So what was everyone’s experience with being part of an art contest if they have done so before? Have you guys managed to win anything? If so, what did you win? The contest could’ve been from here on Newgrounds, from some other site, a local event, you name it!
OviVixen Master Demo (18+)
At 12/26/23 12:39 PM, OviManic wrote: So what was everyone’s experience with being part of an art contest if they have done so before? Have you guys managed to win anything? If so, what did you win? The contest could’ve been from here on Newgrounds, from some other site, a local event, you name it!
I've placed in a few, failed in far more; I'm kinda growing cold to the idea of participating in as many as I have, as often as I have. In situations where I've tried really hard and failed, I really regret not using that time for something else that I would have enjoyed more. I'm a competitive person, I always play to win, so the feeling of winning is just relief, while losing feels abnormally bad.
Losing to strong competition keeps me humble and driven, but some of the contests I entered this year (not all from NG) left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't feel much of a community spirit around most of them, and It's made me realize I need to be more careful about who I basically spend my free time laboring to provide free advertising to. I need to know who the judges are and scrutinize their relative skill and judgment more before throwing my hat in. If I can't trust their judgment or their tastes are demonstrably narrow to a point I know I don't stand a chance, I'm not going to bother anymore.
At 12/26/23 12:39 PM, OviManic wrote: So what was everyone’s experience with being part of an art contest if they have done so before? Have you guys managed to win anything? If so, what did you win? The contest could’ve been from here on Newgrounds, from some other site, a local event, you name it!
Here's a luck-based success story! I entered the pARTy contest and didn't win an award from the judges. TBH I wasn't really aiming for any prize and just entered for shits and giggles. But then, it turns out my average level entry actually won... a bonus raffle! I got extremely lucky haha.
At 12/26/23 11:48 PM, Skoops wrote: Losing to strong competition keeps me humble and driven, but some of the contests I entered this year (not all from NG) left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't feel much of a community spirit around most of them, and It's made me realize I need to be more careful about who I basically spend my free time laboring to provide free advertising to. I need to know who the judges are and scrutinize their relative skill and judgment more before throwing my hat in. If I can't trust their judgment or their tastes are demonstrably narrow to a point I know I don't stand a chance, I'm not going to bother anymore.
Now here’s something I’m genuinely curious about: what do you see in a good judge? From my perspective, a good judge tries to be as unbiased as possible and judges based on the criteria given for the contest. Nothing about the background of the artist, just the work that is given. However, I see a few snags when it comes to being a judge. How often can a judge keep their bias in check? What about stalemates? Does one need to flip a coin when that happens? Does the contest require multiple judges or can it be done with one judge? Can external events influence the final judgement on who wins or loses?
A lot of that stuff I have been thinking about lately. How does one be a good judge and how does one make an ironclad criteria that will make the participants feel less cheated? I’m just asking rhetorically here: no need to answer any of these questions.
OviVixen Master Demo (18+)
At 12/27/23 12:18 AM, OviManic wrote:At 12/26/23 11:48 PM, Skoops wrote: Losing to strong competition keeps me humble and driven, but some of the contests I entered this year (not all from NG) left a bad taste in my mouth. I didn't feel much of a community spirit around most of them, and It's made me realize I need to be more careful about who I basically spend my free time laboring to provide free advertising to. I need to know who the judges are and scrutinize their relative skill and judgment more before throwing my hat in. If I can't trust their judgment or their tastes are demonstrably narrow to a point I know I don't stand a chance, I'm not going to bother anymore.Now here’s something I’m genuinely curious about: what do you see in a good judge? From my perspective, a good judge tries to be as unbiased as possible and judges based on the criteria given for the contest. Nothing about the background of the artist, just the work that is given. However, I see a few snags when it comes to being a judge. How often can a judge keep their bias in check? What about stalemates? Does one need to flip a coin when that happens? Does the contest require multiple judges or can it be done with one judge? Can external events influence the final judgement on who wins or loses?
A lot of that stuff I have been thinking about lately. How does one be a good judge and how does one make an ironclad criteria that will make the participants feel less cheated? I’m just asking rhetorically here: no need to answer any of these questions.
I think we're probably in agreement for most of the criteria for good judges, since it's not that complicated. I expect a judge to at least know enough about what they're judging to be able to appraise things intelligently and articulate what it is they like or dislike about a piece, even if I don't agree. I don't expect some godlike impartiality, since they're all human, and they'll always let their own biases influence them one way or another. That said, I need them to have a level of expertise or familiarity where they'd trust their own judgment, so there's no situation where they're easily swayed or so determined to NOT be affected by their biases that they deliberately pick things they don't actually like out of insecurity.
For example, I realized only after the fact that a recent contest I was in had three judges, and only one was a competent artist themself, while the others don't even appear to be big fans of art; they were just the artist's friends or something. Low quality judges produce chaotic outcomes: The results of that one were kind of baffling - apart from one or two winning entries, it felt like the rest were chosen at random. Yeah I'm a sore loser, of course, always - but it doesn't sting that bad when I agree that all the winners beat me on merit. A few entries that did beat me on merit didn't place either, so it's not like I'm throwing a personal pity party over not placing highly myself. I get some satisfaction knowing the winners deserved to win, but something was just really off about the results of that one, and I can't bring myself to trust that organizer again.
Comparing that to other contests I've lost, I can at least run a postmortem on a good contest. They consistently liked a different style more, they wanted a more/less literal interpretation of their rules or adherence to the source material, whatever - as long as I can detect some thought process behind it, I can learn and grow from a loss. I've been finding that more difficult lately, so I'm really going to be scrutinizing the judge lineup of anything I enter from this point on.
At 12/26/23 12:39 PM, OviManic wrote: So what was everyone’s experience with being part of an art contest if they have done so before? Have you guys managed to win anything? If so, what did you win? The contest could’ve been from here on Newgrounds, from some other site, a local event, you name it!
I have won a few. One was, when Enya.com (her official site at time, don't know if she has any nowadays) did fan art contest, i won the digital art category - with a mouse-drawing. Got some fancy autograph framed and other fan stuff.
That is one of the last times I took part an online art competition. As i did later learn that I won because I was hugely popular on forums then and the moderator and her music management team had liked me as part of community, not my work. The traditional art winner was my good online friend at time and we were like the leading force of the "fan art" sections on community (encouraging people to do creative things).
Somehow learning that killed the appeal of all sorts of competitions to me. More so, when social media arrived too - it became even more evident that most art competitions off and online really are about popularity of an artist, not the art. The whole social media functions on, who has more money for advertising, not who has cooler doodle.
... and I ... as charming person I am nowadays, I have 0 chance to win popularity contests.
Which is also reason you have never seen me even on NG take part of a single 'community project' as I feel there's too much judgement of artist always instead art. ok, I lied .. a bit. In case of NG is that I simply do not fit the site style wise. So i do not even look at local competitions.
Some times reality does hit you hard, even when you win. And I got smacked too harshly back then so it left life long issue.
At 12/26/23 12:39 PM, OviManic wrote: So what was everyone’s experience with being part of an art contest if they have done so before? Have you guys managed to win anything? If so, what did you win? The contest could’ve been from here on Newgrounds, from some other site, a local event, you name it!
Last one I went into was deathink’s Halloween crossover contest. I couldn’t come up with a good idea for a while, so my final submission was rushed:
I won a participation prize in the form of a System Shock 2 Steam Key, because deathink managed to get enough of them for all 11 entrants. I realized I didn’t have my Steam password on my laptop and didn’t want another distraction, though, so I gave it to a friend.
Pardon me for being corny, but the real treasure to me was getting to challenge myself with an art prompt I love, as well as getting to talk to deathink, and let him know I love his stuff and these skull reaction faces. (I dunno how active he actually is in replying to people, I’d just gotten the impression that he was somewhat elusive). I also wanted to see what other people made for it - which come to think of it, I should click the tag and look at the other entries.
That’s what always really motivates me when I enter a contest. I know I’ve got no shot at winning - not just because my art isn’t anything awe-inspiring, but on a fundamental, karmic level, I just don’t win at things. No, I enter to challenge myself and bond further with the Newgrounds artist community.
The only other art contest on here that I can remember being in was the Cult of the Lamb one:
The reason I joined in was because all my friends made such cool entries that I just wanted to jump in too. Later, I looked through the tag and saw tons more cool entries, commented on all the ones I liked and probably followed some people. That’s the spirit I try to have when I get into contests.
Someone please help me revive my clubs
At 12/27/23 02:59 AM, Tenebrare wrote: I have won a few. One was, when Enya.com (her official site at time, don't know if she has any nowadays) did fan art contest, i won the digital art category - with a mouse-drawing. Got some fancy autograph framed and other fan stuff.
That is one of the last times I took part an online art competition. As i did later learn that I won because I was hugely popular on forums then and the moderator and her music management team had liked me as part of community, not my work. The traditional art winner was my good online friend at time and we were like the leading force of the "fan art" sections on community (encouraging people to do creative things).
Somehow learning that killed the appeal of all sorts of competitions to me. More so, when social media arrived too - it became even more evident that most art competitions off and online really are about popularity of an artist, not the art. The whole social media functions on, who has more money for advertising, not who has cooler doodle.
... and I ... as charming person I am nowadays, I have 0 chance to win popularity contests.
Which is also reason you have never seen me even on NG take part of a single 'community project' as I feel there's too much judgement of artist always instead art. ok, I lied .. a bit. In case of NG is that I simply do not fit the site style wise. So i do not even look at local competitions.
Some times reality does hit you hard, even when you win. And I got smacked too harshly back then so it left life long issue.
That absolutely sucks! I’m sorry that you won based on popularity and not on effort!
OviVixen Master Demo (18+)
I've lost every art contest I've joined except one. I was dead last in some contest where I had to draw Cassandra. I was one of the three winners in a contest where I had to draw a fusion between my OC and the contest holder's OC. Still waiting for my prize.
Look at him spin
At 12/27/23 11:53 AM, aapiarts wrote: I've lost every art contest I've joined except one. I was dead last in some contest where I had to draw Cassandra. I was one of the three winners in a contest where I had to draw a fusion between my OC and the contest holder's OC. Still waiting for my prize.
Yeah, a contest like that would be rather loose with the details. I assume it’s set entirely on what the contest runner likes or doesn’t like. Is the prize meant to be delivered at a set date or the contest runner didn’t specify?
OviVixen Master Demo (18+)
At 12/27/23 07:11 PM, OviManic wrote:At 12/27/23 11:53 AM, aapiarts wrote: I've lost every art contest I've joined except one. I was dead last in some contest where I had to draw Cassandra. I was one of the three winners in a contest where I had to draw a fusion between my OC and the contest holder's OC. Still waiting for my prize.Yeah, a contest like that would be rather loose with the details. I assume it’s set entirely on what the contest runner likes or doesn’t like. Is the prize meant to be delivered at a set date or the contest runner didn’t specify?
Didn't specify a date to my knowledge but Rushmilk (in here and on Instagram where he hold the contest) is a pretty trust worthy and nice person on the art community.
Look at him spin
At 12/27/23 07:55 PM, aapiarts wrote: Didn't specify a date to my knowledge but Rushmilk (in here and on Instagram where he hold the contest) is a pretty trust worthy and nice person on the art community.
Oh, so the contest was recent? I thought that contest happened some time ago and you’re still waiting for that prize for a while now!
OviVixen Master Demo (18+)
Never did an art contest, but maybe I will one day.
ZombieGhost
Hearing art contest brings back a funny memory when I was around grade 1. I once joined the school's art competition and everyone had high hopes for me because I always draw. Unfortunately, the competition wasn't about drawing, but coloring and I basically had no skill. They had already printed the outlines so my drawing skills were useless. Apparently, I was crying during the competition and it didn't help that we were tasked to color Dora The Explorer.
At 12/28/23 01:52 AM, Drimager wrote: Hearing art contest brings back a funny memory when I was around grade 1. I once joined the school's art competition and everyone had high hopes for me because I always draw. Unfortunately, the competition wasn't about drawing, but coloring and I basically had no skill. They had already printed the outlines so my drawing skills were useless. Apparently, I was crying during the competition and it didn't help that we were tasked to color Dora The Explorer.
Daw! Yeah, that’s a major bummer when things don’t go your way even though it’s as simple as a classroom contest. I would’ve thought outside the box and drew the back of the page instead. But hindsight is 20-20: maybe I would’ve colored Dora into Arthur since that was the show I grew up with when I was in first grade.
OviVixen Master Demo (18+)
At 12/27/23 11:24 AM, OviManic wrote: That absolutely sucks! I’m sorry that you won based on popularity and not on effort!
And last year this happened :
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/03/tech/ai-art-fair-winner-controversy/index.html
Worse part is this person was on MJ server, when I was (I was in closed beta and a bit after it opened to public and left then, when it started to bore me beyond imagination)- and he didn't even invent the prompt he used to win this. And no way judges were able to tell the lie that they didn't know it was AI. they knew it.
Also last night saw a AI-generating person say that crafting prompts is as hard as drawing if not harder .
So then there's that - unless said competition uses proper moderation tools and bans machine generated images, then contests nowadays are useless as well.
In some art contest they found out a person using AI just because the muppet in their layered artwork had forgotten to change name of their MJ generated image.
Art contests are not what they used to be. Those trolls genuinely believe that their prompting is harder than drawing.
At 12/27/23 08:02 PM, OviManic wrote:At 12/27/23 07:55 PM, aapiarts wrote: Didn't specify a date to my knowledge but Rushmilk (in here and on Instagram where he hold the contest) is a pretty trust worthy and nice person on the art community.Oh, so the contest was recent? I thought that contest happened some time ago and you’re still waiting for that prize for a while now!
Nope it ended on December 10th this year.
Look at him spin
At 12/28/23 04:08 AM, Tenebrare wrote: And last year this happened :
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/03/tech/ai-art-fair-winner-controversy/index.html
Worse part is this person was on MJ server, when I was (I was in closed beta and a bit after it opened to public and left then, when it started to bore me beyond imagination)- and he didn't even invent the prompt he used to win this. And no way judges were able to tell the lie that they didn't know it was AI. they knew it.
Also last night saw a AI-generating person say that crafting prompts is as hard as drawing if not harder .
So then there's that - unless said competition uses proper moderation tools and bans machine generated images, then contests nowadays are useless as well.
In some art contest they found out a person using AI just because the muppet in their layered artwork had forgotten to change name of their MJ generated image.
Art contests are not what they used to be. Those trolls genuinely believe that their prompting is harder than drawing.
I have some things in regards to A.I, especially when it comes to my own contest; however, I’m keeping it classified until the day I announce it since I need to bring up one of the contest’s more crucial criteria.
OviVixen Master Demo (18+)
At 12/28/23 06:32 AM, aapiarts wrote: Nope it ended on December 10th this year.
Well I hope you get that prize soon!
OviVixen Master Demo (18+)
At 12/28/23 12:44 PM, OviManic wrote: I have some things in regards to A.I, especially when it comes to my own contest; however, I’m keeping it classified until the day I announce it since I need to bring up one of the contest’s more crucial criteria.
I get it some people use AI to whatever self expression they like and some people are quite open about it. I think AI users should have their own platforms, their own competitions and so on. I love technology - there is reason I keep myself in the loop with the tech and I am lazy, if AI could do what i imagine, I'd let it, however...
However I feel that art is important aspect of humans sanity and mental health. It is like a language. Even a stick figure or random scribble made of splashes can have a lot of emotion behind it. We should encourage and preserve that. Even unknown, beginner people need that outlet. And to be able to support that delicate balance - we have to keep apart the human and machine generated images.
Kuddos to any organizer, who sees the bigger picture as well takes a stance. Because after all speaking against AI generated content in 2023 can net you attacks and negative attention. NG is a safe place to speak about it, in social media - you need steel balls.
Anyway, good luck to your events and contests and hope whatever you do, you succeed and get a lot of attendees.
