Hi everyone,

This forum works because people feel safe to share, ask questions, and be honest with each other. These guidelines exist to keep it that way. They're short, and most of it is common sense — but please read through before you post.

1. 🤝 Be kind

We have members at every level — first-timers who've never sketched in public and artists with decades of experience. Treat everyone with the same respect you'd want in return.

Disagreements happen. That's fine. Debate the idea, not the person. Sarcasm, condescension, and dismissiveness have no place here, even if you think they're subtle. If you're unsure whether something you're about to post is kind, sit with it for a moment before hitting send.

2. 🖊️ Credit others' work

If you share someone else's sketch, photo, or idea — whether from inside this community or anywhere else — name them clearly. "Found this online" is not a credit. Link to the original where you can.

Sharing without credit, even with good intentions, is still taking. We're a community built on original work — let's honour that.

3. 💬 Keep feedback constructive

When someone shares their sketch, they're making themselves a little vulnerable. Respond to that generously.

Good feedback is specific and honest — it names what's working and, if asked, offers a concrete suggestion for what could be stronger. "This is great!" is kind. "The way you handled the shadows on the left really works — if anything, I'd push the contrast on the right to match" is kind and useful.

If you didn't ask for critique and someone gives you unsolicited harsh feedback, you don't have to engage. Let a moderator know if it crosses a line.

4. 🗺️ Keep it about sketching

This forum is for urban sketching — sharing work, talking technique, discussing locations, organising meetups, and supporting each other's practice. Keep your posts relevant to that.

Off-topic threads will be moved or closed. General chat is fine when it connects back to sketching life in Bahrain.

5. 📷 Image rights — what you can and can't post

-       Your own work: Post freely. By sharing it here you're confirming it's yours and giving the community permission to view and engage with it. Ownership stays with you.

-       Other members' work: Only share within the forum if you have their explicit permission, and always credit them by name.

-       Third-party images: If you want to share reference material, tutorials, or inspiration from outside the community, link to the source rather than uploading the image directly. Respect copyright.

-       Photos of people: If your sketch or photo clearly shows an identifiable person who isn't a public figure, make sure you have their consent before posting.

If you're unsure, ask a moderator before posting.

6. 🚫 What not to post

To keep this a safe and focused space, please don't post:

-       Spam, advertisements, or self-promotion unrelated to sketching

-       Content that is offensive, discriminatory, or intended to demean any person or group

-       Personal contact details of other members without their consent

-       Artwork or images you didn't create and don't have permission to share

-       Anything unrelated to the USK Bahrain community or urban sketching

Posts that break these rules will be removed without notice. Repeated violations will result in a warning, and if necessary, loss of posting privileges.

7. ⚖️ How moderation works

The forum is moderated by the USK Bahrain Community Manager and a small team of volunteer moderators. Here's what to expect:

-       Reporting: If you see something that breaks these guidelines, use the Report button on the post. Don't reply to it or call it out publicly — just report it and let us handle it.

-       Response time: We aim to review reports within 24–48 hours. We're a volunteer-run community, so thank you for your patience.

-       Actions we can take: Editing or removing a post, issuing a private warning, temporarily restricting posting access, or — in serious cases — permanently removing a member from the forum.

-       Appeals: If you believe a moderation decision was unfair, contact us directly through the Contact page. Decisions made in good faith won't be reversed in public threads.

-       We're human: Moderators won't always get it perfect. If you think we've missed something or made a call you disagree with, reach out calmly and we'll talk it through.

The short version

Be kind. Credit others. Give feedback you'd want to receive. Stay on topic. Don't post what isn't yours.

That's it. Now go sketch something.  🖊️