AESTHETIC & CREATIVE DISCORD TEMPLATE / FREE SETUP KIT

Art Collective

An artist community with portfolios, works in progress, critique preferences, a safer commissions board, collaborations and a configurable AI-art policy.

20–1,500 members
Intermediate
~50 min setup
18 channels · 9 roles
Needs Community features

Is this template right for you?

Best for

Communities where members want structured critique
Artists who take commissions and want a safer way to advertise them
Groups running art challenges, trades and collaborations

Not ideal for

A small group of friends sharing doodles — Cozy Corner is lighter
A single creator's fan community — use Streamer Community

Built for: Illustrators, painters and digital artists · Art student and hobbyist groups · Commission-taking artists · Zine and collaboration groups

Categories & channels

Create each category with its permissions first, then add channels inside it and keep them synced to the category. Channel types used: Text, Announcement, Forum, Voice.

START HERE

Read-only

Rules, the AI-art policy and how critique works.

Category permissions: @everyone: deny Send Messages. Admin and Curator: allow Send Messages.

rules Text

Community rules, attribution rules and the community's AI-art policy.

Read-only

announcements Announcement

Challenges, features and server news.

Read-only

critique-guide Text

How to give useful critique: start with what works, be specific, suggest rather than dictate, and respect the tag the artist chose.

Read-only

GALLERY

Public

Finished work and portfolios.

portfolios Forum

One post per artist, kept up to date by that artist: a short intro, mediums, best pieces and links.

Permissions: Only the post's author and staff should edit it; ask members not to reply with unsolicited critique.

Forum tags: Digital, Traditional, 3D, Pixel art, Animation, Photography

Public

finished-work Forum

One post per finished piece. The tag states what feedback the artist wants.

Permissions: Require a tag on new posts.

Forum tags: Just sharing, Gentle feedback, Full critique, AI-assisted (if allowed)

Public

features Text

Curators highlight standout work each week, with the artist's permission and credit.

Read-only

STUDIO

Public

Work in progress and learning.

works-in-progress Forum

One post per piece in progress; update the same post as it develops.

Forum tags: Sketch, Lineart, Colour, Stuck — help wanted, Critique welcome

Public

resources Forum

Tutorials, brushes, references and tools, one post each. Only share resources you're allowed to share.

Forum tags: Tutorial, Brushes, References, Software, Free, Paid

Public

studio-chat Text

General art talk, supplies and process.

Public

Draw Together Voice

Co-working with optional screen sharing.

Public

COMMISSIONS & COLLABS

Public

Paid work and collaborations, with safety rules.

commission-info Text

How commissions work here: the server doesn't handle payments or resolve payment disputes, only Verified Artists can advertise, and warnings about common scams.

Read-only

commissions-open Forum

Verified Artists post one listing each with prices, turnaround and terms, and update it as slots open and close.

Permissions: Only Verified Artist can create posts; everyone can view and reply.

Forum tags: Open, Waitlist, Closed

Role-gated

collabs-and-trades Forum

Art trades, zines and group projects, one post per call.

Forum tags: Art trade, Zine, Group project, Filled

Public

CHALLENGES

Public

Regular prompts that keep people drawing.

challenge-prompts Text

The current prompt, deadline and rules, posted by Curators.

Read-only

challenge-entries Forum

One post per entry, tagged with the prompt.

Forum tags: Current prompt, Past prompt

Public

STAFF

Staff only

Moderation and artist verification.

Category permissions: Deny View Channels for @everyone. Allow Admin, Moderator and Curator.

staff-chat Text

Coordination, features and challenges.

Staff only

verification-queue Text

Review Verified Artist requests: check the portfolio belongs to the applicant before granting the role.

Staff only

mod-log Text

AutoMod alerts, art-theft reports and moderation actions.

Staff only

Role hierarchy & permissions

Create roles in this order, from the top of the role list down. A role can only manage roles below it, and bot roles must sit above any role they assign.

Different staff setup or bots? Adapt this hierarchy in the roles generator.

Owner
Display role for the owner.
How members get it
Owner account.
Display
Shown separately · Not mentionable
Enable
No permissions (cosmetic or ping role)
Withhold
Administrator — not needed
Admin
Manages configuration.
How members get it
Assigned by the owner.
Display
Shown separately · Not mentionable
Enable
Manage Server, Manage Roles, Manage Channels, Manage Expressions, View Audit Log, Ban Members, Kick Members, Timeout Members, Manage Messages, Manage Threads
Withhold
Administrator
Moderator
Enforces rules, including art theft and scam reports.
How members get it
Assigned by Admins.
Display
Shown separately · Mentionable
Enable
Timeout Members, Kick Members, Manage Messages, Manage Threads, Manage Nicknames, View Audit Log
Withhold
Manage Roles; Ban Members until trusted
Curator
Runs challenges, features work and reviews Verified Artist requests.
How members get it
Assigned by Admins.
Display
Shown separately · Mentionable
Enable
Manage Threads, Create Events, Create Polls, Mention @everyone, @here, and All Roles
Withhold
Kick Members; Ban Members
Verified Artist
Can advertise commissions. Reduces impersonation and art-theft scams.
How members get it
Assigned by a Curator after checking the applicant's portfolio links belong to them.
Display
Shown separately · Not mentionable
Enable
No permissions (cosmetic or ping role)
Member
Everyone who has completed onboarding.
How members get it
Granted by Community Onboarding: add it to every answer of the required critique question.
Display
Not separated · Not mentionable
Enable
View Channels, Send Messages, Send Messages in Threads, Create Public Threads, Read Message History, Add Reactions, Attach Files, Embed Links, Connect, Speak, Video
Withhold
Mention @everyone, @here, and All Roles
Critique preference roles (Open to critique, Gentle feedback only)
A member's default feedback preference, shown on their profile.
How members get it
Self-assigned through onboarding.
Display
Not separated · Not mentionable
Enable
No permissions (cosmetic or ping role)
Medium roles (Digital, Traditional, 3D, Pixel art)
Find artists who work the same way.
How members get it
Self-assigned through onboarding.
Display
Not separated · Not mentionable
Enable
No permissions (cosmetic or ping role)
Challenge Ping
Notified when a new prompt goes up.
How members get it
Self-assigned; Curators mention it.
Display
Not separated · Not mentionable
Enable
No permissions (cosmetic or ping role)

Onboarding flow

Community Onboarding asks each artist how they like to receive feedback before they post anything, and which mediums they work in.

Question 1 · required

How do you like to receive feedback by default?

Open to full critique→ Member + Open to critique
Gentle feedback only→ Member + Gentle feedback only
Just sharing, no feedback→ Member

Question 2 · optional

What do you make?

Digital art→ Digital
Traditional art→ Traditional
3D→ 3D
Pixel art→ Pixel art

Question 3 · optional

Want challenge prompts?

Yes→ Challenge Ping
No→ Nothing

Default channels: rules, announcements, critique-guide, portfolios, finished-work, works-in-progress, resources, studio-chat, collabs-and-trades, challenge-entries, commission-info

Discord requires at least 7 default channels for Community Onboarding, and @everyone must be able to view and send messages in at least 5 of them.

Suggested first steps: Read #critique-guide and the AI-art policy in #rules → Create your post in #portfolios → Share a piece in #finished-work or #works-in-progress

Moderation setup

Verification level: Medium — A verified email and an account registered for more than 5 minutes; art servers are frequent targets for commission scams from new accounts.
Explicit media filter: Scan media content from all members.

AutoMod rules

Block mention spam (limit around 5)Block and time out for 10 minutes.
Block spam contentBlock and alert #mod-log.
Commonly flagged words: the Insults and Slurs and Sexual Content listsBlock and alert.
Custom keywords: common commission-scam phrases (for example "send me your PayPal", "I'll pay in gift cards", "commission me, DM")Block and alert.

Escalation

Reminder about the critique tag or attribution
Message removed
Timeout
Verified Artist removed
Ban for art theft, scams or harassment

The server doesn't handle payments. Say so in #commission-info, and warn members never to pay through links sent by strangers.
Art theft reports need evidence: the original post with a date. Remove stolen work quickly and record it in #mod-log.
AI-art policy: choose one option and write it into the rules — (a) not allowed, (b) allowed only when labelled and in specific channels, or (c) allowed everywhere with disclosure. Enforce it the same way for everyone.
If members share work with nudity, decide whether that's allowed. Explicit content must be in age-restricted channels on an adults-only server.

Recommended bots

Try Discord's built-in features first. Bot names are examples to evaluate, not endorsements; CordNexa has no affiliation with any bot. Review the permissions a bot requests before adding it.

Challenge reminders

Optional

Prompts need a regular cadence.

Native first: A Curator posting prompts and a Scheduled Event for each deadline works without a bot.

Role menus

Optional

Letting members change medium and critique roles later.

Native first: Members can change onboarding answers in Channels & Roles.

Step-by-step setup

These steps are specific to this kit. For the reasoning behind each stage — permissions, onboarding, testing and launch — see how to make a Discord server.

Decide your AI-art policy
Pick one of the three options in the moderation notes before building anything, because it decides which tags and channels you need.
Create the server and enable Community
Turn on multi-factor authentication (2FA) for the owner, then enable Community (it requires a verified-email verification level, the explicit media filter set to scan all members, a rules channel and a community updates channel). Community is needed for forum channels.
Create roles top-down
Owner → Admin → Moderator → Curator → Verified Artist → Member → preference, medium and ping roles.
Build the forums
Create the gallery, studio, commissions and challenge forums with their tags. Restrict post creation in #commissions-open to Verified Artist.
Write #commission-info
State that the server doesn't process payments or resolve disputes, and list common scams.
Configure Community Onboarding
Make the feedback question required and choose default channels. Discord requires at least 7 default channels, with at least 5 where @everyone can view and send messages.
Set up verification
Pin a message explaining how to request Verified Artist, and give Curators a checklist for #verification-queue.
Test
Use View Server As Role as Member (can't post in #commissions-open) and Verified Artist (can).

Make it yours

Critique-focused groups

Add a #critique-circle forum where every post expects full critique and members commit to reviewing two others.

Art schools and classes

Add a role per class and a category per course with assignment forums.

No commissions

Delete COMMISSIONS & COLLABS except #collabs-and-trades, and remove the Verified Artist role.

Animation and 3D

Add software-specific resource tags and allow larger uploads by keeping links to external hosts.

Community rules

Only post work you made, or share others' work with permission and clear credit.
Respect the feedback tag on every post. No unsolicited critique on "Just sharing" posts.
Critique the work, not the artist. Be specific and kind.
AI-generated art: [write your chosen policy here — not allowed / labelled channels only / allowed with disclosure].
Only Verified Artists advertise commissions, in #commissions-open. The server doesn't handle payments or disputes.
Never send payment through links from strangers, and report anyone who DMs you offering commissions or asking for money.
No tracing or copying others' work and presenting it as your own.

Need stricter or more relaxed wording? Customise these rules in the rules generator.

Welcome message

Welcome to the collective! Read #critique-guide and our AI-art policy in #rules, then introduce your work with a post in #portfolios. Share finished pieces in #finished-work (pick a feedback tag), and works in progress in #works-in-progress. Taking commissions? See #commission-info to become a Verified Artist.

Want a shorter, professional or bot-ready version? Try the welcome message generator.

Art Collective FAQ

How should an art Discord handle critique?

Ask for the artist's preference up front: a tag on every post (just sharing, gentle feedback, full critique) and a default preference role from onboarding. Pin a critique guide so feedback is specific and kind.

How do we make commissions safer?

Only let verified artists advertise, check that portfolio links belong to the applicant, state that the server doesn't handle payments, and block common scam phrases with AutoMod.

Should we allow AI-generated art?

That's for your community to decide. Choose not allowed, allowed only in labelled channels, or allowed with disclosure, write it into the rules, and enforce it consistently.

Version history

v1.0 · 2026-09-28
- First release: portfolios, critique preferences, a verified commissions board, collaborations, challenges and a configurable AI-art policy.

MANUAL SETUP KIT

Build this server

This kit is a plan you follow in Discord. It does not create or change a server automatically. Why manual?

Everything in one copyChannels, roles, onboarding, moderation, setup steps, rules and welcome message.

Version: 1.0
Last reviewed: 2026-09-28
Price: Free
Native template link: Not yet available

After any import, finish by hand

Forum and Announcement channels (Discord's native templates don't include them)
AI-art policy text
Community Onboarding questions
Forum tags
AutoMod keyword list
Rules and guides

View plain-text kit

Art Collective — CordNexa Discord server kit v1.0 (reviewed 2026-09-28)

Give artists a place to show finished work, get the kind of feedback they actually want, find commissions and collaborators safely, and share resources — with attribution rules and an AI-art policy the community has chosen deliberately.
Ideal size: 20–1,500 members · Complexity: Intermediate · Setup: ~50 minutes · Community features required: yes

CHANNELS
START HERE (read-only)
Permissions: @everyone: deny Send Messages. Admin and Curator: allow Send Messages.
# rules [Text, read-only] — Community rules, attribution rules and the community's AI-art policy.
# announcements [Announcement, read-only] — Challenges, features and server news.
# critique-guide [Text, read-only] — How to give useful critique: start with what works, be specific, suggest rather than dictate, and respect the tag the artist chose.

GALLERY (public)
# portfolios [Forum, public] — One post per artist, kept up to date by that artist: a short intro, mediums, best pieces and links.
Only the post's author and staff should edit it; ask members not to reply with unsolicited critique.
Tags: Digital, Traditional, 3D, Pixel art, Animation, Photography
# finished-work [Forum, public] — One post per finished piece. The tag states what feedback the artist wants.
Require a tag on new posts.
Tags: Just sharing, Gentle feedback, Full critique, AI-assisted (if allowed)
# features [Text, read-only] — Curators highlight standout work each week, with the artist's permission and credit.

STUDIO (public)
# works-in-progress [Forum, public] — One post per piece in progress; update the same post as it develops.
Tags: Sketch, Lineart, Colour, Stuck — help wanted, Critique welcome
# resources [Forum, public] — Tutorials, brushes, references and tools, one post each. Only share resources you're allowed to share.
Tags: Tutorial, Brushes, References, Software, Free, Paid
# studio-chat [Text, public] — General art talk, supplies and process.
Voice: Draw Together [Voice, public] — Co-working with optional screen sharing.

COMMISSIONS & COLLABS (public)
# commission-info [Text, read-only] — How commissions work here: the server doesn't handle payments or resolve payment disputes, only Verified Artists can advertise, and warnings about common scams.
# commissions-open [Forum, role-gated] — Verified Artists post one listing each with prices, turnaround and terms, and update it as slots open and close.
Only Verified Artist can create posts; everyone can view and reply.
Tags: Open, Waitlist, Closed
# collabs-and-trades [Forum, public] — Art trades, zines and group projects, one post per call.
Tags: Art trade, Zine, Group project, Filled

CHALLENGES (public)
# challenge-prompts [Text, read-only] — The current prompt, deadline and rules, posted by Curators.
# challenge-entries [Forum, public] — One post per entry, tagged with the prompt.
Tags: Current prompt, Past prompt

STAFF (staff)
Permissions: Deny View Channels for @everyone. Allow Admin, Moderator and Curator.
# staff-chat [Text, staff] — Coordination, features and challenges.
# verification-queue [Text, staff] — Review Verified Artist requests: check the portfolio belongs to the applicant before granting the role.
# mod-log [Text, staff] — AutoMod alerts, art-theft reports and moderation actions.

ROLES (top of the list first)
1. Owner (#E67E22) — Display role for the owner.
Display separately: yes · Mentionable: no
Assignment: Owner account.
Permissions: none (cosmetic or ping role)
Do not grant: Administrator — not needed
2. Admin (#E74C3C) — Manages configuration.
Display separately: yes · Mentionable: no
Assignment: Assigned by the owner.
Permissions: Manage Server, Manage Roles, Manage Channels, Manage Expressions, View Audit Log, Ban Members, Kick Members, Timeout Members, Manage Messages, Manage Threads
Do not grant: Administrator
3. Moderator (#9B59B6) — Enforces rules, including art theft and scam reports.
Display separately: yes · Mentionable: yes
Assignment: Assigned by Admins.
Permissions: Timeout Members, Kick Members, Manage Messages, Manage Threads, Manage Nicknames, View Audit Log
Do not grant: Manage Roles; Ban Members until trusted
4. Curator (#E91E63) — Runs challenges, features work and reviews Verified Artist requests.
Display separately: yes · Mentionable: yes
Assignment: Assigned by Admins.
Permissions: Manage Threads, Create Events, Create Polls, Mention @everyone, @here, and All Roles
Do not grant: Kick Members; Ban Members
5. Verified Artist (#F5B041) — Can advertise commissions. Reduces impersonation and art-theft scams.
Display separately: yes · Mentionable: no
Assignment: Assigned by a Curator after checking the applicant's portfolio links belong to them.
Permissions: none (cosmetic or ping role)
6. Member (#95A5A6) — Everyone who has completed onboarding.
Display separately: no · Mentionable: no
Assignment: Granted by Community Onboarding: add it to every answer of the required critique question.
Permissions: View Channels, Send Messages, Send Messages in Threads, Create Public Threads, Read Message History, Add Reactions, Attach Files, Embed Links, Connect, Speak, Video
Do not grant: Mention @everyone, @here, and All Roles
7. Critique preference roles (Open to critique, Gentle feedback only) — A member's default feedback preference, shown on their profile.
Display separately: no · Mentionable: no
Assignment: Self-assigned through onboarding.
Permissions: none (cosmetic or ping role)
8. Medium roles (Digital, Traditional, 3D, Pixel art) — Find artists who work the same way.
Display separately: no · Mentionable: no
Assignment: Self-assigned through onboarding.
Permissions: none (cosmetic or ping role)
9. Challenge Ping — Notified when a new prompt goes up.
Display separately: no · Mentionable: no
Assignment: Self-assigned; Curators mention it.
Permissions: none (cosmetic or ping role)

ONBOARDING
Community Onboarding asks each artist how they like to receive feedback before they post anything, and which mediums they work in.
Default channels: rules, announcements, critique-guide, portfolios, finished-work, works-in-progress, resources, studio-chat, collabs-and-trades, challenge-entries, commission-info
Q: How do you like to receive feedback by default? (required)
- Open to full critique → Member + Open to critique
- Gentle feedback only → Member + Gentle feedback only
- Just sharing, no feedback → Member
Q: What do you make?
- Digital art → Digital
- Traditional art → Traditional
- 3D → 3D
- Pixel art → Pixel art
Q: Want challenge prompts?
- Yes → Challenge Ping
- No → Nothing
First steps: Read #critique-guide and the AI-art policy in #rules · Create your post in #portfolios · Share a piece in #finished-work or #works-in-progress

MODERATION
Verification level: Medium — A verified email and an account registered for more than 5 minutes; art servers are frequent targets for commission scams from new accounts.
Explicit media filter: Scan media content from all members.
AutoMod:
- Block mention spam (limit around 5) → Block and time out for 10 minutes.
- Block spam content → Block and alert #mod-log.
- Commonly flagged words: the Insults and Slurs and Sexual Content lists → Block and alert.
- Custom keywords: common commission-scam phrases (for example "send me your PayPal", "I'll pay in gift cards", "commission me, DM") → Block and alert.
Escalation: Reminder about the critique tag or attribution → Message removed → Timeout → Verified Artist removed → Ban for art theft, scams or harassment
Note: The server doesn't handle payments. Say so in #commission-info, and warn members never to pay through links sent by strangers.
Note: Art theft reports need evidence: the original post with a date. Remove stolen work quickly and record it in #mod-log.
Note: AI-art policy: choose one option and write it into the rules — (a) not allowed, (b) allowed only when labelled and in specific channels, or (c) allowed everywhere with disclosure. Enforce it the same way for everyone.
Note: If members share work with nudity, decide whether that's allowed. Explicit content must be in age-restricted channels on an adults-only server.

SETUP STEPS
1. Decide your AI-art policy: Pick one of the three options in the moderation notes before building anything, because it decides which tags and channels you need.
2. Create the server and enable Community: Turn on multi-factor authentication (2FA) for the owner, then enable Community (it requires a verified-email verification level, the explicit media filter set to scan all members, a rules channel and a community updates channel). Community is needed for forum channels.
3. Create roles top-down: Owner → Admin → Moderator → Curator → Verified Artist → Member → preference, medium and ping roles.
4. Build the forums: Create the gallery, studio, commissions and challenge forums with their tags. Restrict post creation in #commissions-open to Verified Artist.
5. Write #commission-info: State that the server doesn't process payments or resolve disputes, and list common scams.
6. Configure Community Onboarding: Make the feedback question required and choose default channels. Discord requires at least 7 default channels, with at least 5 where @everyone can view and send messages.
7. Set up verification: Pin a message explaining how to request Verified Artist, and give Curators a checklist for #verification-queue.
8. Test: Use View Server As Role as Member (can't post in #commissions-open) and Verified Artist (can).

RULES
1. Only post work you made, or share others' work with permission and clear credit.
2. Respect the feedback tag on every post. No unsolicited critique on "Just sharing" posts.
3. Critique the work, not the artist. Be specific and kind.
4. AI-generated art: [write your chosen policy here — not allowed / labelled channels only / allowed with disclosure].
5. Only Verified Artists advertise commissions, in #commissions-open. The server doesn't handle payments or disputes.
6. Never send payment through links from strangers, and report anyone who DMs you offering commissions or asking for money.
7. No tracing or copying others' work and presenting it as your own.

WELCOME MESSAGE
Welcome to the collective! Read #critique-guide and our AI-art policy in #rules, then introduce your work with a post in #portfolios. Share finished pieces in #finished-work (pick a feedback tag), and works in progress in #works-in-progress. Taking commissions? See #commission-info to become a Verified Artist.

Independent kit from CordNexa. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Discord. Verify permissions with View Server As Role before inviting members.

CordNexa is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Discord. Discord features change over time; this kit was last reviewed on 2026-09-28.

Art Collective

Is this template right for you?

Best for

Not ideal for

Categories & channels

START HERE

GALLERY

STUDIO

COMMISSIONS & COLLABS

CHALLENGES

STAFF

Role hierarchy & permissions

Owner

Admin

Moderator

Curator

Verified Artist

Member

Critique preference roles (Open to critique, Gentle feedback only)

Medium roles (Digital, Traditional, 3D, Pixel art)

Challenge Ping

Onboarding flow

How do you like to receive feedback by default?

What do you make?

Want challenge prompts?

Moderation setup

AutoMod rules

Escalation

Recommended bots

Challenge reminders

Role menus

Step-by-step setup

Make it yours

Critique-focused groups

Art schools and classes

No commissions

Animation and 3D

Community rules

Welcome message

Art Collective FAQ

Version history

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Categories

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