I think it'd be very helpful to have a new "Tutorial" genre added to the galleries. Quite many times an artist will show the steps involved in an image, a quick walk-through, or even a mini-tutorial in a single image - but they're not always labeled "tutorial" (or anything else in particular) so you can't just do a search to find them. Some examples of the kind of "lost treasures" I'm referring to: Cameron Tut Pencil to Digital Cloth Painting Jon Making of There are so many cool tips and demonstrations like these that just get lost in the shuffle, but if there was a genre selection, it would sure help them be easier to locate.

not a bad idea....

A few more examples. There's a whole bunch in there, in various software categories, but they are difficult to find unless you "just happen" to be on the right page at the right time to spot one. Lords of War (the making) By Request- Color demo page2 Wheat Fiend - Dev Composite Reminisce WIP/Tutorial.... Digital Photography Light Tutorial Gorilla I've posted several myself, and it's always a dilemma how to classify them so that someone could tell what it is. A "tutorial" or "overview" or "demonstration" genre would make it a piece of cake to find them.

I like the idea of haveing a tutorial section, I don't know if it would belong in the galleries. It might also be nice to have a forum just to ask artists how they did something; I know its a question much on my mind while surfing the galleries.

I'm not saying a gallery is a bad idea (though its success would depend on the willingness of people to use it as well as view it), but as for creating a forum for tutorials, isn't that what the forums are supposed to be for? I don't know if I was looking for a tutorial on Paint Shop Pro that I would think to look for that tutorial in a forum other than Paint Shop Pro, which is where I go for advice. A lot of tutorials come out of someone askiing "how do I" on the forums specific to a software. I don't know...I just think another forum would just make things even more confusing than they are.

You know, I've never thought of posting a direct question to a paticular artist in the forums, I useually ask "how to" not "how did you"; hmmm..

Hmmm. Maybe it would be nice to add the third option to the dropdown menus: (program) + Nature + tutorial

Just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting a new gallery category, but a new gallery genre. So that you can upload as usual to (say) Vue d'Esprit gallery, but instead of picking a genre like "animals", you could pick "tutorial" or "demonstration", which would be a more appropriate label. The quick, sponaneous tute-type tips&tech images such as the examples I linked to are already in (and being added to) the galleries; it's just difficult to locate them unless you happen to come across them. A "tutorial" gallery category (alongside the software categories) would not help label these items as per their software. There are artists now who add their mini-tutes to the "Work In Progress" category, for instance, but you can't tell by a glance what software it might be related to. I think the same problem would arise with a "tutorial forum"; most of the forums currently have spontaneous tutorial display within their threads; I wouldn't want to mash them all together into a new forum to try to cover all programs. I enjoy the demo-stuff as linked above, and just think a new genre would help classify them on upload and for later searches. I hope the PTB will consider it.

A genre category sounds like a good idea...a genre of tutorials would be very helpful. That would be very useful. I apologize for misunderstanding.

Oh np Dialyn, it's easy to get confused when everything uses the same words to define it. For that reason, I'm not even sure "tutorial" would be the best term for the new genre - we have a "Tutorials" listing in each (or most) forums currently for adding links to cool tutes around the web, plus there's the main "Tutorials" section at the top of each page, and those are separate things indeed. So maybe a name like "demonstration" or "steps" or something would be better. On the other hand, when you say "tutorial," people readily understand there are some tips or techniques being shown, probably a faster understanding than "demonstration."

Demonstration of a techneque?

Sometimes a technique, sometimes a process, sometimes just the steps showing how a certain image came together. Check the example links above; there's quite a variety in them.

Before I caught this in the forums I didn't know they existed.

::nod:: That's exactly it! I think most members aren't aware of them because they're currently rather "hidden." If there was a genre label to give them, more people could become aware of them and be able to take benefit from them.

Artists page?

Hm? Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean. There is already an artist page/home page for each member.

Not so sure it shloudn't be in the sort by section. Then you could find a tutorial for a specific program in a spacific style. i.e poser, gothic, tutorial. "Oh, there's a tutorial for fog effects for my poser gothic renders."

Yes, I think we mean the same thing. Such as, if a person put together an image that demonstrated hair-painting on a Poser model, he'd upload to the Poser gallery as usual, and select the "tutorial" genre. Someone comes along later with an interest in learning new tips to use with Poser, they'd just have to check "Poser & Tutorial" to go right to whatever's available. As Dialyn mentioned above, the success would depend on people using the selection, but I think if it was in the list of choices, it would get used. (And speaking for myself, I'd definitely go back to previously-uploaded items and edit them to fit into the "tutorial" genre.)

That's true, but some artists my not want to give up some techneques.

Well, no one has to make an image like this, just as no one has to make "animal" or "nature/landscape" or "glamour." It would simply provide an appropriate option for those who do images of this nature.

Good idea Varian, I agree it would make a good addition to the genres.

"Well, no one has to make an image like this, just as no one has to make "animal" or "nature/landscape" or "glamour." It would simply provide an appropriate option for those who do images of this nature."

As an example, just this morning I started to upload an image I painted in Photoshop by following a tutorial purchased from Racin-Jason. I put it in 2D but looked for a "tutorial" or "WIP" genre. There wasn't either so I stuck it in 'landscape' or some such choice. (then I got a server error on upload and it never completed)

I agree, a "tutorial" genre would be helpful.

Thank you Varian for the heads up on this subject.. Having posted one of the above mentioned tutorials, listed in the first post of this topic. I do feel as is the idea being laid down here, that a tutorial genre would and could be beneficial to viewers/visitors of the galleries. If we had the chance as Varian is outlining, it would give people an easier opportunity to pick up those tips, and techniques specific to the chosen genre of work they are viewing (2D, Vue, Poser and so forth), rather than the post being made just in the galleries in the hope that people can find it. I know for one that Poser gallery gets pretty swamped most of the time, and a post will buried in no time. Of course, which would probably lead to a fair few number of people missing out on the tutorial post(unless word of mouth alerted them to it). Especially those who are on dial-up (myself included) It is sometimes difficult to browse through pages and pages at a time. And most of the time I browse via the different genre's to make life easier. I don't think it would be difficult to impliment, it would just be a case of adding another genre selection into the upload drop down menu. Thus providing, the chance for people to browse posts easier, without having to wade through pages and pages to find the buried post! Even if people didn't use it much, having it as a selection in the drop down would therefore not require a whole new gallery section to be coded/built.. Just my 2cents worth :) Mike

Well, I am all for it. This is a great idea and will aid "searching" immensely.

I think it's a fabulous idea!

Thanks for jumping in here, folks! I was pretty certain I wouldn't be the only one interested, but it's good to see confirmation of that. :)

I do have some of my illustrations captured in stages but have no time to write a complete tutorial so I gave them a general descriptions. It is known as WIP or the making rather then tutorial and I will compile all that I have to the gallery when I find the time. Thanks for viewing.

It'd sure be great to hear an encouraging word or two from staff. Would adding a new genre like this be as simple as it appears? Could it please be considered? :)

Hi there! Interesting suggestion. Personally, I think if an image is going to be classified as a "Tutorial" it would rightly belong in the "Tutorials" section, instead of the Galleries. However, I do see where maybe a "WIP" or "Demo" category within the Galleries maybe a helpful sorting tool. I will post this in Admin for consideration and let you know what happens. Best wishes, LillianH

Thanks for the response, Lillian! "Demo" or "WIP" would be great! Either term would help this kind of work be easier to locate through sorting/searching, making it more of a viable resource. ::waiting to hear more:: :)

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=657939

I don't know the status of the new gallery genre, but that is a wonderful effect. Thank you for posting it.

My apologies. I meant to get back with everyone, really I did. Especially since we did add a new genre...just for these types of "step-by-step" instruction/tutorial type pics. Hence, the new genre is named "Step-by-Step". (Okay, maybe not my first choice of names.) But, tutorial is already taken in the "Tutorials" section. After looking at several of the referenced examples, this was what we ended up with. Hope this will do the trick. Best wishes, LillianH

This is wonderful, Lillian! Thank you, and thanks to all involved in the discussion. :D ::scurrying off to edit several images into the new genre:: :) :)