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Learn all about the world of adoptables in this engaging interview with Astralseed ! Presenting Adoptables: Interview with AstralseedWe’re excited to announce a special interview with one of our predominant adoptables community volunteers, @Astralseed! ,Introducing @Astralseed @Astralseed is a U.S.-based fantasy artist who works in both digital and mediums. Her artistic hallmarks are equines with lots of flowing hair and an expressive yet harmonic use of color. ,Art has been a constant in her life, though it wasn't until her adult years that she took it more seriously and expanded her knowledge and skills to find her own style. These days most of her time spent working on art is for ARPGs, but she still enjoys painting her sighthounds and their friends in her downtime. ,The InterviewCould you explain what adoptables are for people who aren't familiar with them?In their simplest form, adoptables are designs/characters people created with the intention of giving to another person, whether through sale, trade, gift, or any other means of transferring it to a new owner. Adoptables can come in various different forms ranging from humanoids to animals, to monsters, and even accessories or clothing.How did you get started with adoptables?I've mostly been involved in the ARPG (Action Role-Playing Game) side of adoptables for about 14 years now. While ARPGs aren't exactly adoptables, there is some definite overlap within these two communities and as such they are often considered one and the same by most outsiders. I found myself immersed in HARPG (Horse Action Role-Playing Game) at its inception around 2008 here on DeviantArt. Back then it was just a fun project that MoonFeather had come up with to help motivate others in the equine community to draw their characters and in turn get better at drawing. Back in those days, there wasn't any money or trading involved, and most of us just played the game for the joy and love of our art and characters. Over time, other members found ways to expand on the original idea of HARPG, including monetizing it. Nordanner was a vastly popular HARPG and one of the first that was known to have hundreds or even thousands of dollars thrown around for characters quite regularly. We started seeing others taking note of the monetization and utilizing it in other ARPGs as well as in adoptables on DeviantArt.These communities created living, breathing economies that would go up and down depending on the market, which was always fascinating to me. Many ARPGers started creating adoptables on the side because we knew all too well that we couldn't keep every character we create, so why not pass those creations along to others who would be willing to give them entire lives and worlds to live. The adoptable community on DeviantArt really took off around a decade ago. We started seeing a lot of non ARPGers creating adoptables as well, adding to and expanding that niche community. My place in it all was that I helped moderate and run ARPGs, and I also created non ARPG adoptables on the side. In 2013, I created my own ARPG, which is still going strong. ,Can you tell me more about how Role-Playing Games relate to adoptables?In many ARPGs you can purchase, trade, or gift characters very similarly to how adoptables work. We share the same mechanism in that designs and their ownership are able to be transferred to other members. While adoptables grant you a character designed by someone else, you are usually left to find or create a world to use it in. With ARPGs, your character comes with a world and community already attached. There are pros and cons to either choice, and I believe that is why we sometimes see a split between the two communities that share so many similarities. ,What are your most popular adoptables?I have two butterfly-inspired designs which both hit the front page of DeviantArt back when they were originally uploaded. I'd say they are my most popular adoptables. ,Who are you influenced by?I don't currently have any specific artists that I feel influence my creations. However, when I need inspiration I will often browse DeviantArt for specific themes. Different colors being used together or unique characteristics that aren't often seen help to give me ideas. Finding oddities in nature to incorporate into my art has also been a big source of inspiration for me overall. No matter the skill level, if you are doing something out of the box with your art and I see it, I tend to let it sink in so that I may also be able to channel that same energy in my own work in the future. ,What tips do you have for someone who wants to get started with adoptables?@AlexanderPaupoff and I run @CRAdoptables which is a great place to get started. It's also worth noting that many of the adoptable groups on DeviantArt are still quite active, but it's generally pretty easy to find adoptable groups that are geared towards your interests. We are also the Adoptable Community Volunteers here on DeviantArt and are both happy to help where we are able. We welcome messages at any time, just please note that we may not always be able to reply right away. I also highly recommend making friends within the adoptable community. They will be your backbone, cheerleaders, and such a tremendous overall asset. ,Follow the work of @Astralseed on DeviantArt and don't forget to check out @CRAdoptables latest contest. ,Your Thoughts:Were you already familiar with adoptables or is this a new world to you?Do you have a favorite adoptable artist or species? Share in the comments below!

Description
Learn all about the world of adoptables in this engaging interview with Astralseed ! Presenting Adoptables: Interview with AstralseedWe’re excited to announce a special interview with one of our predominant adoptables community volunteers, @Astralseed! ,Introducing @Astralseed @Astralseed is a U.S.-based fantasy artist who works in both digital and mediums. Her artistic hallmarks are equines with lots of flowing hair and an expressive yet harmonic use of color. ,Art has been a constant in her life, though it wasn't until her adult years that she took it more seriously and expanded her knowledge and skills to find her own style. These days most of her time spent working on art is for ARPGs, but she still enjoys painting her sighthounds and their friends in her downtime. ,The InterviewCould you explain what adoptables are for people who aren't familiar with them?In their simplest form, adoptables are designs/characters people created with the intention of giving to another person, whether through sale, trade, gift, or any other means of transferring it to a new owner. Adoptables can come in various different forms ranging from humanoids to animals, to monsters, and even accessories or clothing.How did you get started with adoptables?I've mostly been involved in the ARPG (Action Role-Playing Game) side of adoptables for about 14 years now. While ARPGs aren't exactly adoptables, there is some definite overlap within these two communities and as such they are often considered one and the same by most outsiders. I found myself immersed in HARPG (Horse Action Role-Playing Game) at its inception around 2008 here on DeviantArt. Back then it was just a fun project that MoonFeather had come up with to help motivate others in the equine community to draw their characters and in turn get better at drawing. Back in those days, there wasn't any money or trading involved, and most of us just played the game for the joy and love of our art and characters. Over time, other members found ways to expand on the original idea of HARPG, including monetizing it. Nordanner was a vastly popular HARPG and one of the first that was known to have hundreds or even thousands of dollars thrown around for characters quite regularly. We started seeing others taking note of the monetization and utilizing it in other ARPGs as well as in adoptables on DeviantArt.These communities created living, breathing economies that would go up and down depending on the market, which was always fascinating to me. Many ARPGers started creating adoptables on the side because we knew all too well that we couldn't keep every character we create, so why not pass those creations along to others who would be willing to give them entire lives and worlds to live. The adoptable community on DeviantArt really took off around a decade ago. We started seeing a lot of non ARPGers creating adoptables as well, adding to and expanding that niche community. My place in it all was that I helped moderate and run ARPGs, and I also created non ARPG adoptables on the side. In 2013, I created my own ARPG, which is still going strong. ,Can you tell me more about how Role-Playing Games relate to adoptables?In many ARPGs you can purchase, trade, or gift characters very similarly to how adoptables work. We share the same mechanism in that designs and their ownership are able to be transferred to other members. While adoptables grant you a character designed by someone else, you are usually left to find or create a world to use it in. With ARPGs, your character comes with a world and community already attached. There are pros and cons to either choice, and I believe that is why we sometimes see a split between the two communities that share so many similarities. ,What are your most popular adoptables?I have two butterfly-inspired designs which both hit the front page of DeviantArt back when they were originally uploaded. I'd say they are my most popular adoptables. ,Who are you influenced by?I don't currently have any specific artists that I feel influence my creations. However, when I need inspiration I will often browse DeviantArt for specific themes. Different colors being used together or unique characteristics that aren't often seen help to give me ideas. Finding oddities in nature to incorporate into my art has also been a big source of inspiration for me overall. No matter the skill level, if you are doing something out of the box with your art and I see it, I tend to let it sink in so that I may also be able to channel that same energy in my own work in the future. ,What tips do you have for someone who wants to get started with adoptables?@AlexanderPaupoff and I run @CRAdoptables which is a great place to get started. It's also worth noting that many of the adoptable groups on DeviantArt are still quite active, but it's generally pretty easy to find adoptable groups that are geared towards your interests. We are also the Adoptable Community Volunteers here on DeviantArt and are both happy to help where we are able. We welcome messages at any time, just please note that we may not always be able to reply right away. I also highly recommend making friends within the adoptable community. They will be your backbone, cheerleaders, and such a tremendous overall asset. ,Follow the work of @Astralseed on DeviantArt and don't forget to check out @CRAdoptables latest contest. ,Your Thoughts:Were you already familiar with adoptables or is this a new world to you?Do you have a favorite adoptable artist or species? Share in the comments below!