"But I have a major, major beef with the click and render posse who equate every inane piece of shite they throw out with a Major Work of Art because all Art is Equal."

Yep, I'm with you on that point. That's a big problem on this site and a couple others I can think of. The point and click people have as much in common with art and artists as the paint by number crowd. That is not to say they shouldn't have a place in the galleries here, it's just that they do tend to equate their work with fine art and take themselves way to seriously.

It's one thing to strive to create art and become an artist, it's another thing to buy a copy of Poser and clicky, click, click, render...poof "I'm an artist look at my masterpiece".

I am much opposed to this idea that anything and everything someone creates is art and anyone that does create something is an artist. I am not an elitist by any means, but I do think people need to understand the difference between being "artistic and creative" and being an artist. And that lack of understanding probably explains a good portion of the angst people feel when someone says something other than "Oooooooooo excellent" in comments.

And before this thread gets locked, I do want to add I don't think anything spinner said should have offended anyone nor should it have been taken as a condemnation of any one or anything. Although there are problems with "point and click" in other genre's...the naked vickie genre is one of the most used, and is where one is more likely to find examples of it, so it was fitting for her to focus on it.

Oh, and LadySilverMage, it would be great if you would submit your "tips" as a tutorial, there are many here that would love to have that kind of information available and would use it.