Visitors' poll

My goal is to send some samples of my work for consideration by the end of May. I would love to participate in the forum -- it is rather strange to get so much information from such generous people and not communicate my gratitude. Warmest regards.

I'm registered here but I can't really post as this entire site is on google and people I work with/for google everything and everyone.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'm registered here but I can't really post as this entire site is on google and people I work with/for google everything and everyone.

I understand. But, we don't want to make the Forum password protected because we'd seldom get new members.

I would love to become a member, however my work is all done in colored pencil and thus does not compete with oils or even pastels. I do a lot of portrait work and really wish you allowed colored pencil portraits.
Maurica Midge Reynolds-King

Yes, it quickly became obvious that your only reason for asking the question was to get feedback that supports your choices, because you've chosen to ignore, excuse, or argue every comment that doesn't.

So let me start by saying that I've assisted in starting and running several online forums (non-art), all with memberships and activity levels well above this. Despite your claims, it's not that time or money intensive - unless you haven't taken the time to learn what your doing or you're getting shafted by your hosting company.

Let me follow by quoting your reply to another: "You are missing the sense of community that is created by a Forum such as this and it's obvious this is not for you."

I'd suggest that you take the time to look through your membership list then go and visit the various other online art forums. Cennini, ArtQuorum, OAG, WetCanvas, ConceptArt, EggTempera, SoFA, Art&Artistry, and others are available. Take note how many of your members, who rarely if ever post or show any activity here at all, are very active in participating elsewhere.

This is a forum that's sorely lacking in a sense of community and incentive to participate. You don't have the critical mass of posters necessary to keep the forum active and members near, else fewer would spend so much time elsewhere and so little here. You've created your nice little gated community but put in place so many covenants and restrictions that what few qualified residents you can attract will quickly tire and move on out of boredom, leaving the community to languish.

There's nothing wrong with your goal for this forum or most of your restrictions as this is tied to the business. However, for you to outright dismiss each and every suggestion that would encourage participation and growth because they differ from your near-sighted choices is just assinine.

Why ask a question in this forum if there's rarely anyone here to answer it? Why ask for opinions if there's always the same two or three? Why offer advice, insight, suggestions, articles, works, etc. if there are few there to acknowledge ot take advantage of it?

If you would open up this forum just a little, in select non-professional categories to a verified but unjuried class of member, you'd increase participation which would draw your juried members out of hibernation and benefit all.

I think the difference between this and the other forums you mentioned is that the Portrait Artist Forum is an aid to work and the other forums are are like well-needed chats. You have to work a little harder on the PAF to post and there is an incentive here to remain honest and rigorous. It goes without saying, then, that fewer people would participate, but the quality of the posts greatly outweighs their small number. The PAF is necessarily different from other artist forums and invaluable because of it.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I would love to become a member, however my work is all done in colored pencil and thus does not compete with oils or even pastels. I do a lot of portrait work and really wish you allowed colored pencil portraits.
Maurica Midge Reynolds-King

I've seen some wonderful colored pencil portraits. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm away until probably the 3rd week in May, but I see no reason to not have a colored pencil section. I'll address this then.

Thanks to Garth Herrick for posting those fabulous pics from the conference in Washington, DC! I wish I were a member of the forum and could have been there. Looks like a real community to me. And what a wonderful art collection at the National Gallery, not too far from the convention!

Hello,
I've just recently stumbled upon your wonderful forum. I have not registered because I don't feel my work would qualify. I don't mean to be rude, but I find it odd that you must have your work judged to register for this forum, something I've never seen before. Don't get me wrong, I understand the reasoning behind it but I feel it would make more sense to have forums that everyone can enjoy without having to "audition" while still keeping some forums blocked off(many forums do this). I feel it hurts the student who doesn't have finished works yet or who isn't up to par, the very people who need the most help.
Best regards,
The Lurker

Hi Cynthia
I am a reject that continues to lurk from time to time. I submitted two of my portraits about 12 months ago and was quite surprised to be rejected. The advice that was given to me from the judges was that I should work on my drawing skills and my understanding of tonal value. I always thought that I was reasonably competent in these areas, at least on par with the majority of registered members.
I am a professional portraitist, albeit not yet full time, I am working on building my client base with the intention of going full time in the near future. I still peek in the window now and then to see whats happening and to research anything I particularly want to know about. I even purchased Chris Saper's excellent book through this site.
I am now a member of several other forums and regularly submit comments and critque for the many members there.
It would have been nice to be part of SOG, but 'c'est la vie'
Bruce Johnson
www.brucejohnsonart.blogspot.com/