Monthly Dragons: Please Vote!

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:12 pm

Update: 04-19-09

Not THE poll.. but I'd like to know what y'all think about this. Keep in mind that I'd rather not do repeats (save for the broadest categories, where there are over a hundred vastly different options that I won't be listing seperately, like 'Mythology'), so once a theme is used, it'll be taken off the list of possibilities for upcoming months.

That said, just how many options should I offer per month? Should I keep it at one, and risk less participation, or should I set up two possible themes, and risk running out of options faster?

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Just so you know right at the front, this isn't a complete idea. ^.^; Just the start of one. I'm totally open to suggestions.

Alright, it started because I'm not really able to color dragons the way I used to, and don't know when I will be able to again in the future. My new method (which is really an older, re-used method) takes much more time, and I still can't really color freely, but at least it's something. However, I still don't feel comfortable doing VotS adoptions using that method. Waaaayyyyyy too complicated. @.@

But! I could totally do one template per month. In fact, I need something to get me back into the swing of things. So I figured I'd do like I did with the ki rin dragon, and do one mythological dragon!beast a month. Or just some random put-together dragon (like the WTF dragons). And put up a poll to see what everyone would like to see next.

So then I thought, there's not much of a community Event around here any more. I miss the monthly exchanges. And the WTF dragon exchanges were fun, too. But it seems that these things don't last very long.

Which brings us to the point of this post: Would anyone else be interested in joining me in my monthly dragon giveaways? And if so, how should they be run?

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Possible Themes:
Mythology
Elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Spirit, Metal, Wood, etc...)
Photos/Images (chosen from google, flickr, deviantart, etc...)
Song Lyrics
Music (uploaded for all to hear)
Word of the Day (http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/)
Emotions (Sadness, Rage, Joy, Peace, Darkness, etc...)
Seasons/Times (Winter, Summer, Autumn, Twilight, High Noon, Sunrise, etc...)
Animals (Fish, Felines, Reptiles, Birds, Salamanders, etc...)
Nature/Natural Phenomenon/Space (Forest, River, Deep Sea, Blizzard, Aurora Borealis, Eclipse, Nebula, etc...)
Gemstones (Birthstones, etc...)
Character!Dragons (OC, Persona-ish, Favorite Character from Movie/Anime/Book/Series, etc...)
Periodic Table of Elements
Suggestions
Extravagance (Favorite Meal/Food/Beverage/Vehicle/etc...)

Post by **Dray** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:21 pm

Make a limited run of each, offer them to others who are participating either by doing their own exchange dragon, or a story following the theme of that month?

XD I like the idea, but I think the only thing I have an urge to do anymore is my generational dragons because the randomizing factor makes colouring more fun. >.>" I suppose if something like that were possible along with the monthly idea, I'd be able to dredge something up for it! :D

I do like the idea, though, I think it could be fun... and... I really like your current colouring methods. I think they're gorgeous. XD

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:21 pm

I really, really miss the monthly exchanges. Seriously. I would absolutely love to do more.

Kitsuneko · Post by **Kitsuneko** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:47 pm

Oh god, so seconding the monthly exchange love and missage. ;_; I'd totally be interested in whatever you plan on doing.

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:16 pm

Ooooh.. good suggestion, Dray!

I had intended to make it an outright giveaway, but I like the whole participation thing. And a month is enough time for a short, themed story, yeah?

Anyone not like this idea?

Thanks for the votes of confidence/participation you guys! <33!!!

Kendarath · Post by **Kendarath** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:09 pm

I'm up for some sort of participation in this

And I'll ask while we're talking about it: why did we stop doing the monthly exchanges?

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:11 pm

I think it was because so many of us were so far behind in our gifties. The list of grey and black (late and way late) folks exceeded the greenlight ones hehe.

Kendarath · Post by **Kendarath** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:14 pm

Ahhh. I sort of figured that. I know that I'm on the blacklist from years ago XD

Xenoqueen · Post by **Xenoqueen** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:40 pm

Yep. The blacklist was massive, no one was completing their art to get OFF the blacklist, and hardly any people were signing up out of those who could, so it just tapered off and died. I seem to recall more than a few complaints about people receiving an image request they weren't interested in doing, too.

Post by **Dray** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:33 am

I wonder if a monthly exchange where people submitted three or five ideas, and folks got to 'claim' a person for next month (no repeat claiming between people, just to be fair? XD) would make things more fun for everyone?

You'd run the risk of someone not getting claimed, or being resentful that 'all the good ones were picked', but having multiple drawing options would hopefully balance that out.

Or, drop the claiming system and just require more than one option to draw in the exchange? That would also make each month a surprise, in a way! :D (and if the artist didn't know what the heck the person was going on about when they requested a character-dragon, if there was a more generic option, they could have at that?)

XD I don't know, I think I was still on the black-list too, but I can't remember anymore.

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:27 am

Yeah, I have to admit to being on the blacklist, too. ^.^; Though I did draw the dragon... I just never got around to coloring it. *sheepish*

Anyway. I don't really want there to be a blacklist or anything for this, so I don't think participation should be mandatory. Rewarded, yes, but not punished if something should come up.

I was actually thinking it'd be something like the Winter Gather.. where everyone who signs up can get at least one giveaway template, and anyone can contribute or not, as they find the time/inspiration. I'll be doing one for everyone, it'd be up to whoever else participates to decide how many they're willing to color, whether that's a handful of 'limited edition' giveaway dragons (ie: a generational breeding, a handful of a special species, etc..), or one for everyone. And, if it even comes up, I'd say that those who participate would be at the top of the list to snag a 'limited edition' dragon, just as a perk for participating. They'd be given out randomly amongst the participants, unless there were more than enough to go around, at which point they'd filter down into the non-participant applications.

Oh, and as for drawing options.. should there be more than one per month? I was just going to do a poll, see which was the most popular option, and then that'd be the theme for the month, to be participated in or not. (Remember, this had started as a personal thing.. I don't mind if no one else wants to play. XD;)

Thoughts? Should I add storywriting to the participation category? Is this getting ridiculous? ^.^;;

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:30 am

I like the idea of a monthly exchange where you have /some/ choice as to what you draw. Because that's what usually put me on the blacklist, I'd get a request that I'd sit and go "What the...???" and then I'd put it off and put it off because I didn't know what to do with it.

If there were several requests we could choose from then that'd make it /way/ easier.

'Cause yeah, sometimes I miss the monthly exchanges too...

And back on topic, Uny, I like your idea! I'd definitely try to participate when I could!

Xalia · Post by **Xalia** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:35 am

And since Uny snuck a reply in there while I was typing... XD

I think that one option per month is fine, especially if you do a poll. The problem with the exchange was that we signed up without knowing what we'd draw, I'm assuming in this case we'd sign up once we /knew/ what the theme was. Plus if the theme is a Nexus-wide consensus then most of us will be drawing what we want to draw so you might get lots of participation depending of course on everyone's real life schedules and such...

delyar · Post by **delyar** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:02 am

I think this sounds like a great plan. If the ideas remain broad/theme-y enough, we shouldn't have much trouble with people not wanting to draw things, though I do like knowing the theme ahead of time as well. :)

Post by **StarFyre** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:30 am

I like this idea. I was kinda missing the monthly thing, too... though I'd not be able to do anything until like.. May or so.

Astra · Post by **Astra** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:36 pm

Yeah I was one of the ones constantly guilty of being on the blacklist, but I still really kind of miss the exchanges. I remember a couple years ago we did a special theme exchange where we would draw people as they would be as a dragon, rather than specific requests, and i thought that was neat, but I was blacklisted at the time and couldn't do it

(Actually, I think that time I was blacklisted because the person I was supposed to draw for quit the Nexus ... other times I was legitimately just a slacker though). I always kind of wished there'd be another round of those...

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:37 pm

Wow, there's more interest in this than I thought there would be. Awesome.

Kay, now I wanna ask if anyone has any ideas for the themes. I was just gonna keep goin' with the mythical critters, but are there any other ideas?

Post by **Dray** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:42 pm

Not more than once a month, I think... more'n that and the novelty may wear off before people get some really genius things out there.

Will the theme be mandatory? I wouldn't mind if it were broad, but very specific ones and suddenly people are drawing lots of similar things! X3

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:18 pm

How about a randomly assigned "inspired by x" thing - like, google an image or a song, a phrase or something?

I don't care what it is, I'd just like a good easy to understand set of parameters and a month.

delyar · Post by **delyar** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:20 pm

I was thinking really broad themes as well, that way we could all have our individual variety. Like feathers or summer or campfires or something equally simple. We have very varied artists here, may as well roll with that.

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:40 pm

Hmmm... yes, I think broad themes would probably be best. And we could switch things up a bit every month, too. Like a random photograph one month, and then music/lyrics the next, and maybe a list of possible traits the month after that.

Sounds awesome.

Now for some possibilities... I'll list a few up in the first post, and if anyone has more suggestions for possible themes, I'll add those to the list, too. ^.^ With any luck, we can get this started for next month!

Shard · Post by **Shard** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:47 pm

Oooh, how about "emotions" as a broad category.

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:11 pm

Good one! *add to list*

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:54 pm

Natural phenomenon would be something I'd be curious to see people make critters for. <.< But that's just me liking weird things. Space is also a cool theme. I love space XP

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:50 am

Oooh, yeah! Thanks Maer!

*add to list*

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:26 am

we could do dragons based off what the gemstone(s) of that particular month is/are.

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:29 am

Hey, that's a good one.. Thanks!

*add to list*

dracosinfernoweyr · Post by **dracosinfernoweyr** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 10:22 am

I'd like to see that "me as a dragon" theme that Astra mentioned, I really wanted to join in on that exchange but I didn't for one reason or another. Or also, possibly your favorite character from a movie/series/anime etc. like Phe's charigons, for example?

Unyko · Post by **Unyko** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:58 am

Awesome. :3 I wasn't around for the character!dragon exchange, so I'd also like to get in on that fun. Thankyou!

*add to list!*

Any other ideas floating around out there? I want to set up the poll for next month's theme around the 24th, so there's a week's worth of time to vote.

That said, I'd like to open the floor to suggestions for broad specifics within each category. Stuff to pull from when I set up the poll (they'll be chosen at random, when the time comes). Things like... elements other than the ones I have listed, or a song's lyrics you find particularly suggestive/inspirational, or a family of animals (suitably broad, so there's a bit of wiggle-room for everyone to potentially draw something different) that you'd like to see a dragon based around.

Post by **Dray** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:43 am

So we'd have to follow the theme that's selected from the month if we want to participate, right? O_o How will the various themes work if someone wants to write instead of draw? XD Forgive me if I sound dense: I'm really slow today.

The Nexus

Monthly Dragons: Please Vote!

How many options per month?

Monthly Dragons: Please Vote!