This is not a hideout for pixel artists. We are all aware of dA's existance, and if some of us are not participating there, it must be for a reason.
Most of the stuff you "featured" on your journal entry was done by members from pixelation and pixeljoint.
If you are trying to "evangelize" pixelart there, I think you are blindly walking towards a wall.

I was trying to demonstrate a level of quality in pixel art, naturally at the moment, the best will come from these two forums as this is where the dA pixel artists and others hang out.

As far as being evangelical about Pixel Art is concerned, I don't believe showing examples of what I regard as quality and something which has an appeal not normally seen as a collection, to be particularly evangelical but I will leave that to others to decide.

First of all, people won't care much about what you are doing. Why? Because you are a no-one in dA without tons of pageviews, without some high rank/status, without tons of devwatchers, without featured art. For some reason there is this invisible rank thing going on, involving what I said. No matter how good your intentions or art are, you won't make a revolution in dA if you lack those.

Those that did have all the pageviews, rank, followers and probably brown nosed the 'right' people didn't make much of a difference to Pixel Art at dA in the past. The fact that I am a no one, of no consequence, with no political affiliations makes it easier because it is quite clear I don't have a personal agenda to promote myself or my work, nor am I trying to ingratiate myself with anyone.

As you have taken the trouble to look at my site you may have noticed I do not make celebratory signs nor take screen shots of my landmark number page views. I quite frankly couldn't give a flying toss for that sort of twaddle. I am there to learn and aim for excellence....as far as I have the capacity for so doing. Apart from that, it isn't about *me* creating a revolution I am one minuscule drop in the ocean....Yeah OK, I will say it first....the dA ocean is full of drips!! 

Perhaps one day when I have put in thousands of hours of practice and believe I cannot further improve on my work and feel I am really starting to fly, I will come here and offer what I think is a piece of art worthy of critique in the WIP section. I will then be fully prepared to have my wings ripped off and go through a whole new and valuable learning curve. I have a long way to go and a lot more practice before that will happen.

Second, most of the people go to dA for showing their stuff and for the whole community and popularity thing, not for learning (and if they do, it is probably because they haven't heard of better places yet). People that are experienced only expect those ass kissing comments there. Those that want to get better through critique have already moved somewhere else (even if they still upload their stuff). And those that are "not that experienced" are those commenters that go like "OMG SO COOL! + FAV!!!". But pretty much everything revolves around popularity there.

I wouldn't presume to comment on other peoples' motives for being at dA. I imagine it would be as diverse as it is in any walk of life as to why someone does something.  Why am I there? I am there to learn, that is how I came to discover how bereft dA is of pixel art.

What has dA done to us so we would make another "pixelation" there? Why would we want to lend a hand to a huge, chaotic and self destructing community? Why aim there when we have this here?

That is a question only you could answer. You may not want to be there at all....this is entirely up to the individual as to where  each person feels the most comfortable and productive.

Also you mention that more emoticonists (heh) are getting interested in pixel art in your notes, why not point them here instead of waiting for your revolution?
We already have what they need, all they lack is pointers here.

It is time you look at the whole thing from a different perspective.

I doubt with your comment of 'emoticonists (heh)' that a great many of the really excellent emoticonists would be too comfortable here with that sort of an attitude. It won't be until they leave emoticons behind that they may venture into these hallowed halls of high achievement as has one of the world's greatest emoticonists  in the person of Fool. In fact it was through Fool the emoticonist and his site, I found these forums.

As far as perspective is concerned, my focus is on an expansion of high quality pixel art at dA. This would do no harm to your forums.  If however, there is a rapid expansion of an interest in pixel art at dA without proper oversight from experienced pixel artists like yourselves, your forums are going to be chock a block with crap and second rate sprites, mock up pseudo pixel art, pretty wide eyed dollies in an array of lovely flowing  frocks and cutesy little iso rooms in pastel pinks...mmm, now there is something for which to look forward!!

This of course will make you all as sh!tty as hell and there may well be an all pervading air of belligerence toward newbies as you try to cope, this in turn will make you all look like a bunch of assholes and turn people away in droves. This would be all a bloody pity, as they may never return no matter how good they get, if they leave with a bad taste in their mouths.

Fry, you will only get ass pats on a DD. If you dare to criticize a DD you will be torn to shreds....I know, I did, I got shit hurled all over me.

What a DD is good for is to get a focus onto it. If it is good,  people will study it but they are unlikely to comment. I have had your piece of work in my reference folder for some time, in order to study various aspects of form and shading. I have many other pieces there as well which I study.

Helm, thank you for answering each point so clearly. I am not going to argue with your points as they are valid feelings for you and probably many others.

To everyone else thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate your opinions.

Pixel art is about to happen big time at dA....please yourself if you want to have an influence there or not.....

What the? haha.

I didn't even know about this... Nor do I really care.  I post my work there because a lot of my animation friends do and I enjoy seeing their work as well, but I much prefer a place like this where you receive actual helpful feedback. 

-Fry

Hi Fry!


Is this your work that got the DD? I won't congratulate you as it appears dA is a dirty word.

There are a ship load of kids getting interested in pixel art there and if they are encouraged the quality may well improve. If everyone abandons the place then there will be heaps of kids who may never get a decent education about pixel art.

I realize I will probably go down fighting but meh, what the hell....I reckon pixel art is worth fighting for!

I really don't like deviantart (anymore). Especially the pixel art section. Tons of crappy sprite comics, and almost no constructive critism on pieces with much more effort. Deviantart seems to become a place to either get "WOOOW SO UEBERCOOL XD ^^" comments or to write them.

.


I find trying to sift through the submissions in the pixel art section akin to riffling through the trash can in the bedroom of a pre pubescent child.

The sad part is that this is the very place because of the sheer weight of numbers which could create a large pixel art community if more people actually knew what pixel art really was.

More is the pity if the pixel greats abandon the place, that will certainly seal the fate of sensible constructive comment on work submitted.

Education is the key....if only there were more educators there prepared to offer constructive comment.