I just uploaded a new avatar but deviantART keeps displaying the old one. Why?
This is not a deviantART issue but, rather, a browser issue. All browsers cache images and therefore the avatar included. If you did not receive an error of any type when submitting then the avatar was updated with certainty. To be assured that your avatar was uploaded successful merely hit Ctrl+F5 on your keyboard. If this does not work, load the URL below into your browser:

[link]

Replace the * with the first letter of your username, and the ** with the second letter of your username, and yourusername with your actual username, and depending on what format your avatar is in *** to GIF, JPEG or PNG.

The cached image will load immediately. Once its loaded press the "refresh" button in the browser and watch your new picture be displayed!
You can also try clearing your cache by closing all open browser windows and open the Internet Options window from the Windows Control Panel, click on Delete Files and All Offline content and then launch the browser again. - FAQ answer #105