Trust me if it's DA.. that place can be hell and suffocate an artist more than encourage them. That is, if you take it seriously.
I got battered by that site when they put something of mine in the 'popular' section of the front page (and it wasn't just muscle, either, it was preg too).
But I didn't take it seriously- I just made fun of myself. Posted my art on Devart_Horrors (which doesn't exist anymore) for all the 'haters' to see and laughed at myself. I know my art is silly and unrealistic and I know some people find it scary or disturbing or don't like it.

But the moral! It's yours and yours alone, your art, so those people can say all that they like- but in the end, who cares? What you do isn't up to them. Where you post it, again, isn't up to them.
Just take it lighthearted, and it's a LOT easier to bounce back.

Welcome to the club SinD. All the artists that ever made anything had encountered agressive criticism. Rational people accept the fact that the universe is complex and wide and embraces points of view diferent from their own to enrich themselves. Irational people cant tolerate diferent models than their own because they percieve them as threats to their current state of mind. They are so insecure that they think (conciously or not) than any idea diferent than their own could break the delicate balance that currently works for them.
Lots of this idea-haters are simply teenagers. At that age they feel as insecure as they can. Go to college and take a look at the relationships there. Agressiveness there is often an effort to have their models "approved" by society. If they develop right the teenagers insecure feelings would be replaced by one "I approve myself" idea, If not the adult would continue to battle his own teen-demons until they win the fight (If ever).
What can you do as an artist? Make sure you're in the appropiate company before speaking up. Noone in their right mind would scream a goal in the stadium when surrounded by opponents. Take a look at your surroundings and study the people around you. Make sure they are healty peaceful and MATURE people. Society still fails in making mind-healty people and we all have to battle our inner demons with the help of family, friends, therapists and ourselves.
Peace and good luck.

CDR

I have to agree there. Trolls and haters are often times just as, if not more, discouraging to fresh and new artists, writers and content providers who should be nurtured and encouraged. I remember on the old Wreck-Shop forums, a particular individual who attacked fresh artists wanting to show their stuff. He had believed that only a few specific artists should be the ones to provide artwork and religiously flamed every other artist who posted their work on the forum. Another place I've seen this is in the Process forums. There are people on that forum who believe that simply because they have a high post count, that gives them the power to berate and degrade other posters who they felt were either providing 'inferior' content or that they had made the mistake of accidentally posting something that had been posted before. Amaz0ns is one of that last few places where a person is safe to post content and feel welcomed about it at the same time.

SinD, while I have not encountered anything personally like what you have, I have seen it many times.  (I see it all the time on FM videos on youtube.)  I would just say I applaud your attempt to branch out to other forums, and I hope the negativity only makes you stronger.  Even if the small minded individuals or even groups never catch on, there will always be an audience here for your fine work.