Hello deviantart!
This year I tried to approach art differently and rediscovered the fun in it. I'm working on personal projects again and can't wait to share it with you guys. But there's one thing I CAN share with you right now: my new website!
I coded it from scratch and learnd tons while doing so. With the launch of my website I also introduce my new identity design which I'm talking about on my first blog post: Branding in art
Right now I'm working on another blogpost which will be an animated video about overcoming artblocks starring these two:
Let me know what you think of my new website!
Fabian
With deviantArts long overdue new apperance update it follows the movement of clean design while still holding on to a few characteristic elements (like the pixelated Llamas) that make deviantArt the place we all know for so long. I for one welcome the update, having a light and dark theme to choose from is great and the profile pages look way better now. It still has a lot of problems here and there, e.g. displaying parts of the site in the old style or having browser-side scrollbars that kind of look out of place, but that is mainly due to it still being in beta phase. And we all know, the biggest strength of deviantArt is its community, so I want to contribute my thoughts while the theme is still in developement. In this journal, I want to specifically talk about the notification tab that is drastically better than before. It could use some polishing in my opinion though, so these are my thoughts, written directly oon the screenshot:
As I said, it's a huge change into the right directions but there are a few things putting me off. Complaining is easier said than done, so I jumped into Firebug (a browser tool that lets you temporary alter HTML and CSS of a website on your side) and changed the things that I adressed before except the Eclipse switch which is a SVG (basically a vector graphic that can be written as code) and a bit trickier to change. I hope y'all at deviantArt don't hate me for messing with your code, haha.
There is a lot more visual rest, in my view. The notification stack dropdown link as less intrusive while still maintaining the green color in the arrow. The tab on top is using the green color which instantly communicates that I'm viewing the Feed tab. I'm sure the three-dimensional notification stack was loads of work, but I feel like it just adds unrest, so I removed it for good. I changed the background color to a brighter color which not only makes the notifications pop out more but also is easier for the eyes when looking at the night theme at day times.
One last note: You can see my changes live in your Browser! Install the addon "Stylish" and look for Styles for deviantArt. There should be a theme that is titled "Optimized Eclipse". I'm just not sure if it works for everyone, as the class names of certain elements seem to be randomly changed, and I'm not sure if this is done per user.
Anyways, these are just my two cents. Let me know what you think about them. I like deviantArt and am excited for the rebirth of this site. You guys, :devteam:, are doing great work, keep it on!
Fabian
"I noticed that I loved to create art about 11 years ago when a friend and I developed our own little card game. This, as well as my sister, who is also a phenomenal artist, kickstarted my art career.
My inspirations came and went. While I was really into anime and manga in the beginning, I noticed at some point that I was paying more attention to the background scenes of those anime, especially the works of Studio Ghibli, so I started to practice background art and landscapes. At that time, I was already active on DeviantArt and in various Facebook groups that helped me develop my abilities.
Back then, I got the advice to do "master studies," a task I’d never done before. Copying other artists' work? I’d rather do my own stuff.
But I quickly noticed how valuable studying is for personal improvement. Also I noticed that it was more about analyzing the artists' thoughts than strictly copying the work. While doing this, I got more and more interested in fine art and old masters, which is crazy if you think about it.
I started out doing manga (which I still love to draw from time to time), and here I am painting master studies. Actually, it's not too crazy because many professional artists that draw stylized art have mastered fundamentals like anatomy, lighting, and perspective while doing studies of fine art. Anyway, this, as well as my interest for video games and movies, shaped my style and my interests in art."
While the Internet helped me tons with improving my art, I remember a time where I solely painted for myself. There was no need to show my work to anyone else and get exposure from it. It was just created for the fun of it.
Maybe that’s just a nostalgic memory I have, but I feel like as soon as you start working in the art industry, you can lose this personal connection to art. Therefore it is extremely important to work on your personal projects from time to time and have at least one sketchbook that no one can flip through besides you.
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with sharing your art on social networks and art sites, especially when you see artists who are so much better than you. Generally, I see the works of other artists as inspiration, but we all compare our work to others and feel demotivated.
Try to feel motivated instead. We all can get to this level. There’s no such thing as talent. And remember that even the best artists struggle.
Back then, I got the advice to do "master studies," a task I’d never done before. Copying other artists' work? I’d rather do my own stuff.
But I quickly noticed how valuable studying is for personal improvement. Also I noticed that it was more about analyzing the artists' thoughts than strictly copying the work. While doing this, I got more and more interested in fine art and old masters, which is crazy if you think about it.
I started out doing manga (which I still love to draw from time to time), and here I am painting master studies. Actually, it's not too crazy because many professional artists that draw stylized art have mastered fundamentals like anatomy, lighting, and perspective while doing studies of fine art. Anyway, this, as well as my interest for video games and movies, shaped my style and my interests in art.
While the Internet helped me tons with improving my art, I remember a time where I solely painted for myself. There was no need to show my work to anyone else and get exposure from it. It was just created for the fun of it.
Maybe that’s just a nostalgic memory I have, but I feel like as soon as you start working in the art industry, you can lose this personal connection to art. Therefore it is extremely important to work on your personal projects from time to time and have at least one sketchbook that no one can flip through besides you.
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with sharing your art on social networks and art sites, especially when you see artists who are so much better than you. Generally, I see the works of other artists as inspiration, but we all compare our work to others and feel demotivated.
Try to feel motivated instead. We all can get to this level. There’s no such thing as talent. And remember that even the best artists struggle.
There’s a lot of pressure that comes with sharing your art on social networks and art sites, especially when you see artists who are so much better than you. Generally, I see the works of other artists as inspiration, but we all compare our work to others and feel demotivated.
Try to feel motivated instead. We all can get to this level. There’s no such thing as talent. And remember that even the best artists struggle.