I decided to place my DA FAQ here, as I clean up my DA journal a bit.

Q. Did you create the race called the Unavisi? How can I make an Unavisi?
A. I did create the Unavisi and I hate to turn people down but it was created solely for me and a handful of my personal friends. There are a lot of "created races" around DA that anyone can join in on, but the Unavisi is not one. It's not to be elite or anything snobby like that, it's just because I made them specifically for my personal friends, and no one else (you just see a lot of them around here at DA because naturally, most of my good friends are artists ). It's something I did so that I could have something to do with my close friends, and have a chance at interacting with them all more. If you DO want to create a character from another privately owned race and need some suggestions, please ask, I may be able to suggest a few!

Q. Why do you have commenting turned off on your deviations now?
A. People often ask me why I turn off commenting on my deviations (a fair question) - I do try to mention this once in a while on my pictures, but I think I should put a note here. I truly appreciate any comments or support I get from you guys here. It means a lot to me. The truth of the matter is though, I don't have a lot of time for DA anymore. I spend enough time keeping up with other things, and so I don't feel that it is fair for me to allow people to spend their time commenting when I do not have the time to give the comments the attention they deserve. A comment now and then on my front page or a journal is just fine and I appreciate it the same and have an easier time keeping up with it. Thanks for all the continued support, I adore you guys!

Q. Why don't you reply to my comments when I say something on one of your pieces?
A. The truth of the matter is that I don't feel it's very sincere OR polite to just say "Thank you" as an automatic response to someone's comment. I don't have the time to copy and paste that into every reply window, nor do I have the time to respond at all really unless it involves a question or it happens to be a particularly thoughtful comment that I feel warrants a response. Other than that, I have to just ask that people trust that I really do appreciate all the comments, even if I don't reply to them individually

Q. You used to comment on every picture I uploaded, but now I never get comments from you.
A. The thing is, in the last few years, my life has become increasingly busy and I just don't have the time to visit DA as often anymore. Even when I get the chance to visit, I rarely have the opportunity to properly comment on something, let alone comment on all the pictures that pop up on my devwatch (which averages out to about 25 a day). I still love your art, I still visit your gallery when time allows, and when I have the chance to say something, be sure of it that I will

Q. Do you want to "icon trade" and post my dev link in your journal and I'll post yours in mine?
A. As much as I appreciate the offer, I have to pass on this. It's not because I don't feel your gallery isn't worth pimping, but as it is, just displaying my friends' icons kinda clutters it up enough (seriously, have you seen how many links I have in my journal? lol)

Q. If you like my art so much, why don't you devwatch me?
A. Seriously, just watching my friends and a couple of people besides is too much for me to handle lol. At times I feel like I have a million people on my watch list as it is. The best I can do is to bookmark people I like (and trust me, this is a huge folder on my computer I like so many of you) and check them out again when I have time. It's probably not even possible for me to watch everyone I like, it would break DA.

Q. I keep giving you gift art, why haven't done one for me in return?
A. First off, let me say that I appreciate every gift I get. I really do. It means a lot to me that someone thought I was worth their time to do a gift for me (and there are days when getting gift art is just the absolutely highlight of the day). But, I don't have the time in my life to give a gift back usually. It's simply not possible. I rarely have time to draw for myself, or finish actual art JOBS I have, let alone gift everyone who has given me a gift. And, if you're just doing it for something in return, it's not really a gift anymore. Gifts are just that, something you do for someone with no expectation of something in return. I give gifts when my time allows and I usually do it for reasons outside of someone giving me art.

Q. Why did you ask me to include copyright information on the picture I did for you? Isn't it enough that I said the picture was for you?
A. Quite frankly it isn't, and that's because people do gifts all the time for people that don't feature characters that are owned by the person it's for. So people might assume that the characters drawn aren't mine. I'm fiercely protective of my characters and if you draw a picture for me, or color a picture by me, or color a picture by someone else that features my characters - PLEASE include that the characters are copyright to me, either in the notes or right on the picture.

Q. Can I crit one of your pieces?
A. Not unless I've specifically asked for it. I don't want crits here at DA. I do this for fun and to satisfy my own PERSONAL tastes in art and when I seek to learn something, I typically do so outside of DA. My friend ~ren52 says it best:
" There are plenty of folks here who appreciate having their work critiqued, but I'm not one of them. I don't feel there is any right or wrong way to draw and I resent it when someone suggests something about my work looks "wrong" because it doesn't suit their personal tastes. I don't feel I have any authority to tell someone else how to express themselves artistically, so I don't critique. Please respect me enough to extend me the same consideration. "
I know that some people feel that if they want crits, then every artist in the whole world should want them too and they are bad artists and people if they do not. And you're free to feel that way, but if you're looking for an argument on the matter you will not get one out of me. I feel the way I feel, and if you cannot respect that, then I have nothing else to say on the matter *shrugs*

I regularly seek private crits from artist friends I have who can help guide me before an image is finished.

Q. How come every time I stop by and say thanks for faving/commenting on my work, you "hide" my comment?
A. If you really want to thank me, stop by and comment on something of mine or just say hello, because thanks is not needed. I also really don't appreciate people using my front page as advertising space in order to pimp the work that I faved of yours. I faved it, isn't that enough?

Q. You just faved my work but didn't comment, what's up with that??
A. I'm only human man. I have a finite amount of time and sometimes, even when I have no time to comment, I still want to show an artist that I like their piece. If you still have a problem with that, let me know and I'll remove it from my faves I absolutely hate when people complain about getting faved just because they didn't get verbal praise on top of the gesture of faving.

Q. Can I color one of your pictures?
A. Well, if you're asking me, then you have a much better chance of me saying yes than if you just take it and then color it, with asking me as an afterthought. I can't say yes to all my pieces - there are pieces that I'd really rather that people didn't color (normally because the characters don't belong to me or the image was a gift), but if you want to color something, give it a shot and ask me. But if you color it and don't ask, I will report it as stolen work. Friends of course, never have to ask - you know who you are

Q. Do you run PE aka Private Exchange? Can I join? How do you get accepted?
A. As of the summer of 2009, I no longer run Private Exchange (though I am still founder and owner). I stepped down as the person who runs it because I just don't have time anymore and with hopes to start a family soon, that time is only going to become more scarce! I've handed leadership over to the very talented and very capable *phoenixelement

Membership into PE is not open to the public. It is a smaller, moderated group and we like to keep it that way. I cannot tell you how to get accepted, because there is no surefire way to. I also don't have sole control over who gets invited. All I can say is that if you make the right connections and make the right artistic impressions with certain people you have a better chance of being invited. Other than that though, that's all I can say

Q. Why don't you upload all your art here?
A. Well, I like to use DA to showcase my "finished" work most of the time. So any sketches or quick work is usually not included. I also don't upload my color jobs anymore and I rarely share my character designs at this point, as I prefer to keep them private. That's not to say that you won't sometimes see those things in my gallery, but as a rule of thumb I tend to not upload them.

Q. Can I IM you on Yahoo/AOL/MSN/etc ?
A. Sorry, but I don't use IM services! You can always reach me by email or DA note though!

Q. I just read that DA allows copying of other peoples art, how do you feel about that
A. Just because DA admins and mods think it's okay to copy someone elses characters, does not *make* it okay (as so many of their rules and policies follow that pattern). It might be considered "fan art" in their eyes, but I assure you that if you rip off my character and I find out about it, not only will not be "okay" but I will pursue the matter as far as possible and I will take it quite personally.

Q. Hey I'm a PE buddy and you have my name as just a text link on your journal instead of an icon. Why?
A. To reserve space, I have decided that I will put up icons for those that have MY icon on the front of their journal too. Otherwise, it's just a text link. Which is still pimpage If you want yours to be changed to an icon, just put my icon on your main journal page and let me know!