gallery.

Just doing a few of these things will help you a whole lot! Personally, I think groups are one of, if not THE best method.

Hope this helps!

MY TUMBLR/ASK BLOG: ShugarSKull.tumblr.com

FANCLUB

153 Comments

Skin by *CherieNoir

5,923

139 153 0

How to gain popularityby *ShugarSkull

Favourite

Description Details Share

Details

Stats

Submitted on: April 3, 2012

Views: 5,923
Favourites: 139 (who?)
Comments: 153

love 4 4

joy 3 3

~~wow 0 0~~

~~mad 0 0~~

~~sad 0 0~~

~~fear 0 0~~

neutral 1 1

=sakuraGx4nina Apr 8, 2012 Digital Artist

This was really helpful

*OnlyOliveOil Apr 7, 2012 Student Traditional Artist

thanks so much! ever since i joined this is all i wanted to do XD

*faustuga Apr 7, 2012

Thanks a lot!

~maaike1995 Apr 7, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

awesome thanks!

=JazyKuun Apr 5, 2012 Digital Artist

I got noticed by drawing MLP fanart and i will admit, my original works aren't noticed that much except for my friends and people who've been watching me for awhile. Not to mention my shitty coloring skills but i am doing Art Trades at the moment and this is helpful~

~Highercode Apr 5, 2012 Hobbyist General Artist

Omg My name is Madi!

=Mary-Jane-Stokely Apr 5, 2012 Digital Artist

Fantastic suggestions:

I just have one more to add: start trading llamas.

Join a group like

1) It has 22,540 members

2) Once one starts trading llamas, people visit one's profile and it adds to page view counts.

3) It provides a way for people to visit one's page, trading llamas, is like a game. Once one's llama starts reaching advanced levels - really fun.

*nebezial Apr 5, 2012

and use friggin keywords.... seriously....

*ShugarSkull Apr 5, 2012

Tag everything "boobs"

*nebezial Apr 6, 2012

it helps XD

More from *ShugarSkull in News

Featured in Groups

How to gain popularity

5,923

How to gain popularityby *ShugarSkull

Details

Stats

The Journal Portal

Polls

What is your preferred drawing software?

deviantART [dee·vee·un'nt·ART]

Keep in Touch!

Deviousness

Add Media

Style

URL	Thumb
Share Share on Facebook Share on Tumblr Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Google+ Share on StumbleUpon Share on LiveJournal

More from *ShugarSkull in News

Featured in Groups

How to gain popularity

5,923

How to gain popularityby *ShugarSkull

Details

Stats

URL

Thumb

Share

The Journal Portal

Polls

What is your preferred drawing software?

deviantART [dee·vee·un'nt·ART]

Keep in Touch!

Deviousness

Add Media

Style