RIP ImagineFX Forum

One of my favourite memories was the only challenge I ever managed to complete : Marta's Wedding!
A great idea (suggested by Kaz, I think) that everyone was super-motivated to have a go at in honour of our favourite artist (people were still posting entries months after the deadline!)
And even Marta herself popped in to offer critiques and advice. Where else does that kind of thing happen?
Good Times.

Yeah that was a good one valence! And Marta will be here too

I agree with Kaz about your post, Charlotte. Very heart felt and sincere. ... You also hit some fine points that rung all too clear and quite familiar. If I'm to be honest, if this site had not come to be, I would probably be doing little to no artwork in no time. Probably giving it up altogether once again. Since I only do art as a hobby, not having a place to come and share this with others as you stated, well, what would be the point?

But I also think you're selling yourself short. I only joined a few months before you on the old site, and I believe you have indeed improved. Not only just your drawing skills, but your thought process & story telling you create with your images.

I have always enjoyed watching you images come to life over the past 5 years. And hope to watch many more unfold.

That was lovely and I think it expresses an issue that others have had, in that, sci-fi/fantasy art is not taken seriously by the general population ( even though it is all around them.) Even mundane art is looked at as a hobby by many who don't do art at all. That means that a good many artists put down their brushes to pursue a more acceptable ( and many times a better paying) line of work that has nothing to do with making art to the detriment of themselves and the world as a whole.
This forum then, is the encouragement and support, that is many times lacking in our circle of friends and relatives, even though it should come from them. What the old IFX forum started may this new one continue, Salute

I think that people who can't accept fantasy art as a valid subject are close-minded (sorry to insult your father Char, but it baffles me that an artist would be so discriminatory). They need to learn that art is about getting an individuals thoughts and emotions on a page, not about creating something pleasing to their own eye. It's a shame people view it in such a narrow-minded fashion.

That's one of the things I like here: a lot of people's works or styles I don't particularly find attractive to my eye, but I accept, critique and encourage (hopefully) all the same. I receive the same in return. Oftentimes I've wondered at the validity of my work here, I'm not nearly as fantasy based as most of you. I wasn't really brought up that way, I just developed in recent years. However, only rarely have I ever felt like my art was not really appreciated.

I find painting a very emotional process - I tend to be introspective, irritable, slightly stressed when I'm in the creative process (for days, not just WHILE I'm doing it). Having somewhere I can post my art and I get accurate criticism, yet encouragement helps me to grow as an artist and at the end of the painting I feel so much better for having created something with that emotion, and enjoy seeing a good result because you guys keep me right (even if I don't always like hearing 'constant' criticism - though I'm the one asking for it!!!!!).

Thanks guys and girls.

I used to write a lot for the magazine (50+ issues or so), but I was never really active in the IFX forums, unfortunately
Feel kinda bad about that. But I do miss writing articles. It was so much fun when I had a clear idea about what I wanted to write about. But I do have some really good experiences in the IFX forums when I did participate. Just wish I was more active. Great to see familiar faces around here, though

Weeeeell, Henning, we do have aTutorials section here *hint hint*

And thanks everyone for comments on or related to my earlier post

There's a lot of love on these pages.

So nice and refreshing!!

Henning, thank you so much for joining us

would you be happy for us to use some of your tutorials for the tuts and resource sections?

All we need is to link to his website, I think There's PLENTY there.