There are 3 sections to this journal. Feel free to skip ahead.
>Definition - What is a DA Group?
>>My group situation
>>>Group share! Tell me your groups
DefinitionJudging from my poll, quite a few of you do not know what DA groups are. So here's a brief explanation.
Here's a link to the groups main page
[link]Group are accounts on DA created by DA members, where people can join or be invited to become a member. Once you are a member you can submit artwork to the group gallery.
You can watch a group to receive messages about new submissions, but you cannot submit your own artwork.
Groups focus on a specific topic like a fandom [ex: Bleach or A specific character or pairing], or an art style [ex: digital artists] or anything that deviants have in common.
You think it and you can create it.
The group can also

artwork, so they can showcase non-members.
You may have noticed, when art is submitted to a group, the group avatar shows up in the deviation information panel on the right-hand side.
In short, it's a topic focused community within DA where you can interact with deviants with similar interests.
My Group SituationSo far I am part of 5 groups.
Sword Sanctuary - Group focused on swordmaking, run by my friend *
chioky
Zanpakuto-club - Club about the swords in Bleach
Clamp-Club - Club about fans of the artists in Clamp. They created Tsubasa Chronicles, Cardcaptors, Magic Knight Rayearth etc.
All-for-cosplay - general cosplay club
Kuroshitsuji-club - Black Butler fanclub.
I really like the groups concept. It's a good way to get your work out there to new people, who definitely share a similar interest.
Here are my few qualms.
Group overlap:
1. There are already quite a few groups that cover the same topic. Understandably because people have different visions for a group, and they were probably created before the group system.
2. Double submissions - by that I mean if you watch someone as an individual and you watch a group they are part of, you'll get the deviation twice in your inbox.
Deviation overload.
Luckily I check my inbox everyday because if I didn't it would be overrun with deviations from groups.
Many group have a limit on submissions but when you have hundreds of members it doesn't make much difference.
A solution, kind of, is to unsubscribe from getting notices for every submission. But it defeats the purpose of being involved, unless you regularly catch up on the group gallery.
A question to ponder:
Do you think people won't watch individual deviants as much as they used to?
Group Share
Tell me what groups you are a watcher or member of?
Any recommendations for me?
I'm considering joining more cosplay groups but I'm not sure which to choose.
And if I do join another, I'll try not to submit the same deviations between the groups.


Updates marked with *
Brooke - One Piece 40%
Beast - Kuroshitsuji *Almost done. Lacing left.
*Got my boots in the mail (:
95%
Xemnas - KH2 On hiatus till I find black pleather
30%
Julian / Yukito - TRC Planning process.
0%
Scout - Granado Espada Working on the boots of doom
29%
Shiva - FFXIIIWorking on arm armour, again
15%


Cosplay store - with the Bleach masks for sale

Prints store - With OCs and fanarts

Commission policy and pricing
~~COMMISSIONS OPEN~~
I'm taking commissions on cosplay accessories & props, and art.

