Introduction:
The sun shines down through the trees, dappling the ground just as pleasantly as any other day. As you wake, however you feel The Forest is more lonesome than usual, as though you have been disconnected from your fellows. A listen or short walk would confirm your isolation, but before this worries you too much you discover something far more troublesome. Something has been stolen from you, spirited away while you slept.

What will you do now?

Warning:
Some of Caravaggio's comments might be a bit PG, references to sex, or crude humor and language can be expected. Nothing graphic, of course. Feel free to use the above in your comments as well, I don't mind, just if you plan to be vulgar place a warning at the start of your comment. Thanks!

Foreword:
This blog is not a How-To of character creation; it is a collection of tips, questions, and exercises to help you in the development of a believable and visually engaging design. This blog focuses primarily on visual design, how your character looks, as opposed to things like personality or behavior.

[edit] Sadly I will not be able to fill all of the fantastic requests I've received, but I do hope you all enjoyed this, at least in part. Apologies to those who's requests did not get filled but I've simply run out of time/motivation. Maybe next time![/edit]

[edit] Thank you to everyone who's commented so far with so many great requests! I'm going to work on these before I take any more, but once I'm done maybe I'll open this up again. If you didn't get a chance to request this round, feel free to track this blog so you can try again when I reopen. [/edit]



The Catch
- You can't request something for yourself.
- Request something for someone you think has contributed in a positive way to The Community.
- Include a little explanation of why you think that person is an an awesome member of The Community.
- Only one request will be drawn per person, multiple requests will not lead to more art.


The Form (Requests not containing the following will be ignored!)

My account name:
Name of the person I am requesting for:
They are an awesome Community Member because:
Link to the biography/reference of the character to be drawn:

I'm not sure how many of these I will be doing, I'll just make a list and do as many as my muse will allow. Well, what are you waiting for, get commenting!

I see a lot of artists on this site advertising the fact that their work is bad.
Even before you can see the picture, you are being informed it is bad.

Do you find this takes away from your experience of the artwork?
Does it make you feel the work is better, in comparison to the bad artwork you were expecting?
Do you as an artist find yourself calling your artwork bad?
Does this sort of thing impact your views of the artist themselves?
Do you not care at all?

I am curious, and simply want to know.
I also understand not everyone has confidence in their artistic ability, this blog isn't necessarily a criticism of this trend, I simply want to know how it effects people and how they experience art.

edit: guh riddled with typos, my apologies.

All text on this site can be viewed by anyone on the internet, they do not need to be a member of the community to look at blogs or comments.
-Be mindful when you use either your real name or the real name of a friend. Ask your friends if they mind you using their real name, some might not want things like that posted.
-Same goes, if not more for photos. Do not post a picture featuring a friend without first asking them if they are ok with it being online.
-Never ever post your address or phone number, or the contact information of friends in a comment or blog.

Common sense stuff but I'm seeing a few newer users using real names and just wanted to remind everyone how important internet safety is, not just for you but for those close to you and those who live with you.

If you do want to chat with friends, make sure you do it over a private system like e-mail or a private messenger.

I know it's easy to forget because The Community is such a small, friendly place, but that doesn't mean it's private.

With several blogs having been made about artists who are applying to art universities/colleges, and my own experiences with art school and portfolios, I've compiled a list of (hopefully) helpful tips. If you have had any experience with making a portfolio or applying to an Art University feel free to comment and share any helpful tips you might know!

(Full blog under Read More)

Topic: Many players use images they have found from Google as display pictures, references for their deer, graphics in layouts, ex. Do you think this is ok? Does it conflict with copyright? Is it doing artists a favor, giving their work more exposure? Should it be ok on the TEF Community Site?

What is your views on this topic? Share your feelings (in a polite and considerate way of course).

This blog was not made to target any specific user or with any specific case of the above in mind. I simply have seen this happening and wanted to see what The Community thought about it. Please avoid pointing fingers or blaming others unless it is relevant to your point and done in a respectful way. Thank you.

Large images ahead. Click 'Read More' for Tutorial.

Does your character not generate as much interest in The Community as you would like?
Is playing your character becoming tiresome and boring?
Feel like there could be more to your character?

Take a few minutes to read through and think about the following questions and topics and see if there are any weak areas in your characters development.