The Decree - READ ME!

Here, you will find instructions for how to submit and display your artwork. You must read this.

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The sections:
This is simple. Critique is where you put you best art for the ruthless scrutiny of your public and to determine your rank. Freestyle is just for show, no judging.

Creating your topic:
An art topic differs greatly from a writer's. For one, you must create a layout and post the correct images and links in the correct sections of it.

You may only create ONE topic for each media, such as one for Fan Art, one for Digital Art, etc.

I recommend that you layout be set out this way:

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Title of your choice.

Information about your style of art.

Featured:
Featured image here.

Newest:
Newest images here.

Archive:
Links to old submissions here. No images please.

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Posting your images:
Use these tags, found in the BBCode button above the post editor, to display images.

Code:

[img]URL of image[/img]

To avoid traffic, post a link or a thumbnail link for larger images.

I suggest that you link members to your art on DeviantART.com. Just a thumbnail of the image linking to the images page in your account's gallery. I suggest this, because you are able to licence your submissions on DeviantART under Creative Commons, which means that people may use your work, but MUST link back you you as the original artist.

For people unfamiliar with BBCode, this is how you would create a linked thumbnail.

Code:

[url=URL of image][img]URL of thumbnail[/img][/url]

This makes loading your topic easier and faster.

Updating your topic:
When you have added something new to your topic, make sure you put it in your first post under the correct label, such as 'Newest:'. You may bump your topic by posting normally in it. Just write something like: 'Updates added.'
(Bumping is pushing your topic up to the top of the heap, so people can see it. Bumping normal topics or other people's topics is against the rules. Only bump YOUR art topics when you update them)

Commenting in topics:
There is one big rule for giving feedback to other artists. Make your critique constructive.

If you are going to post in a topic for a submission you don't like, don't just say it. Tell them what you think they should work on or give them tips. And please make it reasonable. Don't tell artists to change their style because you don't like their current one.

The Gallery:
This is a hall of fame style section on the portal that is in construction for the best of the best in each topic. This will be decided by the Panel. This is something to work towards, if you like a challenge.

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So that's all the basic concepts covered. Get out there, get accepted, and be creative.