A note from EX! about the FAN ART Contests!

[EXCELSIOR]

Greetings all,
I like the NEW fan art forums... hope everyone enjoys the new digs!

As you all know the monthly Fan Art Contests have been a staple of SHH from almost day one - save for a few months over the many years the contests have remained monthly!

I apologize for not being here as much of late as I have in the past - I LOVE the fan art forum, it is my baby... but the day-to-day life seems to always take me away...

Here is what I'm proposing - I honestly DO NOT want to cancel the contests, rather I would like to take them bi-monthly. We would do a NEW contest every-other month!

In addition the reasons above, I think that if you artists had more time to work on your pieces we may get a better turn out and have some really kick-ass artwork entered. I've noticed over the last 6 months a lack of participation (my self included) in the contests...

I have not thought out the particulars of how it would work, but I am always open to suggestions - and feel free to voice them HERE!

With that said, FEB voting thread will be up by the end of the day, and there is NO March contest - sorry!

OK gang, looking forward to your thoughts!

 

[Mattchew]

i guess its cool, but I gotta offer a critique i've given many times before...

In light of the fact that we're heading into summer movie season, and now limiting contests to once every 2 months, I feel like the next 3 or so contests are bound to be tied to movies, like "Terminator" or "Wolverine".

This is only my opinion of course, but I feel more general themes like "heroes out of their prime", "steampunk", "the child of two characters", "heroes/villains in a different era", etc allow for much more creativity, while not limiting the pool of characters to draw from.

When you have a "Wolverine" themed contest, it just seems like we can expect 15 entries, all pictures of Wolverine.

I know I'm more excited to enter and check back and see what people come up with when the theme is less specific.

This is, of course, my personal opinion and I accept others may not share it.

 

[KAD]

i guess its cool, but I gotta offer a critique i've given many times before...

In light of the fact that we're heading into summer movie season, and now limiting contests to once every 2 months, I feel like the next 3 or so contests are bound to be tied to movies, like "Terminator" or "Wolverine".

This is only my opinion of course, but I feel more general themes like "heroes out of their prime", "steampunk", "the child of two characters", "heroes/villains in a different era", etc allow for much more creativity, while not limiting the pool of characters to draw from.

When you have a "Wolverine" themed contest, it just seems like we can expect 15 entries, all pictures of Wolverine.

I know I'm more excited to enter and check back and see what people come up with when the theme is less specific.

This is, of course, my personal opinion and I accept others may not share it.

I second that

 

[jpmuftak]

i guess its cool, but I gotta offer a critique i've given many times before...

In light of the fact that we're heading into summer movie season, and now limiting contests to once every 2 months, I feel like the next 3 or so contests are bound to be tied to movies, like "Terminator" or "Wolverine".

This is only my opinion of course, but I feel more general themes like "heroes out of their prime", "steampunk", "the child of two characters", "heroes/villains in a different era", etc allow for much more creativity, while not limiting the pool of characters to draw from.

When you have a "Wolverine" themed contest, it just seems like we can expect 15 entries, all pictures of Wolverine.

I know I'm more excited to enter and check back and see what people come up with when the theme is less specific.

This is, of course, my personal opinion and I accept others may not share it.

Third. As a newcomer to the "Fan Art" boards, I have to say I was disappointed with the Terminator theme. There's only so much you can do with a metal skeleton that's been done to death already. In order to get more people involved we don't need more time, we need more inspiration.

 

[uriondo]

I agree with Matt and Kad, but... ¡I really was waiting for a Watchmen contest this month! I would have been great...

 

[RAMORE]

I think it's ok to have the theme be inspired by the movies but different enough to attract more takers. For instance do wolverine but make it "Design wolverine if he was created in the 2099 universe." Or take your favorite watchmen and make a baby with a current continuity DC character.

Also I think every two months is fine but if you make a April contest let everyone start in April and it won't be closed until Mid May or something.

 

[RAMORE]

I agree with Matt and Kad, but... ¡I really was waiting for a Watchmen contest this month! I would have been great...

That's too bad I would have like to see that.

 

[Mrh7448]

Personally I don't think the theme matters all that much. I mean part of the job of the artist is to make something your own. So doing a character that a hundred people have done before is a challenge I don't mind meeting. There are occasions I don't feel inspired by a certain character (such as Captain America) and that's when I don't enter.

Mostly the reason I don't end up entering is because of time. I just don't have enough of it. The last couple times I did enter it was just quick fun sketches. I think doing it every other month would be better as far as timing.

I agree to some extent the more open ended subjects can be more fun, but I'm pretty much open to anything.

 

[EXCELSIOR]

Gang,

All valid comments - keep them coming...

As far as lack of entries... it's happened with Batman themed contest - I would like to think that theme is NOT the main reason to enter - I've always said the whole idea of these contest was to give you all a place to showcase your art...

If the theme is for example TERMINATOR - it's always a wide open field - there is NO reason to just to a tired old Arnold termi - look at Wobbly's entry for the FEB contest, very clever - and there are others who got creative!

Bottom line is, I understand there are only so many different themes I can come up with - I've been doing these now for almost 10 years here... so it get tough to come up with something that everyone can do - but don't let a 'lame' theme stop you from entering...

"OH EX! - I only like to draw Batman and this month is Spider-Man... PASS!"

There is NO reason why we should have a month-long co0ntest with only 10 entries...

I tell ya what I will do!
MONDAY I will post the April contest - I will give you ALL a head-start..

WATCHMEN!

At the end of April will we start the bi-monthly... but at the end of the April I might 'hint' at the next contest.. which will start the last week of May and be the JUNE contest!!

OK - keep the comments coming I like hearing what you artists have to say!

 

[Lisper]

..I gotta enter one of these...been on the sidelines forever..and really dig the entries!

 

[EdRyder]

Ive been knocking this idea around in my dome for a minute now,.Its pretty brazen and it has a lot of holes, but I'm gonna throw it out there.Maybe folks smarter than myself can iron out the problems.
We need a friggin prize already.
What if we pooled an entrance fee?Say a buck or two a head into a paypal account.And we say the prize is something everyone can have.US,UK etc(like a gnomon digital download of your choice)
We get an actual team of judges.Pros.How hard is that really? (they love that ****)
And we do it bigger.Like, a longer 5-6 month deal.
If all these other places around the web can pull off their "last man standing's" etc.Why cant we pull off something a little bigger too?

Heres my thing: Fan art section already exists as a place to showcase your work.The problem is that I can run off a list of people who I KNOW can draw and have talent that dont even participate in that section at all ,let alone enter the monthly contest.Which is really a shame because this section is the only place around here you can say people make an actual physical contribution to the hype.

 

[Johann Krauss]

Yay Watchmen!

 

[EXCELSIOR]

EdRyder,
Great comments and ideas! - A "prize" especially one like you propose would be hard to make work on a monthly schedule!
Asking fan artists to PAY an entry fee would eliminate 95% of everyone - NO ONE wants to pay to enter a contest that has been FREE and open to everyone for 10 years... and the policing of it could be complicated!

From the earliest I used to give out REAL prizes - I dug into my own private collection for a while and then I got a 'sponsor' who donated great comic book prizes for FREE - but it became very complicated, with winners is foreign countries etc... and winners NOT liking the FREE prize!

As far as 'celebrity' judges - used to do that too - but again it proved difficult, not everyone could judge in a timely fashion and most proved near impossible to get a second time!

I think the home-grown nature of these forums lends itself to YOU all being artists & judges!

I'm still toying with ideas - I don't want to cancel the contest, but something needs to be done - I was hoping giving you more time to work on an entry would spice it up a bit...

Keep the ideas coming!!

 

[Johann Krauss]

I liked the bigger avatar prize

 

[RAMORE]

Me too I thought that was pretty neat but I gues you would have to have an alternative for people already maxed out but I loved the bigger avvy Wish I had won it.

 

[RAMORE]

Something just came to me maybe for one month when you when you get a huge avvy bigger than normally possible and someone on avvy board dedicated to making the winners new avvy that way no seperate thing is needed. Then when the next contest roles around the BIG avvy goes to that winner? What do yall think?

 

[Ring Deacon]

Why not let the people with a maxed out avvy win the chance to have a picture signature for a month? Say one that is 100 x 350.

 

[EdRyder]

Well since you guys like the avatar as a prize why not just create a prize winners avatar.Something with a gold laurel or some bewbies.The winner gets to sport it for a month.

 

[EXCELSIOR]

I like the special Prize Winner's AVATAR prize idea....

 

[RAMORE]

Well since you guys like the avatar as a prize why not just create a prize winners avatar.Something with a gold laurel or some bewbies.The winner gets to sport it for a month.

That's cool as a distinction but I also think not as personal as making one up yourself. Maybe the get a badge in their signature and a big avvy and post on the main page with their winning art!

 

[antmanx68]

I think having the contests every other month is a good idea, I'd be just as likely to enter. For me, the theme is what determines if I'll participate (that and my work schedule). Basically, if I see the theme and get a 'lightning bolt' idea that excites me I'll churn something out. I remember the days of the sponsored prizes, feels like FOREVER AGO.... I remember that I was really motivated when the winner would get their art showcased on the main page, is that something you can re-visit?

 

[thewhyteman]

IM down with bi-monthly idea. That gives enough time to actually make something good. I work so much its hard to knock somethign out in less then 30 days.

 

[ComicChick]

is the monthly winner still advertised on the Hype front page?

 

[webslinger81]

Im for the bi-monthly contests. With work and everything, its hard to get something done. I used to post more a few years back, but again, free time has gotten less and less.

When it comes to themes... I remember way back when Hellboy (the first movie) came out, we had a Hellboy themed contest. I knew nothing about Hellboy really, and ended up researching a little to get what the Hellboy comics were all about. But I think its a good thing, even if a theme is a little obscure, or the artist doesnt know much about the theme- to end up discovering a new character and material. As artists we all need to branch out, and draw stuff that we normally dont draw. So, perhaps the theme doesnt have to be about a superhero movie coming out within the two month period, but something else entirely within the comic book universe.

Im not with the whole entry fee thing. I agree with Excelsior, it would kill off most of the entries. As for a prize, I don't know if the winners art appears on the front page of the hype anymore- 99% sure it doesnt though, but it would be really awesome if it was. That gives the artist a lot of exposure, which is the why we all post in the first place. Other than that, it might be pretty sweet if the hype had some sort of certificate it could send via e-mail or whatever, that commerates one's victory. There could also be some sort of avatar placed below our default avatar showcasing a victory, that would give the artist some notice on the hype boards. (example: picture a small ribbon looking icon that reads "fan art conest winner" and it would remain there until the next contest winner was named.) I dunno, might work. Just being creative.

 

[EXCELSIOR]

UPDATE:

April voting is done and the winner(s) is posted!
June contest is up and running!

Bi-monthly contests are now in full effect... I hope this change will see more artists enter!

New AVATAR prize is now official - check out the 'winner' thread to see it!

Always up for suggestions for the contests, feel free to PM or post your thoughts in this thread!

Danke!