Major Tom - Me recommend art message boards? Hmmm.... there are MANY out there. It just depends on what kind of reply you want. If you are just looking for a way to get your art and site known I suggest finding "friendly" boards, which I can't really help you on because I do not use them.If you are looking to improve your artistic skills then I can probably send you in a few good directions. Here's a site that focuses on digital art that has frequent replies:
http://sijun.com
There are a few people who do photo manipulation there, but the majority is hand drawn. I would point you here because there are some awsome artists that frequent this board and some have some good advise to pass on. There have been a few posts dealing with tarot art in the past, but it is not a common occurance. There are also, as with any board, many jerks floating around who critisize alot and I do not mean constructive critisism (to those of you who don't know, yes, there is a differance) but just ignore those types.
A question I was always asked when I used to be the moderator of an art message board is "Why don't people give me any advise?". For those of you not used to or are frusterated using art boards (as they are definatly a different beast than Aeclectic), on any art board there are a few things to keep in mind when posting if you want to get some good responses:
1. Always put that you want a good and honest C&C (critique) in your subject line. You are more likely to get people to critique that way.
2. If you can, always post your work directly to the post. There are many people who will not bother with links unless you are well known. Unless, of course, you are asking for a critique on your website. Also, check and make sure you didn't accidently put up a bad link.
3. Generously accept all constructive critisism, even if you don't think what they are saying is right. However, if someone critisicises your work, defend yourself politely while stating why you didn't think it was appropriate. This keeps away unwanted jerks... usually.
Critisism: "Your art sucks! And you suck too!"
Constructive Critisism: "Your anatomy is a little off. Try fixing the shoulder area."
And never say "I did that because it's my style" as an excuse to not take someone's advise. Nothing will get you less respect than this sentance. In fact, many of the better artists with good advice will ignore your posts from then on.
4. Explain your peice! Tell people what it is (a tarot card) why it is (explain the meaning of the card itself and whatever symbolism you have used) how it is (what art programs you used and, if it isn't a "professional" software like photoshop, explain why you do not use it) and when it is (tell when you made the card or what influence you had when making it). If you clearly answer these questions, you can avoid comments such as "go buy photoshop" (by the way, it isn't the software that makes an art peice, but some people think it is). You can also avoid confusion and "uneducated" responses.
Well, I've rambled enough. I hope this information helps someone out there.
Note to save myself for any impending flames: Posting to advertise your site, unless posted in a section which says it's ok, is spamming unless you actually participate in the other discussions. To get something you must always give something in return.
Allibee - Did you, by any chance go to an art collage? If so, maybe we did go to the same collage
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On the topic of "ready made" web templates, I personally, have mixed feelings on them. There are many good and bad points to them.
Good points:
Someone else does the technical stuff for you so you can spend more time on what you want to do. Your target audience is people who are interested in Tarot, not web design. Save time and money while giving your audience what they came to see
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Bad Points:
It's been done before. Maybe the average person doesn't see it, but a regular web junkie will notice instantly. This is not a bad thing, unless you take it from an artistic point of view of web design. A highly professional site would get caught dead doing this, but, then again, you should always do what YOU want to do. If your target audience isn't in the typical "web junkie" zone, then make it easier on yourself and get a template. However, if you want a bigger hand to reach with, make a site with an original design. If it's good, you will probably get people visiting your site just by rumours that it looks good. Such a technique could introduce tarot into the lives of people who would have normally brushed it off as some silly cards. As I stated before though, It is always entirely up to you.
Of course, these are only my opinions. Personally, I don't really mind seeing templates too much, as loong as they are the simple ones. It does get old after a while though...
