Hullo hullo! Etiki here, the leading lady of Verbal Tea. I shall be your rambling guide throughout this page~ :D This page is a collaboration between Etiki's coding + lineart and Fionas epic skills; blame Fiona for coloring the prettiest tea cup you'll ever see in your life. :D

Who are we?

Verbal Tea is a collection of artists dabbling in diverse mediums from all around the world, of all ages, in all stages of their artistic journeys, that teeter on widely different levels of activity and freetime. (I should get an award for best run-on sentence :D) Our collective goal is not to improve our art through rigorous training, but to prod it every now and then, let it grow and prosper in a laid-back, peaceful environment.

We're a group of support, a group of lazies, a group of artists, a group of buddies... sippers of the same type of tea. :3

Activity

Unlike most guilds, activity requirements aren't set in Verbal Tea. I don't like the idea of forcing people to log in and post in order to sip, because we all go at our own pace in life. It just seems akin to rudeness and disrespect in my opinion. D: So, there aren't scheduled member sweeps or anything. I'll probably clear out frozen accounts after awhile, but that's about as far as it goes. x3;

So, no pressure. Sip when you can, let us know when you're leaving for extended amounts of time if you wish, and don't worry if you can't log in. We'll all still be here when you get back. :D

Ranking

Unlike most guilds, our rankings aren't actual... ranks. xD More or less, they're a brief two-word description of your artistic preferences. Your medium of choice and expertise, if you will. :3

I don't particularly like the idea of having a guild hierarchy, where members are portrayed as being higher than other members on a rank of importance or priority. So, I decided that organizing folks by their artistic skills was best.

This way, you can easily see who you can pester about getting those lines smooth, or reworking a clunky run-on sentence. :D

Adept Versatile / These folks show expertise in more than one medium, and are a bit of the jack-of-all-trades when it comes to artistic endeavors.

Wonder Writer / Taking pride in the written word, our wonder writers imprint vivid images into our minds without making a brush stroke.

Deft Doodler / Be it traditionally or digitally, deft doodlers enjoy drawing, and we love gawking at their creations.

Savvy Coder / A bit of a two-hitter, savvy coders know their way around the CSS wagon and also know a fair bit about layout-making.

Council

To put it simply, council members are reliable folks that I'm able to depend on. There won't be a deadline in which the council positions must be filled, and I'm not even sure if they'll ever be filled. xD; Mainly, people I can trust that can get things done can voluntarily be plopped onto their council seat.

I don't require elaborate applications if you think you'd like to join council-- just speak your mind and let me know if you think you're ready to contribute. :3

Privacy

We're not a private guild, but we're not a revolving door either. If you're the type to worry about the creepers and the crazies ruining the security, don't worry, you're under my watchful eye! :D I shall exercise my duty and kick out the toxic folks that behave like berserking baboons. -nod- x3

Creative Challenges and Critique

Verbal Tea aspires to be a haven for artists of all mediums and skillsets; critiquing (when prompted) is encouraged, as is drawing something out of the norm every once in awhile. Our creative challenges are meant to do just that; get you trying different techniques and tasting new artistic means of venting out those pent-up creative juices. You don't always have to color in the lines- there just might be something special out there for you to find outside of the basic rules of art. :D

Our creative challenges are not limited to solely "draw this subject!" types of exercises. They are a continuously changing aspect of the guild that will eventually cover more than just the usual mediums. Writing and character development will be the main focus of our upcoming challenges, and eventually we will move on to coding and layout making.

Verbal Tea's creative challenges are fueled by the expertise of their members; if you have skills you'd like to pass on to someone else, notify Etiki and we shall get a challenge set up! :3

The launching of a challenge takes quite some time to get to, however. I never like to start something that isn't ready, so intricate planning and designing is required before the official beginning of a new challenge. They are well worth the wait, though. C:

Each and every challenge has a mascot. For example, Pazzo, the jetsam/lupe hybrid, oversees the hybridization challenge of Pet Warp. A challenge doesn't have to be restricted to new characters, though; you may want to include your current pre-existing characters in the mix, if they suit the challenge. n_n

Now, moving on, critiquing is heavily encouraged among all of our members-- whether you draw, write, or code, there will always be room for an extra opinion and another set of eyes when it comes to improving your skills. A page will soon be devoted solely to critiquing; an organized and coordinated collection in which artwork will be displayed and critique from members will be recorded. Over time, perhaps a timetable of art from members, before and after critique, will also be displayed with permission. :3

Collective Group Gallery

Our collective guild gallery can be found at dA under the username verbal-tea, where creative challenge entries and art from all of our members can be found. It is a group and functions like any other, so you may contribute blog entries and such. :3 This group acts as our hub; the place where all of our galleries may be found in one single place. It also provides links and insight to other important aspects of our guild, such as our oekaki and forum. Even without a dA account, it's worth checking out. n_n

Oekaki

What an oekaki is and how it works is further explained in the Oekaki section, but basically, we have one! :D After much wrestling with coding and hosts, I finally have a fully customizable oekaki up and running. The oekaki offers a place to practice and flaunt your artwork, with a bunch of nifty gadgets and things to explore. :D

Advanced Forum

A forum has been set aside to keep things organized; to keep the chatting, roleplaying, and work in progress updates separate from each other... and neat and tidy. My my, Etiki sure loves neat and tidy! @0@

Socializing

Respect is, in my opinion, the most important part of a community. Respect your fellow artist- if you disagree with the way someone is acting, bring it up to your lovely leader and she shall resolve it. :3 If someone is acting (ah... I hate using this word, but I have to) ... "n00bish" ... you should still muster respect for them. Stay civil, and everyone stays happy. :3

Grammar and such is pretty important on the boards; I don't like to see "chatspeak" replacing actual words in excessive amounts. xD; We all joke around, but seriously, behave yourself and type like a good, coherent little human. :3

Neopets terms and conditions still apply here on their site-- don't break their rules because they were put there for a good reason. D: Discussion of obscene/vulgar real-life topics is not welcome in our cup.

Don't be afraid to express your feelings, though. We're a laid-back guild, but we're also a community that wants to help each other; don't worry about ruining the calm atmosphere if something's on your mind that you need to get out. Roar if you're mad, slump if you're sad, let it be known. x3

Petty bickering over petty things has no place in our cups. So don't do put it in there. :C

Art...ing

Plagiarism is not tolerated -- that means, stealing intellectual property (writing, coding, art, ideas, etc) from another person and attempting to pass it off as your own. It won't earn you any friends and it's illegal, so don't do it. A cup of Verbal Tea is meant to awaken your own skills, so use your own noggin. Those found to be stealing, whether it's a one time occurrence or it's been happening all along, will be ultimately deleted from the guild and blocked... I have zero tolerance for theft. -strict Etiki scowl-

Sensitivity about your art is completely allowed and understood; if you don't want constructive critique, don't be afraid to say so and vice versa. :3 On the other side of the canvas, don't be an arrogant critic (dishing out a mindless "THAT'S BAD AND I DON'T LIKE IT" without any reason or advice behind the comment), or I shall bring my tea-fueled wrath upon you.

Click the image of the mascot to travel to the challenge page. :D

Drawing Challenges

Pet Warp tends to the ultimate art of mixing, blending, and creating complex hybrids among neopets. You may be inspired by combining color schemes or focusing on the smallest details; prove to Pazzo that you, callow peasant, understand the advanced concept of hybridization. Trophy graphics awarded for continued participation.

Upcoming Challenge to-do list:

Character Development; the fundamentals of character development are exercised

Persuasive Writing; Pitch This! - characters must be convinced to buy bizarre fictional items (nope, I haven't forgotten! :D)

Photography; focus is turned to the editing process of digital photography - editing the same picture multiple times for vividly different results

Animation/storytelling; Soap opera puppeteering :D

Because many people aren't too sure what an oekaki actually is, this section should appetize your ponderings. Some screenshots (that you may have to drag and drop for full view) from the official Verbal Tea oekaki are included, to better conquer my fail explaining skills. n_n

So... what the heck?

An oekaki is, quite simply, a web-based drawing program; the word is Japanese, meaning doodle/scribble, but it has tools capable of dishing out much more than the average scribble. It isn't something you download to your computer-- essentially, it's a canvas within the website that you doodle on and upload for all of us to see. :3

Personally, my favorite feature of an oekaki is the option to record an animation of your brush strokes, allowing the rest of us to see exactly how you make your masterpieces after you upload. It records erases, allowing you to write messages for the viewers (example: LOL THIS FACE LOOKS LIKE A FOOT) but not undos, so you can still hide embarrassing mess-ups. xD

...how the heck?

If you're a little lost about how it actually works, let's start off by introducing the top menu. :3 Here will be your main navigation throughout the oekaki.

By clicking "Draw!" in the righthand corner, you will be taken to a page that allows you to select which applet you would like to draw with, as well as the size of your canvas, whether you want it to record and animate as you draw, as well as other helpful thingmabobs. Keep in mind that you may resize your canvas after you finish drawing, but it's best to make sure you have enough room on your canvas beforehand, just in case.

The example below is the applet Shi Painter Pro, one of the more advanced applets. Although it looks a bit cluttered here, you may move around and close the tool windows at will as you doodle. I just wanted to give you a gander of some of the tools. c:

After finishing your picture, or perhaps you want to upload just out of paranoia, you may enter a title, description, and whether or not you'd like the picture to be public. Then, fellow sippers may comment on your picture. Here's an epic example, if I do say so myself:

Collaboration

Another possibility unlocked by an oekaki is an easy, seamless way to work on the same picture with multiple people. Whether you want to color some lineart, get your sketch lined by someone, or whatever, feel free to organize a collaboration. You may be surprised with the results of collective epicness!~ :3

You guys truly amaze me...

Here are just a few pieces created at our oekaki so far. :3

npet01 | carson4u | rawkage

Critique

Organizations

The Agency of Gifting Art is a wonderful project centered around the kindness of artists; although the concept is to give instead of receive, artists may find unique inspiration as they browse through the sea of art requests and character designs. I recommend anyone battling a fierce art block to take a look and give art gifting a try. Lend your skills and feel all warm and fuzzy inside! :3

Other Guilds

Waste of Paint is a fellow art guild that opened its doors around the same time Verbal Tea was created (only two days apart, actually :3); we are both dedicated to exercising and growing our artistic talents and share our adoration of creative e×pression.

Anyone is welcome to make a banner to display their Verbal Tea pride. If you'd like one in a particular color or would like to have a certain banner size, leave a message on the boards. n_n

Clicking the banners will take you to who created them; the text box next to a banner is the coding for linking it back to the guild. :3

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