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Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

What Category Should My Work Be In?

CERAMIC ART refers to artistic creations made from clay and other ceramic materials that are shaped, fired, and often glazed to create decorative or functional objects. This art form has a long history dating back thousands of years and has been an integral part of various cultures and civilizations worldwide.

Ceramic art encompasses a wide range of techniques and styles, including pottery, sculpture, tiles, and decorative objects. Artists working with ceramics may use hand-building methods such as pinching, coiling, and slab construction, or they may use wheel-throwing techniques to shape clay on a potter's wheel. After forming the desired shape, the ceramic piece is typically dried, fired in a kiln to harden it, and then glazed or decorated before a final firing.

Ceramic art can be purely decorative, with pieces ranging from delicate porcelain sculptures to intricate tiles and mosaics. It can also be functional, with items like bowls, plates, vases, and cups being both aesthetically pleasing and practical for everyday use.

In contemporary ceramic art, artists often push the boundaries of traditional techniques, experimenting with new forms, textures, and surface treatments. Ceramic art continues to be a vibrant and evolving medium, valued for its versatility, durability, and the unique beauty of its finished pieces.


DIGITAL ART refers to artworks created using digital technology, typically with the aid of computers, tablets, or other electronic devices. Instead of traditional physical materials like paint or charcoal, digital artists use software programs and digital tools to produce their work.

Digital art can encompass a wide range of styles and techniques, including digital painting, vector graphics, photo manipulation, 3D modelling, and animation. Artists may use specialised software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Procreate, along with digital drawing tablets or touchscreen devices, to create their pieces.

One of the key characteristics of digital art is its versatility and ability to easily manipulate and edit images, allowing for experimentation and exploration of new creative possibilities. Digital artworks can be displayed electronically on screens, printed on various surfaces, or even projected in interactive installations, offering artists and viewers new ways to engage with and experience art in the digital age.

DRAWING is the act of creating visual representations, usually on a flat surface, through the use of lines, shapes, and tones. It is one of the oldest forms of human expression, with examples dating back tens of thousands of years. Drawing can encompass a wide range of styles, techniques, and purposes, from simple sketches and doodles to highly detailed and refined artworks.

Artists use various tools and materials for drawing, including pencils, pens, charcoal, pastels, ink, markers, and digital tablets. Drawing techniques can vary widely, from quick gesture drawings to meticulous and detailed renderings. Some common drawing techniques include contour drawing, shading, cross-hatching, stippling, and blending.

Drawing serves multiple purposes, including artistic expression, visual communication, observation, exploration, and problem-solving. It is used in various fields such as fine art, illustration, design, architecture, animation, and scientific illustration.

Drawing can be a highly personal and intuitive process, allowing artists to convey their thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a visual form. It is also a fundamental skill that serves as the foundation for many other art forms and creative endeavours.


GLASS ART refers to artworks that are created using glass as the primary medium. This art form encompasses a wide range of techniques and styles, including glassblowing, stained glass, fused glass, cast glass, and etched glass.

One of the most well-known techniques in glass art is glassblowing, where molten glass is inflated by blowing through a tube to create various shapes and forms. This technique has been used for centuries to create vessels, sculptures, and decorative objects.

Stained glass is another prominent form of glass art, where coloured glass pieces are arranged and soldered together to form intricate patterns or images. Stained glass windows have been a staple of architecture for centuries, adorning churches, cathedrals, and other buildings with their vibrant colours and storytelling imagery.

Fused glass involves heating multiple pieces of glass in a kiln until they fuse together, allowing artists to create unique patterns, textures, and shapes. This technique is often used to make jewellery, plates, bowls, and other decorative items.

Cast glass involves pouring molten glass into moulds to create sculptures, reliefs, and other three-dimensional artworks. This technique allows for a wide range of forms and textures to be achieved, from smooth and polished surfaces to rough and textured finishes.

Etched glass involves using acid or sandblasting techniques to create designs or patterns on the surface of glass. This technique is often used for decorative purposes, as well as for creating privacy screens, signage, and architectural elements.

Overall, glass art offers artists a versatile and expressive medium for creating a wide range of beautiful and captivating artworks, ranging from delicate ornaments to monumental installations.

ILLUSTRATIONS are visual representations or interpretations of ideas, concepts, or narratives created through various artistic techniques. They can take many forms, including drawings, paintings, sketches, cartoons, diagrams, and digital images.

Illustrations are often used to enhance or accompany written text, providing visual context, clarification, or emphasis. They are commonly found in books, magazines, newspapers, advertisements, websites, and other forms of media. Illustrations can serve a wide range of purposes, from conveying information and telling stories to evoking emotions and engaging audiences.

Illustrators use a variety of tools and mediums to create their work, including pencils, pens, ink, watercolours, acrylics, digital software, and more. They may employ different styles and techniques to achieve different effects, from realistic and detailed renderings to stylized and abstract compositions.

Overall, illustrations play a crucial role in visual communication, helping to convey complex ideas, capture imaginations, and enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of various forms of media and creative projects.


JEWELLERY, also spelled jewelry in American English, refers to decorative items worn for personal adornment, often made from precious metals, gemstones, and other materials. Jewellery can come in various forms, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, brooches, and pendants, among others.

The history of jewellery dates back thousands of years, with evidence of early humans adorning themselves with shells, beads, and other natural materials. Over time, jewellery has evolved to encompass a wide range of styles, designs, and techniques, reflecting cultural traditions, social status, and individual tastes.

Jewellery making involves various processes, including metalworking, gemstone cutting, engraving, casting, and setting. Skilled artisans and jewellers use a combination of traditional techniques and modern technology to create intricate and exquisite pieces of jewellery.

Precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum are commonly used in jewellery making due to their durability, malleability, and lustrous appearance. Gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and pearls are often incorporated into jewellery designs to add colour, brilliance, and value.

Jewellery holds significant cultural, symbolic, and sentimental value for many people, often being passed down through generations as heirlooms or given as gifts to mark special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. It serves as a form of self-expression, allowing individuals to showcase their personality, style, and individuality through the pieces they wear.

In addition to traditional jewellery making, contemporary artists and designers continue to explore innovative materials, techniques, and concepts in jewellery design, pushing the boundaries of this ancient art form and creating pieces that are both wearable and works of art in their own right.

MIXED MEDIA is an artistic technique that involves the use of multiple materials or mediums in a single artwork. These materials can include traditional mediums such as paint, ink, and pencil, as well as non-traditional materials like fabric, paper, found objects, and even digital elements. The combination of these materials allows artists to create textures, layers, and visual effects that may not be achievable with a single medium alone. Mixed media artworks can range from paintings and collages to sculptures and installations, offering artists a versatile means of creative expression.

PAINTING is a form of visual art where pigmented substances, typically in liquid form such as paint, are applied to a surface, usually using brushes, palette knives, or other tools. The surface can vary widely, including canvas, paper, wood, fabric, walls, or even metal or glass.

Painting can encompass a wide range of styles, techniques, and purposes, from realistic depictions of scenes and objects to abstract explorations of colour and form. It is a highly versatile medium that has been used throughout human history for various purposes, including artistic expression, storytelling, decoration, and communication.

In essence, painting involves the creation of images or compositions through the application of pigment onto a surface, allowing artists to convey ideas, emotions, and experiences in a visual form.

PASTEL is both a medium and a technique used in art. As a medium, pastel refers to sticks or crayons made of powdered pigment and a binder, typically gum arabic. These sticks come in a wide range of colours and are known for their vibrant hues and soft, velvety texture. Pastel sticks can be used directly on paper or other surfaces, or they can be blended with fingers, brushes, or blending tools to create smooth gradients and subtle transitions.

As a technique, pastel involves applying these pastel sticks to a surface, usually paper, to create drawings or paintings. Pastels are valued for their versatility and immediacy, allowing artists to work quickly and spontaneously. They can be used to create detailed, realistic drawings, as well as more expressive and impressionistic works. Pastel artworks can range from delicate portraits and landscapes to bold abstract compositions.

Pastel is often favoured by artists for its rich, luminous colours and the ability to achieve a wide range of effects, from fine lines and delicate textures to bold strokes and broad areas of colour. Pastel artworks are also appreciated for their durability and lightfastness, as pastel pigments are made from pure powdered pigment without fillers or binders that can degrade over time.

Overall, pastel is a versatile and expressive medium that has been used by artists for centuries to create stunning and evocative works of art. It continues to be a popular choice among artists today, valued for its unique qualities and endless creative possibilities.


PHOTOGRAPHY is the art, science, and practice of capturing and recording images using light-sensitive materials or electronic sensors. The term "photography" is derived from the Greek words "phōs" (light) and "graphé" (drawing), essentially meaning "drawing with light."

In photography, light is used to create images by exposing a photosensitive surface to light rays reflected or emitted from objects in the scene being photographed. This surface can be film in traditional photography or a digital sensor in digital photography.

Photography encompasses various genres and techniques, including portrait photography, landscape photography, documentary photography, fashion photography, still life photography, and more. Photographers use different types of cameras, lenses, lighting equipment, and editing software to achieve their desired results.

Photography serves multiple purposes, including artistic expression, documentation, storytelling, communication, and commercial applications. It has become an integral part of modern life, with billions of photographs being captured and shared worldwide every day, thanks to advancements in technology and the widespread availability of digital cameras and smartphones.

PYROGRAPHY is the art or technique of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker. The term "pyrography" originates from the Greek words "pur" meaning fire and "graphos" meaning writing, reflecting its method of using heat to create designs or images.

In pyrography, artists typically use a heated tool, often called a pyrography pen or woodburning tool, to burn designs or patterns onto the surface of wood, leather, paper, gourds, or other suitable materials. The intensity of the burn can be controlled by adjusting the temperature of the tool, allowing for varying shades and depths of burn marks to be achieved.

Pyrography has a long history, dating back to ancient times, and has been used for both practical and artistic purposes. Today, it remains a popular form of artistic expression, with artists creating intricate designs, portraits, landscapes, and other imagery using this unique and tactile medium.


RELIEF In art, relief refers to a sculptural technique where figures or designs are carved, moulded, or sculpted from a flat surface, leaving a raised or recessed area. Relief sculptures can vary in depth, from shallow relief (low relief) where the figures project only slightly from the background, to high relief where the figures are more prominently raised.

Relief sculptures can be found in various art forms, including architecture, pottery, metalwork, and carving. They have been used throughout history by different cultures and civilizations to decorate buildings, monuments, tombs, and everyday objects.

There are several types of relief sculptures, including:

Bas-relief (low relief): In bas-relief, the figures or designs are carved with minimal projection from the background. This creates a shallow three-dimensional effect, with the figures appearing to almost blend into the background surface.

High relief: High relief sculptures have figures or designs that project prominently from the background, creating a more dramatic sense of depth and dimension. The figures are fully modelled and stand out distinctly from the background.

Sunken relief (intaglio): In sunken relief, the figures or designs are carved into the surface, creating recessed areas below the surrounding surface level. This technique is commonly found in ancient Egyptian art and is also known as intaglio relief.

Relief sculpture allows artists to create dynamic and visually striking compositions that interact with light and shadow to enhance the overall effect. It offers a unique way to depict figures, scenes, and narratives in a three-dimensional format while still maintaining a connection to the flat surface from which they are carved.

SCULPTURE is a three-dimensional art form that involves creating physical objects, usually by carving, modelling, casting, or assembling materials. Sculptures can be made from a wide range of materials, including stone, metal, wood, clay, glass, plastic, and found objects.

Sculpture has a rich history that spans thousands of years, with examples found in various cultures and civilizations around the world. It encompasses a diverse range of styles, techniques, and purposes, from classical Greek and Roman sculptures depicting gods and heroes to modern abstract and conceptual artworks exploring form, space, and materiality.

Sculptures can be divided into several categories based on their techniques and methods of creation:

Carving: Carving involves removing material from a block or mass of material, such as stone, wood, or ice, to create a sculpture. This technique is often used for creating statues, reliefs, and architectural ornamentation.

Modelling: Modelling involves shaping and manipulating a soft or pliable material, such as clay, wax, or plaster, to create a sculpture. Artists use their hands or tools to build up the form, adding and subtracting material as needed.

Casting: Casting involves creating a mould of a sculpture and then pouring a liquid or molten material, such as bronze, plaster, or resin, into the mould to create a reproduction of the original sculpture. This technique allows for the creation of multiple copies of a sculpture.

Assemblage: Assemblage involves assembling and combining various materials and objects, such as found objects, recycled materials, or industrial parts, to create a sculpture. Artists use techniques such as welding, soldering, and gluing to join the materials together.

Sculpture can serve various purposes, including artistic expression, commemoration, decoration, religious or ceremonial purposes, and functional or architectural elements. It provides artists with a tangible and immersive means of exploring form, space, texture, and meaning, inviting viewers to engage with the artwork from multiple perspectives.


TAPESTRY is a form of textile art in which designs or images are created by weaving coloured threads or yarns on a loom. The resulting fabric, known as a tapestry, typically features intricate patterns, scenes, or motifs, often with rich colours and textures.

Tapestry weaving is an ancient art form that has been practiced for thousands of years, with examples found in cultures around the world. Historically, tapestries were used for a variety of purposes, including wall hangings, upholstery, clothing, and ceremonial or religious objects.

The process of creating a tapestry involves several steps, including designing the pattern, selecting and preparing the materials, setting up the loom, and weaving the design row by row using a combination of warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads. Unlike traditional flat weaving, tapestry weaving allows for the creation of intricate designs and pictorial representations by interlacing the weft threads to create shapes and forms.

Tapestries can vary in size from small decorative pieces to large-scale wall hangings or room-sized installations. They can depict a wide range of subjects, including historical events, mythological scenes, landscapes, portraits, abstract designs, and religious or allegorical themes.

Tapestry has remained a popular art form throughout history and continues to be appreciated for its beauty, craftsmanship, and storytelling potential. It offers artists a unique medium for expressing ideas and narratives through the interplay of colour, texture, and form, while also providing viewers with a visually captivating and immersive experience.

Finally please read my post on my own site, where I talk about the importance of using the correct medium descriptions on your selling posts https://ourartsmagazine.com/blog/2023/11/27/the-importance-of-honesty-about-artistic-mediums-in-the-contemporary-art-world/

Reply Order

Post Reply
 

Gill Billington

1 Month Ago

Great post Abbie. I am assuming you are just calling AI, digital art as it is not given a separate heading which is a shame as I think it should have it’s own Category.

 

Jessica Jenney

1 Month Ago

I agree with Gill about a category for AI.

 

Mike Savad

1 Month Ago

Pyrography confuses so many photographers. I almost wonder if it should be at the bottom of the list, I think its coupled up now.


----Mike Savad

 

MM Anderson

1 Month Ago

I classify my soft pastel work as a painting here for the main reason that 'Pastel' is not a choice under the Medium search on the main site. Not that it makes much difference, but any chance to get found can't be passed up. Also, generally, pastel art is considered a painting when it covers the entire surface of the paper, which mine does.

I also agree that AI should have a separate category for the sake of transparency.

 

Robert Yaeger

1 Month Ago

"What Category Should My Work Be In?"
Currently 6 of them. Tapestry, pyrography, and relief work are the only ones I have yet to try.
Digital art, drawing, illustrations, mixed media, painting, and photography.
I do not see crayons listed anywhere, although I would probably include my crayon artwork under drawings.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/portrait-of-ginevra-de-benci-leonardo-da-vinci-robert-yaeger.html

 

Roger Swezey

1 Month Ago

I remember when all those categories (except "Illustration") had equal status.. Each with it's own avatar, displayed prominently, across the banner of the homepage

Somehow, it seems to me, that, some of those categories have become vestigial in this POD universe we all now, exist in

 

J L Meadows

1 Month Ago

I agree tha AI art should have its own category, and not be blended in with digital art. That's facetious. I create art digitally, but I do NOT use a computer program to create my art for me. I use a pencil and paper to draw an image first, then scan it, and paint it using a stylus the way I use a paint brush. And I do that because I can actually draw and paint, traditionally and digitally. I'm an artist.

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

JL be very careful how you talk.. especially about other members who use AI, please. Many AI artists also can do traditional but want to use AI. I know at least one who cannot use traditional tools any longer through allergies that have changed her life. She is now testing this system.

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

I used the categories you can choose on the drop down when you upload your art.

If pastels is on the dropdown then it should be in the shop also and I will talk to Sean about that

AI is digital art if you read the above description

 

Douglas Brown

1 Month Ago

Most of my Digital Art starts on Procreate and Verto Studio 3D, i also have Graphic for iPad which allows me to upload.png I do my paint edits using Brushstroke Pro. I don’t use anything else.

Good to know the other mediums, great post Abbie.

 

Western Exposure

1 Month Ago

Seconding (third, fourth ....) the call for AI generative works to be assigned a separate category for all the reasons we are not allowed to mention at present.

 

Karen A Wise

1 Month Ago

I too agree that I would like to see Artificial Intelligence added as a separate category.

 

Mike Savad

1 Month Ago

I didn't even know we had that many categories. I also forget totally they are there at all. And everything is under photo. Just blind to that box I guess. I just fill it in under medium but buyers don't look at that. Artists don't look there either. One guy wanted me to teach them how to paint.


----Mike Savad

 

Roger Swezey

1 Month Ago

RE: .. Sculpture as a category

When searching "Vulture Sculpture" or "Sculpture, Vulture" here on FAA

You will get "Vulture Art"

No word of "Sculpture"


In this case, the category "Sculpture" in my opinion has become vestigial

 

Lucia Waterson

1 Month Ago

Deleted comment because it was misunderstood. Thank you.

Edit: Thank you so much Gary!


 

James McCormack

1 Month Ago

I respectfully disagree with Digital and AI categories being put together. I do traditional, I do digital (I may do AI at some point), however they are different enough that they should be separated. As an artist I would like to have that distinction, as a consumer I would like to be able to browse digital without AI.

 

Andy Millard

1 Month Ago

As a potential buyer how would I find the ceramics, glass art, sculptures etc? I looked in the Original Artwork For Sale product section - but the Media dropdown for that section do not include ceramics, glass, sculptures etc. In fact I don't see them in any of the menus or dropdowns on FAA or Pixels except on the upload page.

 

Roger Swezey

1 Month Ago

Andy,

At one time you could

But presently, the FAA/Pixel algorithm, only recognizes POD images

 

Lisa Kaiser

1 Month Ago

Thank you, Abbie, great post! I read them all and found all of them interesting and it really helps me out personally. I start out with a watercolor and that's never enough, I always take it to the computer with Adobe express and then Adobe 2019 and then 3D paint and manipulate through all the AI techniques given on those programs to help my overly dull watercolors to pop with color.

Often if I purchase my own art to put into a show, those prints will sell first simply due to the digital work I've done. So, thank you so much. I will change my art from watercolor to mixed media.

 

Nice article good definitions. Often seems like college in a good way.

And I like Lucia's suggestion......"Artificial Intelligence" equals "Artificial Art".

Though I am resigned to the fact that people have to choose whether or not to honestly label their own work and the best we can hope for is that they put "Digital Art" in media or description. Buyer Beware.

And Lucia I'm not remembering specifically what paintings I do know I always like seeing your paintings in the "Real Life" paintings contests I am enjoying curating/administrating.

"Anyone who agrees with me is a genius" I like to say.

 

Rose Santuci-Sofranko

1 Month Ago

Here we go with AI not being real art stuff, Lucia and Gary.

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

Yes, enough. AI is Artificial Intelligence. We will not start degrading members who use it again. At all.

 

Philip Preston

1 Month Ago

Abbie, you mentioned in a thread last year that Sean would be adding AI to the drop down list for uploads, are you now saying that will not happen, ie, Digital Art should include AI?

Also, I am increasingly combining AI and digital art together for most of my AI text generated images, if AI does eventually have its own separate category, which would we use for images using both methods?

 

I apologize if that is how that comes across.

Personal preference is everyone's right. There are genre of movies I don't like that do very well. I don't claim my genre choices is right and wrong and your choice is wrong if you know what I mean. I Don't mean to insult. Whether making a living or pure preference. Entirely your choice.

But please don't hate that if I as THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT type thinking person think that if I was to spend my money buying a large print photograph of an elephant I would want an actual photograph not an AI image. Does the customer have the right to choose?

I have been frustrated by SOME NOT ALL AI people intentionally mislabeled.

Rose.....I really appreciate seeing you run AI contests. Like I like seeing photoshop contests and The edit my art contests and other contests I can't enter like Australia Architecture....Not sure if you have a lot of traditional artists entering your AI contests but vice versa is frustrating.

When asking for unretouched photos and traditional art mixed media for contests re digital art and AI I even started saying "please enter the other nice contests" and I am thinking of you and all the other nice contests administrators who do stuff I don't do.

While I believe everyone needs to somehow bring in their own buyers i do like the contests and i like separating media. Obviously they allow artists to have their work viewed. People can choose which contests appeal to them. I figured when I recently curated MOTHS FOR SHOWER CURTAINS contest that anyone who hated moths wouldn't look.

And I sometimes look at edit my art and photoshop and digital painting and AI contests and like some of it. My choice to look or not look. Mentioned recently I still view all photographs from the view of high school photojournalism class back before there was photoshop or home computers. Don't hate me for that.

If I had a Monarch Butterfly contest I would limit the media. I would limit accepted media in part to limit numbers but have enough to be interesting. For me looking at 100 or 200 images in a contest with my preferred media rather than looking at 2000 plus images total is easier on my eyes and brain.

I was thinking earlier about what if Stephen Hawking had done AI Art.......I was thinking maybe his prompted vision of other planets populated by other life we've never seen as Mr Hawking imagined. That sounds cool to me. They would not have to mislabel that and enter it into traditional art contest to get views. In his case you'd have the added coolness of him using his excellent communication device.

No insult intended. All praise for honest labeling.

 

Bill Swartwout

1 Month Ago

I am also in the camp that believes AI should have a category of its own.

 

Rose. I just clicked on the discussions thread you have open "Post Your Artificial Images....March" and read and appreciated your written words there re posting images there.....to quote you....

"You must have the word ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE or AI clearly VISABLE on the Artworks page BEFORE you add them to this thread"" and

"Just saying "Digital Art " is not good enough for this thread" and going on to say there is another thread for "Digital Art" people who don't fit the AI thread to consider entering.

In this description you are a role model of honest labeling and I applaud you for that.

Undoubtedly some people will seek out AI...... probably a lot more people than are searching for TAPESTRIES or RELIEFS.

 

Roger Swezey

1 Month Ago

Just wondering,

With all the bells and whistles on Photoshop, and other similar sites, does rudimentary AI, in essence, actually start there?

And are those sites considered just digital tools?

If so, is the AI as we now know it, also a digital tool.?


Or is it all a matter of degree?

 

Rose Santuci-Sofranko

1 Month Ago

Gary, thank you for your kind comments about the AI thread, I too cannot stand when people mislabel their AI art as a photo, or a painting. BTW, I think you are mistaking me for somebody else as I have never ran an AI contest. God bless!

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

Enough now please about AI

I have lobbied for a separate category. I do not run the site.

Back to this topic in the top post which are categories we have on this site

 

Ok. Back to the subjects.

TAPESTRY people and RELEIF people and others less often seen categories....please start entering the contests where they fit. We or at least I don't see enough Art from those categories.

Although I have never called for TAPESTRIES or RELIEFS categories when describing the ....no offense intended...real World art....... any one doing those has an open invitation to submit your work to any contest sponsored by the Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Eating Milkweed and I'd love to see it. There is currently several contests accepting entries as of March 11 2024 ........Nostalgia......Consecutive Sequencial...... .and.........No Vagrancy. . ...if interested. Always for the old fashioned stuff.....no offense new fashioned people.

(And Rose ....appreciate correction but I do see you with the thread you have and otherwise mixed you up with some other nice people...best wishes.)

 

Roger Swezey

1 Month Ago

Ok back to categories.

Repeating my post 5 hours ago.


RE: .. Sculpture as a category

When searching "Vulture Sculpture" or "Sculpture, Vulture" here on FAA

You will get "Vulture Art"

No word of "Sculpture"


In this case, the category "Sculpture" in my opinion has become vestigial.

So why bother using it?


Any thoughts?

 

Lucia Waterson

1 Month Ago

I have 2 works classified as reliefs, because I worked on limestone material, like this white tree.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/white-tree-natural-stone-lucia-waterson.html

And I have some glass art. I chose this category only when I actually worked the glass (I made mosaics). But when the composition was done by someone else (like for a window, for example), then I chose Photography, of course.

 

Lucia Waterson

1 Month Ago

Sorry Roger, I was typing.
To tell you the truth I have a bird wireframe sculpture and I wrote the materials that I used in the medium section (copper, and for the eye clay and acrylic).
But when I had to choose to classify the category I chose Mixed media and not sculpture.
But I was wondering 5 minutes ago if I should change it to sculpture, I'm not really sure.

 

Lucia Waterson

1 Month Ago

But if nobody is looking for sculpture than i better leave it as Mixed media

 

Roger Swezey

1 Month Ago

Lucia,

As it stands now, nobody can find "Sculpture"

Now with those pieces when I did use "Mixed Media" instead of "Sculpture" they do show up

mixed.png

So Lucia, stick with , "Mixed Media"

 

Lucia Waterson

1 Month Ago

Thanks a million for your kindness, Roger, I appreciate so much!

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

Roger, I have asked Sean to remove the categories from the dropdown, or show them in searches again

 

Maria Faria Rodrigues

1 Month Ago

Thank you, Abbie, for the discussion thread, as I'm now starting to redo my categories.

Now, I'm thinking: should I bother, if categories are going to be removed?

I really do like the 'Category' section.



I've read the posts above, well some any ways.

It doesn't matter what medium you use or one uses. If your subject is a , for example, a 'Bluebird' then A Special Collection of Bluebirds could be created.

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

Not all categories. Just the ones not seen in the shop. I'd rather they all showed, if they are there already to choose from

 

Maria Faria Rodrigues

1 Month Ago

OK, Abbie, ~ good to know.

 

Rose Santuci-Sofranko

1 Month Ago

Sorry, Abbie.

 

M G Whittingham

1 Month Ago

Thanks Abbie. This is helpful.

 

Lara Kaye

1 Month Ago

Thank you, Abbie.

Sometimes I can advertise the original painting or drawing I started my mixed media (which includes digital elements) with, but if I categorize the final artwork uploaded here as Mixed Media (as opposed to Drawing or Painting) it will say "Buy the original mixed media" which is not what I'm advertising, because the original drawing or painting was done on real paper and is not a digital file or mixed media artwork.

Please have a look here https://fineartamerica.com/featured/making-waves-duck-drawing-lara-kaye.html?newartwork=true
I want to advertise the drawing done on actual paper.

Should I just explain that in the description or could some changes be made to the heading?

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

If you're uploading an original, it's whatever it originally was....

 

Western Exposure

1 Month Ago

Lara, I'd upload the original unaltered work on paper separately. Then you can offer that for sale also as an original and leave the box unticked for the digitally altered version.

 

Lara Kaye

1 Month Ago

Thank you, Western and Abbie.

 

Tatiana Travelways

1 Month Ago

Thank you, Abbie for the long detailed list.

I'm unclear however, in what category would go a photo pained or made as a sketch, or color pencils, etc...???

Generally, I categorize this type of work as mixed media, but is it, or it should just go under the photography category?

Thanks!

 

Tatiana Travelways

1 Month Ago

PS: I'm asking this also for our one photo a week, one year challenge.

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

I do photos that are digitally manipulated a lot (painted over, heavy filters etc) mixed media

Camera and computer

 

Tatiana Travelways

1 Month Ago

Mixed Media it is! Thank you very much, Abbie :)

 

Mary Bedy

1 Month Ago

I usually go with "Digitally Enhanced Photo" if I've put a filter on it, and "Digitally Altered Photo" if I really fiddled around with it so much it doesn't look like a regular photo, but if it started as a photo, I just use that drop down. I don't call it "digital art" unless I actually digitally draw on it.

There are some gray areas, but I think if people are just honest about how they created whatever it is, that's the main point.

 

L A Feldstein

1 Month Ago

My original photos or paintings are digitally altered beyond recognition. Are they mixed media? I've been stating 'digital alteration of original work, not ai' and then classify it as digital. Is mixed media more appropriate?

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/blue-medley-l-a-feldstein.html

 

LA. I like your more detailed explanation. It explains more. Your current description "digital alteration of original art, not AI" seems completely like an honest person describing their own work.

To me mixed media always meant physically real things but Abbie explained above (or maybe in another thread)that mixed media now includes digital.( Oh well.....can't let the dodo bird stand in the way of progress.)

Personal opinion....the more honest the description the better. And the setup allows for a detailed description for people who want to be honest and up front about their work.

Always nice to "see" you. Best wishes.

 

Deb Beausoleil

1 Month Ago

Interesting conversation. I am primarily a photographer and have just delved into the joy of using my own photographs to digitally paint (using Corel Paint). I never would have dreamed of using "mixed media" to classify it, but that makes perfect sense - thank you!

 

Tricia-Maria Hovell

1 Month Ago

Another great article, Abbie! Thank you!

 

Mindy Newman

1 Month Ago

I would like a category for digital art and other mediums than photography. We have mixed media but the excludes nonmaterial from digital art I too prefer we separate AI and digital enhancements.

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

I don't understand. There are all the categories in my top post. Digital art is clearly there...?

 

Drew

1 Month Ago

Very descriptive Abbie. I think you just about covered it all, except maybe for one or two.

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

I only did the ones we have on the edit page dropdown. Perhaps I should have done all of them... including the full meaning of AI lol

 

Richard Reeve

1 Month Ago

I do wonder about the use/value/accuracy of this.

For example, when I set the Medium as "Photography" in the "Today's New Upload" just to see what PHOTOS have been uploaded, I get 12 drawn images of Jesus on the first page... ;-)

 

Carol Randall

1 Month Ago

'Fine Art Photography' what is the proper description of that". Most of my work starts off as a photograph and then w/much manipulation (photoshop, topaz, stc.) it is posted. Should that be in the category of 'digital art'?

 

Drew

1 Month Ago

Abbie, critically minded individuals knows what public relations rhetoric is all about. It's always what is not being discussed that stands out.

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

...and another thing about critically minded individuals is they often overthink things

 

Denise Strahm

1 Month Ago

When I enter shows (not FAA shows) I have been entering my works as Photo Composites as suggested by a gallery owner. I create them by using my digital pictures, layering them in Photoshop and adjusting color, opacity, masking etc. to get to my final result which could be many layers. These layers are all pictures I have taken, including many different background images used as textures. See examples below in my Alternate Treeality series.

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/denise-strahm?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=879628

I don’t consider them as just photography, nor do I consider them as digital art or mixed media. After everything I have read here, am I to believe these are supposed to be labeled as mixed media?

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

Mixed media is simply put... more than one thing creating the art

So I take photos then add then into an editor... AI, then another editor. So I am using a computer and a camera

Two mediums... mixed media

It really is up to you. You do you. I have just added a post for the ease of those who have no idea and keep asking us in support.

 

Gill Billington

1 Month Ago

I think photo composites is a better description but the trouble is they don’t have that category here.

This image of mine I still labelled as photography but in the description I said it was a composite using several of my photos.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/buckingham-palace-queen-victoria-memorial-jubilee-montage-gill-billington.html

 

Denise, I'm just one cranky old man these days but I like PHOTO COMPOSITES better than mixed media personally. I don't know how much room you have but if there is room you could put in the description of your work exactly as above.

"PHOTO COMPOSITES."
"I create them by using my digital pictures, layering in Photoshop and adjusting color,opacity, masking etc to get to my final result which could be many layers. These layers are all pictures I have taken, including many different background images used as textures". An honest explanation!

I am curating/administering some contests limited to no photoshop no digital painting no manipulation no textures no false background. Not a moral judgment! Separation of media in a contest keeps images more limited in numbers and easier to look at.(for photos in these contests I really only want photos exactly as taken or cropped and I suppose people lighten and darken which I suppose is ok but I prefer it as taken in real time.)

Not you but a lot of people enter manipulated photos and it's up to me to leave them in or remove them. Since I figure they are all artists wanting their work to be seen I just hate removing them but I don't like leaving them in either. Some people who do processes like you and continue to use PHOTOGRAPH as description which doesn't seem right

I probably shouldn't even be commenting now but I VOTE IN FAVOR OF MORE HONESTY AND DISCLOSURE EVERY TIME.

EDIT/ADDITION. sorry about "shouting" I was thinking of an exclamation point type thing. I'm not used to online discussions and don't really understand "shouting" but I guess that's capitalizing stuff. Until last fall on here I'd never read or participated in any online discussions. And I am frustrated that some people are mad at me/others for wanting honest labeling. That was only for emphasis. So for now I apologize for "shouting" which means capilizing something I'm learning I guess.........

 

Abbie Shores

1 Month Ago

You can stop shouting in this thread also. Thank you

 

Denise Strahm

1 Month Ago

Gill: Thank you. Nice photo and thank you for your input!

Gary: Thank you for your input and the description you show is accurate for what I do. I didn’t think you were shouting so no offense taken.

Abbie: Thank you for your concern in case I felt shouted at. ;) Appreciate it.

 

Drew

22 Days Ago

"and another thing about critically minded individuals is they often overthink things"

Cogito, Ergo Sum.

 

Shelli Fitzpatrick

16 Days Ago

After my last post in the "fear of AI thread" I suddenly realized that I can categorize my work as mixed media instead of digital art, since much of my work is created from many different digital elements such as photographs or bits and pieces of digital drawings I create and later put them together into one image. I also many times use more than one art software program to create layers for a single final image. I used to call it "app stacking" but nobody else really knows what I mean when I say that. LOL

so my main concern is, what will happen if I go back over my old artwork uploads and change the category from "digital" to "mixed media" or "photo manipulation" ?

Will it mess me up on my search rankings or anything else detrimental to my potential sales? or would I be better off to leave well enough alone and just change going forward?

Any input is welcome!

PS. Hold on a minute while I over think this... :P

 

Shelli Fitzpatrick

16 Days Ago

I just changed the category on a newer work as a test. now I can't find it in either category. Maybe it just takes time to show the changes?

The one advantage I saw to changing was that Mixed media has a lot fewer images to compete with than the Digital category. Even if I go to the back of the line it is only about 7 pages instead of hundreds of pages. Maybe a really diligent shopper might look at page 7 ? but I doubt if they would look a lot further than that.


Update:: Okay I can now find my test image in the new category so it just takes a few hours for the image to index.

 

Jenny Revitz Soper

16 Days Ago

If I enhance a photo using digital apps, I write Photography in the artwork category and "With digital enhancements" ( or similar) in the medium.

If I enhance a photo using IA, the medium is "Enhanced with AI."

If I create an image using AI, the artwork category is Digital Art and the medium is AI.

 

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