dA How-to: #3 General Etiquette

Every Friday, I'll post a new journal for the series. (My bad for this being late, tbh I got distracted by the steam summer sale >.>)
I have a few topics I want to cover, however I am open for suggestions from others if there's anything you want to see~

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General Etiquette:

Introduction:

Ahhh, etiquette. The word that some of us dread, some of us completely forget about sometimes and some of us are really careful about keeping to. In my last journal, I talked about etiquette and such for giving comments and critiques, but this one will be more focused on how to treat others here in general. There'll be a few examples given, but honestly, it's usually the same rules that will apply no matter the situation. Some minor things might be different, but the general gist will be the same.
Sometimes, you might be afraid to overstep boundaries or thread on dangerous grounds, especially when talking to someone that you admire or see as more popular/better at art/etc. than you. Honestly though, I promise you it's really not that difficult. Online interaction is different than offline interaction (and most people are better at one over the other, usually), but there's quite a few overlaps as well.
Now obviously, this journal can't cover everything for one and you need to be aware that what I see as general etiquette is based on my cultural upbringing. Other cultures will have other thoughts on what is considered appropriate and what is considered inappropriate in conversation. Since I grew up in the "western world", that's where my approach will obviously be coming from.

A few general rules:

1) Treat others the way you wish to be treated

Yeah, yeah I know, this is something you hear constantly. But it is honestly the very first thing to consider when you talk to someone. How would you react if someone treated you the way you were treating them right now?
If the answer is that you'd be angry, sad, etc. then clearly you're doing something wrong. Now, of course, there might be situations where you have reason to be angry. Say you just found out someone re-uploaded your art and claimed it as their own.
Even then though, telling them:

Hey,
I don't think it's okay that you've uploaded my art here and claimed it as your own. Please take it down, stealing art is not okay.

as opposed to

YOU BITCH HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY ART TAKE IT DOWN NOW!!!!

Of course, in a situation like that, if the person is being unreasonable and ignoring you/replying in an impolite way, you still have the option to report their art and even the user.

2) Try and see if the user has any FAQs or rules on their profile -- and read them!

As you're browsing dA, you come across the profile of a user, whose art really interests you. What program do they use, do you think they'll trade with you? Maybe they'll even do a request, for free?
Before you message an artist about these things, it's really recommended to check their profile first. A lot of artists have an art status that lets you know whether they do requests, art trades, etc.
And that question burning under your fingernails? Well, again, some artists have (a link to) a FAQ on their profile. Always check there first to see if your question has perhaps already been asked and answered.
In addition, if an artist mentions not to do something, etc.? Then please accept that. Trust me when I say that it's not appreciated when you say something along the lines of

"I saw on your profile it said not to xxxx but I'm doing it anyway."

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1) Etiquette when asking about Requests/Art Trades/Commissions

So you've found an artist that you really like and you really want some art from them. What to do?

1.  Check their profile for an art status. If you can't find one, you could check the artist's journals to see if they have a journal for it instead.
2. If you still don't see anything? Comment on their profile or note them in private, whichever you prefer. Be polite about it, let them know you like their art and you're interested in a request/art trade/commission
3. Two options:
1. Their requests/art trades/commissions are closed? In that case, respect this. Do not prod, do not beg, do not throw a hissy fit. There can be an array of reasons why the artist doesn't do any of those things. Maybe they're only temporarily closed and the artist has offered to let you know when they open again.
2. They're open for requests/art trades/commissions? That's great.
4. Once the artist has confirmed that they are open for requests/art trades/commissions you can go ahead and ask about something more specific. Different things apply depending on what you want though:
1. For a request: Please realize requests are free. I mean, sure you could request Character A and Character B with A's left and B's right hand interlocked, A is crouching and B is half in front of them as they're being pelted by bullets, but... chances are the artist is not going to go into so much detail for free art. It's much better to give the artist some freedom. You could tell them you'd love some art of Character A, if possible with Character B, you could tell them a little about the two or just leave it open to the artist.
   
2. For an art trade: Please be clear on what you're willing to offer for your half of the trade. It's not fair if one person does a detailed picture with a background and intricate coloring and shading while the other person delivers a half-assed sketch on lined paper photographed in bad quality. Make sure it's an equal trade. Give examples.
   
3. For commissions: If the artist has set prices, don't try to haggle. Let them know what you're interested in (I'd love a 10$ lineart please) and if the artist doesn't have any set rules on how payment should go, be sure to clear that up in the beginning. Does the commissioner pay before the artist starts? Is it half now, half when it's done? Or full payment after the artist has finished (and proven this by showing a watermarked, low resolution version of the pic)?
5. REFERENCES!!!! Oh god I can't stress this enough. This goes for all three options above, make sure you give the artist proper references. Best of all is a colored ref sheet with flat colors. Colored art in general is great too. If you don't have a colored ref or a visual ref, make sure you're descriptive. I mean... there's a difference between:
1. "She has long brown hair and blue eyes. And she has pale skin. She likes to wear dresses." -- This tells me... very little to be honest. I know the base colors but tbh, I know nothing else about the character.
2. "She has waist-length, straight, chestnut-colored hair. It's parted in the middle, so you can kinda see her forehead. She has wide, deep blue eyes and is pretty pale because she spends most of her time inside. She likes to wear dresses because she thinks they're pretty." -- And suddenly, I feel like I know a little more about your character. Not to mention, going by the first example I would've drawn her hair differently, probably. And I might've chosen the wrong shades of color. Not to mention, now I know a bit about her personality. Not a lot, but enough to get some ideas.
6. Hold up your end of the deal! This goes for Art trades and Commissions more so than requests. If you promised someone an art trade, don't leave them hanging. If something comes up, inform them of it. There is nothing more frustrating than waiting half a year and still not getting anything, while seeing the person constantly upload new art. As for commissions, don't buy something you cannot pay for. The artist might well be very dependent on that money and you not paying them can very much dampen their financial situation.
   As for requests... if the artist finishes your requested art, thank them! Show some gratitude; they took time out of their lives to make something for you and they even did it for free. You know, it's seriously frustrating to make art for someone just to receive a half-hearted "thanks" and nothing else.

2) Etiquette when commenting on an artist's profile/sending them a note in general

You just noticed someone visited your profile or commented on your art. Or maybe they faved something, watched you, gave you a llama. Whatever the reason, you've ended up on their profile and want to leave them a comment. Or maybe you could note them instead!

• Some people have rules about comments on their profile. Whether or not you agree with them, please respect them!
• One person might perhaps only want people to comment on their profile by replying to the topmost comment.
• One person might not want any comments on their profile at all.
• One person might not want certain comments, but doesn't mind others.
• -> No matter which one of these options it is, respect the user's choice about how they want their profile to be used! It doesn't matter what their reasoning is. It really doesn't. It's a thing about respect.
• Some people might not want notes. Maybe they have anxiety relating to social interaction and hence, would prefer to not be approached in such a way. Or maybe they just want to keep to themselves. Again, you don't need a reason to respect someone's choices so long as they aren't hurting you.
• In general... please don't advertise your work on an artist's profile? Personally, I find it extremely rude for people to leave links to their facebook, youtube and three other accounts their have on my profile. If I visited your page, chances are I saw those links. You rubbing them under my nose just makes me want to visit them even less.
• The cardinal rule, as always, is to treat others the way you want to be treated.

3) Etiquette when commenting/critiquing an artist's art

To be honest, I covered this in full in my last journal, so I'm not going to delve into it again too much here.
Generally, consider that art of whatever kind is always something personal and will always involve bits of the artist themselves. If you bash art rudely, to many artists it feels like a direct attack on them because they put bits of their heart and soul into it.
Be considerate and be polite when commenting on/critiquing someone's art.


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In summary:

• Be polite and respectful
• If a user has rules for their profile, etc., even if you don't like them or understand them, respect them!
• When you're talking to someone on this site, you're talking to a human being.

I hope this journal was helpful and I do apologize for its lateness.
(Speaking of late, this thing is probably full of typos, it's late and I should probably have written this sooner >.<)