I can't believe how rude this forum can be...

[nvision]

Meh.  Grow some thicker skin, or stop making art.  Criticism is par for the course.  The best professor I ever had in university was the same one who brought several students to tears with his critiques.  He's incredibly successful, and would cut through the crap to get to what needed to be improved in someone's artwork.

If you want to see "harsh," trying sitting in on some portfolio reviews at gaming companies.  Helm's advice will seem like the most gentle suggestion, in comparison.

Aside from this, forum use is a privilege, not a right.  If you don't like the atomsphere, try elsewhere or start your own.

[Helm]

As long as I am involved on the management level with Pixelopolis/ation, you can bet there will never be a casual attitude towards ripping/editing. If that's what someone is into, I'm sure there's lots of forums catering to that low-effort type of creative passtime. This place is what it is because we take the craft seriously and do not reward neither art empty of effort or comments empty of critique.

If someone, like Lick, finds my choice of dealing with offenders unnecessarily harsh, they should consider that is not because I am anyone's parent and wish to direct them to proper practises through my criticizing. In my experience, once a ripper, almost always will remain a ripper. My main concern is for them to absolutely not take advantage of this forum with their ripped garbage. There is no healthy critique process when there's deceptive intent. Whether my being harsh benefits or damages their inspiration (and there are cases where both have happened) is not the point.

[lief]

It is harsh here... and not really fair sometimes... and most of the great pixellers are assholes.... and i don't like the color of the forum.  I only come here to give people like you some advice so stop feeling sorry for yourself and just fkn pixel something. 

[.TakaM]

Ive been thinking, what could I say that hasnt already been said?

and theres pretty much nothing, just get over it, so you got caught.
I dont care, I doubt anyone here really cares. just dont try to play them as the badguys for catching you out. its perfectly understandable you dont like really harsh criticism, but I dont think youre going to get anyone to apologise and say they believe that you drew that picture without tracing, or just reducing the colours

it really isnt a big deal and you dont need to make it out to be one.

[AdamTierney]

I have no problem with harsh. Harsh implies being strong-worded with one's criticisms, and I don't mind taking blunt critique for my work here. I'd categorize the mods here more as curt if anything. They generally tend to waste no words and cut right to the point. If someone posts expecting general praise, then it really is the wrong forum. And Pixelation, however harsh, can with dedication turn people into great pixellers. It got me to a point where I now have a career, and I've also seen artists like Josh Astorian go from sloppier, rough pieces to top notch professional work. I had a meeting with our producer at Warner Bros. today, and he couldn't stop gushing about Josh's Justice League sprites.

I've had plenty of problems with the Pixelopolis & Pilxelation mods in the past, although this usually tended to relate to policy and censorship (and never involved Helm or Alex directly). So I come here knowing I may disagree with the policy and choices made. But for the most part I think they do pretty well, and I've never had a problem with Helm in particular so far as I can recall.

- Adam

[Lick]

The fact that this board allows growth for professionals and the talented doesn't mean it should leave all the hobbyists/n00bs where they are. I could well imagine that someone is lurking and being attracted by the nice people here, but then get scorned because he finally decided to post something of his own. I mean, you're only being fair to one group here.
The orthodox pixelopolis tribe. And I don't care how professional and great the tribemasters are, if they come to this board to blow some stress off the n00bs, then they should really rethink the purpose of this board.
This is a C-O-M-M-U-N-T-Y. The best definition found on Answers.com:
3a. Similarity or identity: a community of interests.
3b. Sharing, participation, and fellowship.
If you see a n00b, don't act like you're blind. I'm sure you can recognize one. Don't be blunt. Don't have an ego. For those characteristics don't come with professionalism, not even remotely, and they can't compare with a heart for this community to grow as a family, not a beneficial hell.

[Lick]

If someone, like Lick, finds my choice of dealing with offenders unnecessarily harsh, they should consider that is not because I am anyone's parent and wish to direct them to proper practises through my criticizing. In my experience, once a ripper, almost always will remain a ripper. My main concern is for them to absolutely not take advantage of this forum with their ripped garbage. There is no healthy critique process when there's deceptive intent. Whether my being harsh benefits or damages their inspiration (and there are cases where both have happened) is not the point.

It -IS- a point. As a member and what? moderator? of this forum, I think it's your RESPONSIBILITY to follow these Rules. You're simply obliged to follow them. It's true that you're not forced to not-being-an-ass, but if you are then: you are the one who's wrong here and you are the one who should accept this boards attitude.

As a sidenote, I don't want you to say "The OP broke the rules so why should we keep them?" but you should rather understand that if you don't follow the rules, you will not be qualified to judge others. Just like Jesus said.

_{-edit- rephrased.}

[ptoing]

OK, Helm might have been a bit harsh, rude even, I give you that. You might have worked over 3 hours on it, but it sure does not look it and it does look like a converison (I am not saying it is one, that's beside the point). It's just that it is VERY rough, has extremely strange pixelplacement and is not very clear in the features. So I can understand where people get the idea it's a straight rip.

Also you should never expect this forum to be all "whooo nice, awesome". This is not what this is about and if it's all you are after then perhaps rethink why you do pixelart or art in general.

My advise is to lose some of your temper, try again and show us what you can do without copying, so something original, get crits on that and get better.

[Ryumaru]

if you dont want to be accused, show your progress from the start to the end, and any reference. by us seeing the progress we can tell that its pixeled.

[CrumbBread]

This is a C-O-M-M-U-N-T-Y.