Feedback Needed: Change to Oekaki Organisation

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These are my thoughts for the oekaki that I've had in the past, but I do have to say that having a ton of categories is overwhelming to me and I'd probably end up using the closest thing to Sketches and Experiments again. So, the most I can say is condense the amount of categories to make things a little smaller and easier to mod? I feel like splitting everything up too much will cause more trouble than good.
But anyways, here are the things I've thought about suggesting to change in the past:


Sketches and Experiments -> General

Have it function the same way it does now, but change the name to being a General drawing board that permits any type of art from sketches to finished pieces.


Sketches/Scraps/Experiments/Doodles

Keep a board for the purpose of just simple sketches and design concepts. Possibly include this board for Species Interest Checks and the like.

Adoptables - Organize this a bit more

Currently, the adoptables are a mix between closed species and flat adopts, the editable form has bases for the purpose of making adoptable sheets, and in the end there are a few adoptables that find their way into sketches and experiments. So what I say is to reorganize this into different boards:
- Closed Species
- Sheet Adopts
- Unique/One of a Kind (OOAK) Adopts
Each with a sub-board for finished designs.


Realism

Add a board for those who enjoy doing hyper realistic drawings/paintings. As right now the Advance is mostly used for that.

[StormSerpent]

I feel like real and made up animals should be kept in the same board? I just don't see a point in keeping them separated.
For the fanart board, it makes sense for direct fanart but i wouldn't want to have to post all of my fan characters in it.
I'd love to keep a board for sketches and experiments or something, I love to just draw quick little things on here, or not mess with the other boards because I change my mind on what i'm drawing sometimes, but it's still quick enough i don't want to go change boards.

it's not a lot and pretty much what other people are saying i just wanted to throw in my opinion <3

[Shadowflight13]

I'm 100% for reorganizing the oekaki boards!

However, has a few other people have mentioned, it seems like there's going to be a lot of specific categories. I think several of them can be combined, and I would also suggest that the board categories be more suggestions/guidelines rather than super strict rules? I think this would help reduce stress about where to post your art.

For example, I would suggest combining Animals with Fantasy/Made-up species/anthros. But when it comes to humanoid animals people could decide whether to post in humanoid or the animal/creature category? I don't really see a need to be strict about where people put things as long as it makes reasonable sense (so a space background could be moved out of the humanoid category, but a khajiit from Skyrim would be okay in either humanoid or animals).

I also don't think the fanart board is necessary, since I know I would prefer to post my fan characters in the appropriate board instead (humanoid/animal/etc). But that may just be personal preference.

Generally, I think we should try and keep the number of boards to a minimum, maybe around the same number we have now! It allows artists to get more exposure and also reduces stress about where to post stuff. I think a board for sketches and experiments should still be kept around, or maybe replacing it with a "general art" category? I think the "combo" board could fit under that umbrella, too. Just a board where people can put whatever art they feel like, without having to categorize it.

[huddson]

i'm liking this suggestion, but i don't see the need for a fandom/fanart board. i also think that there doesn't need to be a distinction between made-up and real animals. just human/humanoid, anthro, and feral boards would be good, alongside the landscape/object/whatever else. i really do like the idea of a reference sheets section, though, and i really hope you keep that!!!
edit: as others have said, though, it would be nice to keep a sketches and experiments board. also, it would be nice to be able to move your art to another board without needing a mod

[CloudedDiamond]

Hello, I'm here to add my own opinions!


1. Keep sketches + experiments, but allow it to be more general art, from finished pieces to just sketches and any topic
2. Combine some sections to others. I believe fantasy and fandom can just be integrated with animals + humanoid, and there's no reason for them. Because in human/humanoid, it included vampires, but yet they are fantasy, so that could've caused confusion.
3. I don't believe there is a need for a reference sheet section. Those could be combined with sketches/general or human/humanoid and animals depending on the character
4. Combine landscapes + objects, since both aren't super common on Oekaki but created enough to warrant their own categories.
5. I don't believe there is a need for a combo category, since those could be put into sketches/general.
6. Make a section for realistic drawings only. Many drawings in advanced are realistic drawings already, so I believe it could be changed to make a section for just realistic drawings.
7. Separate the Adoptable Oekaki boards. It currently feels a little too messy. It could be separated into Original Species (Like Kalons or Hunter's Woods), sheet adopts (all use the same or similar base), and One of a Kind/OOAK adopts (custom lined adopts)

I think that's about it, and most of these are me agreeing with other people

[qwertyo]

Ah, I knew this would happen eventually, haha.

Having the boards be categorized based on subject matter is a good solution to the current situation. Got some issues/suggestions with this new categorization, however:

Too many boards may spread the community too thin? I don't think there should be too many specific boards, some boards just wouldn't get traffic. The current suggestions aren't too bad, but I think we can make them more general. Such as not making a distinction between fanart and original art, if someone makes fanart of a human character, it should just go in human. Other posters here have given really good ideas, so I don't have much else to add.

I agree with others saying to keep Sketches and Experiments. Having a board where we can post our sketches and otherwise less polished art would be nice. Could also see it being a place where people can post WIPs for feedback? I also do think that the board could be used for people to request help on their art? Such as redlines. Basically, we need a place to post our art that is more on the rough side and isn't a polished, finished piece.

With the current process of posting an oekaki (going to a board and starting a drawing there), there being boards based on subject matter would mean that people would have to know prior to drawing where their art will be. When drawing, it's common to change subject matter as you go, maybe you start off intending to draw a dog, but then up scrapping that to do a landscape. In order to cut down on people having to manually move their art from board to board, or having people post things in the wrong board and asking mods to move it, I propose being able to pick which board your oekaki would get posted to after drawing. If this is possible to do, of course.

Hm, and I think that's all I've got for now. I really do like the idea of not having things be sorted as beginner/intermediate/advanced, because art is subjective and also having these labels on art can really affect one's perception and attitude of their art and others. With a community that has a lot of young, beginning artists, I'd rather not see people have to deal with their art getting judged by others. My younger self started regularly posting to Sketches and Experiments years ago because I didn't want to deal with thinking about whether my art is "good enough" for intermediate/advanced. I just want to draw things and not care about what skill level my art is perceived as.

[marmoris]

I actually really love the idea of sorting the art boards like this! I have never considered such a thing before, it would be nice to be able to check each section for specific art. For example, I enjoy seeing landscapes but you can't just.. find them on the oekaki. It's somewhat random chance, if someone has posted one recently.

I 100% support that idea. I also want to add it also might be fun to add a section for silly/doodle art? We do have the experimental board but that is super mixed in terms of what ends up there. Having a section for doodles and stuff would also be awesome!

[raccoon bandit]

This sounds amazing! Just a quick question though, and it's certainly not urgent but I was just curious, would the resorting of art into new boards be manually done or algorithmic? And, in the case of a manual re-sort, would it be done by moderators or the artist themselves? If the artist is the one sorting their drawings manually, could there perhaps be an option to delete older oekaki drawings? Again, just a question out of curiosity, and, if it gets answered, thanks in advance! I really appreciate it!

[Burrito Bunny]

This sounds amazing! Just a quick question though, and it's certainly not urgent but I was just curious, would the resorting of art into new boards be manually done or algorithmic? And, in the case of a manual re-sort, would it be done by moderators or the artist themselves? If the artist is the one sorting their drawings manually, could there perhaps be an option to delete older oekaki drawings? Again, just a question out of curiosity, and, if it gets answered, thanks in advance! I really appreciate it!

Staff will likely be the ones sorting drawings after it is time to implement the changes. However, if there is a drawing you want deleted currently, please report it or send in a help ticket with the link so staff can help you out! (help/gethelp)

[King Andre]

I can vibe with these changes but I also like the idea of getting to choose whether or not i see more advanced and higher level art.