The DeviantArt Experiment

Recently I started up a deviantArt account so that I'd have another place to post some of the pictures I draw. The idea was to help build up a sense of community to help keep me motivated in my artistic endeavors. Back in college, I thrived off the interaction with fellow writers that workshops and classes provided me. Even last year, when I resolved to do a drawing per day, I wouldn't have pulled through if it weren't for my artist buddies helping me keep tabs.

I've only been on for maybe a month, and I haven't actually done much to engage myself in the DA community, but... I have to say I don't know that the deviantArt community is right for me.

Mainly because I don't draw manga. Like, at all.

(I'll will admit that there's probably a bit of a... "manganese"... influence in my drawings, as a lot of cartoonists and artists I emulate have an eastern slant to their artwork as well.)

I don't mean to say that manga is somehow an inferior art style. There are several pictures on deviantArt that I've stumbled across that happen to be pretty good. It's just, so many of the pictures I come across seem to be shipping propaganda for some high school kid's favorite fictional couple.

So, really, the problem is that deviantArt seems to be full of teenagers. That's just NOT my crowd anymore.

Now, I have found some great artwork and photography on deviantArt, a lot of which has inspired me to go back to the sketchpad. I'm even toying with some other media of visual expression (I'm thinking of taking up collaging - so if anyone has some old, yellowed books they don't want anymore, I could sure use them). From that point of view, my deviantArt stay has been worthwhile.

Still, I've come across a lot of not-very-good artwork. A LOT. So I thought I'd do the internet a favor and put together a list of...

SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE A BAD DEVIANT ARTIST

• If the title of your photograph describes your model's pose and nothing else.
• If you only draw pictures of your favorite fictional characters kissing, regardless of whether those characters hook up in their respective stories or not.
• If your drawing is on lined paper (I mean, it's not like you're right next to a computer with printer paper or something).
• If the title or body of your work contains the words "darkness of my soul" in any context.
• If you turn your work into a "Demotivator" and it still isn't funny.
• If your piece is titled "insanity."
• If your photograph's only artistic edginess is that it displays boobs.
• If you draw Sonic the Hedgehog.

Hope that helps.