Welcome to the Art of Gridcosm

Before you jump in and start contributing, we'd like to tell you something about Gridcosm.

First, there's the technical rules:

• 150 pixels x 150 pixels.
• JPG or GIF format. No Animated GIFs.

The technical rules are important because uploading the wrong size or format image can disable the Grid's ability to regenerate, and that ruins our fun until it's repaired. We try to detect weirdness, so don't worry too much. If you accidentally upload the wrong type image, please notify us as soon as possible. In some cases, you can use your "back" button to try uploading again. No promises, though!

The spiritual commandments of the Grid are also important. These are in accord with the original philosophy of Gridcosm.

• Thou shalt blend unto thy neighbor's gridsquare.
• Thou shalt not hog the whole Grid to thyself.

The reason for these commandments is that the purpose of our game is collaboration. Like a jam session, you can't just play solo. Like sex, it gets silly sometimes. When we are really in the groove, our 8 separate gridpieces and the motherpiece form a coherent whole, and it sings. Then we party in the Gridcosm forum, and post up things like "Wowie! That was fun!"

So you reserve your space and you copy the neighbor squares you will be blending into. However you use your graphics program is up to you. You may paste the existing squares onto a larger blank image to define the space you will be painting or pasting new artwork into. And then ... we finish each other's thoughts in new and unexpected ways.

Welcome to the Gridcosm.