Standards & Integrity

Artist Guidelines

D-ARTIST was established to preserve the sanctuary of authentic, human-created traditional art. These guidelines outline our standards for medium authenticity, authorship, accurate specifications, and ethical conduct.

"Every artwork published on D-ARTIST must be born from human patience, imagination, and physical craftsmanship."
D-ARTIST Curatorial Standard

1. The Human-Created Artwork Requirement

D-ARTIST is exclusively focused on physical, traditional media. To be accepted and published on the platform, artwork must be hand-rendered by human creators using physical instruments and materials.

Approved Mediums:

  • Pencil, Graphite & Charcoal: Studies, portraiture, figure drawings, and architectural sketches on physical paper.
  • Ink: Pen and ink drawings, ink washes, brushwork, and stippling on rag or pulp substrates.
  • Watercolor: Transparent and opaque watercolor, gouache, and mineral pigments.
  • Oil & Acrylic: Hand-painted works on stretched canvas, linen, board, or wood panels.
  • Pastel & Colored Pencil: Soft pastel, oil pastel, and layered colored pencil studies.
  • Traditional Illustration & Handmade Art: Mixed traditional media, linocut, woodblock, and hand-pulled physical prints.

2. Strict No-AI Policy

D-ARTIST does not permit AI-generated imagery, synthetically assisted art, or algorithmic prompt renders.

  • Zero Synthetic Art: Artworks created via Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, or any generative software are strictly prohibited.
  • No Digital Painting Disguised as Traditional: Submitting digital tablet illustrations (Photoshop, Procreate) passed off as physical watercolor or oil is a violation of our guidelines.
  • Truth in Representation: We do not claim to possess flawless automated AI detection. Instead, we rely on artist integrity backed by manual curatorial review, work-in-progress proof, and community reporting.
  • Immediate Takedown: Any submission determined to be AI-generated or mislabeled will be removed, and repeat violations will result in permanent account termination.

3. Original Authorship & Copyright

Artists must hold 100% of the intellectual property rights to the work they upload.

  • Originality: You must be the actual author and creator of every piece published to your profile.
  • No Plagiarism or Stolen Art: Uploading copies, trace-overs of copyrighted photographs without licensing, or another artist's work is strictly forbidden.
  • Physical Signature: Original artworks must bear the artist's physical, hand-written signature on the surface of the work.
  • No Impersonation: Registering an account or claiming to represent another artist without verified legal authority is grounds for immediate ban.

4. Accurate Artwork Specifications

Trust between collectors and artists depends on truthful, precise technical documentation:

  • Dimensions: Accurately report physical height, width, and depth in inches or centimeters. Do not exaggerate sizing.
  • Materials & Substrate: State the exact medium (e.g. Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolor on 300gsm Arches 100% cotton cold-press paper).
  • Framing & Condition: Clarify whether the piece is sold framed, mounted, or unframed, and state its physical condition honestly.
  • True-to-Life Imagery: Do not excessively filter, saturate, or alter photographs of your artwork in a manner that misrepresents the real physical pigment and paper tone.

5. Integrity in Community & Metrics

D-ARTIST is built to foster genuine appreciation rather than superficial vanity metrics:

  • No Engagement Manipulation: Using automated scripts, bots, click-farms, or coordinated vote-trading circles to artificially inflate views, likes, or follows is strictly prohibited.
  • No Promotional Spam: Do not post unsolicited promotional links, advertising copy, or repetitive comments across other artists' artwork pages.
  • Respectful Interaction: Treat fellow artists, collectors, and commenters with professional dignity. Constructive technical feedback is welcomed; hostility, insults, or harassment will not be tolerated.

6. Direct Inquiries & Fulfillment Integrity

Because D-ARTIST facilitates direct communication between artists and collectors with 0% platform commission:

  • Honest Pricing: Honor the prices listed on your artwork page when contacted by buyers.
  • Safe Packaging: When fulfilling orders, ensure original physical works are packed securely (reinforced heavy-duty mailing tubes with glassine paper, or sturdy wood/cardboard crates) to prevent moisture or crease damage.
  • Responsive Communication: Treat collectors with courteous, timely responses via WhatsApp or email.

7. Enforcement & Review Process

The D-ARTIST curation team reviews applications and monitored reports on an ongoing basis:

A Stage 1

Warning & Clarification

For minor specification ambiguities or accidental non-compliance, our team will contact you to update the listing or provide additional WIP evidence.

B Stage 2

Content Removal

Artwork that fails to meet human-created standards, lacks provenance, or is subject to a valid copyright complaint will be removed immediately from public galleries.

C Stage 3

Revocation & Account Termination

Intentional deception, AI generation masquerading as traditional art, plagiarism, or repeated guideline violations will lead to permanent revocation of verified artist status and account termination.

Related Policies & Workflows
Verification Process → How to Upload Art → Copyright & IP Policy → Community Guidelines →

Create traditional artwork?

Read the guidelines and apply to earn the Verified Traditional Artist mark.

Apply as an Artist Report a Violation