Okay, recently, people that I don't have on my watchlist have been sending me notes with their submissions in them. It's not really annoying me or anything, but I don't really like having to find I have a new note from someone, only to find it's from someone who wishes they were on my watchlist, rather than from someone who has an important issue they want to discuss. And in principle, it's a bit disrespectful. I don't get a lot of notes, and I don't want them being spammed with messages from people who want me to take a look at their art--that's what devwatch is for. I get to pick what I want to watch; you don't. If I don't like your stuff, or I'm indifferent to it, I'm not in the interest of watching it.

I know sometimes it's because I don't know you exist, but if I do, and I'm not watching you, there's probably a good reason for that--don't spam my inbox with pointless notes about your submissions, because chances are, I'm not interested in watching them. If I don't know you exist, just write me a comment or something in my profile (just don't ask to watch me; say hi, comment on my artwork, or anything else I might be interested in). Even if I don't respond to your message, I'll probably have read it. But I don't just watch everyone who comments on my page. Ja sure, you might be a nice person; you might have given me a useful critique, but that doesn't mean I'm obligated to watch you--I watch people with good artwork that usually has something I can learn from, or you're my friend from somewhere else. I may even have not a particularly good reason to watch someone, but that doesn't matter; I can choose who I want to watch, and who I don't want to watch.

If you don't end up getting watched, don't bother sending me a note about your submissions; I'm most likely not interested, and I'm probably going to ignore it. If you want a critique on something you're working on, you can send me a note. Just make it clear that you're asking for a critique, and not trying to make me look at your stuff. If you want a collab or request, send me a note. Don't send me a note asking to fave any of your submissions; I don't do the faves thing. If you want to let me know you're having a contest, and you think I would be interested, send me a note. If you want to ask me whether or not I'm going to watch you, don't send me a note. I'll watch you if I like your stuff. If you want to ask something about math or any other subject I'm interested in, send me a note. And so on.

If you want to know whether or not I'm going to watch you, here's some stuff I'd be looking for:
-high quality artwork; displays good anatomy, lighting perspective, etc.
-digital art (painting) preferred; traditional is okay, but not really anything "abstract" like abstract art, photography or photomanipulation
-original, well-thought subjects; there is some meaning that went into it. Fanart is fine, but it must not be a carbon copy of the original artist's work; it must display some kind of style, and some effort; something that proves you added your own original touch to the fanart, like changing the angle of a scene in the original, drawing fanart characters in your own distinct style, or drawing them for satire, etc.