II-K's avatar

II-K

Education hiatus
336 Watchers21 Deviations
25.7K
Pageviews
Sup everyone! First of all, let's get some life updates out of the way. I've recently started Uni and I'm still working on Saturdays. As you might imagine, it has been hard to fit everything to a schedule.

So! I am writing this to you, on the midnight of Friday, to inform you that I'll be at Tracon's artist alley on this very Sunday. I am not at all pleased to inform you this late, but at least it's better than not at all.

You can find my humble stay at table 39.
Taidekujakartta by II-K

Prints!
20190906 234516 by II-K

If you're coming, I'd be happy to meet and chat with you! 
I'm a first-timer at Artist Alleys, so this will be both nerve-breaking and exciting! I hope everything goes well, haha.

Side note: I'm sorry for replying to comments awfully late. I try to get to everyone, but right now my focus is on my studies. I appreciate and read each one of them though. I also need to upload new art here soon. I hope you've been well. Take care! :]
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In

I recently got the chance to test the new Eclipse site. Its official feedback form has a character limit though and I felt I couldn't express my thoughts fully. Thus I'm creating this journal for my feedback.



The new grid/block system for art is fantastic: it displays it very well. Have art with landscape or portrait dimensions? No problem! It displays the full image - no need to crop a thumbnail like on some art sites - and still manages to fit everything together well. Great job. I also like the option for a header image on your profile, the new layout as a whole and the modern vision for the website.

While I like the vision for Eclipse, there are of course aspects that need work before I'd be comfortable using it.

The biggest downside to me on Eclipse is the notification center: it' a downgrade. The expanded feedback tab feels cluttered, making the act of replying to people more difficult than it needs to be. You used to get an idea of everything with a glance: it's was neatly organized and stacked. The Eclipse version would be improved by better organization: comments on top (replies, new comments on profile or deviations etc. stacked) followed by activity (llamas, faves etc.). The new drop-down menu with the bell icon is useless and only adds more clicks going to the feedback center.
I say with confidence that your old notification center is the best I've experienced on any social media. You are doing a huge disservice to your site by changing it for the worse: DeviantArt has been known for its community spirit and that's going to suffer if replying to people feels like a chore - which in turn decreases the popularity of the site.
(minor point: I also liked having my watch feed combined with other notifications. Which, speaking of, could use better organization as well: stack deviations and journals by the user! It becomes overwhelming to browse if one user posts a lot)

Another major point on Eclipse are the themes. Night and day versions are harsh for the eye, both could use softer or more neutral shades of black and white. I was writing this journal on Eclipse (night version), but I switched to the old site because my eyes were hurting! And that's with using f.lux which already turns my screen dimmer with a warm tone!

These are my main concerns on the user-experience on Eclipse. I am giving blunt feedback because I've been on this site for 8 years and I care for its future. Please give consideration to these points.



Miscellaneous improvements I'd like to see on Eclipse:

  •  About me -portion needs to be displayed fully in the user profile page. The way it is condensed now looks bad and you can't expand it without jumping into the about-page. You'd be better off either displaying it fully or removing it from the profile page.
  •  The about me page: there's empty space below username - why is the text so far on the right?
  •  Please let us have the option to move custom boxes and posts to the left column. Not pleasing to the eye to have long right column before profile comments. (and not much at all on the left)
  • Right-clicking on your icon should go to your profile, not open your profile picture
  • Spotlight should display the deviation fully, not cropped as in some cases
  • Add ArtStation to social media links in My Info -settings
  • Add a classic theme (greens DA is known for). Not the most pressing thing, but it would be a nice feature



Have you tried Eclipse and what's your experience using it?



All in all the way Eclipse is now, I wouldn't use it as it needs optimization for a better user experience - mainly on the feedback center and watch feed. That said, I'm hoping for improvements.

If you haven't kept up with the news: Welcome to DeviantArt Eclipse
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
I'm searching for a social media platform to share more casual sketches or work in progress stuff, so I'm reviving my Tumblr account.

Also, since I can't do polls (and I'm debating between Instagram/Tumblr account) so let's do it this way:

Which social media do you prefer to follow artists on?
a) Tumblr
b) Instagram

If you'd be interested in such things, you can find me here: ii-k.tumblr.com/
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
As some of you might know, I am a recently graduated student (upper secondary, "lukio" in Finnish) and for the last half year I've been working part-time. My art setup has included an ok laptop with a older model of Wacom's Intuos pro. However, now that I've been able to save up on cash I thought to upgrade my setup!

With some careful consideration I decided on getting the Wacom's MobileStudio pro. I knew I wanted to move to a Cintiq, however my laptop wouldn't run it to its full potential (perhaps I would need to upgrade the computer as well); thus, arriving at my conclusion. The price tag on MobileStudio is hefty - but I am getting it used which is more affordable.

I love the idea of portability and can't wait to draw straight on the screen, without my usual lag. I will be laying low till it arrives -preparing some sketches and being blinded by the anticipation. Catch you all in a week or so!

Sidenote: Sincerest thanks to all who have watched me recently. I haven't been able to send you the usual messages, but I appreciate you and you're very much welcome here! Cheers to improving and creating stuff. :heart:
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
I want to give back to the supportive community, so lets do our second Kiribian ever!

What you need to do and rules:

  • Must be a watcher of mine; new watchers are also accepted. As I said, I want to give back to the people who have supported me in my journey.
  • You can take part in this if you have not received a drawing from me in the past year. This rule is in place so I can give a better chance to those whose ideas/characters I haven't created before.
  • Must take a screenshot and send the picture to me via a note or a comment
  • Must have an deviantART account and [preferred, I understand if you're logged out] your name must be visible in the screenshot.
  • If you happen to visit while the pageview is close to 20,000 [19,995, 19,990, 20,003 or similar]: I highly recommend taking a screencap and sending it to me, since if no one catches the Kiribian at 20,000 pageviews the closest one wins.

What you'll receive from me:


  • A drawing of the topic of your choosing, which we can discuss more about later. As a general rule I'm not drawing any NSFW stuff. Although I don't think this would happen, I still need to say it: if we can't agree on a topic to draw, I have the right to choose another winner. (second closest)
  • I would prefer a visual reference if you want me to draw your character. I've thought more about what I want and don't want to do and I've decided for characters I'm only sticking to humans. If you have an anthro, sonic fancharacter etc. you want me to draw I could humanize them. :]

Side-note: I want to thank everyone who has commented or replied to me during my "comeback"/ending of hiatus. It has been truly encouraging.
I will be replying and commenting on your artwork on Monday. For now just dropping this by as I have stuff scheduled today.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Featured

Tracon 2019 Artist Alley on Sunday by II-K, journal

Feedback on DA Eclipse by II-K, journal

Trying out Tumblr + cheapo poll by II-K, journal

Kiribian at 20,000 pageviews! by II-K, journal

Sunlight, YES. by II-K, journal