Welcome to the twelfth issue of Stockilicious

Index
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1 - Thumbnail Feature and Stock Tips - Dark Resources
2 - Stock Tutorial of the Week!
3 - Stock Contests
4 - Forum Activity
5 - Monthly Stock Project
6 - Support Stock Stamps!
7 - Chatrooms
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FEATURES AND TIPS:
The dark artists have been emerging from their relative haunted cemeteries, basements and asylums on dA for a long time now. And they're hungry. They don't want your blood (though it is a nice appetizer I hear) ... they want your resources. They want to do sick, twisted and sadistically beautiful things with them and fill our dark, horror and macabre galleries with their bone-chillingly brilliant dark arts!
Dark stock and resources aren't all about smothering yourself with fake blood or tomato sauce - there is a certain twist that is put on stock of this nature that can rattle your bones within the need for props or other aides. Death isn't always the main theme either. Think about some of your favourite movies, books or video games or even check out the news for some real-life horrors that are going on.



TIPS FOR DARK STOCK:
Take inspiration from some of the horror/thriller movies or books you've ever come across. The creepy look you see in the actor's eye can always be mimicked for your own purposes and the 'specialFX' style make-up they do can be done just as well with a lot of the stuff you find in your own home (kitchen is usually the best place to find 'ingredients' for your nasty little experiments!)
Think of some of the fears people can have in life. Falling, spiders, dark alleyways, mass-murderers, drowning, clowns, etc... they all have the same frightening thing in common. They scare people. If you want something that strikes a chord with the masses, make it count. Its not easy to forget your fears when you're faced with them.
Don't just stick to black clothes and heavy black make-up. Colours are changed easily enough in photoshop or similar imaging programs. Sometimes, it really is the 'thought that counts'. This is especially true with stock.
If you want a really cool ghostly look, grab the corn flour from the pantry or your local supermarket. It pales the skin and can be dusted through your hair for an especially creepy look. As an added effect, grab some kids glue - clag is a great one for goopy, pussy wounds or pasting on some thin tissue-like paper for festering flesh. Add a few dark circles under your eyes and maybe some darkness under your cheekbones (for a more 'gaunt' look) and you're set!
Crawl on your belly like a wounded victim trying to escape, contort like your getting something exorcized from you, scream like you've just been cornered by a hockey-masked villan and more. You'll either be trying to get away, to fend for your life, or to take someone's life away.
You can be the victim or the villain in your stock. Or better yet - be both. Don't just play around with one. If you know how one of the characters are feeling in your little scene, think of how the other would act to create that kind of fear.
If you have alleyways, construction sites or cemetaries near your home or where you work - you don't need to wait until night-time to get a great stock photo. Changing lighting and exposure is for the artists to change as they please. Trot down during your lunch-break and take a few photos while it's not so scary.
Directional lighting is awesome for casting eery shadows on anything. Your face, your knife-wielding hand, a dark corner of your room - it gives it a great effect, and sometimes its an effect that isn't easily created in imaging programs.
If you have bandages, neck braces, chains, rope, etc just lying around your house - bring it out. Take some photos of them by themselves and, if you're a model stocker, use them as a prop as well.

STOCK TUTORIAL OF THE WEEK:

Seeing as how I have a lot of stockers on my list that are constantly asking for constructive critique and help with how they do their stock, I want to draw some more attention to the bundle of Stock related Tutorials that have been submitted to deviantart - most of them are by long time stockers that have found a few simple ways to make their stock just a little bit nicer and more useable for artists.

THIS WEEK: Stock Tutorial by *shelldevil

A fantastic and funny tutorial by one of our lovely female stockers - Shelldevil! Covers the basics that all the 'been here forever' stockers should know that some of the newbies might not. Don't accidentally crop out your limbs and stay away from that MyspaceFace, kiddies! Or you're on the list


STOCKER CONTESTS:

Its not just about the prizes! Stockers get to see all the lovely artwork made with their stock and a set theme in mind. If you have a stock contest you want promoted, drop me a note with the details

is hosting a Lady of Nature Contest
Details: [link]
Deadline: 1 September 2007

is hosting Tempt Me Contest
Details: [link]
Deadline: 25 October 2007


FOCUS ON THE FORUMS!:

The StockArt forums are located here: [link]

Male Stock?: by *AilinStock, A Prince to do Stock Requests?: by ~Aegean-Prince and Nude male stock: by ~ReferenceModel-m are threads for our good ol' male stockers that are taking requests! Jump in on any or all of these threads and send some suggestions to these awesome stockers and get their creative juices flowing. Now is your chance to get what you really need out of some of the fantastic guy stockers here on dA!

Stock as Stock as Stock: After a fair bit of commotion lately *CausticStock has once again put the question out there about stockers using other deviant's stocks and resources for premade backgrounds, brushes and more. What do you think about it?


MONTHLY STOCK PROJECT:
Whoever you are, whatever kind of resource you upload - check out and join in on the monthly challenges to both Stockers and general Resourcers.

Get featured in the Monthly Newsletter, find inspiration in a simple phrase or theme and join in with other stockers in a throw-together collaboration!

This month's challenge is almost over and we still need more submissions for the Human Canvass - Body Paint challenge! If you want to join in, drop by the journal and see what is going on and try your hand at something new and inspiring for the artists to use! May Challenge closes May 31!!


SUPPORT STOCK:

Support Stock News! Stamps courtesy of =LawrenceDeDark (and muchly needed, I might add )


And if you want to check out the ALWAYS up-to-date list of Stock News being submitted - check out =stocknews and support us by posting the stamp in your journal


And now for a few random stocky stamps that you and post in your journals!


And giving love to our awesome Stock Gallery Directors!



CHAT WITH US:

Don't forget that stockers chat too! A few haunts the stockers visit are below:
#StockTalk | #FishnetStockers | #TheHarem | #StockThumbnailShare

Don't forget my Promotionals Contest is still running! It will be ending in June!
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PREVIOUS ISSUES:
Vol 1: Perspectives (MC) | Vol 2: Lighting (MC) | Vol 3: Characters (MC) | Vol 4: Fight Stock | Vol 5: Requests | Vol 6: Portraits | Vol 7: Backgrounds (Real) | Vol 8: Nuuuuuudes | Vol 9: Stock Packs | Vol 10: Poses (MC) | Vol 11: Couples & Groups

Good to be back in the land of the living.
Now be prepared for more pimpage of the stocky kind!
-Demonic