Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of questions that have already been asked by the numerous artists already in our database. If you have a question about the Fan Art Galleries that is not answered on this page, please email fanart@the-leaky-cauldron.org.
What are the Fan Art Galleries?
This is a place where artists who draw about characters and situations within (or even sometimes slightly outside of) the Harry Potter universe can share their work, comment on each other's work, connect with favorite artists, and much more.How do I use the Fan Art Galleries?
If you just want to browse, simply click around. You'll find we've created several ways for you to enjoy the experience, find art, find artists, find art in different types of categories, or simply click and browse.If you want to store your art here, simply sign up for an account and begin uploading!
If you would like to comment on others' art, you must also sign up for an account.
What do you consider fan art?
Drawings and imagery related to the Harry Potter world that you have had a hand in creating or modifying is considered fan art. Digital work combining different pieces of movie imagery is fan art; a promo picture of Dan Radcliffe uploaded to your account is not. A drawing that copies that photo, but nonetheless came from your own hand, may still be considered fan art. In short, fan art is a visual representation of Harry Potter that you have created.Where do I upload pictures?
You must first log in - if you have a Leaky Lounge account, use that to log in and you will automatically have a profile. Otherwise, register at the links provided on the left-hand side of any page. Once you have done so, and then logged in, you will see a set of links appear under the "Artist Login" heading. One will read "Upload a new image". Clicking that link will bring you to a page where you can find the image you wish to upload on your computer and upload it to the galleries.What format do the pictures/avatars have to be in?
The Fan Art Galleries support the following image types: JPG, JPEG, and PNG. The GIF, BMP, TIF and TIFF formats are not supported.I was looking through the Browse By Artist section of the Fan Art Galleries and did not see my username on the list. Why not?
We have filtered out those who have not uploaded any images on the Artist List in order not to show those users who just want to post comments on other people's pictures.When I register for the Fan Art Galleries, do I register for any other parts of Leaky?
When you register for the Fan Art Galleries, you are simultaneously registered for The Leaky Cauldron's Forum, Leaky Lounge. Similarly, if you register for Leaky Lounge first, you will also be registered for the Fan Art Galleries. You will only appear in our artist list, however, if you start to upload your work.I have already registered for Leaky Lounge, how do I start using my Fan Art Gallery account?
It's easy: you simply log in to the Fan Art Galleries on the left-hand side of any page of the galleries with your Leaky Lounge login information. The first time you log in your Fan Art Gallery profile will be created and you will be able to upload pictures as well as comment on other artists' pictures.I can't seem to log in to the Fan Art Galleries or do much else throughout them. Why?
The first thing to check if you are having this problem is your JavaScript settings. The Fan Art Galleries is written using a lot of the highly popular programming language AJAX and in order for it to function, JavaScript must be enabled. Simply add www.the-leaky-cauldron.org to your list of JavaScript-enabled websites and you should not have any problems.If you still cannot log in to the galleries, it is possible that your account has been suspended. If, after continued warnings and other revocations of privileges throughout the Fan Art Galleries, you still do not follow the Rules of the galleries, your account will be suspended and you will not be able to log in to the Fan Art Galleries.
I can't comment on other artists' pictures. Why not?
The most common reason is that you are not logged in to the Fan Art Galleries on the left-hand side of the page. Simply log in with your Leaky Lounge login information and you should be able to comment on other artists' pictures.Members who constantly abuse the rules for posting comments in the Fan Art Galleries will find their ability to post comments removed. This is most likely the reason if you are logged in and are still unable to comment.
What are 'tags'?
Tags are a new system of categorization that Leaky is testing. We decided to see how this new system worked out, rather than having regular categories into which each image can be placed. Basically, tagging is assigning pictures with a brief set of words that describe the kind of picture or what is in the picture. For instance, let's say that you upload a picture of Severus Snape and Narcissa Malfoy making the Unbreakable Vow and you want to tag it. You would give it tags such as 'snape', 'narcissa', 'malfoy', 'unbreakable', and 'vow'.Currently, the system of tagging differentiates different tags with spaces. As the system gets more and more intuitive, you will be able to assign an entire phrase as a tag, such as 'unbreakable vow' or 'narcissa malfoy', and much, much more.