smb

Come back! You can post some of your photography here. It is totally free - and it won't do any harm!!

Same to you, Eduardo!

And why should Google consider that a link on ArtFreaks.com to another website for artists should be bad?

Well, only Google can answer that but I am guessing that it's because they don't really like forums-based sites and, maybe, they also think that  ArtFreaks.com is crap?!

What website owners want these days are relevant "quality links" from "quality websites."

I am sorry if the major search engines don't consider ArtFreaks.com as a quality website but if other crap sites have been posting their crap links here - and now they want them removed - well that is their problem, not mine!

Now I do realise that having spammy links on my websites is not good for my own search engine rankings either.

'Only difference is that

A ) I haven't got the time for this

and

B ) I don't really care about how the various search engines decide to rank any of my sites. I only do this as a hobby and I gave up ever even trying to break-even with my expenses a long time ago! 

Bearing in mind that this topic was started 10 years ago, I would still say that my initial post was reasonable for the time.

Now, in 2015, I'll be the first to accept that search engine results have improved beyond all recognition in the last few years - to the point now where it is hard to imagine an internet without them.

The funny thing is that for years, so-called SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) companies were charging website owners a fortune for posting spammy links on forums sites like ArtFreaks.com - all in an attempt to increase the so-called "link popularity" of their customers websites.

One of the reasons why Google and other major search engines are so good these days, is because the algorthyms their computer programs use to give you relevant search results, now take into account what they call irrelevant back links. Basically, the shit that people have been posting on my sites for years!! So if Google sees a spammy link on one of my websites, it will give the site that it links to a lower ranking in their search results.

So now, the SEO companies that spent years spamming my sites are in a right mad scramble to get ME to remove the crap links that THEY posted in the first place!! :wacko:

Example:

 

Webmaster-

We think that backlinks on your website to findyourartschool.com have resulted in Googles issuance of a Terms of Service violation to our website.  Please eliminate all backlinks to our company and our website as soon as possible so that we may continue to operate our business in accordance with Google Webmaster, Google Penguin and Google Panda guidelines.  It is very important to us and our SEO that this matter be dealt with as soon as possible and we cannot do that without your assistance.  The following backlinks must be removed:

[spam profile set-up for the sole purpose of posting a spammy link on my site...]


Thanks in advance for your understanding.

And my reply:

 

I love this!

 

You people have been spamming my sites with your crap links for years - and now you want me to spend my time removing them for you??!!!

 

 

 

Vic Rolfe

Blast from the past!

1. The only way to find out is to try!

2. It depends on where the art fair is - country, locality, location. Personally, I wouldn't advise accepting anything less than the value of your time and the cost of the materials. Even at that, you would just basically be 'giving away' your art, in order to try to get your name out there...

Bright but diffused light.
 
And since I wrote my reply to the article, I have started using a tripod... This allows me to use a longer exposure (without getting any camera shake) - and a smaller aperture to keep the whole painting well focused.

You can even get away with photographing the painting behind glass if you use a polarizing filter but I reckon you will generally get a better photo if the painting is not yet framed behind glass.

I'd have answered this, if I was allowed to...

'Looking forward to seeing your art!

Hi! Thanks for starting this topic - and welcome to the Full Members group!

ArtFreaks.com has been struggling for years. I honestly don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with the site. It's just that there are so many great art sites out there and so this is just one of many. That, and the fact that I only started this site as a hobby to keep me out of mischief when I seperated from my second wife. So it has never really had much in the way of promotional funding.

Still, ArtFreaks.com is still here and with some active participation from some of the members, it might see itself through it's second decade!

If you can't wait 10 years and you want a really active art comunity right now, I would highly recommend ArtWanted.com

One of these day's I will get some permanent, dedicated staff to keep this thing rolling when I am away on work. (Aboard ship, SLOW internet via a satelite link shared with up to 78 other people, busy with work, EtC., ETC...)

Thanks for your contributions to this site. 'Much appreciated!

I paint as a passtime and because I enjoy it. I have a busy mind and sometimes it's just nice to concentrate on something enjoyable and not too difficult to do. It takes my mind away from it's never ending ramblings on the ramifications of life - (or something like that!) The best times are when I get totally absorbed in what I am doing - to the point of reaching a "state of flow." They are the best!   All the conditions have to be just right but when it happens, reaching a state of flow is just so fulfilling. At those times, I can even produce the odd bit of half-decent art!

Interesting question...

Many people are extremely impressed with good pencil work and I am quite sure that there are plenty of buyers out there...  However, these are not the kind of art works that you can just easily sell to people who are not really interested in art and just want some "wall candy" for their living room.

If you want to actually sell graphite and charcoal art works, you will have to work harder on your marketing - and get your name out there to people who are really interested in your work!

Welcome to ArtFreaks.com! It's good to have you on board!

I'm starting to change my mind on this free art thing.
 
I will always paint for free when my daughter asks me to make her a painting of Demi Lovato - (or whoever happens to be her hero of the time!)
 

 
And needless to say, if I can do a free painting for a good friend - and if that saves me the headache of trying to think of anything else to buy for them, then I will continue to do the odd free painting.
 
But my days of painting on demand just because I enjoy doing it, are fast coming to an end.
 
I read an interesting article on ft.com
With jobs, make sure it pays to play
This bit was particularly instrumental in causing me to adjust my opinion on the subject of painting for free:
 

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dec73e56-efb9-11e2-8229-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2ZkTwatdn
 
If we all did a Clark and refused most unpaid work, I predict it would lead to a rise in happiness-adjusted GNP. There would be far fewer pointless events, which would mean everyone could go to the pub or see their children rather than sit through an evening event on corporate governance. Moreover, the quality of output would rise. Money isn’t perfect, but it is the best way we have of rationing effort. If you are paying someone to do something and it’s no good, then you can tell them to do it better.

My emphasis on the bit where it say's: "If you are paying someone to do something and it’s no good, then you can tell them to do it better." Words of praise are all very nice but how will I ever know if my art is really any good, until someone at least, is prepared to part with some hard-earned cash for it?!!

And my apologies to the Financial Times!

(Anyway, I didn't cut and paste the entire article... 'just quoted the relevant bit.) 

And I quite agree with them, in that high quality global journalism requires investment.

So does my art!

Interesting! I've never really thought much about that... I guess pretty much everything in human life is tribal, then.

You've got to give your critic credit for his brazenness though! Then again, it's easy for people to insult others online. I suppose they think that the likelihood of getting a punch on the nose from someone on the other side of the country, or the world even, is pretty slim!?!!

Any suggestions for new categories in the Forums, Gallery or the Articles database, please feel free to let me know by way of a reply to this topic.

Happy posting!

Vic Rolfe - Owner of artfreaks.com

So if anyone has got any hot tips for manga and anime art artists, they can sign-up for a free membership of artfreaks.com and upload them in the Hot Tips for Artists section of our Articles database.

Just click on Browse -> Articles

Please change the background of your website. It is really to much bright colours and it difficult to enjoy toy other art. 

I found it OK once I clicked on an image and started scrolling through the artworks. My browser (Firefox 19.0) toned the background right down when I was scrolling through the images...

The blog looks great but I was having a job scrolling the page on my laptop... ('Might just be my screen resolution or something?)

Don't forget to upload your stuff here as well - and you can also try our own blogs, just to see how you get on with them. Personally, I prefer the blog set-up here at artfreaks.com - but then again, I would say that!

By the way... ArtFreaks.com is waging a deadly serious war against spammers and scammers in all their guises...

At the moment, we have the upper hand - and we intend to keep it that way.

Hi! Welcome to ArtFreaks.com. Interesting subject you have there. But people are a bit reluctant to give-out their email addresses Willy-Nilly. You know the reason... There are just so many scams out there these days. We need to know you first before we start giving-out our email addresses to a brand new member who could be for real - or then again, might just be trying-on some cheap scam?

Just post your questionnaire here and see what the members come back with..

Nice work!