April 2010 Fan Art Battle - VOTE!!!

Ah yep. Forgot she had written that. Well thanks for playing Tartyr.

Since the voting's over, I felt like posting a few more thoughts on all the entries.

Shia/Pyronympho - I really liked how the construction paper cutouts looked. It produces some clean lines and I was surprised at the level of detail and line control you both had. But the humor value of Pyro's won me over a bit more, I think it was the different sized eyes that put it over the top for me.

Frost - Regardless of the quality of the work itself, this one most captured the spirit of kindergarten, aside from Caemgen's non-entry which I think would have been near the top of this very close race.

Scooter/Bubbawheat - These were the two 3-D pieces which we haven't seen any of before now. As a kid, I could never do anything with play-dough and you did pretty well considering.

Christopher Robin - The sidewalk chalk piece - this really shows your usual style using really rough materials. The only downside is it's a little harder to realize the scale of the piece at this angle.

Lousy Day/Juggertha/Tartyrsauce - These are the more rough of the crayon pieces, and shows how hard it is to get good details with them, even from talented artists. Of these, I can see why Tartyr's got the low end of the totem pole, as it's a sketch compared to a full piece, and it looks just like all his other sketches, which is actually a good effort with crayons, but it doesn't stand out as being either kindergarten themed, nor does it compare to...

U-Naught/JohnnyKat - these two pieces which are very high quality pieces using crayons, which the above works show how hard that is to do. Both of these have a very high level of detail, and while I feel that U-Naught's catches the kindergarten mood the best, JohnnyKat's is definitely the most impressive for the amount of detail.

Congrats once again, JohnnyKat! That was super close. I was personally watching the bottom three more closely. Thanks to those who still kept me in this thing to get eliminated another month.

(Speaking from past experiences, I am with Johnny that it is a little disappointing when people say they are voting for another piece because you have immunity. I mean it is all fine if that is what they want to do, but stating that as rational reasoning is discouraging to the artist who has immunity, especially when they are still giving it their best effort like Johnny did this month. Immunity should only matter when the person who has it actually ends up with the lowest points, which I am not sure ever happened in the last couple of years. If immunity gives the artist an unfair disadvantage, it does more harm than good.)

This point is Moot Johnny has immunity again. Because he did not use it as an opportunity to slack off he brought his A game. not that I think he could do anything other than his best, He is not that kind of artist.

It won't be moot if Johnny turns in a masterpiece in May and you see some voters saying, "what Johnny did is amazing, but since he has had immunity for two months in a row..." I am not trying to make a big issue out of this, or even trying to change people's behavior when they vote. I am just saying this kind of negative reinforcement (telling people they are not getting votes because they have immunity) could have a negative impact on the artist's motivation sooner or later.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this FaRT Battle!! Wassy, good job in pulling everyone out of their comfort zone!

Congratulations to Johnnykat, Frost and U-Naught! w00t!!!

Anyone have any other ideas what would be a good reward for winning a month's vote? I still think winning a month should come with some sort of bonus for the winner. I think that if we wanted a system where you were voted to advance, you'd have to set up a full bracket at the beginning.

Perhaps they could pick the theme for the next month? Given, of course, that the person who is running it approves.

Hookers and beer is always a good reward...

But all in all I think things are fine as is... Is it a bit unfair that people factor in immunity to their votes? Yes. But it is just one of many unfair considerations that get factored in, consciously or un... Better to have people thinking JK has immunity so I'll vote for someone else than JK won last month so I'll vote for someone else... The first may be more prevelant but the second is more perilous...

Besides, rules is rules. Changing them midstream would lead to even more complaints.

With JK having Immunity again, and people worried about the votes, I can see why some are being a tad touchy about this.

The truth is, we never really know exactly why people vote. And when you're champ (and that's what the last month's winner basicaly is), then you're going to have people try to pull ya down.

To stay up, you have to keep it up, and then some.

I wish JohnnyKat all the best, and hope that this sort of stuff does't distract him - but in the end, I'm looking to post up a winning piece, and that's what it's about.

Another great month of art, and congrats to JK, and the rest as well.


As for the monthly winner....I've been pondering alternate stuff for a while now, and I think I know how I might do it were I to run it, but this is your go-round, Wassy, and the immunity thing was a part of the contest when it started this year, so I think we're kinda locked in, unless it's a unanimous change.

And for immunity, I usually forget who it was anyway.



(Not that it matters, but my thoughts have been leaning towards no eliminations and keeping a running total all the while, so people could miss a month's submittal and still be in it, not eliminating them for just being busy one month. I think it might get more art to look at, which is good, and reward the most consistent for the whole time.)

ok.. where SKIPPING over the issue of elimination here...

so are we having an elimination for the April fan art battle or not???

It was announced it was an elimination month in the first post of the voting thread. I assume that is still the case.

Well I'm one of those that didn't vote for JK because he had immunity. I thought of it as a chance to technically get four votes this month. BUT now that I think about it then if no one voted for the immunity winner then he/she isn't eligible for immunity next month which isn't fair if he/she truly had a more popular piece. So my logic was flawed. Sorry JK, but grats on your win this month anyway!

Now Bubba, where is my pics of burning flaming arts?!?!?!? Youtube video is also acceptable!