Photoshop tutorial- PS basics for newbies 2

Journal Entry: Sat Apr 20, 2013, 11:02 AM

^{Photoshop tutorials
And here is next part of my journal Photoshop tutorials. Previous tutorial you can see here. I added even document settings, cuz I forgot to add this in previous tutorial I'll describe some Photoshop basics for all newbies who try to learn to use Photoshop. So in this article you'll find tutorials: Document settings, Changing view, Changing thumb size on layers, Using Smart Object and Blur, Using Pen Tool, Outer Glow and Transform. In this tutorial I used my painting VERSUS, just to show you few things (I just had to open something...again ).

If you wish to see images in full resolution then simply click on the images below (they are big as my screen 1920 x 1080 px... OK I cropped bar below ). I used Photoshop CS6 here, so some things may be different in lower PS versions. But most of things may be the same in all PS versions. I'll make even more tutorials like this, so stay tuned. And if you like it, then you can fav this article. Thank you and enjoy. I hope it's helpful

Document settings}

^{Here I'll show you which document settings I use when I start to draw a new painting. I usually draw paintings which are bigger than 7000 px (this is smallest size I use... 7000 px means the longer side). For portraits and such (just the face, with no special background) I use canvas size from 4000-5000 px (the longest side again). But for many characters and detailed scene I use 8000-11.000 px. But you can choose any size you prefer. I like to draw detailed drawings, so I use big canvasses. And I also have a good computer, so I can use many layers also... so, try to choose proper size for yourself and that computer can handle the file normally. Resolution I always have on 300 DPI (print resolution). If you want to use your drawing for website then 72 DPI, 150 DPI will be alright. And the last is Color Mode. I use RGB mode all the time, but if you want to make prints, then you can use CMYK color mode also. And I use 8 bit color... the bigger number is (16, 32...), then better image will look... but remember... PSD file size will increase also.

Changing view}

^{If you want to draw and to have bigger view (without bar and tools which are in PS all around the screen), then simply click F key on your keyboard (click it few times). It'll change your view. There are many options, so when you want to change it to "Normal" view, simply click F more times (till you get the normal view). You'll be able to access to all tools and layers, even when you have full view. When you move with your mouse to the edge of the screen (top, left, right) then the tool bars will appear. (Second image shows full view setting).

Changing thumb size on layers}

^{You can also change Thumb sizes on layer menu. On the image above you can see 4 different Thumb sizes. If you want to change Thumb size then click with right mouse button ON THUMB (not layer title), and you'll get options for changing thumbs.

Using Smart Object and Blur}

Basics-part2-blur smart object by *tincek-marincek

^{Here I'll show you how to use Smart Objects and placing effects on it (blur)... (this Smart Object option may be only in newer PS versions). When you want to make one layer as a Smart Object, then click on layer (where is text) with right mouse button and select option "Convert to Smart Object" (Print screen didn't work for me here, so I couldn't show it ). On layer will appear icon for Smart Objects. Smart Objects are really useful, because when you want to change size of your image, then it won't change your image resolution, or when you place your effect then they won't be placed on image itself. You'll be able to change effects and image will be normal.

Second image shows how I added blur on Smart object layer (for the blur option simply go to: Filter/ Blur/ Gaussian Blur... I used Gaussian blur here). On your layer will appear Smart Filter option. There you can edit your effect and use mask tool to erase spots where you don't want the effect.

Third image shows how I erased filter from the character's face... so only the background have Blur effect. When you want to erase Filter, then click on Smart Filter Mask Layer (white layer) and choose Eraser tool... and simply erase parts where you don't want the effect (black spot on Mask layer shows erased parts...which doesn't have effect).

Using Pen Tool, Outer Glow and Transform}

Basics-part2-pen-steps by *tincek-marincek

^{And Pen Tool. I used Pen tool to add effects on this image (which are visible in background), so now you'll see how I did them. First image (top left) shows how to make a line. Click on Pen tool (P key on your keyboard) and with left mouse button (or just press with tablet pen) select beginning of the line. Then you'll need the end of the line... for that CLICK AND HOLD the button (and move it at the same time, to make the curve). If you won't hold and move it at the same time, then you'll get straight line. If you want to edit the curve, or length of the line, then click CTRL button and click on ENDS of the line (where is square icon...or circle).

Second image (top right)... when you selected your line, then it's time to actually make it. Select BRUSH tool (B) and select the color which will your line have. And select brush size, Hardness, Opacity and Flow. I selected Opacity and Flow on 100% (so the line will have full color). And Brush size will tell how big your line will be (and if you select Hardness on 0%, then line will be soft).

Third image (left below)... select Pen tool again and click with left mouse button... select Stroke Path... When you enable Simulate Pressure, then your line will have nice size changes. If you don't enable that, then line will be big the same (from beginning till the end). And at tool option select BRUSH. Because you edited the brush for the line.

Fourth image (below right)... When you added color to your line, then click ENTER key to finish it. And here I used Transform tool (CTRL+T) and I changed line size. To edit each corner separately hold CTRL and move each corner like you want.

Big image... here I placed effects on the line. Click on FX button (at the bottom right) and choose Outer Glow. On the image you can see few settings which I selected. Click OK to apply changes. And on the right side, where are layers, you'll have Effect options.

The end
That's everything for now ... I hope you learned something new and if you liked this tutorial, then you can also fav this article. Thank you More tutorials by us you can see under THIS folder
If you have any questions, then feel free to comment under this article. We'll be glad to help you.

Official website

Yeah... another free journal skin for you (note: only premium members can use journal skins). I did another collaboration with awesome *weida34 (I did design and she did coding... again). Well, new skin is this which I use right now... MetalliC_V2 (you can click here to install it). Our other collaborations were Sketchbook and Nature}

59 Comments

Digital painting tips for beginners.

by *marinamaral, May 4, 2013, 4:29:08 AM
Journals / Art News / Digital Art

I'm not the best person to give advice about art, once I do not consider myself an artist (yes, it's true lol). But I've always been very curious and interested with the theme "digital painting", and I spent (and still spend) hours and hours watching videos 2 hours long on Youtube lol livestreams, etc.. I think I'm the only person who has the patience for it, hahahaha, but it was what helped me to evolve and learn all the techniques I know now to perform my work. I asked the help of many artists that I admire, and some even helped me, but most of them do not care how much you want to learn. Thinking about it, I decided to make this journal to pass them what little I know, and I hope that this is helpful for someone. Are simple tips and a little obvious, but unknown for some people who just started in this world full of possibilities. I only ask, first of all, for you dont give up. The difficulties were made to be overcome.

BRUSHES:
This is the central theme of the doubt of the people. I usually say that the choice of a specific brush, personalized and with a thousand possibilities of use, is more important when your desire is to do a painting of landscapes or complex paintings in which you want a result more "personal" and stylized. Most of my paintings, I'd say 95% of them were made with the standard brushes of Photoshop, except for one or two brushes of skin texture. You can do magic with a hard brush + one tablet, just learn to use and control the pen pressure to adapt it to the result you want to obtain. The best brush for me may not be the best brush for you. This is completely relative, and you will only find out which of these brushes makes you more comfortable to work when going to test them on their own and not rely solely on the opinion or recommendation of the people. I have millions of packs of brushes of many different artists, and in the end, when I realize I've only used the standard brushes because I feel comfortable with them. This is how it works.

HOW TO USE THE PEN PRESSURE:
[link] [link]

COLORS:
I never had the patience to read a book of color theory. All my knowledge of colors is based on my observation. When I'm painting a picture I look beyond seeing it as a whole. I want to see the details. I like to see the colors that prevail, I like to see how a certain color behaves in the light and how it behaves in the shade... I think that all theoretical knowledge is valid when you understand it, but there are other possibilities for learning that will assist you in the same way. Take some pictures of reference and study it. Try to see the behavior of colors and hues, and using the color HUE of Photoshop, strive to achieve the same tones without using the color picker. It is very important that you develop your sense of color perception and dont need to make use of the technologies of Photoshop. Dont hold on to what the digital offers you.

COLOR THEORY TUTORIALS:
[link] [link] [link]

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS:
This is a tip I could give in all of the topics in this post. Reference photos are the key for develop your knowledge. I would be nothing without them. Search for reference photos of different kinds of women, men, children, elderly, cold, rain, sun, with studio lights, with natural lights, at dawn, at sunset, on the beach, in the forest, in mountains, at different times of the day, etc., and try to reproduce them. Try to see beyond what is exposed. Over time you will notice a significant improvement in their work. You will learn how the shadow behaves in a particular region from a specific focus light, what is the most appropriate tone to paint a particular scenario, what is the saturation of a color when it is exposed to the sun and when it is exposed to the moon, and know how it all works together. The internet is there at your disposal, look these pictures and study tirelessly. And of course, there are many excellent books available to them as well. Do some research, find the pdfs or buy books. Knowledge is never enough!

SHADOWS AND LIGHT TUTORIALS:
[link] [link]

BLENDING COLORS:
I would tell you not to use the smudge tool. The result is much more beautiful when you learn to mix colors with brushes.

BLENDING TUTORIALS:
[link] [link]

FINAL TIPS:
* Reference photos, reference photos, reference photos, reference photos. Let your brain crazy with it. Fall in love with them and make a habit of studying them.
* Redo the reference photos, and do it again without letting her sight. Test what you learned from your study.
* Forget the packs with 250 different brushes!!! Learn to use the basic first and find the most comfortable for your work. With time you will know to choose a different brush for the composition of your painting.
* There livestreams online 24 hours a day and many Youtube videos. Watch at least 20 minutes if you like. This was one of the habits that most helped me to evolve my knowledge.
* Be inspired by other artists, and dont despair to find your own style. That comes with time!
* Talk with other artists, exchange ideas and knowledge. You'll see that things are productive if they are taken in this way.
* Dont be disappointed and dont give up when a result is not as you expected it to be. Get over yourself!!!!

SOME RECOMMENDED TUTORIALS:
My favs: [link]

TUTORIAL GROUPS:
- [link]
- [link]
- [link]
- [link]
- [link]

PAGES FOR PHOTOS OF REFERENCE:
Pinterest, Deviantart, Flickr, Google Images, Facebook, Tumblr.
- photo-reference-for-comic-artists.com
- www.morguefile.com

[link]

MY TUTORIALS
[link]

***

I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to take your questions. I am here to serve them.

One step ahead and you are no longer in the same place.

Sorry for my bad english.

13 Comments

New Contest - OPEN

Fri May 3, 2013, 7:40 PM

new contest, this time all asked the new contest with stocks, and the theme that you choose.

date to decline 31 - May (if not have 6 entries in each category, we extend one more week)

and please donate prizes to the winners earn prizes for doing an awesome work

you can donate what you want, for example :

Exclusive stock
Feature
Points
Llama
PSD file
and other

and this time added a new category

advanced

intermediate

beginner

for all have a chance to win

here are the stocks that you have to use

you have to use 3 stocks below in your entry

you can use more than 3 stocks below, and you can use others to do your entry

Prizes Received

Advanced

1° First Place

Feature in

Feature Artist from

Feature from

exclusive stock from

100 from
50 from

100 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

2° Second Place

Feature from

exclusive stock from

100 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

3° Third Place (popular choice)

Feature from

exclusive stock from

50 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

Honorable Mentions (3 entries)

Feature from

exclusive stock from

20 from

Llama from

PSD file from

Intermediate

1° First Place

Feature in

Feature Artist from

Feature from

exclusive stock from

100 from
50 from

100 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

2° Second Place

Feature from

exclusive stock from

100 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

3° Third Place (popular choice)

Feature from

exclusive stock from

50 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

Honorable Mentions (3 entries)

Feature from

exclusive stock from

20 from

Llama from

PSD file from

Beginner

1° First Place

Feature in

Feature Artist from

Feature from

exclusive stock from

100 from
50 from

100 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

2° Second Place

Feature from

exclusive stock from

100 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

3° Third Place (popular choice)

Feature from

exclusive stock from

50 from

25 from

Llama from

PSD file from

Honorable Mentions (3 entries)

Feature from

exclusive stock from

20 from

Llama from

PSD file from

Judges

All Entries will be judged for our judges

Rules

Categories accepted: photomanipulation and/or mixed media. (only)

All stock and resources must be credited with direct links. (is not mandatory, but you would be helping the judges placing direct links)

you can participate with up to 2 entries.

All entries must have been a new creation for this contest, not a old piece.

You must be a member of this group to enter

You must say in the description of your work, that is for this contest, with the group icon or a link to this journal.

submit your entry to the folder in your category

advanced [link]

intermediate [link]

beginner [link]

If you have trouble to decide which category you can participate, please contact

91 Comments

Feature 25

Thu May 2, 2013, 2:38 AM

Awake For Days - cover by =Dani-Owergoor

A Change in the Weather by *Deborah-Valentine

57 Comments

Alright, so here's how things are going to be..!

by =Capukat, May 1, 2013, 2:43:21 PM
Journals / Art News / Digital Art

Interested in reading a graphic novel potentially coming out later this year? Keep reading!

Alrighty! So unfortunately I have a lot of things I want to do, and relatively little time to sort it out and do them at the current pace I'm working on.
So I figured I needed to really just sort it all out and I thought it'd be n to keep everyone updated as well as myself!
I'll probably be posting short updates on my twitter every so often and not here ->Capukat@Twitter
But as for the rest :3
----------------

*In no specific order* Will update more if needed.

Website: Capukat.com

I'm working on the commissions page atm ([link]); and in a little bit I'll open Beta commission slots as in I'll be testing out how the app works on my site! Watch out for those special slots!
Any suggestions?!
Feel free to look around my site though, test links etc! Feedback is more than appreciated There are a lot of blank pages now but I'm working on making sure this comes out easily navigable
Ooh and feel free to fb/google+ like my site! All the support means a lot ! ^-^ My twitter is also linked there along with other social icons in the footer-- feel free to suggest things about that too.
As for everything else, I guess that's it now//all I can think of! :3 As per usual, smaller updates will be in my Twitter as mentioned a few times above!

#AnimalAwareness

Unfortunately I was hoping to have more time for this, this past year, but with all I'm about to mention plus school, it's become hard to manage. The AA staff has been working to provide you with faster feedback and submission approvals but unfortunately we've all been getting busy with school/work and personal matters as well. By this summer I should be able to work more on it but for now submissions are still on hold (as mentioned in the group journal)
If anyone would like to become a part of the AnimalAwareness staff (the more the better! as for now), please visit this journal and read carefully! AnimalAwareness Staff Application Forms & Try-Hello! Capu here!
As you may have noticed, we, as the AA staff, have been getting behind on a lot of the feedback, what with the submissions and everything (which btw are still closed for the better part). For that you have my sincerest apologies on everyone's behalf!
We've all been having many personal work that we've been only managing to make time for this not as much as we'd like to.
The problem is with a group as big & still growing as ours, it's become apparent we need more staff to help out.
You have to be reasonably active (not coming on once every few months etc), and as for the rest, that's listed below.
-------------------
How we work: I want to make sure this is all very thorough as I wouldn't want anyone to jump into any responsibility without knowing the full deal!
~
-Our cause and group is a team effort and we have select roles assigned to everybody. Everyone in the AA staff gets at least one role, of your choice preferably. (first come first serve) D And I'll potentially see you there!
But otherwise, apologies on everyone's behalf as well for the inactivity! I promise we have been and will be trying out best to keep on improving upon the group and additional sites! We're trying to develop an efficient system for the workload and we're getting there!
Ooh but feel free to join if you support art 4 animals!

deviantArt:

I'm not opening commissions until SUMMER VACATION, so around end of May or beginning of June, but I'll see how busy finals makes me lol! //crosses fingers I can be exempted from some.
I'll be working on my page too! I should probably get myself:

A few new journal skins
Proper page layout & backgrounds + images
A real good gallery organization system and CSS. o____o
Time

And comments and all that are the usual, I'll do my best to reply in a timely manner but I'm afraid I'll be a little bit on the busy-swamped side...

Last but not least.. GRAPHIC NOVEL! I've always received such lovely feedback (thank you!) on what character designs and backgrounds I have so far so I figured this would be nice >~<

Surprise surprise! :3 I'm releasing a novel THIS YEAR (at least I'm 99% sure). A completely new one and mostly so I can really experience just everything from the work load to really organizing everything. But this depends on how successful *points above* all /that/ is. Although this would be among my top priorities!
The topic and all that for now is kept secret for the most part until I really work it out. By this summer if pages haven't been release, I should get concept work done!
Whether or not I'll get it published depends on popularity but so far I'm having pretty good hopes for this one haha! It's animal based, and I figured I should start with my comfort zone so dogs and cats. A more sweet story than anything too fantastical or complex, I hope you all will like it! It'll be 3 books at most, and no more than 100 pages per book. Hopefully 3 pages released a week but we'll see

This brings me to the topic of Youtube and ANIMATIONS project! (so I guess graphic novels wasn't last lol//added this last minute)

I will be working on animating a few if not all my novels! Haha. I've wanted to be a novelist for so long, initially an animator but I really don't think I'd fit in with Disney and their style of art so I figured I could try doing a little of my own! And become a self sufficient graphic novelist and therefore my own personal animator xD
I have a few friends interested in volunteering for voice acting so far Unfortunately.. I have no funds for any salary so if you're a professional voice actor I would love to hire you if I could "hire" /sigh/
So yea! I'll be starting with animations, that basically represent chapters in the novels! Probably about 10 min episodes I'm aiming for (nothing's set in stone yet haha..), and I'm working on composing my own music already (playing the piano for like 8 years now so I might also incorporate classical music since that's like free of copyrights haha)
But yea! If anyone has any animation tips or links to tutorials/videos that helped with lip syncing or anything (I'm using Anime Studio Pro 9, and maybe Flash CS4), feel free to link, much appreciated!!! >~<
Voice acting tryouts are later.. first I have to actually start my first novel hehe!
As for mini-practice ones, besides speedpaints and narrated videos I'll try to make (since I find those easier than making tutorials//maybe I'll do both), I'll probably do short comedy-oriented animations lol xD Starring...my youtube cast! I have designs planned out for a lot of them since I'm keeping them very basic, simple, yet recognizable ! But of course, Capu and Kiaro (and even Winter, etc) definitely star in them xD! I'll try to find good prompts and ideas later

And that's it!

Thank you all for taking the time to read this-- let me know what you think haha!

-Capu

95 Comments

Spotlight Features - Vol. 20

Sat May 4, 2013, 5:12 PM

A news series featuring art selected by me. There will be a wide range of themes and genres covered. In addition, there will be periodic interviews and artist spotlights. Note that this feature is moving to a bi-weekly publication schedule.

If you like this article, please add it to your favorites to help spread the love for the art and artists within.

Daily Features

_{On my profile page, I feature a new deviation every day (or two or three). The piece is usually something that caught my eye. Could be an amazing digital painting, a fun stamp, a quick photograph that made me smile, perhaps a piece for a weekly theme, whatever. However, it moved me enough to share it with my visitors. Below is a list of the artists which I featured during February 2013. I am showcasing different pieces from their gallery in the hope of showing them a bit more love. If you would like to see the original piece I featured of each of these artists, please visit this folder.}

~Spomo-U

~008AE6

=ribkaDory

=Martina-G

~0okami-Rei

~NickRoblesArt

*ArtistAbe

~Tine1983

=bofeng

~SashaAlice

Spotlight Interview

_{In this series, I hope to introduce the community to some artists who have been around dA for a while, but are still relativity unknown. The interviews are meant to be short and sweet. I encourage you to check out the artist's full gallery and add them to your devWatch.}

-- This issue, we talk to digital artist and cartoonist, *dragondoodle

Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about yourself and your dA life? (You can use this question to plug any groups or off-dA projects you may have.)

Greetings! I'm *dragondoodle also known as *girl-n-herhorse but more commonly known as Emily (or Ems to my friends

) I've been on DA since May 2005. I have a web comic over at [link] which I also post on my *girl-n-herhorse page. I'm also a mod for the group #UnsungMediums which a small but fun and odd little group. DA is a very special place for me . . . it helped me get back into art and find support from good friend that I never thought I'd find. I treasure all my watchers and friends and am very grateful for the support and inspiration I've received from this site and do my best to try and return the favor. One of my favorite places to help give back is #dAWishingWell .

I'm also a llama collector . . . and I'll return any llamas I get, because I'm also a member of #GiveALlamaGetALlama.

What would you say your main artform is? Secondary?

Right now my main art form is digital art, mainly because I had to give up a lot of traditional art mediums due to small apartments and tiny hands. I'm slowly getting back into the traditional though, as my kids get older, which is usually colored pencils or acrylic paints.

When did you start pursuing your art? What prompted you to?

I've been drawing since I was a child and it's always been my favorite way to express myself. I also found that doodling while listening to lectures actually helped me absorb what was being said better than just listening. I find a great deal of happiness from creating . . . even if it's not great art I still am able to find joy in the process. I never want to lose that.

What is your favorite piece in your gallery at the moment?

From my

gallery:

From my

gallery

In general, what is your favorite thing to create (i.e. fan-art, poetry, etc) ?

I get a great deal of satisfaction from making art for others and also making pictures of my own characters

Just for fun question: What is your favorite food and drink?

I am completely addicted to Lime Diet Pepsi.

Trying to cut back on that. Favorite food? Anything with Chocolate

Again, trying to cut back on that.

Time to spread the love. Who are 3 artists you feel could use more love? Tell us why you love them. (please select one piece from each of the artist's gallery and send me the thumb)

Gads . . . there's so many of them! Such a hard decision.

I discovered recently *Dedasaur and fell in love with her webcomics

*Destinyfall is a good friend and a wonderful artist

*Captain-Savvy is another good friend and one of the sweetest people I know

Final words?

If you love art don't give it up. No matter what. Trust me on this one. Also . . .

Some of my picks from *dragondoodle's gallery:

Centaur: A Chaotic Tail Part 1Peggy looked out of the stable at the retreating form of the young man. Tears were flowing from her eyes. It really wasn't fair, but she supposed she should have expected that reaction. She rubbed her eyes mournfully. Still didn't make it any easier to take, especially since she did like him. A lot. He'd been so attentive and kind to her, and he was clever and smart. She had hoped, no, she'd PRAYED that he'd be different, that he would see her as the young women who's conversation and company he desired. Not as a freak. She stamped her foot hard into the ground in frustration, the tears still flowing, looking at the horseshoe shaped imprint h

Themed Feature

_{As followers of this series know, I like to do features based on themes that are relevant to me personally at the moment. Since I've had a few "moments of truth" over the last couple of weeks, "Truth" seemed like a good theme to cover. Here are a collection of arts found using the word "truth" and some variations.}

Themed Feature

_{As I settle back into doing my articles series after a bit of illness, I asked `Ravenswd if he would assist me with this issue and do a themed feature. For reasons only known to him, he choose the them of "choices." Here are some of the favorites he found.}

Spam

_{This section will be used to promote special events and such around dA that are close to my heart, as well as requested pimpage.}

I'm a bit of out of things. So if you have an event, contest, or something else you'd like pimped, please drop me a line or comment below and I'll add it to the next edition.

Volume 8 of the #LiteraryCompass series published recently. Find out about the world of Captain Sybil and The Mystic's Dream.

Literary Compass - Vol. 8Welcome
If one is looking for Literature, you don't need to go far on deviantART. There is a large community of writers and a plethora of work to peruse. Featuring genres such as fantasy, mystery, horror, and romance, one would be hard-pressed to find an area not covered. However, due to the nature of the site, shorter works tend to get more focus. It's easier to quickly read a poem or a short story, and thus many of the feature articles on dA showcase those works. However, there are many novelists and serial writers among the mix, oftentimes fighting an uphill battle to have their works seen and appreciated.
With that in mind, I have started an article to spotlight some of those artists and their literary-worlds. The works covered in this feature will exclusively be long-form fiction such as novels, trilogies, etc., or fiction serials.
Current Stop -The Caribbean
The next stop on our Literary journey is the swashbuckling world of the 18th Centur

My #RelativityComic group is hosting a contest. Your OC in love with my OC. There's a lot of great prizes to be won. Deadline is May 31, 2013. For more information, check out the journal below:

Valentine's Contest + New PrizeJust 4 more weeks! You can check the countdown clock over at #RelativityComic
Deadline is May 31, 2013. No further extensions will be given.
Support stamp!

In celebration of Valentine's Day (which is today) we are hosting a Relativity contest! Note, this theme is a bit different than our past contests, so be sure to read everything.
The theme is Romantic Love
Just what that means depends on you. Perhaps it's a shipping of two characters. Perhaps it's unrequited love where one side gives and the other doesn't reciprocate. Perhaps it's a tainted love that ends with screams and gunshots.
Who's in love? That's up to you, and you have TWO options:

One of your original characters paired up with one of the Relativity OCs.
or

You may pair two of the Relativity characters who are not currently in a relationship.
The reason we are doing it this way is to allow as many people to participate, regardless if they have an OC o

Credits

_{A nod to the following people and resources which make this article possible:
Logo graphic by `admx
Section bullets courtesy of Fatcow Hosting
CSS Skin by =Drake1
Custom journal coding and layout by `Ravenswd}

19 Comments

Are You Super - Vol. 3

Journal Entry: Mon Apr 29, 2013, 2:17 PM

My Oath, To Protect the City...

A new series which will feature superhero related art and literature. I don't have a planned schedule for updates, but hope to publish at least once a month.

Traditional and Digital

Cosplay

Literature

Superkid Issue # 3: Doctor Red part 1

    I’m sure you’ve noticed, but it’s only after the superhero comes along that the supervillains rear their ugly heads to wreak havoc on the world--the mutated giant spider is a case in point. But if you really think about it, if it happened the other way around then the hero would probably never rise up to save the day because there wouldn’t be anything to rise up from! Well I guess there are some that actually do but stories like that are called dystopias, and who really wants to listen to all the griping about the lack of freedom, dismal living conditions, and downtrodden voices, eh?
    Now you probably remember that I mentioned Doctor Red before. You know, in the first part of Issue # 1? That’s right, we’re going to be meeting him in this issue.
    Previously, in Issue # 2, Superkid had fought a monstrous spider that

Character profile: Grey TigerRiko Haloga AKA Grey Tiger
Favorite color: Brown the color of 'her' eyes
Best friend: Jimmy Haloga my bro
Catchphrase: 'will you stop being a idiot'
Powers: I'm an acrobatic ninja with feline abilities.
Age: 16
Enemy: Spider girl and the rest of my team.
What .... thinks about working in a team: They're so disorganized they need serious training.

DC 18th Century: Let Justice be Done prolouge “The administration of Justice is the finest pillar of Government.”
-George Washington

Setting the stage and introducing the cast...

1745. The Colony of New York. 10 miles Outside the Village of Small.

A simple two wheeled farming cart, being pulled by a slightly withered looking grey horse, was bringing a very saddened couple back to their home and farm after spending the entire day journeying to the town of Metropolis, after their meeting with the town’s doctor.

Both were dressed as the usual “farm bumpkins” some would say, and the moon was brin

Super News

Artists of Relativity - Vol. 2A monthly series which will feature artists and artwork from the Relativity serial, which is published over on my `mirz-alt account and can be found at #RelativityComic. As I frequently showcase work from the series, I wanted also promote the individual artists and feature some of their other work.  This series will spotlight deviants who have created art for us through commissions, gift-art, contest-entries, requests or other means.
This issue: *ThreshTheSky
Relativity Art

To see some collages featuring other characters from the series, click on the thumbs below:

Other Art by *ThreshTheSky
:bigthumb3

If you have superhero related news such as group events, contests, etc., drop us a comment or note and we'll add it to the next edition.

Past Articles of "Are You Super?"

Are You Super? - Vol 2A new series which will feature superhero related art and literature. I don't have a planned schedule for updates, but hope to publish at least once a month.
Traditional and Digital

Cosplay

Literature

Special
Below are the winners of the "Are You Super?" emoticon contest hosted over at #EmoticonOpus
Third Place
by :devBenediktXVI

Are You Super? - Vol. 1A new series which will feature superhero related art and literature. I don't have a planned schedule for updates, but hope to publish at least once a month.
As I had intended to do an article to feature Relativity art we received from a project which we're wrapping up, I thought it would be a good way to launch this series. Note that in the future, a wide range of superhero art and literature will be showcased, not just my stuff

.
The Relativity Profile Project
Back in June of 2012, `Ravenswd and I planned a special project for our fiction series, Relativity. Looking at our group gallery, we noticed that we did not have a lot of good, full-figured pictures of our characters. This made creating profile sheets and other promotional items difficult. So we set up a little fund in order to purchase a few commissions of the main heroes. We were on a tight budget and looked for artists that would work wit

_{to everyone who makes this article possible. Also, a special thanks to `Ravenswd for coding this journal skin.}

21 Comments

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

33 Comments

Artists of Relativity - Vol 3

Journal Entry: Thu May 2, 2013, 6:02 AM

Welcome to Gale City

A monthly series which will feature artists and artwork from the Relativity serial, which is published over on my `mirz-alt account and can be found at #RelativityComic. As I frequently showcase work from the series, I also wanted to promote the individual artists and feature some of their other work. This series will spotlight deviants who have created art for us through commissions, gift-art, contest-entries, requests or other means.

This issue: *Elengwat

Relativity Art

As the first artist to truly conceptualize Team Torrent, we have been told by many of our readers that the way they visualize the characters was heavily inspired by *Elengwat's work. We're very thankful for all he has done for the series.

**Other Art by *Elengwat**

*Elengwat currently takes commissions. For more information, check out this page.

to all of the wonderful artists who have worked on the series and fans who support it. We appreciate you all!

To see more art or check out the series, be sure to visit the group.

There is currently a contest running in the #RelativityComic group. Lots of subscriptions, points, and art for prizes. Click here for more details.

To see past "Artists of Relativity" articles, check out this folder.

10 Comments

What's hot? - Vector

Fri Apr 26, 2013, 6:49 AM

Recently deviantART has added a new way to browse art. This article series is intended to feature art found by using the What's Hot? feature.

I'm doing the article series as a way to promote smaller facets of the larger categories, in hopes of sharing what I find and maybe you'll like it.

Today is April 26th, and here's What's Hot? in this category: