With the invention of dA's new Groups system, I've been noticing a bunch of groups for those of you with a talent for manipulation (photo manipulation) and digital art that stock users may enjoy:


I've also found a few cool new groups for stock providers. Though I'm still exploring what groups can do and how to use them, I've gone ahead and joined a few:


In addition, here are some groups that are specific to dA:


I've even seen some groups that look promising for pixel artists:


What do you think of the new groups system at deviantART? Have you found any groups that interest you?

I've been thinking about whether to convert the =FreeAvatarProject into a group. (Discussion.) While I see potential for many #groups at dA, our particular free avatar project seems best suited for a normal user account at dA. We like publishing articles at dA (groups have blogs, but they can't publish articles), and we don't use the project's gallery anyway. The other concern is the higher cost of subscribing a group to be able to feature thumbnails of free avatars; it's nice to receive subscription donations, but I'm not comfortable with the idea of rallying members to "chip in" to buy subscriptions each time we need to renew.

I'll announce this at the =FreeAvatarProject this week, but I'm curious to know what other people think about groups too. What are your thoughts?

These are just a few of my favorite pieces of art in which my stock was used. I'm always so amazed by all the different ways that artists are able to create such magic with my simple photos! Want to see more?

More Stock Resource Providers:

• dA Stockers A - I
• dA Stockers J - R
• dA Stockers S - Z

Please make sure to read and follow the terms of use before taking any stock images from anyone else's gallery.

Please make sure to read and follow an artist's terms of use before taking any avatars from anyone else's gallery. You can find more free avatars at the =FreeAvatarProject. If you'd like to create free avatars for the project, learn how here.

Please watch RYAN'S SWORD ARCH VIDEO!! Please rate and comment at YouTube on this video! Please go give my brother your best for a wonderful future. He's donated so many pics to my stock gallery and to the art of dA, I would really like to see him honored, and I'm eager to show friends my new sister in law, J'aime.

Do you know of any good laughs? A joke, a funny video, something to help put a smile on my face? Here are a few short videos to give you a giggle or two...

• Pink Five
• Log Throwing Fail
• Parkour!
• First Shoutout

Of course, there's more! Check out the comments of this journal entry to see all the funny stuff that others have sent! I haven't replied to them all yet, but I intend to respond to everyone's hilarity with things that I find humorous. Here are a few of my favorite links to the humor people have already left for me to see:

• Immigrant Homework
  ^{(Sent by =parallellogic)}
• regretsy
  ^{(Sent by ~Goldenthrush)}
• The WTF Blanket
  ^{(Sent by ~KakashiMorph)}

If you comment here with something new to make me laugh, and I'll reply with yet another funny. Let's see how many silly things we can give each other to perpetuate some rofl.

Now it's your turn... Make me laugh!

These are just a few of my favorite pieces of art in which my stock was used. I'm always so amazed by all the different ways that artists are able to create such magic with my simple photos!

More Stock Resource Providers:

• dA Stockers A - I
• dA Stockers J - R
• dA Stockers S - Z

Please make sure to read and follow the terms of use before taking any stock images from anyone else's gallery.

Please make sure to read and follow an artist's terms of use before taking any avatars from anyone else's gallery. You can find more free avatars at the =FreeAvatarProject. If you'd like to create free avatars for the project, learn how here.

~Imager1966 is experiencing a great loss right now. Her husband, ~B-Side109 died on November 8, 2009 after dealing with health issues.

I haven't known either of them very well, but no amount of text can express my deep sadness for her loss. So instead of too many words, I thought I would share his art with you...

"I can remember all the good times / Put 'em in a book of memories / Hoping that our book will never ruin / Hoping that our book will never end"

- Joe Walsh (Bookends)