User:SnowedLightning/PCA

Current projects
This table on the main Project page is to be used to let others know which character and rank you are currently working on, so disputes do not rise on which member started working on it first.

Reserving images

 * If your name is not entered in the table, enter it by editing the section and adding a row with your name in the same fashion as the others. It should be listed alphabetically.
 * Example:


 * Your user name
 * Original Charart
 * Redo/Tweak #1
 * Redo/Tweak #2
 * Date
 * Date


 * Using the model above, enter the character and rank you are currently working on in place of 'Original Charart'.
 * Please use the correct rank abbreviations to put beside your character: these are listed on the main page. Example: Firestar (L)
 * Keep in mind that you may only reserve one charart at a time.
 * If you are creating a blank, you are allowed to reserve the blank and another charart.
 * The "Redo/Tweak" section only applies to warriors or leads of the project (see Using the Project Tweak Talk page
 * Using the model above, enter the date of the day that you entered the character and rank, so you can be held responsible for getting the art done and not holding the character for a long measure of time. Replace 'Date' with the date of that day.
 * Please use abbreviations for the date (ie Dec. 13th instead of December 13th) so as not to unnecessarily stretch the table.
 * Do not put a date for your tweaked/redone image, as it there is no written time limit for reserving a tweak or redo, and adding a date tends to stretch the table.
 * A single piece of art may only be on the table for one week, due to this being a more than adequate amount of time for an image to be done. Once an image is put up for approval on the talk page, the time limit is irrelevant, and once the image is approved/declined it can be removed from the table.
 * Please CHECK THE TABLE before adding a character to your name; arguments have been known to break out over who has laid claim to the image.
 * Pressing the Ctrl and F keys on your keyboard will pop up a search feature, where you can search the character and make sure it has not already been claimed.
 * If a member enters a character without putting the date, the character will be removed.
 * If unperceived circumstances (such as the talk page being full) prevent a member from getting their image up within one week, the member can renew the character claim and date after the two weeks expire.

Reserving images with redone blanks

 * A blank redo is defined as one of our original blanks being redone.
 * When this happens, you are allowed to reserve two images.
 * These can be two images with the redone blanks, or one redone image and one original image. You cannot reserve two original images
 * OAs take first priority in redone images. The original artist is defined as the person who first did the image (or redid it).
 * If you plan to reserve an image with redone blanks, and the OA is still active, ask the OA if they would like their image.

Membership table
This table show which users belong to the Project, and lists users according to their qualifications.
 * If an apprentice or kit becomes inactive for more than two weeks, that apprentice can be removed from the Project.
 * Qualifications for being moved to a senior warrior on the table are listed on the nominations page.
 * If a warrior is inactive for more than two months, than that member will be removed from the table.
 * Non-leads (warriors, apprentices, kits) may not edit the membership table.

Project lead duties
These include duties that other members may not do on the main Project page. The project leads include the leader, the deputy, and the senior warriors.

Member table

 * The leads may edit the members table as follows:
 * When a user asks to join on the talk page, any lead may add them into the table under the kit listing. Both kits and apprentices are given 10 days to re-upload their image. If exceeded, their image will be declined.
 * Once a kit has completed one charart that a lead deems is above 50% complete, the lead may move them from the kit listing into the apprentice listing.
 * Once an apprentice is eligible, any lead may move them from the apprentice listing into the warrior listing. Upon becoming a warrior, members time to re-upload their image will be cut from 10 days to 7.
 * If an apprentice becomes inactive for more than two weeks, any lead may remove them from the Project.
 * Once a warrior becomes inactive for a month, any lead may move them from the warrior listing.
 * Once a member requests for their name to be removed from the table.

News section

 * Only one lead, designated by the leader, may edit the News section. As of now, the current news editor is Appledash.

Joining

 * A new section should be added when a user is requesting to join the Project, and the heading should read: 'UserName - Join Request'.
 * There are no requirements needed for the user to be accepted into the Project.
 * A Project lead will then add the user into the member list and provide any helpful links that the new member could benefit from.
 * A regular user should not welcome in the new user until a lead has added them in.
 * It should be noted that a user does not have to join the Project to put up art and participate. However, they will be exempt from discussions that require a user to be a warrior or above - such as voting on tweak nominations or putting up tweaks/redone images.

Discussion Sections

 * A new section should be added when discussions are started, and should have the topic being discussed in the heading of the section.
 * Appropriate discussions should include questions that adhere to the Project as a whole, an idea that could improve the Project, an error in the Project being pointed out, or a user asking for help with navigation of the Project.
 * Inappropriate discussion topics include personal user notices; i.e: absence notice.
 * Absence notices should be posted under the Vacation List section on the project page.

Project lead duties
These include duties that other users are not permitted to do on the Project talk page. The Project Leads include the leader, the deputy, and the senior warriors.

Archiving

 * A lead should always call for comments before archiving. If there are no comments after a few days, the discussion can be archived safely.
 * A discussion should be on the talk page for a week before it is archived.
 * If an archive has more than 25-30 sections, create a new archive.
 * Everything on a talk page should always be archived and stored away safely, so anyone can look back at something for reference.
 * Discussion sections should be archived in the current Discussion Archive.
 * New archives should be started after
 * Talk page sections should never be blanked. No user is permitted to blank a section off the talk page or cover it with something else.

Accepting join requests

 * Any lead should accept a join request whenever one pops up.
 * The lead should thank the user for their interest, and provide any links that would be beneficial to the user in the Project.
 * The lead would then add the new member into the Project table on the main page, under the listing of kit.
 * Once said user puts up a charart for approval on the talk page that a lead deems as 50% done, their name is moved to the apprentice section.
 * If it is a rejoining member, they can be added in as a warrior unless circumstances require that they cannot be.

Commenting

 * Just like any other users, warriors are not required to comment on images, but once they do, they should make sure they are not repeating any comments already stated.
 * People should not be rude when commenting. Do not insult someone's work, whether it is the person you are critiquing or another artist.
 * Try to be specific as possible. Being vague does not help the user when trying to fix art.
 * Do not reject comments unless other people disagree with the comment or if you genuinely think it is fine. It is fine to request a second opinion, but be sure to not dismiss other people too often.
 * Acknowledge each comment that comes forward; if you have a question about the comment, ask, but don't ignore comments.
 * If your image has gone 3 days without comments, you can ask for comments.

General guidelines

 * Users are expected to post their art 100% complete to the best of their ability at the start.
 * If an image takes over a month to complete, it will be declined.
 * Users are expected to fix every comment given unless there is a valid reason to reject it.

Kits
==Name of character (Rank) - For Evaluation==
 * Any images posted by kits should have "For Evaluation" rather than "For Approval". For example,
 * For a kit's image to be seen as 50% done, the charart should:
 * Be named and sized correctly
 * No lineart issues (such as blurry lineart, missing lineart)
 * Distinguishable shading source
 * Must follow the description of the character posted
 * Once the lead has determined that the image is 50% complete, the lead will change "For Evaluation" to "For Approval" and move the kit to the apprentice section in the member table.
 * Kits have 10 days to upload their images before it is declined.

Apprentices

 * Apprentices have 10 days to upload their images before it is declined.
 * After having three chararts approved, the apprentice will be moved to the warrior section.

Warriors

 * Warriors and above have 7 days to upload their image before it is declined.

Discussions

 * Anyone is welcome to comment on discussions started on the PCA talk page.
 * Anyone is welcome to create discussions on the talk page.
 * Be considerate when commenting on discussions, and know that not everyone will have the same opinion as you.

Image Sections

 * The same rules as the normal approval page apply for commenting.
 * Only warriors, senior warriors, the deputy and leader can post art tweaks/redos.
 * When an image is put up for approval of the tweak, a new section should be added, and the heading should read: ' Character (Rank) - Tweaked' or ' Character (Rank) - Redone'.
 * Images are to be re-uploaded over the original image.
 * There are only ever to be twenty-five image sections up for approval at one time.
 * A user is only ever to have two image sections up for approval at any one time.
 * The image being put up for approval should be taken out of thumbnail; the coding should look like this: Firestar.warrior.png]], not like this: [[File:Firestar.warrior.png.
 * The image will be archived by a lead if it goes 24 hours without a comment.
 * When an image is put on the talk page, the warrior who uploaded it should state its original artist, and then list the improvements made and ask for any further suggestions.
 * An image is only to be redone if it is in the redoing section, or with the permission of a lead.
 * You are given a week to tweak an image after it is posted, and if you exceed the time limit it will be declined.
 * You are given a two weeks to redo an image after it is posted, and if you exceed the time limit it will be declined.
 * Exceptions may be made if you are redoing/tweaking the image you are the OA of.

Redoing images
If the image is in the redoing section, feel free to redo it, but if it's in the tweaking section...
 * An image should only be redone if and only if the image is too hard to work with, and if a lead gives you permission.
 * No major tweaking that the image isn't listed for will be done. If the image has bad shading, do not redo any other aspect of the image so that every other pixel of that character then needs to be redone to match.
 * Exception: if a user comments on an aspect of an image that they believe needs to be corrected, you may then change that aspect of the image, even if the image was not listed to be tweaked for that particular aspect.
 * If an image needs to be redone as longhair/shorthair, try not to change the original pelt style.
 * Characters with a solid pelt style may either be tweaked or redone, depending on the tweaker's discretion. As it is a one solid color, there is not much to keep if the tweaker so decides to redo it.

Nominating an image

 * If you wish to nominate an image, you link the image (like so - ) underneath the appropriate subheading (either Tweaks or Redos), and list the reason(s) you wish it to be redone/tweaked.
 * Some suitable grounds for nominating a tweak:
 * If the shading and/or highlights are... blotchy, undefined (no light source), too dark, or too light
 * If the earpink is... too ostentatious (i.e, doesn't fit with the pelt color), too big, too small, not blurred enough, or undefinable
 * Note: Please realize that you cannot propose a tweak just because of the earpink, although if there is another issue with the image, you can also list the earpink.
 * If the markings are... too blurred (undefinable), too sharp (needs blurring), not easily definable from pelt color (need darkening) etc.
 * If a character is deviating slightly from their current (cited) description: ie shade change (from light to dark or dark to light), need scars etc.
 * If an image needs a change of fur length (lineart-wise)
 * Artist's choice if they see something they would like to fix
 * Suitable grounds for nominating a redo:
 * If an image needs to match a significantly different (cited) description: ie Tigerstar's kids needing to match his pattern exactly, needs to match the character's other images, etc.
 * If an image has so many things from the "suitable grounds for tweaking" list that it would be illogical to ask somebody to just tweak it.
 * Artist's choice
 * Note: There are always special cases that can't be outlined in vague rules. These are just the basics.


 * Suitable grounds for a tweak that do not require votes include...
 * Fixing blurred lineart
 * Adding torn ears
 * Adding tufted ears
 * Changing eye color
 * Switching to a new blank
 * Erasing waste
 * Note: Images that do not qualify for a vote can just be posted under the "Approved Tweaks" without any further ado. However, the image must have issues that are only on the not-requiring-a-vote list. Any images with issues that are on the not-requiring-a-vote list and issues that are on the suitable-grounds-for-tweaking/redos list must be nominated.


 * If you are suggesting that a character's entire charart set should be redone (for whatever reasons), you will post the character's page (linked like this: ) and not all of their images individually.
 * Once an image is under the "Approved Projects" heading, it may be reserved on the project main page and crossed out with a and a.
 * Once an image is nominated, members that are warriors and above must come along and vote.
 * The first side (yay or nay) to gain five votes will make the nomination go either approved or declined
 * A user can have a maximum of three images claimed via the tweak nomination page at a time, excluding images in a set.

Project Lead duties

 * After the nomination is voted on, there can be two results: passing or failing.
 * After reaching a conclusion, a tweak nomination must wait 24 hours before it is archived.
 * If the vote passes, a lead will archive it in the subpage and put the image underneath the "Approved Projects" heading and the appropriate subheading.
 * If the vote fails, a lead will archive it in the subpage, but not add it to the "Approved Projects".
 * If a user asks for that image and the nomination passes, while adding it under "Approved Projects", along with what needs to be done and the image(s) link, leads must add "Reserved to USERNAME, DD/MMM". If the reservation comment stays there for over a week, and the user hasn't added the charart yet, they've lost their reservation and it's free game.

Image guidelines
These are guidelines for how an artist should choose to portray a character.

Clan Leader Blanks

 * The Clan leader blanks should be used to depict all leaders, whether from traditional Clans, rogue/loner groups, or any other groups involved in the series.
 * A traditional Clan would be the Clans who recognize StarClan and the Warrior Code (ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, SkyClan, ShadowClan)
 * Other groups would be BloodClan, Darktail's Group/The Kin, etc.
 * Clan leaders who did not receive their proper name and nine lives but still were shown as a leader of their Clan will be given a depiction with a Clan leader blank.

Rogue blanks

 * All adult cats that are classified as a rogue in the books should be given a rogue blank.
 * All BloodClan cats are depicted with modified rogue blanks, with toothed collars and dog's teeth sheathed on their claws.

Alternative images

 * These are images made that reflect an author mistake in the book, mainly a major description change.
 * An alternative image should NOT be made if only the gender of the cat is changed.
 * An alternative image should be made if a character is mentioned as another rank, but they must match the original image.
 * An alternative image should be made if a permanent major injury happens to the character in question, such as Briarlight or Brightheart. The alternative should be made in the same rank when the injury happened.
 * Discussions can occur to discuss if an injury is major enough to count.
 * An alternative image should be made for a pelt color change or a marking change. Eye color or gender change only does not count.
 * If in the same instance in the book, both the eye color, gender and the pelt color change, an alternative can be made displaying both.
 * An alternative image should NOT be made when a synonym of a color is used in the books; i.e: cream instead of yellow, dark brown instead of brown, etc.
 * An alternate image should be made if a cat is called a color that is more than two shades from their original pelt color; i.e: dark brown instead of light brown, black instead gray, etc.
 * Eye color should match original image.

Queens

 * A queen is defined by the project to be any cat to either be seen pregnant/nursing a kit/kits or a cat mentioned as having done so in the past.

WindClan and RiverClan cats

 * All WindClan cats, unless they are not pure WindClan or if it is specified (like in the case of Thistlepaw) must be done in the short-haired blank, as it reflects their sleek, skinny, and thin furred appearances.
 * All RiverClan cats, unless they are not pure RiverClan (like in the case of Mistystar) or if it is specified (like in the case of Pinefur) must be done in the long-haired blank, as it reflects their usually thick, long, and dense fur, and sometimes plump appearances.

Modern Tribe of Rushing Water

 * All Tribe cats, with the exceptions of kits and elders, must have some form of mud on their pelts, as described in the books. It can be patched or speckled, but either way, it should appear as if the cats rolled into the mud.

Description

 * If only 'tabby' (no specific color) is given for the description, the tabby should be made brown.
 * Ginger cats should be made tabbies, and any image that has ginger in it should include stripes on the ginger.
 * Pale parts on tabbies are optional.
 * Tortoiseshell cats should not have any white spots unless described as tortoiseshell and white.

Necessities on images

 * Shading
 * Seeing all of the lineart (especially on black cats)
 * Accurate nose color (such as dark red for black cats)
 * Eye color
 * Earpink
 * Must match description

Creating a master pattern

 * A master pattern is defined as the artist creating the original pattern.
 * For master's pattern, the pattern is artist's choice, as long as it matches the description.
 * If the image is a set, and several people reserve images in the set, the person who posts the image first with their pattern will technically be the holder of the "master pattern."

Artist's choice

 * Several things are considered artist's choice for a master pattern. These include:
 * Eye style
 * Shading style
 * Portrayal of description (such as stripe style, fleck style, patch style, etc.)
 * Eye color (if a character is not described with one, the artist can pick any color they want)
 * Texture
 * Pale and darker parts (if character is not confirmed to be a solid color)

Matching

 * If someone is reserving an image that belongs to a set, or the image of a character who is said to match another character (such as Bramblestar and Tigerstar or Jake and Firestar), the user is expected to match the first image in the set to the best of their ability.
 * An image should be matched to the best of someone's ability.

Artist's choice

 * There are some factors that are considered artist's choice in matching.
 * Eye style
 * Shading style

Uploading

 * When re-uploading an image that is up for approval use the same file for every upload.

Using the Project Approval Talk page

 * When an image is put up for approval, a new section should be added, and the heading should read: ' Character (Rank) - For Approval'
 * If the user is a kit, then the heading should read: ' Character (Rank) - For Evaluation'
 * An image up for approval is an image an artist submits to be critiqued by all the Project members, and when it is seen to qualify for the best possible level of excellence, will be approved and placed on its respective article.
 * If the image is approved, declined, or withdrawn by its artist, the 'For Approval' will be changed accordingly to 'Approved', 'Declined', or 'Withdrawn'.
 * There are only ever to be forty image sections up for approval at one time.
 * Withdrawn, declined, approved, or CBA'd sections that have not been archived yet should NOT be subtracted from the total section number to provide how many image sections are up for approval. If the number of images up for approval is at fifty, a user should wait before adding another.
 * Images that should not be put up for approval include fan-made characters and character ranks already completed.
 * A user is only ever to have one image section up for approval.
 * If blanks are being redone, a user can have two redone blank images up.
 * The image being put up for approval should be taken out of thumbnail; the coding should look like this:, not like this:
 * When an image is in the 'comments before approval' stage the heading will read: ' Character (Rank) - CBA'

Project Lead Duties
These include duties that other users are not permitted to do on the Project talk page. The Project Leads include the leader, the deputy, and the senior warriors.

Approving/Declining
Approving is the process of accepting an image into the main database for use in the main namespace articles.
 * When a Project lead believes an image is qualified enough to be placed on its article, the image should not be approved right away. Instead, the customary 'comments before approval' or 'CBA' should be placed in the image section for twenty-four hours, and the heading should be changed to Character (Rank) - CBA
 * If during the twenty-four hours someone critiques the image, the twenty-four hours will expire until the artist complies with the criticism. The hours then can be restarted by an additional CBA once the user reuploads the image or if the image is fine and it doesn't need to be fixed.
 * If the twenty-four hours finish with no criticism, then a Project Lead should post 'Approved' in the image section and change the heading to Character - Approved.
 * The section can then be archived in the current approved art archive, and the image in question will be placed on its respective article, and have the correct categories placed upon it (example: for Firestar's leader image - Approved Character Images, and Leader Character Images.)

Declining is the process of refusing an image for use in the main namespace articles.


 * Reasons for a Project Lead to immediately decline an image are as follows; copyright infringement, a completely unneeded image for whatever reason, an image that has been claimed by another user (see Current Projects section of page), image is placed on the wrong page, two separate images of the same character rank up for approval simultaneously; newest one should be declined, and an image that is a fan-made character.
 * Reasons for a Project Lead to decline an image up for approval are as follows; lack of work on updates to image, the user becoming unable to work on the image, or the user failing to complete the image within the one month limit.


 * When declining, a Project Lead should post 'Declined due to (reason for declining)' and change the heading to Character (Rank) - Declined.
 * The section can then be archived in the current declined art archive, and the image link should be given  tags so it can be deleted from the wiki without leaving redlinks.
 * If the one month limit is the case, the user will have to wait two weeks before reserving that same image. This is fair, so that if they wish, they may take on another task, and give another user the opportunity to take on the declined image.

Archiving

 * Everything on a talk page should always be archived and stored away safely, so anyone can look back at something for reference.
 * Any approved image sections should be archived in the current Approved Art Archive, and any declined or withdrawn image sections should be archived in the current Declined Art Archive.
 * Talk page sections should never be blanked. No user is permitted to blank a section off the talk page or cover it with something else.

Comments

 * Be detailed when critiquing; the artist may not know what you mean otherwise.
 * Explain how to fix something, don't tell the artist to fix it.
 * Do not post just to restate a comment. This creates clutter and long, long sections.
 * Compliments are great, but they cause clutter. Do not post just to say, "Great job!"
 * Do not post conversational comments; that is, comments with no constructive merit. This is not a chatting page, this is for solid, constructive criticism.
 * The artist is entitled to their opinion as well as others, and well-worded, polite debates are permitted. This may be about color, markings, or the formation/texture of the image.
 * Caps, multiple exclamation points, and insults are not permitted.
 * An artist may ask for a second opinion on some critiques, but they may not refute every critique on their image.
 * Another user may not speak for an artist or make decisions for them about their image unless they are given permission.

Behavior

 * Members are expected to be polite and courteous towards their fellows, in critique and discussion.
 * Aggression and any form of personal attacks will not be tolerated.

Violation of User Conduct

 * If a fight starts up between two or more aggressive users on the talk page, the participants are to be given a 24-hour ban. Their comments will be struck out.
 * If the artist is involved, he/she will also be given a ban and the image will be declined. It may not be re-submitted for a week.
 * If the same users start a fight more than two times, they will be given a ban and they will be removed from the Project.
 * If a member uses caps, multiple exclamation points, and/or insults another member, that member will be given a warning by a Project Lead.
 * If behavior continues, a 24-hour ban is given, and possible eventual removal from the Project.