PORTRAIT STANDARDS
Furcadia in general follows the Teen+ Standard, as such all portraits start at Teen+. Portraits that are exceptionally squeaky clean and benign are given an E8+ Standard. Portraits that are a little more expressive and controversial are elevated to a higher standard, such as M16+ or A18+.
Portraits are approved by a small number of DEP staff. The reason we keep this number small is because reviewing portraits is highly subjective and we wish to keep our decisions consistent. All reviewers use the following guidelines:
If more than one of the following rules applies it may further elevate your standard.
1. A Broken Portrait:
Most broken portraits are approved regardless so you can see what the problem is, take steps to correct it, and re-upload in the first seven days. A broken portrait can be caused by many things:
- The portrait is too small
- The portrait is misaligned/cut off
- The portrait is too large
- The portrait is not remapping fully, or not at all.
- The portrait is a non-animating portrait uploaded in an animated portrait space.
If your portrait is broken you might want to check it more carefully before re-uploading, or load it into the FOX Editor to check how it remaps. Make sure that it is the correct size and alignment. You can find more information about making portraits here.
2. Copyright Violation:
If we have been contacted by the creator/copyright holder of a portrait, we will provide them with contact information so they can hopefully resolve the issue with you. This may lead to your portrait not being approved or cleared. DEP does not enforce copyright. It is up to the artist to pursue and deal with any copyright violations and let us know it needs clearing. You can learn more about this here.
3. Exposed Genitals:
E8+
Nothing even possibly resembling genitals or pubic hair is acceptable at the E8+ Standard.
Teen+
No exposed/clearly defined genitals are allowed at a Teen+ standard level.
M16+
Hinted pubic hair and indistinct outlines under clothing are allowed. Exposed genitals are still not allowed at a M16+ standard level.
A18+
Tasteful Nudity is allowed at an A18+ standard level, so genitals may be shown in a non-sexual context.
AO
Genitals may be shown. There are limits of taste and graphic appropriateness that may not be crossed even at this level.
4. Hand Gesture:
E8+
No controversial hand gestures are allowed, period. This includes anything more than, for example, the peace symbol or thumbs-up.
Teen+
Some hand gestures (hang loose, rock on, gang signs) may be allowed. Your portrait may also be Teen+ for making a gesture that is unknown to the reviewer but not blatantly offensive.
M16+
Many hand gestures that lack a strong violent or discriminatory meaning are allowed. ( Middle Finger )
A18+
Almost any hand gesture is allowed.
5. Symbolism:
E8+
No controversial, offensive, or religious symbols, period. This does not exclude all symbols from being used.
Teen+
Some controversial but only mildly offensive symbols are allowed. (Pot Leaf, Anarchy symbol). Most religious symbols allowed except those with strong connections to violent and/or hateful practices.
M16+
Most controversial symbols and some less prominent offensive symbols are allowed.
A18+
All controversial symbols allowed, and most offensive symbols are allowed.
AO
Almost all symbols may be portrayed in any fashion.
6. Nipple(s):
Teen+
Very, very tasteful covered nipples may be allowed. Tape over nipples is not allowed. Very understated male nipples are allowed.
M16+
Tasteful female and male nipples are allowed. No nipple piercings are allowed because they draw too much attention to the nipples. Tape and pasties over nipples is allowed.
A18+
Nipples and nipple piercing are both allowed.
7. Not Furcadia Acceptable:
This is a category for the un-categorized which is over-the-top. At the reviewer's discretion, a portrait's overall tone and/or subject may be found to be beyond even the AO Standard in one or many ways. Even AO portraits must be pleasing to most viewers. Anything that makes a reviewer nauseous or question the artist's sanity will be disapproved for this reason.
8. Nudity:
E8+
'Bugs Bunny' cartoon nudity is all that is acceptable. Too much cleavage, thigh or defined musculature (six packs) are not allowed.
Teen+
'Fur Covered' nudity may be accepted if the character is not too provocatively posed. Defined muscles and cleavage are allowed. No genitals or nipples may be showing.
M16+
Tasteful nudity is allowed. Portraits with multiple nude characters must not depict those characters in sexual situations.
A18+
Nudity is allowed, although no aroused depiction of genitalia or greatly emphasized sexual characteristics.
AO
Full nudity is allowed and characters may be depicted with some unrealistic, sexualized anatomy.
9. Profanity:
E8+
No profanity is allowed, period.
Teen+
Very mild profanity is allowed. (WTF, Heck, Damn, GTFO)
M16+
Non-explicit profanity is allowed. (F-word in isolation, most 'swear' words)
A18+
Most anything is allowed that is not racist or prejudiced or could be considered targeted harassment.
AO
Explicit language allowed, but it still cannot be racist, prejudiced or targeted harassment.
10. Controlled Substances:
E8+
No Controlled substances allowed. Undefined drinks may be allowed as long as any characters do not appear impaired/inebriated.
Teen+
No smoking is allowed, not even a depiction of a character holding a cigarette or joint. No drug use is allowed. Comical alcohol is allowed (yo ho ho and a bottle of rum).
M16+
Characters may smoke. Drug use is allowed. Alcohol is allowed.
A18+
No restriction on controlled substances.
AO
No restriction on controlled substances.
11. Re-upload of Rejected:
"Your portrait has already been sent back for revision at least once." If you're getting this message you should really consider significantly editing your portrait or changing to a different one all together before re-uploading. If you continue to upload a returned portrait without attempting to fix the problem your portrait space may be frozen.
12. Sexual Content:
Your portrait is too sexy for its space, too sexy for it's space... *ahem* Your portrait may be elevated for this reason if its content is too sexual, whether or not genitals/nipples are present. There are some poses, especially when multiple characters are involved that are simply more sexual than others.
E8+
Friendly hugs and clothed (or fluffy furred) cuddles are allowed. Nonsexual/Nonviolent Collars and leashes allowed.
Teen+
Non-sexual kissing and some snuggling allowed. Nonsexual/Nonviolent Collars and leashes allowed.
M16+
Kissing and non-explicit, sexual, physical interaction allowed. Collars, leashes and playful bondage allowed.
A18+
Extremely suggestive kissing and non-graphic sexual interactions are allowed. Mildly violent bondage allowed.
AO
Tastefully explicit sexual interactions are allowed. This is not the place to advertise any extreme fetishes.
13. Violent:
Your portrait may be a beautifully rendered depiction of your budding warlord subduing and disposing of his most recent adversaries, but it's just too much -- or a little too blood-splattered -- to be acceptable under the Teen+ Standard. You might also be elevated for being too violent or depicting a gun pointed directly at the viewer, as this is not quite Teen+ behavior.
E8+
Cartoon skulls and crossbones are acceptable (yay, pirates!). Sheathed/non-wielded weapons are allowed. No potentially harmful magic. No blood. Very limited character scarring allowed.
Teen+
Guns and other weapons may be held but not pointed at the viewer, or any character in the portrait. Small amounts of blood may be allowed. 'Comic violence' (Biff, Sock! Pow!) allowed. Mildly deformed characters allowed (missing eye, scars, stitches.) Tasteful undead such as vampires and non-graphic zombies allowed.
M16+
Realistic blood allowed, Open wounds and mild gore allowed. Moderate Character-on-character violence is allowed. Guns may be pointed at, but not fired at a character in the portrait. Guns may be pointed at the viewer. Graphic (but not excessively so) "undead" allowed. Violence and sexual content cannot be mixed.
A18+
Same as M16+, only more so. Minor amounts of violence/bondage may be present in sexual context.
AO
There is an upper limit to the level of violence allowed in Furcadia portraits. No Actual photographs of grievous harm toward humans or animals will be allowed, ever. No obvious rape scenes. Portraits are meant to be appealing in addition to a form of self expression. When in doubt, tone it down a little.
14. Bodily Fluids:
A snarling, salivating wild ferian is likely acceptable at Teen+, but an excess of spittle in a sexual situation is more A18+. Furres bleed when you poke them with sharp things, accidents happen, vampires are often depicted crying bloody tears-- and this is Teen+ or below. However, excessive bloody splattering, gushing, or leaking is considered M16+ or higher. Less is more. Less is especially more readily acceptable.
E8+
Tears, sweat drops and comical spittle are allowed. Blood and sexual fluids are not allowed.
Teen+
Some blood or saliva is allowed, but not together. No sexual fluids.
M16+
More blood and bleeding wounds are allowed. Saliva and blood are allowed in the same port. Cartoonish, non-sexual urination, defecation and vomiting are allowed. No sexual fluids.
A18+
Realistic Blood Allowed. Saliva transfer between characters is permitted. Implied sexual fluids, non-excessive urination, defecation and vomiting allowed.
AO
Some excessive blood allowed. Minimal sexual fluids allowed.
15. Animation:
Moving images are more evocative than still ones. Therefore there are some extra, special rules that apply to animated portraits.
E8+
Squeaky Clean. (Eye blinks, animated backgrounds, shimmer effects, moving clouds.) Non-sexual dancing allowed.
Teen+
Nothing suggestive, gross, or controversial. Mildly suggestive dancing allowed.
M16+
Dripping/spurting non-sexual fluids. Non-gory, violent actions. Smoking. Crude gestures. Mildly suggestive dancing allowed.
A18+
Suggestive dancing allowed. Off-camera/hidden sexual activity allowed. Tasteful violence may be present as a minor factor in sexual context.
AO
Some animated hardcore images are allowed, at the AO level.
16. Mood/Theme:
No harassing/derogatory themes will be allowed.
E8+
No excessively dark, depressing, violent, sexual or possibly insulting themes allowed. No eyes without pupils or too brightly glowing.
Teen+
Dark/Depressing Themes allowed. Violent and Sexual themes should be minimized.
M16+
Very Dark/Horror Themes allowed. Violent themes allowed. Non-explicit Sexual themes allowed.
A18+
Sexual/Bondage Themes allowed.
AO
Explicit Sexual Themes allowed. Explicit violent sexual themes are not allowed.
As is obvious, there is a lot of area for overlap in these categories. Portrait approval, as mentioned earlier, is highly subjective. Keep in mind, however, that the vast majority of portraits are approved as E8+ or Teen+ with barely a second glance. It's only a small percentage that require any thought at all because they're close enough to 'the line'.
Keep in mind that in the seven days from when a portrait is FIRST approved, you can return to your portrait upload page to re-upload or clear a portrait to fix any issues with it. This includes changing the content of a portrait to fit a different Standard. Changing a portrait after the first seven days requires purchasing a portrait clearing service on Digomarket.
An elevation of your portrait's standard doesn't mean that the portrait is 'bad'. Many beautiful, cute, handsome, and well-made portraits are elevated simply because their content is just a little too spicy, not because the reviewer doesn't like them.
Very seldom do we not approve a portrait. This is for the portrait being unacceptable at any standard, or it is very broken. If you don't understand how to make a portrait the standard you are looking for, or are unsure what technical problems it might have feel free to open a support ticket and we shall do our best to provide you with an exact description of what needs to be changed.
We love to see your art and appreciate what it adds to the Furcadian Community!
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