From @devbug

Site Navigation, Activity Feed, and Status UpdatesPLEASE NOTE: This is a limited Beta release and not all Beta Testers have access to these features at this time.
Three major changes to the way the deviantART works have just been launched to Beta Testers! We’re pleased to announce the beta release of a redesigned site navigation and two entirely new features — Activity Feeds and Status Updates — bringing exciting new options to deviantART’s browsing and sharing experience.
These enhancements are the first step in what’s to come, and we can’t wait to show you the full picture.  Until then, we need your help to use and abuse these features!  Tell us what you like, what you don’t, and be sure to report any and all bugs or inconsistencies you encounter.  Your use of these Beta features provides invaluable data and insight so that we can better shape the features for actual launch to the entire site.
DeviantART's New Site Navigation
The site's navigation menu Thank You for the Feedback, Improvements ComingThank you, Beta Testers!
We owe you an enormous debt of gratitude.  Your input and feedback around our latest Beta releases -- Site Navigation, Activity Feed, and Status Updates -- has been incredibly valuable and because of it, we're able to make significant improvements to those features that will benefit every user of deviantART.  We sincerely couldn't do it without you.
The information and data gathered from those Updates will be used to ensure a smooth site-wide launch, and we again thank you for all of your help.  As sometimes happens in the Beta process, the Status Updates submitted in our test period need to be deleted to make some of the changes you requested.  This will likely take place mid-next week.  But, we encourage you to please keep testing, coming up with unique ways to take advantage of these features.
Since Monday, we’ve received over 3,000 comments, nearly 100 bug reports, and extensive feedback regarding these new releases --

From hq

Site Update: Commenting on CollectionsIn our continuous effort to improve the deviantART experience, we're publishing weekly Site Updates to keep members informed and to gather feedback. Below is a list of recent changes to the site, bug fixes, and feedback that was brought up by members in the last Site Update.
Change Log
The Submit page did not specify that keywords had been changed to tags. Fixed by kemayo
Copying and pasting rich text into the tags entry box on the Submit page did not work. Fixed by szlosek
Pasting space-separated text into the tags entry box on the Submit page would not create a tag per word. Fixed by szlosek
Typing a @ in the middle of a word would erroneously load the username autocomplete menu. Fixed by trezoid
When in Chat, clicking on a link would open that link in the already open window, rather than opening it in a new window or tab. Fixed by trezoid
Comments left on a Group Site Update: Bug Fixes and FeedbackIn our continuous effort to improve the deviantART experience, we're publishing weekly Site Updates to keep members informed and to gather feedback. Below is a list of recent changes to the site, bug fixes, and feedback that was brought up by members in the last Site Update.
Change Log
In some instances, time stamps around the site would display as being from 1969, rather than their correct date. Fixed by trezoid
Gallery Folders containing subfolders would not display in the Add Media tool on comments. Fixed by elhsmart
Clicking through pages of comments was broken for comment threads in Gallery Folders. Fixed by elhsmart
Some Correspondence messages in the message center had an extra non-functional button. Fixed outgoingcoyote
Items in information fields on deviation pages were difficult to select on touch devices. Fixed by trezoid
For Safari users, the built-in

From communityrelations

Elinor
On Friday, September 12th, 2014, Elinor (equivoque) lost her battle with Pancreatic Cancer.  For those that aren't familiar with Elinor, I'd like to take a moment to share her with you.
Elinor joined deviantART back in 2005 and quickly established herself as someone to watch.  Her use of the unconventional polaroid, sent a strong message that it wasn't about your equipment, at a time when digital was all the rage.

  
Elinor, a vibrant part of this community, spent just over a year as a dedicated member of our volunteer team. Her passion for people and photography endeared her to many.

In 2013, Elinor was a participant in the Boston Marathon and was about a mile short of finishing before she came to a police barricade.  Two explosions had gone off at the finish line, killing three peop Thank You!
Please join me in sending out a resounding "Thank You" to Thiefoworld  for his contributions to the community as a Community Volunteer for the Digital Art Community and a member of the Community Relations Mentor Team.  Many of you will recognize him from the numerous deviantIDs he's created for fellow community members, including myself! His style is iconic and easily recognizable, and while we'll miss him on the team, I know he'll be forever part of this community!
 
  
Thank you, Thiefoworld , we appreciate you Pimps and Whoas - Sept. 11, 2014
Official dA News
Celebrating Deviousness - September 2014
Site Update: Bug Fixes and Feedback
Site Update: Tags are the new Keywords
Official Contests
All "official" contests will begin at midnight PST on the start date and end at 11:59 PST on the end date. This applies to all Community Relation run contests and all deviantART sponsored contests.
denotes US only contest
Anthro Challenge Thank You!
Please join me in thanking VelCake and Emerald-Depths for their valiant efforts as Community Volunteers
VelCake for helping with the Anime and Manga Community
  
Emerald-Depths for her contributions to the Photomanipulation Community
   
We appreciate you! Thank You!
Please join me in thanking GinkgoWerkstatt and Ry-Spirit for all of their efforts during their time as volunteers
Thank you to GinkgoWerkstatt for all of her help with the deviantART related and Icon community and her excellent skills with CSS 
      
and thank you to Ry-Spirit for his efforts with the Fan Art Community
   
We appreciate you!! Thank You!
Join me in thanking jane-beata for her time with the Traditional Art Community.
   
and Shue13 for his help with the Space and Sci-fi community
   
and tatasz for her help with the fractal community
   
We appreciate you!

From DeviantArt-related

Designn Magazine Cover Art Contest - Closed!
UPDATE: Winners will be announced within next week at DesignnHQ 
Details
The DesignnHQ challenges you to create the cover art for the next edition of Designn Magazine! The winning artwork would be used as the cover of the 6th edition with an inside cover feature.
Your entry can originate in any medium. Keep in mind that that this is a magazine cover which would go to print; hence keep the highlights of the artwork focused towards the center and right side of the cover, and avoid details towards the edges (1cm from each edge).
(Note that you only need to create the background image of the cover according to the size provided below.)
How to Enter
1. Create
Create your entry in any medium - anything from digital paintings to traditional drawing.
Make sure the final work is at least A4 size (2480px x 3508px) and 300dpi. Save it as a JPG or PNG file, and you're

From projecteducate

Please Release Me!Stock & Resources
PREFACE: WE ARE NOT ATTORNEYS AND DO NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. WE ARE ONLY SHARING BEST PRACTICES THAT WE HAVE USED INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY AS PHOTOGRAPHERS, ART BUYERS, EDITORS AND PRODUCERS.ULTIMATELY, ONE SHOULD CONSULT WITH COUNSEL.  ALSO, THIS INFORMATION APPLIES ONLY TO COMMERCIAL IMAGERY, NOT TO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, FINE ART OR PHOTOJOURNALISM.
There is an urban legend that adheres to the belief that taking a photograph takes part of ones' soul. I don't know about that, but I do believe that basic etiquette applies at the very least when taking pictures of people, animals, property, etc. that could ultimately be used commercially. In many cases, basic laws involving copyright, rights of publicity and rights of privacy also apply to these uses. At some point in your photography career, you will get a request to either sell, license or grant permission for someone to use your work. Getting releases in order will make that process a lot easier, and, u A Guide to TutorialsStock & Resources
So, you want to make an awesome tutorial for your friends, and anybody else who might be interested in your style/techniques/skills/programming/designing ...
There are some essentials you are going to want to keep in mind when you make your tutorial.
Its not just a bunch of text and some pictures (OK it is, but theres more you could do! )
Its not just a few quick tips or pointers for a friend who asked you for some more details (OK it is, but its more than that! )
Its not just some work in progress screenshots/photos of your next big project (OK it is, but its SO MUCH more than that!!)
Don't forget, great design IS ART!
LANGUAGE
DeviantART is predominantly an English language website.  However, DeviantART is a global community, so not everyone can read English fluently.  Make sure your use of language i Stock and Resources PE: Pre-Cut ImagesStock & Resources
What you need to know about Pre-Cut Images:
Pre-cut images can be a very handy resource for artists looking to save some time on the extraction process of stock.  These images are isolated from their primary background in a .png or .psd format. These resources should be well extracted with a clear attention to detailed removal, and a lack of stray particle pixels.
What these should contain:
- They should come from resources that allow for redistribution, typically your own images.
- The pre-cut image should have its original source cited in the artist’s comments, including your own images.
- They should meet the minimum size requirements of 1000 x 1000 pixels.
What these should not contain:
- They should never contain Google, celebrity, anime, movie screen shots, or retail website images. These so-called “renders” are not permitted in the Stock & Resources gallery.
- They should not be s Nature StockStock & Resources
Stock & Resources
Section I: Introduction
Let’s talk about stock focusing around nature. This is my niche in the stock community. I’m not a big model and I love to be outside shooting animals and their environments. I’m sure many of you also enjoy that too. So let’s jump right in!
Section II: Shooting Nature Stock
What Camera should I use?
You don’t need an expensive camera to shoot nature stock. What you do need is a good camera that’s trusty and can take abuse. A vast majority of the stock in my gallery was shot with a point and shoot canon powershot. The camera worked well and still does despite the sand in it. The big thing you need to watch for when choosing what camera to use that is within your budgte is the image quality and size. DeviantART’s stock policy states that all stock images must be at least 1000x1000 pixels. My recommendation is try to stick with a What Makes Stock Rock for You with AeirmidStock & Resources
Thank you to Aeirmid for being my interviewee!
You've been on DeviantArt for several years now and have been photomanipulating for many of those, in terms of the yearly increase in availability of stock and resources on the site do you feel that it has it helped or hindered your personal creativity?
:iconaeirmid: Yes! In fact, I came to dA as a photomanipulator, LOL! It has been a lot of fun to watch the stock community develop over the years. It has especially been inspiring to watch the stock providers who have been here for a long time grow and change, while maintaining the high quality of their galleries. It has also been inspiring to see newer stock providers who are coming up these days, with their exciting ideas and vision. So, really, I feel like over the 9 years since I joined, the dA stock galleries have inspired me greatly.
One thing that has hindered my personal creativity, though, is the fact that there are a few stock providers who, while inc Feature: 40 Texture Favorites of 2014Stock & Resources
How stunning were all the texture uploads in 2014 so far? For this feature Sirius-sdz and I mercurycode each picked 20 texture treasures among our favorites this year. It was a tough choice and we could have easily made it a hundred each, but we wanted to spare you a texture shock. You know, like when you eat too much candy. Only minus the candy. You get my drift!
So here's mercurycode's 20 favorites, presented by category:
ORGANIC
smooth natural structures on organic ground

PAINT & PAPER
to add fine paper structures into your background

BOKEH
gives your images that certain spark or soft gradient

METAL AND RUST
if you want to go all in
Stock and Resources Gallery Descriptions RecapStock and Resources
Stock & Resources Gallery Descriptions Recap
Welcome to the recap and review of the Stock & Resources gallery descriptions. Each journal linked below is an excellent reference source to refer to when you are unsure what S&R sub-gallery to submit to.


Stock & Resources Community Volunteers
Elandria  PirateLotus-Stock  CelticStrm-Stock What To ShootStock & Resources
It’s often easy to figure out what you want to shoot when you have a creative, artistic idea as inspiration - you are bringing to life your vision. However, as much as we would like it to be different, there is not always a market for our artistic visions outside galleries. Stock gives artists a way to distribute their works, though sometimes there is a bit of a limit as to what will be sellable to a wider market.
Creating stock doesn’t mean you have to give up all your creative aesthetic or ideals, but it may mean you have to alter them a bit in order to make them more appealing to potential buyers.  At Novel Expression, we had to figure out how to get the most out of our shoots to appeal to the largest number of buyers possible.  While it would be much more creative to shoot our models in various locations and fancy them up a bit with Photoshop, leaving the backgrounds clean and shooting with somewhat flat lighting gives our end user a clea Stock and Resources PE: Premade BackgroundsStock & Resources
Premade Backgrounds are a popular resource for both stock providers and artists. They can become a wonderful learning tool for beginner artists, or those simply seeking a bit of inspiration. They also can be a source of uncertainty if certain protocols are not followed.
What you need to know about Premade Backgrounds:
What they are:
- They are the photo-manipulations of the Stock & Resources world. They typically consist of two or more images that allow for adaptation and redistribution that are properly credited.
- They must be at least 1000 x 1000 pixels. They also need to be usable and available for other artists to include in their finished art piece.
They must come from resources that allow adaptation and redistribution:
- Your own photographic (etc.) resources.
- Other stock providers who give permission to use their images for premade backgrounds.
- Some public domain images. Note: Not all A little about us, a little about youStock and Resources
We like to think we are a friendly, approachable and there when you need us community, so for all those new folk trying out submitting stock for the first time, hello and welcome!!!
We are your current stock and resources
community volunteers!
We went ahead and gave each other some interview questions to answer, cause thats how we roll
:iconpiratelotus-stock: PirateLotus-Stock Erin
Describe yourself in 3 words:
Sleepy, Sarcastic, Piratelady
You are a broccoli, but a broccoli on a mission to save the world, whats your first plan of action?
I'd be all like "IT'S MORPHIN' TIEM" and I'd get my friends Carrot, Pea, and Spinach and we'd morph into our super cool Veggie Ranger suits and then form the Megaveg and destroy buildings and shit while fighting whatever's threatening the world.
If you could only submit one type of stock for the rest of your DA life, what kind would it be?
Oh, probably model. Actually I kind of hate all ONE WEEK REMINDER: The Illuminated World ContestStock & Resources
The Challenge
Imagine a world where the soft glow of the magnolia blossoms illuminates the sidewalk. The reaching branches of the tree cast their light over the street, reflected in the gathering puddles of a spring rain. A garden nearby is a riot of colors against the deep shadows of the night. The harsh artificial street lights that we know today are gone. What would your world look like? Is it a world where the need for fossil fuel has been eliminated, or have the scientists bio-engineered the earth into a beautiful apocalypse?
The idea of bio-luminescent plant illumination is a real project in progress by three scientists in San Francisco, California. These scientists are engineering marine bio-luminous bacterial DNA into plants to make them glow. You can read more about their project here: Glowing Plants: Street Lig PE: Anime and Manga Week Wrap-upSeptember08September14
Anime & Manga Week
8thMondayAM: Intro by cinyu
PM: CRAnimeAndManga by cinyu
9thTuesdayAM: Chat Event Annoucement by cinyu
PM: Anime And Manga Timeline by cinyu
10thWednesdayAM: Miyazaki by Serinji
PM: PE Article - Interview with Leirix
Our special guest for this interview is :iconLeirix:!
___________________________________________________________________
illuminatedflower - Hello! I've nominated to have an interview with you , if that's okay with you?
Leirix - LoloLOLol I'm honored~ Sorry for the late reply~~ I'm not that good in speaking or writing english though, hope you don't mind hehe!
H - (illuminatedflower) - No no, I understand you have a life to fullfill with! //unlike me LOL  But I think your English is pretty good! Even I as a native of the US, I don't have good English! :iconcryingmingplz:Though it is my second language too (hehe). Sorry if anything doesn't seem pro-like, this is my very first time interviewing ;w;
L (Leirix) - Hehehehe glad to hear that~~!!! ok i shall answer all the questionsss
H - So, let us start!
____________________________________________________________________
1. What is your name, how did you make your username, Protecting Yourself Against ScamsHello everybody! Here I am typing this to protect yourself of events like such.
But what could I be talking about?
There are some that have heard about this event to many famous artists, it's best that there be no name calling!
As observing this event everything did get fixed, thank god, but there's no telling when it could happen again, and you yourself wouldn't know what to do.
This is not to scare you from doing commissions! Please don't feel discouraged. This is only for your sake, guys.
How can they steal my money online?
The term is called chargeback, There are many ways of doing so, and how it happens.
"Did not authorize this purchase.""Did not recieve product""Had a problem with merchandise quality"An item was paid for but never received.An item received was significantly different than described.An item was damaged in shipping.A credit card number was used fraudulently.
How Can I Protect myself from this happening? PE: Creating your own MangaIntroduction
You have a great story, a bunch of characters and you want to create a manga. However, where do you start? Do you have it Left->Right or Right->Left? How should you publish it (*note: some publishers may have additional requirements/restrictions)?
The process is pretty much the same for any graphic progression such as comics.
Luckily, there are a great number of tutorials to help you on your way.

Storyboarding
A storyboard is a panel or series of panels which detail the sequence of significant events in a planned scene, i.e. a rough sketch coupled with some words to describe the actions in the scene.
At this point you'd need to have an idea of whether you are making a left->right or right->left manga and your story has been separated into scenes and plot points you wish to use to drive your story.
Tutorials
PE: How to Scan and Adjust ImagesTutorial Time: How to scan and adjust images on Photoshop!
Hello everyone, welcome to this tutorial article of PE week!
well, you know, there is this youtube channel where there's lots of videos regaring tips, tricks and general advice for artists, and it is the best I've seen of the kind. But sadly, it is only in portuguese - hence why cinyu came up with the great idea of getting me to translate one of their videos!
I decided to pick up this one regarding scanning and adjusting images on photoshop, because that is one of the most basic, yet worst parts for many traditional artists. This tutorial is mostly for scanning black and white works, so it'll be more useful if you're working on manga/comic pages or inked art, but I hope it'll give you some ideas and help out in general on how scanning works.
I'll be translating the most important parts of the video, along with screenshots. Let's get started!
Things you'll need: 
A scanner :thumb477432861::thumb479254207: Deviations via Notes!Hints & Tips
Did you know there is a super easy way to send a piece to a fellow deviant via note? Sending notes are great ways of getting in touch with deviants who may not be signed on at the same time as you and are more private than posting directly on someone's page. As long as sharing is enabled on a deviation, this tip can save you a little bit of time!
Check out the top right of this deviation page. See that "Note" button? Click it! This widget will pop up:
And there you go! The image is automatically inserted into a note. Just pick out the recipient, write up your message, and send it off! This feature is great for sending quick notes without having to leave the deviation page. 
Happy Deviating!
Hints & Tips is a new series of articles here at projecteducate designed to bring you short, concise articles that give you some great artistic advice. To check out previous articles in the series follow this  PE: Chat and Forum Week Round-upThank you for joining us for a fun-filled week.  We hope everyone had a great time participating in the events we all planned for you.  
Below you will find a quick roundup of the articles and events posted throughout the week, and at the bottom you will find the winners of each event.  
Round up:
Schedule & Contest by Astralseed
Forum Descriptions by 3wyl
 Deviant Challenge Fun by 3wyl
Chat Descriptions by tinycasket
 Scavenger Hunt by Astralseed
 Deviation Hunt by justanothersomeone 
Forum Interview: FixMeKnow by :dev3wyl

From dAseniors

SA Interview - DamaiMikazCongratulations to DamaiMikaz for receiving seniority on July 7th, 2014!

What is it like to be a part of the senior hut? How do you feel about receiving the Medal? How did you receive the news?
"I initially thought I had a lot of messages from seniors when I took a quick scroll through my message center. But my message center is usually a crowded mess, so I didn't think too much of it at the time. It took me a while to realize that it was actually my username that had the icon (I wasn't really awake yet). And when I did I initially assumed it was some kind of software bug in DeviantArt that somehow loaded the wrong icon with my name.
It didn't really get through until I saw the announcement and then I was pretty much baffled. I still am.
Up until not too long ago I used to think that all seniors were retired DeviantArt volunteers, and Senior Selections #16 Senior Selections #16
Welcome back to SeniorSelections with its sixteenth week of selections featured by Senior Members! 
Please show your support by 'ing this news article. Please also comment and  on our wonderful features!

Endorell-Taelos and suggested by SavageFrog

Princess-Amy

Endorell-Taelos

justMANGO

Endorell-Taelos

Endorell-Taelos and suggested by Stygma

Arichy

cinyu

PoetryOD
Please note: we are still accepting admins to join our team for further information refer to this SENIORS AND DA COMMUNITY, WE NEED YOU!As projecteducate's Second Senior Week approaches... Arichy has this special announcement! We need your help!
Senior Selections #15Senior Selections #15
Welcome back to SeniorSelections with its fifteenth week of selections featured by Senior Members! 
Please show your support by 'ing this news article. Please also comment and  on our wonderful features!

Stygma

cinyu

LiliWrites

spoems

Nichrysalis
Please note: we are still accepting admins to join our team for further information refer to this journal, and we take feature suggestions from the community just send us or a team admin a note!
Thank you for supporting this group and project from the @SeniorSele SA Interview - kirileeCongratulations to kirilee for receiving seniority on July 7th, 2014!

What is it like to be a part of the senior hut? How do you feel about receiving the Medal? How did you receive the news?
It's very cool! I love DA and sometime joke that I live on here. To be recognized as someone who contributes to the community and has been around a while, it was really awesome.
Love it. I'm not used to receiving medals so it's a nice addition.
I started getting messages on my DA page... like lots, all at once. I had no idea why people were congratulating me until I saw the post.
You've been helping fellow artists for years with your wonderful resources!!!
What made you choose to share resources? How did you start?
A friend of mine had done a bit of stock photography and uploaded it to deviantart. She explained to me the bas