Yet another post asking for social media advice
Okay I've actually read around a bit, but the problem with social media is every artist's needs are different. So I can only ask the same question everyone else is asking. But I can also provide details, and hopefully people can help me out.
A very brief backstory first: I have a DeviantArt (11yrs), I have a Twitter (brand new), and I don't have an Instagram (Banned unfairly twice in one week). Also I have an Artstation and Cara, which is basically Artstation without AI. Which isn't great because I don't think Artstation is built for community...
The majority of my art is about my original characters, specifically ones from old D&D sessions. I don't think original works are resonating with DeviantArt. Also, all social media sites suck except for Tumblr, but from what I understand Tumblr is better for fan art than original works. I don't really understand Twitter or Bluesky, and don't know if they're any help for me. Although, I've just joined Twitter and I'm already learning a lot of nasty things regarding AI and privacy. I mean, I've already opted out of all machine learning permissions, but I don't know if that's enough.
So it's really a three fold question (Haven't gotten to the third part yet):
First, as an artist trying to tell stories through art (character art with backstory descriptions, some comics even, maybe even a book at some point??), what is the best platform for me to reach an audience?
Second, how do you deal with AI art theft? Apparently Glaze and Nightshade don't really work and all they do is mess up your art. So I don't expect any direct counters, but like, what procedures do you take, especially on a site like X? Do you just not post there at all? Do you post with low res? Watermarks (really hate those)?
Third of all, and this might require you to look at my DeviantArt or Artstation page (Just look up Mar Speedman and you'll find me), but I recognize my art may be lacking in presentation. I don't think my art itself is bad (Although, I still have a lot to learn as an artist and I'm *trying* to balance learning and socializing), but I recognize the final image itself may look too plain. Especially, a lot of time my art ends up looking very flat, but that's a different issue that I'm constantly trying to break out of. My real concern is that I tend to not do backgrounds. I suck at them, and I don't even know where to start even with simple backgrounds. And I don't know if that's hurting my reach or not. So I would appreciate it if you took a quick look there and get a general vibe. You can just browse through the gallery thumbnails, I'm not fishing for views.
So that's everything that leaves me clueless about social media. I know it's a long post, sorry about that. To sum up:
-What platforms are best for me if I want to promote original work to an audience?
-What measures do you take against AI and Art theft when you do post?
-Is the presentation of my art lacking in any way, and what ways can I compensate?