Hello again, and welcome to News And You, part three: features. Another one of the benefits that the new news system allows is exposure -- not necessarily exposure of your own art, but art and artists you love. However, while browsing through the news, it's easy to see that some feature articles gain plenty of exposure, and some don't. So what helps to make a good feature article? Here are some tips that might help you:

Theme And Purpose

Throwing a handful of random thumbs in an article and calling it a day won't make the cut. A great way to pull your article together and connect everything is beginning with a basic theme or idea. It can be as simple as a color or an object, or complex as a quote or a book. In either case, using something like this to bind your thumbs together makes the article more concise and the readers more attracted.

Another good idea is to include your theme in a creative title. Just titling an article: "A Bunch of Thumbs About Plants" isn't going to attract much attention. Don't be afraid to get creative! "Seeing Green" or "Into the Jungle" provide something more interesting and imaginative for your readers to grasp onto.

Good Examples of Theme/Purpose:

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

F R E E D O M

The Artists

Getting the artists you're featuring involved is another good way to pull your feature together. Write a small blurb about their work before presenting their thumbs, maybe ask what their art means to them, or provide some insight as to why it is so important. Doing this not only features the art, but the artist as well -- and both are equally important.

Make sure to alert the artist that you're featuring their art. Beyond this being a good act of courtesy, it also opens the doors to more viewers and appreciators. When a group of art with a common theme is selected, the artists involved are quite likely to appreciate and take notice of the other artists' work as well. This is especially interesting if you choose to include little Q&A's from the artists since it gives everyone a curious look into each other's craft. Most artists are more than happy to answer a few questions about themselves, their art, or their work and it's a great way to get the artists and the readers more involved.

Good Examples:

Great Photomanipulators

Don't Overwhelm

Too many thumbs in one article can be overwhelming to the viewer. Select just enough to spike their interest; make sure that each and every artist/thumb gains attention and appreciation. If you're working with specific artists, try limiting yourself to 3-5 thumbs that you think best represent what you're trying to show. If you're simply working with a theme, 20 thumbs is usually a safe number to work with.

Spacing out your thumbs is also another way to stop your reader from becoming overwhelmed. Separating each set of three or four thumbs with a few lines of text is a great way to do this. Use quotes about your topic, or blurbs from the artists about their art. Again, most artists will be happy to answer a few questions about their craft and a few short sentences can do an article wonders.


Good Examples of Not Overwhelming:

Waist Management

Introduction and Closing

Remember, slapping a few thumbs on an article just doesn't cut it. Writing a small introduction and a few closing statements helps the art gain more attention and brews further interest in readers. Talk about the theme or idea you've chosen and why it matters, or discuss the type of artists you've chosen to involve. A few sentences does an unbelievable job of binding the reader's interest to the work your presenting. Make it interesting, intriguing, mysterious, or passionate; if it's something that is important to you, make it important to your readers too.


Good Examples of Introductions and/or Closings:

Visual Senses / Photomanips June 2007



Hopefully this article has helped you gain an understanding of how to make your feature more eye-catching and successful. This is deviantART, after all -- more than a place to post your art, it's a community of encouragement and exposure. By helping expose other artists, you're not only encouraging the art you've featured, but inspiring more artists with their own work. Keep these tips in mind, and good luck with your features!


- `youthculture

News And You: Tips For Successful Articles

News And You II: Contests