That's right! It's your handy dandy guide to DeviantArt all summarized into one simple article!
There's millions of people on DeviantArt, and i'm sure there's many of you that join every day.
And you know what, that's great! But for those of you that are not quite sure how to do things,
and are too scared to ask for help; this article will teach you all sorts of nifty tricks to help you out!
Of course this article is for non-subscribers only! But i will show you how to subscribe and what benefits come with it. c:

*NOTE: This is a guide on the BASICS of DeviantArt*

Making your page look spiffy:

Right, so your probably wondering "how the hell do i make my page look nice like everyone else's?"
It's quick simple really c:
Always make sure your signed in, otherwise this tutorial will be no use to you xD
In the top left hand corner of your DeviantArt page you will find a little box with the DA logo inside.

Just click this and it opens up a whole list of things like: Submit Deviation, Submit Print, Update Journal etc

Now what we're looking for at the moment is "Edit Profile" Click that and it'll open up lots of nice stuff for ya. Now you'll notice three tabs at the top labelled Identity, User Page Display and devMobile Management Forget about the last one, and let's focus on the first two. Stay on the Identity tab and let's make your appearance more appealing.

Now right now you my be tired of staring at that grey square that is currently your icon. It's very simple to change this but just make sure that you have an icon previously saved onto your computer. Or if you don't have one saved, you can search for one through DA; but more on that later.

Tip: Make sure that your icon is a JPEG, GIF or PNG image that is 50x50 pixels, and it smaller than 15KB, otherwise it just won't work c:

Click choose file >> Find the file on your comp, and your done that bit. But DO NOT click ok just yet. We still have a lot more to do c: Near your "Avatar" section you will find a "Comment signature" thing. In this you can write whatever you want, and it appears under your name when you comment! c:

So far so good? Great! Now it's time to click on that "User Page Display" tab we were talking about earlier. Here you have a whole bunch of stuff to fill in about you, so take your time to do so. And don't worry about that "Blocked Users" section. I'm sure there's nobody you'd want to not look at your page. =]

Now that all that is sorted, you can click OK.

Submitting your artwork:

So i bet you've got LOTS of artwork to show everyone? Well that's great! Make sure you've saved your image as a JPEG or GIF image. As not a lot of other files are compatible with the system. JPEG would be your best option c:

So go back to that little square at the top of your screen and choose "Submit Deviation"
Now name your deviation or "picture", and categorize it by clicking "Choose"

Tip: Do make sure you categorize it properly, otherwise people WILL hurt you c:

Now upload the file, and while your waiting for it to upload, fill in the "Artist's Comments"
Just write a bit about your deviation, what you used or nothing c: Add some Keywords RELATED to the deviation. Example: A picture of a cat would have keyword such as; kitty, cat, cute BUT NOT "LMAO, BOOBS, and other inappropriate words D:

You can alter the comment options by changing the selections under "Deviation Options" But you could leave it as is, unless you don't like being told how nice your art is c: Make sure you label wether it has Mature Content or not, otherwise you could risk having your deviation removed! D:

Leave the creative commons license alone, and make sure your deviation has loaded. Then click OK! Then you may be brought to a print's page. Leave that alone for now and go to your deviation.

Tip: The bigger your file is, the longer it will take to load.

How to make a journal:

Okay so in your journal you can write about whatever you want! But be sure not to spam c: Click that nifty square next to you name again, and click "Update Journal"

Choose something to call your journal, and type away~ You can fill in what you've been eating and such; or just leave it alone c: Once you done, click preview to make sure it looks okay, and then submit! submit! submit!

Viewing your OWN page:

This is very easy c: Even a muffin could do it ;D Just go to the top left hand corner of your page, and you'll find your DeviantArt name. Just click it silly, and it'll take you there~

Tip: You can not search for other people's pages, but you can search for a random one c: Scroll to the bottom of the page until you find "Random Deviant" Click it and see where it takes you 8D


How to watch someone:

So you've been browsing the art around DA, and found someone that you like so much! But are scared you'll never find their page again :c Well you can just watch them. Make sure your on the user's page that you want to watch, and in the right hand side, at the top there will be "Watch this deviant" Click it and they are automatically added to your friend's list c:

Tip: You can easily categorize your friends into sections like: Buddies, Family etc Just make sure your on your friend's page when doing so c:

How to handle comments:

If you have a comment it will appear at the top of your page. If you don't it will stay as "no message" But when you do have a comment, click on the "2 comments" or whatever, link and it'll take you to the comments. There you click on the comment, so you are able to read it, then click reply. And write back! c: This also applies if you have a note, if someone has submitted art/a journal/poll etc.

Tip: You can also receive comments on your home page. Just click on your page and scroll to the bottom to see if you have any c: Then reply!

How to favorite/collect:

When you are on a nice deviation that you like, and would like to show your appreciation for the piece. You can favorite it or collect it to keep it forever.

Faving will automatically categorize it for you into your "Favorites" section. To do this just click the "Add to favorites" button; and your done!

Collecting will add the deviation to a folder you have made. Just drag the deviation to your collections, where you can make a folder of your own. Eg; drag a deviation to "Cute" in your collections.

Tip: You can view all of your favs/collections later by clicking your "collect" folder in the top right hand corner of your page c:

How to subscribe:

When you subscribe you can get so many privileges on DA.
You have no ADS, can view more deviations, can add CSS's to your journal ( This makes it pretty ), your comments/deviations are now viewed as tabs. Now to subscribe you need moneyz :c You can pay using either, a credit card or paypal c: Just find the subscribe tab, and fill in the details there.

So those are the basics of DA. I hope this helped to get you started c:
If you feel that you need more help, or didn't understand anything, feel free to contact me!

Or you can search through the FAQ for more information C: