DeviantArt

I give it 5 stars because the site actually achieve its purpose. Which is to create a sense of community for artists and viewers. Some people might judge it badly because of the content other users upload, but as any site with social interactions you need to be prepared for any sort of material or commentary (it's not the site's fault), in my case I only focus on what I like (professional fan art from my favourite fandoms and good designs) instead of bashing on the awful submissions, (like kid's drawings on paint, weird fetishes, extremely mature content, etc.). The site even attracts extremely talented people which build contemporary content for our tv shows and videogames. And some contests running in the site involve pretty big companies searching for talent for designing their content.
I also like reviewing my favourite images every time I can, either to admire others work or to learn from it.
I'm telling you this from my experience form the last 5 years, and the sense of excitement for watching other's reaction to my content never gets old, specailly from the art groups I belong.

I joined in 2005, long before the mess, and the site was there as intended... an art website. I really learned a lot as an artist and befriended other artists back in the day who used different media. It really did have artists from different backgrounds get to know one another.

It has changed over the years and people usually complain about change and that's normal. I never complained because it didn't affect me that profoundly.

Everything started going downhill a couple of year ago. The changes that were made had a negative impact on the website. Firing staff, changing the premiums to this ridiculous "core membership" and a CEO who's arrogant, selfish, and incredibly reckless. Less staff means less disciplinary actions.

I remember being a forum regular and back in the day you had decent threads with discussions. Now you have whiney teenage tryhards trying to troll as intensely as possible.

The website lost its appeal. It's a shame. The people who are complaining about the bullying and trolling aren't exaggerating. Seriously, we keep having trolls spam child porn and racist threads on the forums and it's taken mods way too long to shut them down.

Only way to save the website is either have a massive shift in management or sell it. I hate to see it go but it is what it is.

This useless, worthless startup company got acquired by Wix.com, and I'd bet that Wix is embarrassed to have ever bought this festering hive of hatred and trolls. DeviantArt's staff members do NOTHING to deal with hateful, anti-gay blog posts, and it seems like this "art" website is more of a mish-mash of gossip blogs, whose useless trolly authors like to trash people and DOX people with their full names and addresses.

I am filing a GDPR complaint against DeviantArt and its parent company. I highly recommend that NO ONE uses DeviantArt. Let's starve them of business, and make Wix regret ever acquiring these pigs.

I could compare this platform to Imgur, another media sharing site, but tailored to artists. For some reason, it's way easier to spot the more questionable content than art with more effort put into them (this includes the art piece itself, as well as the content in the description). I could describe it as "freer" than other artists platforms, as there are LOTS of ways to communicate with everyone. About a couple years ago (I'm sure it was way longer before) I noticed they started to mimic Facebook status sharing, which I thought was a little strange. Even the polls thing is kind of an excessive feature to have. I understand it's all meant for more community involvement, which has happened, but there's also the responsibility of the website host as well as the artists to maintain and encourage composure throughout the community. There is a LOT of blaming and blame mongering (as you can see here). There will ALWAYS be people we like and dislike. Your success (whether it's your favorite count, watch count, etc.) on this website WILL NOT fall at your feet. This is a website where you must involve yourself in what the website has to offer and supporting other artists will help the site immensely, believe it or not.

Ultimately, this website is like the gateway to the art you really want to do. If you feel you already have your skills honed, I do suggest tumblr, Artstation, or Pixiv (japanese based), even Facebook. DeviantArt can help increase your fanbase if you understand its quirks.

I'm a 6 year member & user of this site! I've made many friends on this website, and even met my fiance. How's that for neat? The layout has changed over the years, from when I first became a member, some were for the better, some were akward to navigate. There was also a bit of legal drama, as some may remember, but it didn't keep people from enjoying a community of artists and art lovers. I've not logged on in a month, but I know for a time, there were people complaining of viruses and other nasties, trying to sneak onto people's computers, as they browsed or used the site. I actually kept away from the site for a while, after repeated attacks that would occur when I was on the site. I'm hoping this has been cleared up, so people aren't afraid to post their art, or appreciate other's. Subscriptions are available on the site, that permit more customization of your ''home page'' on the site, and addition & use of widgets. You do not need to subcribe to become a site user, and it should not truly impede your ability to enjoy the site, or the art.

This site harbors cyberbullies that go after artists with no good reason but to troll and just to shut the artist up to submission (Shutting down their account). Most of the artists I've met in the past created either Anthropomorphic Caricatures and my little pony. I was one of those that were bullied. The way they shut me up was threatening me with hacking of my accounts (inside and out of Deviantart), accusing me of being a pedophile for creating My Little Pony 3D art, and threatened me to have me arrested and registered as a sex offender. This is not excusable. I was being abused by cyberbullies and the Moderators and Administrators of Deviantart turned the other way and did nothing. AVOID JOINING THIS WEBSITE!

Despite the people's overexaggeration with the new layout, seems like it's not as bad. Although the new notification system needs to be tweaked a little so it's not confusing to use.

Deviantart is a place for people to upload and share their art, back in the day, there were many talented artists here, and that's still true. HOWEVER, the site has grown in members and the very talented ones are buried under the (not to be cruel) amateur 'artists'. I say amateur because, in all honesty, some of the art on the site is the same quality of my 6 year old niece.

Most art these days is Anime style, Japanese Cartoon for those unaware of what that is, and is becoming annoying to see Naruto every time I refresh the page. There is also a large amount of Cosplaying, dressing up like said characters from the Anime. While this is fine sometimes, as some people have really elaborate costumes, but some don't.

There are large amounts of nude photographs as well, which would be fine if they were artistic, but they aren't. They're just self portraits, stuff you expect to see on Myspace whores trying to get attention.

Over the years the site has begun going down hill, and if it will ever recover, I do not know.

Fantastic for people who love art and creativity - I consider myself an amature photographer and when i found this site i loved it strait away because its a place you view the world of amazing art of all kinds including:
Artistic Photos
Digital art
Drawing
Painting
And hundreds more for everyone
You can create an account for FREE and add favorites and upload your own work to this site for the world to enjoy.

Okay so this is a long rant of experience. Its gonna have some advice as well. If you are a active member of deviantart you might wanna read this.

Alright so regarding the forums. I think everyone needs to hear this, this is overlooked at times. In the forums it can be unpredictable at times. If you're new to using it please be aware, there are many trolls in the forums. Doesn't matter what topic or what side of the forum your in the trolls are always there. They will reply negatively, for no reason. Do not give them a reaction, dont go to their accounts and leave comments. Move on ignore the comments they cannot hurt you unless you give them a reason too. Block them, if you can. (I dont know if mass reporting works for this situation...) If you try to report trolls deviantart will tell you to block them they wont do anything about the troll. So block them and avoid them.

Art thieves are rampant on deviantart. Be aware it happens to anyone on the platform. I'm a victim to this, happened to me on several occasions. File a DMCA claim to get the art taken down.

There are many creeps on deviantart. That like to use people and fend on users. Please be cautious on this site. Lots of things get overlooked because moderators aren't doing what they should. And sometimes they like to use people to draw very inappropriate things. Doesn't matter the age either. Dont open requests because you could attract these types of people.

I dealt with many nasty users while on deviantart. I seen users defend art thieves. Drawn cp posted that should've been removed. Many users who were groomed by adults to draw fetish porn for them. I've been trolled, and attacked by many people. I was featured in a journal where someone told users to go after me. My watchers didn't care about me being bullied. No one on deviantart is your friend remember that. Deviantart is unpredictable, dangerous, and very notorious for being a terrible place.

Lots of questionable things are going on, on this site. So if you plan on joining you better be prepared.

Forgot to mention I seen moderators respond to trolls and took action on users. But they ignore actual complaints and reports that need to be addressed.

I seen someone get stalked on all their social media by a troll. Deviantart mods did not do anything to this user at all.

I watched someone continue to steal art and no one did anything or wanted to do anything.

This site is filled with very terrible people.

I think it's time for serious artists to leave deviantart. The place isn't what it is to be. The site moderators do not care about it's users. Bullying, art thieves, drawn cp, and many other questionable things are going on there. It's a huge mess. The site is filled with porn, legit porn and fetish art. It's too far gone at this point.

If you plan on joining stay to yourself. And be safe, please be safe. I say this as a adult now, I've seen many things go down on this website that stuck with me until this day.

Deviant art is stupid. You're banning me cuz of underage? Srsly, u gon nuts or something? All ages can SHOW AND EXPRESS THEIR ART. Ya, ur probably doing this, cuz ur site is very inappropriate. So many inapporpriate users in da. So many. I can count a few million idiot. I confronted you, sent notes, NO REPLY! Don't treat me like $#*! and crap. You must take my suggestion to make two sections in deviant art, for adult and kids. Or else, consider trying to bann inappropriate deviants other than sitting back and just banning innocent deviants, just cuz of underage bruh. Too many nudes and just- EWWWW! PLEASE FIX THIS $#*!. ITS AFFECTING MY MENTAL! MOREOVER, I MADE A RLLY SUCCESSFUL GROUP AND NOW YOU TOXIC IDIOT BANNED ME, AND I CANT WORK ON MY GROUP.!

Don't let the good reviews about this site fool you. It's not what it once was. Few years ago it was a good art site, now it has become a playground for upcoming criminals, who hides behind all excuses you can think of. These people from justice groups somewhere have got the idea that it's okay to harass other people with journals, where justice groups writes lies about them and doesn't provide opinions of all involved sides, just the opinion, which is beneficial for justice groups. What makes it more sad is that these justice group members are children, who has no idea how law works so if you don't want your child to become the next criminal, who successfully destroys innocent people's reputation and does other bad things, then please watch what your children are doing on the internet. All big bad things always starts with small bad things. Staff is the worst, because they don't do anything to stop these cyberbullies known as justice groups, which is why on this site you can try criminal's life without consequences. These justice groups are also hypocrites, they think they can judge and criticize everyone, and force you to accept a critique from certain user, while they won't wish to hear anything about critiques, which are for them and will refuse to accept them. In short, avoid this site at all costs, because there's a very high chance you will meet bullies on this site, which will bully you so far that you might even lose your self respect, especially that can happen if you don't join justice group drama and don't support justice group opinion. They think it's great to be a copy of someone else and pretend that you always are happy sunshine. Well, it's not good at all. This is how you can lose yourself so, please, don't go there! You will save yourself from many unnecessary troubles, issues, dramas and other negativity, if you will avoid this bully nest.

I love DeviantArt.com. I think it's a fantastic site. I can see so much great work from so many different people. I like to see the daily deviations. Though I would like to see a day where they don't have something that looks so pretentious like nudity. There's only so many cool things one can do with nudity. There are other people that have great work that goes ignored for things that look like they captured as someone got out of the shower. To me everything is not art. Stating that it is makes those that work hard to create art meaningless.

I would like there to be more content on writing and promoting writing in some form or another. There's a lot for photography, drawing, painting and the like. But for writers it's only Writer's Workshop. I enjoyed it when I was in the writing workshop but those that handled that were not very good with keeping the peace. They would side with those that were doing the workshop because they were putting time out of their "busy" schedule to do it. Well so was I. They were belittling to my time and how much effort I put into something and did not appreciate my submissions and therefore I had to quit. I don't need someone to praise me, but I certainly don't need snide remarks left under the guise of "helping".

I look at this site and I'm amazed at the talent that is there that doesn't get utilized by someone. I wish I had money because I would so use some of these people for great projects I have in mind. This is a treasure trove of greatness that those who need talent. DeviantArt has so much talent.

I also enjoy their news and contest. I think that they try really hard to give to those that made their site. That is something Current.com and Student.com should learn---or they'll just become dead and a grave site for what could have been.

This site is horrible! Instead of punishing bullies and trolls they punish people, who are angered by trolls and bullies! It seems to me all these statements you can buy core membership on deviantART and do whatever you want are truthful, because while your bully is without core membership you can hold a small hope that bully will get punishment, sometimes such wonder happens, but if your bully is with core membership, then don't hold any hopes, because dA staff won't punish someone, who buys their lousy core membership!

Want to get new friends? Then go outside and meet people in your real life. That's how you can get new friends. On deviantART most people aren't your friends, because if today they are your friends, then next day they can become your enemies just because someone with more credible reputation than yours said convincing lies about you. Excuse me what? Credible reputation is all what people need to believe someone on dA?! What kind of evidence is credible reputation in 21st century, when civilization has better stuff than that to prove something?! We're not living in those times where people had to rely on someone's credible reputation, because in that time people got nothing else to prove anything, but it seems to me this site still lives there! Seriously! Don't bother with this site! Awful is understatement of the year to what lurks inside this site! It's not an art site anymore! Art is just front facade to lure you inside in this bully lair. What you will see and learn on this site is an art how to bully other people! Find better place! This place can only make you regret you ever set your foot in it!