The February 2010 FArt Battle

LOVE IS IN THE AIR...

... and restraining orders are being processed! For February we're going have a little romance, and the option for a little extra. Yes, in honor of Valentine's Day, and because I'm very bad at delayed gratification, the long-touted pin-up month is NOW!

For this month's theme, I'm looking for some classic pin-ups. I'm thinking along the lines of Alberto Vargas (or Olivia DeBerardinis for a recent example). Think fantasy, cheesecake, frivolity, playfulness. Your piece does not need to be a direct pin-up, but must be in relation to it. What I mean by this is that, for example, the graphic designers might make a magazine cover, or perhaps an ad for a cabaret operating in Paragon or the Rogue Isles.

If you are deeply morally opposed to the world of the pin-up, a piece centering on romance is also acceptable.

Again, all art types are acceptable for this month's theme.

THE RULES

1. Keep it R-rated and Under
Yep, nudity will be fine, but anything worse and you're out. Please PM me for more clarification if needed.

2. DO NOT DIRECT POST R-RATED PIECES
We're all going to be abiding by the 2-click rule. The competition page on my site will be programmed to 2-click. Please still put your pieces in your personal dA galleries.

3. Use City of Heroes/Villains Characters
These do not need to be signature heroes/villains, but your piece must either be a personal character, or in some other way related to the game.

4. The Hot Chicks Rule
Your piece must somehow contain a hot chick (interpret that as you will). Probably an easy rule this month.

Deadlines
All entries are due by FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH AT MIDNIGHT US EASTERN TIME. If your piece cannot be direct-linked, just throw up a message that its done and in your dA gallery, and I'll get the 2-clicking going. As in January, I'll be screening all entries for adherence to the rules. What I put up for vote is deemed legit, and that's final.

Its in the artists' best interest to get their entries in with time to make a change if it falls into disqualification. You can also get feedback on your entry and strengthen it.

Other Items of Note
THIS IS AN ELIMINATION MONTH!! The winner of the January Battle will carry immunity into this month. If they submit a qualifying entry by the deadline, they cannot be eliminated regardless of vote. The person with the least votes this month will be eliminated. If there is a tie in this, we'll have some sort of sudden death elimination. I'm open to suggestions as to how to handle that.

Please feel free to respectfully voice any questions or concerns.

As always, above all else, have fun while you're kicking butt and challenging yourselves, artists!!

*confetti*

*hopes someone will do some girl-girl romance*

Last year, TA handled the sudden death by taking all the lowest votes and having a new vote where you vote for who should be eliminated.

Yeah, but if memory serves, people seemed to hate voting someone out like that. I'm just willing to do a new system if someone has a better idea.

so, it looks like black & white is still okay? (which is fiiiine by me!! just want to clarify.)

Yes, black and white is still fine. I probably won't ever have a color requirement.

Yeah people really didn't like to out an artist. I looked at it like voting someone off the island at the time but in hindsight I could have made a better choice.


I really like the new theme though Wassy

I really don't like voting on an elimination between the lowest vote-getters.

I think an option would be to eliminate the one with the lowest votes total to date, including previous months' contests. That, or let them advance and do a double elimination the following month.

Yeah I didn't vote when we had to pick one to eliminate.

I really like DarkEther's first idea, but maybe only count votes from previous 1-3 months rather than from the beginning.

Potential problem with lowest total vote count is I could easily see several of us having no votes at all after month 2... Unless people vote for themselves to avoid such...

Are we allowed to vote for ourselves??? I'd suggest no...

No, you're allowed to vote for yourself. Most participants don't, honestly. But, as shown in years past, almost everyone never thinks they're really the best. Humble bunch of weirdos they are ^.^

Other sudden death ideas:

1) similar to last year - have each at risk participant vote privately for the one they think should be eliminated. (though it doesn't work if there's only 2)

2) random - pick a number, all the at risk participants guess the number, and the closest one to the number gets eliminated.

3) Instead of sudden death voting for the one to be eliminated, sudden death vote for the one to stay on. For larger groups, allow for multiple votes - like for 3-5, have people rank their top 2, for 6+ have people rank their top 3. This would reduce the chance of several zero-votes.

Best of my recollection: Even someone with immunity must submit a qualifying piece or be eliminated.

There was some talk of possibly winning your way back in this year but not sure if Wassy ever got behind that idea or if so how shell run that part...


Theme question: What if we are not deeply, morally opposed to pin ups (and in fact enjoy the heck out of them!) but just feel our talents are better suited for the "alternate" theme of romance?

I think I have a pretty good concept on a romance piece of art that I may even pull off halfway decently... But I must be honest and admit I have no moral qualms. I'll try and tackle pin ups if the only out from it is a morality one...

couples have never been my strong suit. This may be a tough one for me.

Pinups doesn't mean couples. In fact, the majority of pinups is a single person/character (typically female, but there are plenty of male pinups around!)

Nor does 'romance' HAVE to be showing two people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dispari I don't know why Dink thinks she's not as sexy as Jay was. In 5 posts she's already upstaged his entire career.

Cool theme and I am a big fan of Olivia and to a lesser extent Vargas (before my time)... hmmm.

I brought this up in the Jan thread but looks like the discussion of it has come up here.
Lowest previous vote might work in later months but won't help if this comes up in Feb and a bunch of people also had zero in Jan.

Now sure I care for the random number as it speaks nothing of the art.

You could give everyone two votes with the stipulation that you cannot vote for the same piece twice. I think if everyone who voted for LousyDay this month also had to choose a "Not LousyDay" piece their 2nd votes would be a lot more spread out. It would allow people to vote for something else they liked and yet not have to pass up the obvious "favorite."
Also it would solve the problem for all the people agonizing between two pieces... vote for both.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggelakis Pinups doesn't mean couples. In fact, the majority of pinups is a single person/character (typically female, but there are plenty of male pinups around!) Nor does 'romance' HAVE to be showing two people.

Aside from the fact that a single character male pin-up would be in violation of the hot chick rule (and require a hefty dose of brain bleach to blot it out ), Agge is correct, you needn't do a couples piece to show romance.

One --> Artz Giveaway <-- To Rule Them ALL!

I will settle this. ORANGE FTW! - Ex Libris

To me it reads that the category is Pin-Ups and that Romance is but an alternate theme for those with moral objections to the real theme...


As for voting, with this many entrants I think a 3pt, 2pt, 1pt system could work well until the ranks get thinned a bit... Each voter would award 3 to their first choice, 2 to their second and 3 to their final selection.. With three votes each we should have a bare minimum of peeps with NO votes at all. It would also make it possible for someone to not get the most overall votes but still win a month, which would be fun

Hmm...is this a long running competition? As in, you can't come in half way through?
/e pauses at the sketchpad >_>

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

Approximately a year long competition... People get whiddled away each month until just 1 champion stands.

Sorry, you missed getting in by about a week... There's been some talk of people winning their way back in once eliminated but I don't know if there has been talk about newcomers getting in after the start

Curses....foiled again.
Not to mention as soon as I sat down the Art Block loomed up and punched me right in the kidney...I think it took my spleen, too.

Curses. Curses I tell you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

My piece for this was almost done. Almost. And stupid Photoshop ruined it all.