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'Less active' is a more apt description, matthew. There are some notable absences ... 'hope it's because they're busy (and will return).

stevedover1965

Michael, ME naked at sunrise drawing will definitely not result in more votes lol, actually it may result in men in white coats and a padded cell! However thank you to everyone for your input, I actually feel a little better about the lack of voting. I have too much time on my hands so sometimes it is easy to forget that others have busier lifestyles than myself. This site for the moment seems to have become my method of expression and a wish to excel in this for me is a strong desire. Sometimes I get frustrated with the responses received (or lack of) and lacking another form of expression post those grievances in the forum. I certainly would not wish to upset or cause upset to other site users with any of my ravings lol but I do tend to voice my opinions quickly and perhaps should sit down and think more about my comments. Thank you for your thoughts on this I really do appreciate your time to answer my post. Take care all - Steve

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Well, you've certainly done a great job with your latest drawing; it's very, very impressive. The best apple ever on TD ... that's to my taste. Very pleased that you sat naked at sunrise and excelled ... just hope you haven't been carried away by men in white coats, because that apple is the work of a genius ... and I doubt there will be a PC in a padded cell. Thanks for starting my day with a smile.

marg

yeah, well.. mea culpa and all that, 'cos I haven't been voting or commenting at all lately ...

.. and actually, I feel awful about it, becuase I've had pics in the top 5 over the last couple of months, but haven't supported / admired / recognised other peoples' brilliant pictures.

I can only say that I'm working pretty hard at the moment and everything is sort of 'outward facing', if you know what I mean ? .. so when I get 1/2 an hour or so, I'm incredibly selfish and just want to draw.

Apologies again and I hope to be back on line shortly !

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Just so long as you use you free half-hours for drawing, marg ... we can forgive the brevity of your visits.

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-you +your

Brunnhilde

I owe apologies to Steve in Dover too - I don't vote, but I do comment a lot because it is comments that I value. I think Steve's art is amazing and I say so often, and since he gets in the Top 5 regularly I am wondering why it matters about the number of votes. The numbers that matter to me are the numbers of comments, though what the comments are is the most important. BUT on joining TD there is no guidance as to how to use either the voting system or favourites, and I have only started to use favourites following comments on here so that I can add value. We do need the "Rules" on this somewhere.

Dragon

Having a guide to TD is a great idea Brunhilde! It would be nice if they had a little something somewhere that said how voting and favoriting works. They could say something about when it's appropriate to add your picture to the showcase too, it seems like new people don't really get the point of it sometimes.

Chrissyjoy

Brunnhilde, I'm not sure if you're aware but any favourite you have is stored in your profile favourite gallery! I only discovered this recently but it is wonderful to have to admire and inspire!

Brunnhilde

Thank you Chrissyjoy - I did some time back find the place for my favourites, but what is the rationing? I see in comments that people say they have run out of favourites space - how big is this, and how long does it last, etc. Again, some "Rules and Regulations" or "Guidance" would be helpful. And how much importance is given in Top 5 choice? I looked to see if choice went on number of votes, but it doesn't seem to - except in the Top 10 of the year.
And my apologies to Steve in Dover - I thought he was in Top 5 far more than he is - so I do think he is not getting the appreciation his wonderful art deserves. I was amazed to find a couple of mine chosen, whereas I would have thought I would be way down any such list as I don't take the time others obviously do to make a picture. Although I can "draw" a bit (to entertain kids, etc) I don't aspire to artistic painting, whereas so many of you on TD are obviously real creative artists.

Dragon

Brunnhilde, I believe TD only allows you to pick up to 5 pictures per month in any given theme. So you can have 5 favorites in flowers and 5 favs in fruit and 5 favs in beads etc etc. So some people find that there is a lot of pics in a particular theme that they really love and they feel they must really consider which ones to put in their favorites. Some also wait until the end of the month before picking their favs because they don't want to have to un-favorite one picture in order to favorite another. I personally just pick them as I see them, but I don't pick very many in a month so I usually don't have trouble running out of room.

Brunnhilde

Thank you Dragon - I thought it might be something like that but thought it might be 5 in all - so I can now choose more ...

MusicJo

I wouldn't be surprised if the low votes are being contributed by newcomers who watch sport and entertainment competitions on tv where the judges vote out of 5 or 10. They would assume the votes add up in the same way. It is a shame that the TD system doesn't either do that or just have 'vote' , which you can choose to do or not. As Brunnhilde said, the comments mean a lot. As a dabbler with not enough time or talent I don't expect to get remarkable results but I love being a part of TD and thank you to the wonderful artists, including Stevedover, who share their beautiful work with everyone. The pictures are often such a mouthpiece, regardless of the level of artistic ability. This is very valuable too, although it doesn't always generate many votes.

Saxon

As a new comer I find the voting system very random, some poor pictures of mine seem to be voted up, good ones ignored. Occasionally a well know TD contributor appears to get extra votes for just posting work. The brilliant works get justly deserved votes and the kids scribble are passed over, but there always seem to be a very arbitrary element in the middle ground. Not that bothered one way or the other; it is just a bit of fun after all.

stevedover1965

Or peoples enthusiasm is failing...it's like being the British entry in the Eurovision song contest sometimes, I am constantly chagrined over the lengths I need to go to get a vote these days. For instance I now post everything to facebook and twitter, I update my profile picture to the latest picture entry to gain maximum exposure and still struggle to get votes some others easily obtain. Over 20'000 people use this site yet only a handful of people actually vote and comment it doesn't seem right.

clorophilla

I don't think over 20'000 people USE this site: they just joined, maybe for spam, or for lurking around, or did a pic and decide it's not interesting for them. I don't think many people get the bother of unsubscribe.

Anyway, now in the middle of summer there are spare people left, we have to wait for the Fall for viewing the real presence of people.

I Immagine it's better to wait 1 august for the changes in voting system, when the lowest number of poeple is logged in... and maybe rachel and her other helpers could find the time for doing this, as they said in the topic we have in TDFeedback forum.

Lizzi

Doesn't everyone have a medium in which they can draw better than here on TD? I can do better in pencil, watercolour, chalk, guache.... almost anything. My efforts on TD are discouraging;I have little aptitude for it, so why do I persist? Nothing I produce here is ever going to hang in The Louvre or the Tate.
We all post our pictures here because we want to be noticed. We want some interaction, else we would sit at a different desk and draw for ourselves alone. If you are one who produces the best pictures on TD and people don't notice you enough, it could be that they feel that you don't need much encouragement. There are a number of us who routinely give encouragement to new people (and to each other ), but there are many others who do not engage in this social activity. Perhaps they truly don't have time. Perhaps they don't think it's appropriate to compliment somebody's half-baked attempt at drawing; might make them feel like a liar!! Well, we all lie every day. It's the essential oil of the human social scene. So get over it. A good drawing by Person A would be a clumsy doodle by Person B. Everything is relative. And there is a point to my rambling. IF you want to get more strokes of approval, give more strokes to others. Make their day. They will like you for it.

stevedover1965

Lizzi I constantly comment and vote on pictures by others I also encourage new people who use this site as many of us do. "Get over it" you say, thank you for your patronising comment, I certainly shall get over it...well whatever you said anyway!

stevedover1965

I regret my response to your post which was only your thoughts on the subject, I may have over-reacted to your comments, You seem disgruntled a little too and voiced your own opinion. In my defence I am going through some stuff health wise and might come across a little abrasive. I'm half Spanish...impulsive, impatient loyal, honest I wear my heart on my sleeve too often a little overly frank sometimes, alone with too much time on my hands. Yes perhaps some of us are looking for appreciation for pictures we created whatever the style employed or degree of competence which in itself is no measure sometimes the simplest ideas and clever solutions are works of art in themselves. I have seen people new to this site join and produce eye-catching clever pictures with no practise whatsoever. It's all in the eye of the beholder. I often wonder why all of the comments and votes seem to come from just a few regular kind hearted people, but clorophilla presents her arguments well and often her level headed statements have shown me the error of my ways. Love you Clo! I am going to voice my thoughts on here...it's my way! It's not a dig at all of the wonderful community that makes this website so special. Lizzi I reacted badly to your comments and wholeheartedly apologise and retract that previous statement. You may of course have your say in this or any other forum and we will all try to learn from each others thoughts and opinions. Lizzi keep making the pictures you enjoy creating they are all worthwhile and yes they are works of art and the Tate and other galleries of the World wish they could get their hands on thinkdraw's extensive gallery because the work there is far superior to some I have seen in those well established galleries.

Steve x

Brunnhilde

Oh, dear Steve, your competitiveness is getting in the way of what is the most important thing about your creativity on TD. Just read the appreciative comments on your latest picture - that is really all that matters: not how many votes you get! I have said before that I cannot vote in a system that seems totally arbitrary and I look at the numbers of votes and numbers of favourites in the Top 5 lists and they don't make any sense either.

Just believe in yourself and your artistic worth Steve - so many of us can see it and say so - what more could you possibly need? Take it from me that your creations give a lot of us a great deal of pleasure - and we do say so often!

And Lizzi is right, it is important to give new and younger artists encouraging comments so that sometimes a regular and experienced artist who already has lots of votes and comments may find themselves taken for granted. After all, how many ways are there of saying, "Wow!"?