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Eukara Vox -> Rules for MQ's Art Gallery (12/1/2013 0:54:10)
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RULES
Rules for Art Galleries
All Universal Forum Rules relating to posting behavior apply!
These should be the first thing you read when you join the forums. They apply everywhere; this means that any behavior prohibited by the Universal Rules is prohibited in this forum. This means no flaming, no trolling, no spamming including your signature and emoticons.
One Thread Per Person
Each thread is to be treated as an art gallery and discussion platform. Artists are given one gallery and one gallery only. Please do not make a new thread for each new piece you create.
Image Size Requirements
As images can be large and some forum users have varying connection speeds, do not use image tags for large images or large numbers of images. You can have ONE 800 x 600 pixel and 300 kb banner, and then each post following, but not including, the first should include a single image no bigger than 500 x 500 and 150kb in size. Any pictures bigger than that maybe thumbnailed and linked to the larger image. This forum is intended to be a gallery where users can peruse through your works and enjoy them without having to click away many times. For an example gallery, please take a look at Alpha’s Sample Gallery.
Art Discussion
Since discussion will be allowed in these threads, it will be very important when giving commentary and feedback to reference the specific art you are talking about in your post. This is not only courteous to the artist, but to those who are looking through the postings. Artists of all kinds thriveon input and commentary from the people who look at their works. Make sure your posts are constructive. Spam is not tolerated. If you like a specific piece by an artist, don't just say "Awesome pic, yo." explain WHY you liked it. You will not help a artist improve if you do not post constructively.
Ripping
"Ripping" for these purposes shall be defined as the use of another's art without permission. The consequences will be severe for anyone found ripping someone else’s art. If you think that your art, or someone else's, has been ripped, please PM the Head Moderator; do not post about it. Rip cases are private, between the accuser, the alleged ripper, and the original creator of the artwork in question. Any post on the forum accusing someone of ripping will be seen as flaming and be treated as such. Please include as much information as possible in the PM so it can be taken care of quickly. If the person under question for ripping is found out not to have ripped, the case will be dropped without repercussion. Plagiarism is considered a very sensitive topic. Anyone caught doing so will receive a forum ban.
Keep Content Appropriate
Art is an expressive endeavor that all are encouraged to engage in. However, the content of that art is subject to the forum's rules regarding decency. Do not post any content of a sexually explicit nature, nor any content that is racially, religiously or otherwise offensive or profane. If you're not sure if your art is suitable to be posted, feel free to PM any of MechQuest General Discussion Art Gallery Archknights.
Creating a Gallery Guide
Before reading this guide, make sure you understand the above rules.
1. Image Galleries
quote:
Image Size Requirements
As images can be large and some forum users have varying connection speeds, do not use image tags for large images or large numbers of images. You can have ONE 800 x 600 pixel or 300 kb banner, and then each post following, but not including, the first should include a single image no bigger than 500 x 500 and 150kb in size. Any pictures bigger than that maybe thumbnailed and linked to the larger image. This forum is intended to be a gallery where users can peruse through your works and enjoy them without having to click away many times
As you can see, each post in your gallery is limited to one image. This move wasn't done to limit your posting and your galleries. Actually, the opposite of it is wanted. The Gallery team want to encourage you to move from galleries which are full of notes to different artworks of your around the web, to galleries that actually show the real piece of art. Don't be scared to have a lot of posts, it actually shows that you are a working artist who is full of ideas and inspiration.
With that said, in your gallery you should post your artwork in image form, and not a link to it. If you think the image is too big or it is actually too big according to the rules, you can make a thumbnail of the piece which will link to the piece itself, uploaded somewhere. This will give your audience the ability to actually see all of your artwork, without massive amount of clicking and opening new windows and tabs.
A nice site that can be used to make a thumbnail of your piece is Picresize . You can use it to easily make a small copy of your image which you can post.
On top of this, you should dedicate your first post in the gallery to a description of the gallery and an introduction of yourself. Don't forget, it can't have any more images except the banner. You should post your artwork in following posts, and as I wrote before, preferably one piece per post without any links.
2. Sections and Organizing
Most of the artists like to have some kind of a system to organize the different artworks in the gallery. One artist can put the pieces in sections according to the medium. Some may put the pieces in divisions by fanfiction (non-AE), signatures, sprites, weaponry, etc. No matter what kind of organizing system you use, you should check out this part. From the first place, division into sections isn't necessary for making a gallery, but for different artists it is easy to have all artwork related to one topic in one place, and different topic on another.
Because each post should have only one image, you can put all of the "swords" in one post but only show the image of one. Yet, this ruins the idea behind the new format, and goes against it. Instead of showing your artwork straight away, you still put links on which your audience will need to click and get redirected to a different place on the web.
Instead, use your first post to also index your artwork. Your gallery will be full of different images, with no particular order. In your first post, put a list that will have links to the posts of the different pieces, and not to the pieces somewhere on the web. Going with the previous AE items example:
Armors
- Link to post #3, which got an armor.
- Link to post #6, which got an armor too.
Swords
- Link to post #1, which got a sword.
- Link to post #7, which got a sword too.
As you can see, you can still divide your galleries into sections, while showing every piece of artwork straight away instead of showing notes which redirect your forumites to different places on the web. You can come up with different new ideas for formats, but this is the one I recommend to go with the current structure of The Gallery.
3. Updates
You posted the gallery, and after a week you were struck with a sudden burst of inspiration. You worked hard, and now you want every person who visits your gallery to see your next masterpiece!
With the new gallery format, updating is much easier. You just add a post with your latest artwork (remember, an image, not a link) and that's it. If you went on some kind of index on your first post, don't forget to add your latest post to the appropriate place on the list
4. Joint Galleries
What is a joint gallery?
Joint galleries are exactly what the title suggests: a joint gallery between 2 or more people. Simple as that.
How do I set up a joint gallery?
It's easy: just get a friend and make one. There is no solid barrier between a regular gallery and a joint one, so setting up a joint gallery should be just like a regular one (see above for instructions).
There are just a few thing that should be noticed, though:
First, be sure to include you and your friend's name in the original post. Pretty common sense, but people are gonna be wondering if a stranger suddenly "hijacks" your thread.
Second, if both you and your friend decide to have an index, it might be better to have separate ones, on different posts, one for each of you. It's easier to manage this way, and no more pestering your friend, the original poster, to edit your index to include your new works.
Joint galleries also help people grow in friendships and grow up as artists. It provides an interesting mix of art, and helps solidify and further your art style. And, with the revamp, joint galleries are more possible, so don't hesitate: joint galleries are a fun experience, a lot of fun, and that's how they should be. In the words of our very own Wyrm, Art On!
5. Final Notes and Extras
As I wrote in the first part, your galleries should include images, and not links. When people come to your gallery, they want to see your artwork, and not a bunch of blue lines. Take advantage of the new structure, in which you can post all of your images without a problem.
I hope you enjoyed reading this guide, and you will update your gallery to fit the new spirit of The Gallery.
If you want to see an example gallery which follows the suggestions in this guide, you can check out: PyroPuppy's Gallery.
*Thanks to Starflare for the Joint Galleries section help.
Thanks to Pyopuppy for the Gallery Guide.
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