DeviantArt

DeviantArt is a big place for art.

People share things they make online. They share drawings and photos. They also share films.

Many people use the site. It has millions of members. People can leave notes on art. They can also share their favorite art.

Some people use the site to win prizes. Big companies hold art contests. You can win money or prizes.

Artists can also sell their work. Many people buy art there. It is a busy place for creators.

It is a way to show art to the world.

DeviantArt is a large online community for creators.

It started on August 7, 2000. Mathew Stephens, Scott Jarkoff, and Angelo Sotira helped launch it. At first, people used it to change computer app looks. Later, it grew into a place for all kinds of art. People share drawings, photos, films, and stories.

Members can do many things on the site. They can leave comments to give feedback. They can also save art they like in folders. Some use journals, which are like personal blogs, to write. Artists can even sell their work. In 2024, creators sold over $14 million worth of art.

Companies often use the site for contests. These contests can help people win money or prizes. For example, Dodge held a contest for car art. Winners of these contests might even see their work in real life.

Sometimes, there are big changes or problems. In 2017, a company called Wix.com bought DeviantArt. Recently, the site has faced issues with scam accounts. There are also legal talks about AI tools. One tool is called DreamUp. It makes images using artificial intelligence.

DeviantArt is a huge online community for people who make things.

It is a place where people share artwork, photos, videos, and stories. Many people use the site to show their work to the world. They can also look at what others have made. This helps people find new ideas and meet other creators. It is a very large space for digital creativity.

Members use the site in many different ways to express themselves. They can post their work as "deviations," which is what the site calls art uploads. People can leave comments to give feedback or critiques to an artist. Some members use journals, which act like personal blogs, to share news. You can also save art you like into special folders called favorites. Some artists even use the site to sell their work. In 2024, creators sold more than $14 million worth of art.

This community has a long history that began in the year 2000. Mathew Stephens, Scott Jarkoff, and Angelo Sotira launched the site on August 7, 2000. At first, it was part of the Dmusic Network. It started with people who liked to change how computer apps looked. Matt Stephens suggested making it a full art community instead. The site officially became a company in 2001. Over the years, the site has changed its logo many times.

DeviantArt has grown very large since it first opened. By 2008, it had about 36 million visitors every year. In 2011, it was the thirteenth largest social network. By 2017, the site had over 25 million members. It also held more than 250 million submissions by that time. In 2025, the site reached a milestone of 100 million registered users. The company Wix.com bought DeviantArt in February 2017 for $36 million.

Many big companies use the site to hold fun contests. For example, Dodge held a contest in 2012 for art of the Dodge Dart. Lexus also ran a design contest in 2013. Some contests are even for movies like Riddick or Dark Shadows. Winners can win cash or special prizes. Sometimes, their art even becomes an official poster or print. This connects digital artists to the real world of design.

DeviantArt is a massive online social community for digital and traditional creators.

It serves as a platform for sharing artwork, videography, photography, and literature. Members use the site to showcase their creative output and engage with a global audience. This community allows for peer evaluation, where viewers provide feedback through comments and critiques. By connecting artists with one another, the site functions as a large-scale digital gallery and social network. It has grown from a niche interest group into a major pillar of internet culture.

The platform's core mechanism involves the submission of creative works, which the site calls "deviations."

When a user uploads a deviation, it is displayed on a dedicated page containing statistical information. Users can organize these works into personal folders to manage their portfolios. Beyond simple viewing, the site offers interactive tools like DeviantArt Muro, a browser-based drawing tool. Muro includes a "Redraw" feature that records the drawing process. This allows artists to post their entire workflow as a film deviation. Members can also use journals, which act as personal blogs, to share news or support specific causes.

DeviantArt offers several distinct ways for artists to manage their rights and connections. On November 14, 2006, the site introduced Creative Commons licenses. These are public copyright licenses that allow artists to choose how others can use their work. The site also includes a film category, added in 2007, which allows for video uploads. In this category, viewers can add annotations to specific moments in a film to provide targeted critiques. This layering of tools helps the community move from simple image sharing to complex multimedia discussion. These features help define the different ways members interact with both art and technology.

The history of DeviantArt began with a focus on "application skinning." This refers to people who modified the visual appearance of computer applications. The site was launched on August 7, 2000, by Scott Jarkoff, Mathew Stephens, and Angelo Sotira. It was originally part of the Dmusic Network. While the founders shared a background in skinning, Matt Stephens suggested expanding the concept into a full art community. The site officially incorporated in 2001. Over the decades, the platform has undergone many changes, including several logo redesigns. In February 2017, the Israeli software company Wix.com acquired DeviantArt in a $36 million deal.

Growth and scale have defined the platform's trajectory over the last twenty-five years. By 2008, the site saw approximately 36 million annual visitors. In 2011, it was ranked as the thirteenth largest social network. By 2017, the community had grown to over 25 million members and 250 million submissions. A major milestone was reached in 2025 when the site hit 100 million registered users. The economic impact is also significant; in 2024, creators on the site sold over $14 million in work. This involved more than 220,000 users purchasing art from over 26,000 different sellers.

Companies often use the site's massive reach to host professional contests.

For example, the car company Dodge ran a contest in 2012 for art of the Dodge Dart, receiving over 4,000 entries. Lexus partnered with the site in 2013 for a design contest where the winner's design became a modified Lexus IS. The film industry also uses the platform, such as when the director of Riddick chose winners for a fan art contest. These contests provide artists with cash, prizes, and the chance to have their work used in official media. These events bridge the gap between hobbyist creators and professional industries.

Recently, DeviantArt has faced complex challenges regarding technology and law. In November 2022, the site launched DreamUp, an artificial intelligence image-generation tool. This led to a copyright infringement lawsuit filed in 2023 by artists Sarah Andersen, Kelly McKernan, and Karla Ortiz. They claimed that AI tools were trained on billions of images scraped from the web without artist consent. Additionally, the site has dealt with issues like spambots hacking inactive accounts and the departure of users due to site design changes. These developments show how the platform continues to navigate the evolving relationship between human creativity and new digital tools.