deviantART 101 - Part One included:

1. Getting Started
2. Linking on deviantART
3. Thumbnails
4. Subscriptions

5. Getting Involved

deviantART describes itself as a "community of artists and those devoted to art". So this is more than just a website where you can upload your art, it is a COMMUNITY, a place where millions of people hang out, support and inspire one another and enjoy each other's art. Becoming a part of this community can be very hard at first, but let's find out how you can get involved.

a) Comments

Every artist loves a good comment. That doesn't necessarily mean that you should go and tell everyone how fabulous they and their art are, but a good comment can also include constructive criticism. You should always consider how you word things. If you must critisize a deviation (always read the artist's comment first, maybe they are not looking for a critique!), do it with class. Be respectful, friendly, and try and help them get better.
As already mentioned in the first article, know your art. Know other people's art as well. If you have never heard of Pixel Art, don't knock someone's art and tell them how pixelly the edges look.
A great comment however will put a huge smile on the deviant's face, and you will surely leave a great impression on them!

What I have heard many times around deviantART, is "comment to get comments". And it does indeed work that way. Comment on art, comment on profiles, ask questions, don't hold back. You've seen someone do something incredibly awesome in one of their deviations and you have no idea how they achieved that? ASK THEM! In most cases people will be more than happy to let you know. It will help you grow as an artist as well as a member of the community.
Be careful though, you don't want to be considered a spammer. There's no point in posting 500 comments in less than 10 minutes (slightly exaggerating, but you get what I'm saying!). Quality over quantity!

PS: Replies might be just as important!



A list of important FAQs regarding comments:

FAQ #661: How do I post a comment (devious thoughts)?
FAQ #41: What do the "Parent", "Top" and "Reply" links under comments mean?
FAQ #160: Can I remove or delete comments on my userpage, journal or deviations?
FAQ #31: I am unable to post comments or send notes because the site informed me I was spamming. What is going on?

b) Faving / Collecting Deviations

This is much like with comments. "Fave to receive faves". Wait a second, do you even know what I am talking about?!

Ok, to the left of every deviation you have a couple of buttons including "Add to Favourites" as well as "Collect". Should you find a deviation that you really like, you can add it to your favourites or collect it to a specific favourites folder. Your Collections reside on your Favourites page. Once you have favourited some deviations, you can begin organizing them into collections! You can find the Collect button on every page, which lets you drag and drop art right to your collections, from anywhere on deviantART.

Your best bet is to browse the galleries, find a deviation that you like, try both buttons and you will see what they do!

FAQ #59: How do I add and delete Favourites?
FAQ #11: Is there a way to see which deviants have added my deviation submission to their favourites?
FAQ #6: What is the Collections Feature and how do I use it?

Don't be too disapointed if you don't get a lot of comments and faves initially, as this will come with time as you start making links in the deviantART network. Don't be afraid to ask for help, advice and criticism!

c) Adding Someone to Your Watchlist

Should you come across a deviant's gallery which you really like, you might want to see them growing as an artist and be informed when they post a new deviation, journal, etc. In that case, hop on over to the person's profile page and click the "+devwatch" button. You will then be redirected to your friends list, where you can decide whether you would like to be notified when they post a deviation, journal, news article, critique or a scrap. You can also add them to your friends list.
Should you at some point find that you are no longer interested in following an artist, you can always remove them from your watchlist.

FAQ #26: What is the deviantWATCH and how do I manage my deviantWATCH listing?
FAQ #68: Can I remove someone who is watching me?
FAQ #19: If I remove someone from my deviantWATCH, will they be notified?
FAQ #666: Will my watchers be notified of my deviation and scrap submission edits?

d) deviantART Messaging Network - dAmn

(huge thanks to @shuttermonkey for writing this part! )

The deviantART Message Network or dAmn can be divided into two main groups:

The Forums:
When you access the ~forum page you will see a list of Forums divided into Categories, Number of Topics and Posts within those forums and the most recent topic within each forum. Once you have found a Topic that fits what you are looking for you can click its name and a new page will open. This page will show a list of the most recent Threads, who they were started by and the last person to comment on the threads.
For more information on how to navigate and the rules that pertain to the forums you can have a look at Forums for Dummies tutorial by @Little-Vampire and

FAQ #801: Are we allowed to post forum threads in languages other than English?
FAQ #708: I found a forum thread that I believe violates policies, where can I go to report it?
FAQ #506: Does deviantART allow sexual discussions in chatrooms or the forums?

The Chats:
When you access the ~chat page you will see a list of chatrooms divided into Featured and All Chatrooms. There are rooms for almost every subject matter all you need to do is scroll through the list or use the search bar Located beneath the Featured Chatrooms.
For more information regarding the Chat Network you can have a look at #dAmn Tips'n'Tricks [#1], #dAmn Tips'n'Tricks [#2] and #dAmn Tips'n'Tricks [#3].
You can also review the rules regarding dAmn:

FAQ #287: What rules apply to the Chat Network?

FAQ #506: Does deviantART allow sexual discussions in chatrooms or the forums?
FAQ #83: What are the guidelines for Volunteer MN@?

PS: People with a @ in front of their username, as for example @shuttermonkey, will gladly answer your dAmn-related questions and help you wherever they can. Don't be afraid to ask them!

e) Get to Know Your Community

Most artists specialize in a certain field, like photography, digital paintings or Flash animations. It is therefore nice to receive comments and criticism from those who know your field. First of all you can browse the gallery(ies) you post to by clicking the huge deviantART button at the top of your page. On the left you will find all categories listed - click the one which seems to cover your area of interest.
You should now find artwork similar to yours. Again, comment, fave, watch.

Now scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and you will find an area that reads "see also ..... Forum". Again, you can easily interact with people there. You can help answer other deviant's questions, post your own topics and get to know others.

Most galleries have a so-called Gallery Moderator (I, by the way, am currently the Gallery Moderator of the vexel gallery ). Now how would you find that person when there's sooooo many people out there?
Simply click here and find your person. Watch them! Why? Because that way you will be informed of gallery-specific contests, news, features, etc. These people will help you when you have a question, so go introduce yourself!

FAQ #82: What are the guidelines for Volunteer Gallery Moderators?
FAQ #85: Can I be a volunteer on deviantART?

With this being said, I would like to end the second part of deviantART 101. This is, by far, not a definite guide and it is subject to change. I hope some of you might find this helpful though. Feel free to let new deviants know about this, and also let me know what else should be covered. I currently have a list of what I want to explain in part three but I am always open for suggestions!

, and stay deviant!