At the risk of myself being banned...the pure answer to one of your questions is that creativity has slowly diminished on this site by the many artist that have now left or are no longer participating as they once did and that includes me!

It's unfortunate that this site is no longer the site it once used to be, as it was once composed of artists and hobbyist like me who enjoyed visiting this site to feel inspired by the many creative art works of other artists who shared the same passion.

As a long time member of this community, I still visit and upload every once in awhile in the hope that somehow a few of the artists who have left will return someday, once things change enough to welcome them back. Enjoy your time off my friend! :)

Thank you so much for your comment. I feel the same way you do. (Unfortunately) a lot has changed for the worse.

Wonderful image, beautifully put together with obvious care and detail. I simply changed my viewing preferences to exclude AI, rather scrolling through images that I didn't want to see. A few of the artists that I have left the site I still stay in contact with. Sadly we no longer see their fantastic art, but I know sadly these people will not return.

Thank you, and unfortunately, that is true

Well! clutch my pearls! Somebody had to say it.

Thanks, and every now and then I just feel like I have to say it

You do...Excellent

Thanks

If you get banned for honest words, that would be so wrong! Great render and the symbolic speaks volumes!

It would not be the first time that my opinion has led to this

I've also noticed more AI stuff showing up here. 😥

I've not been posting much lately; mainly due to real life kicking me in the short 'n' curlies most of this year. Between my wife's injury and taking care of her, plus doing all the stuff she normally does, trying to get this house in saleable shape, and both of us keeping every doctor within 20 or so miles busy, etc, etc, etc, I've not had a lot of time for rendering, or getting TNA rolling again.

When I do start again, (and I will) it will contain absolutely 0% AI at all. If I use it at all, it will be for reference for the "real" artwork be it in Poser, Photoshop, or whatever. I do not use AI for a very simple reason: I would much rather create the artwork myself - all of it. If it takes me 2 weeks or a month to create something, so be it. I enjoy the creative process no matter what medium I'm using. And it relaxes me. Really. To me, using AI is like calling up another artist and asking him / her to create something I've described.

Anyway, enough blabbering. Your work here is wonderful, and full of atmosphere. Superbly done!

Thank you, and I'm sorry you're having so many problems. For me is KI or AI like you have a kind of Ghostwriter and like you: it is o.k. if it takes a time to create a picture because this is what I call creativity

100% einverstanden mit dir! Die Seite erreicht gerade den Boden! Ich denke, wie andere habe ich meine Bilder woanders gepostet!

Danke, aber leider zum Teil sieht es auf anderen Seiten kaum anders aus...AI ist das ein und alles. In meinem Alter werde ich sentimetal und denke an Zeit von "Rendertown". Eine kleine deutsche Community, aber sehr persönlcih

Like katyee, I filter out the AI nonsense which makes the viewing of new art a lot less painful.
I also find that by selecting which gallery to view, I get to see more of the proper self created images.
Granted, some of the old names have disappeared but there are still a few who post regularly and post very skilful work. I am rather pleased to see that a few are still posting Bryce images, which is my personal preference for artistic endeavour - even though most of my creations probably look amateurish compared to others.

Thank you... It just bothers me that some people are pushing others out with their many (in my opinion, not very creative) uploads.

Could be Mephisto, with the blood contract. Even if I agree about the galleries I don't see a solution. How could one be able to judge what is worth posting?

Thanks... Maybe one solution would be to limit the number of uploads. But if someone posts the same picture with just a few changes, it is not worth anything to me.

Hi Dirk, 😃 I more or less stumbled across your post by accident. Beautiful and expressive image, as always. And yes, I can absolutely understand what bothers you. Personally, though, I wouldn’t reduce it entirely to AI. AI has become part of today’s creative landscape, whether people like it or not. In the end, everyone has to decide for themselves if and to what extent they want to use it. I don’t use it myself, but honestly, that’s not really the point for me. What I notice more is a general change in the way people interact with each other. A lot of things seem increasingly focused on visibility, reach, and self presentation. And that’s not just happening here, but everywhere online. Post quickly, stay visible, stay near the top. Sometimes the actual creative exchange gets lost along the way. I’ve only been here for a few years, so I can’t really judge how things used to be. But what I’ve always appreciated are images where you can feel that time, thought, and personality went into them. And I appreciate comments that are more than just a quick click. That’s why I try to add a few honest words to my likes whenever I can, simply out of respect for the work behind the image. As for the sheer amount of uploads: yes, sometimes the gallery starts to feel like a constant stream of images. And that makes it harder to truly notice and appreciate individual work anymore. Maybe things would become more interesting again if the focus wasn’t always only on one’s own image, but also a bit more on the work of others. Because in the end, we’re all sitting in the same creative boat. There’s really nothing to win or lose here. For me, inspiration, exchange, and mutual appreciation have always been the most valuable part of communities like this.☺️😃 And honestly, a sincere comment often stays with you longer than ten quick likes.

Thanks for the long post. AI may be a part of our lives now, but I feel like it lacks creativity. I have been here for a very long time and have seen the changes.These days, for many people, it is all about posting as many pictures as possible

Fantastic Image.
Unpopular because you write down your thoughts? I don't think so. I've been here for a long time too, and I sometimes use AI as well. I don't call myself an artist, just an oldie keeping her brain busy with digital tools. I understand your point of view, personally I think posting 3 a day is more than enough. Enjoy your vacation

Thank you very much. It wouldn't be the first time I've been banned for making critical comments. I also think three is enough. I did a little experiment once. I uploaded five pictures over the course of five days. And just like that, I was a top artist. I just think it's unfair... Because of all this excessive uploading, the new photos keep disappearing from the front page

Very fine image, great lighting and effects.

There are still some amazing, gifted artists that create awesome images. You are one of those gifted artists. Multiple images in one day can be a little overwhelming.

Thanks a lot for this compliment

Impressive image and character.