FArt Battle 2012

For those who are new to this concept, FArt Battle is short for Fan-Art Battle and is an art contest held for several years now on the City of Heroes boards.
The contest is held by a willing host and contains traditional and digital art, lineart, coloured, black and white, greyscaled, it's all valid art in this battle.

Every month will have winners, picked by the public of the forums in an assigned thread.
And there are some awesome prizes to win!

Each months will have it's own City of Heroes/Villains related theme for the artists to base their art on.
This theme will be announced by the host in a new thread.

Here is a thumbnail collage of all the entries of last 2011's top 3 finalists:
SyrusB aka Liz:


Christopher Robin:


Darth Delicious:


VIP players as well as Free players are allowed to participate in this battle.

Entering the Battle can be done until March 29th 2012.
Please read the full rules and settings.

Will you join the Battle?

CoH Fan-Art Sale still several slots open!

Read my in-game stories and check out my DeviantART page.
- coXso - It was a memorable time filled with art!

Looks neat, I'll offer up 1 billion inf to use for prizes. Also "aloud" should be "allowed". You also failed to mention how the artists earn those points for them to spend.

But, Other than that, You are Perfectly Excellent, DeeDee!

Be Well!
Fireheart

Oh Bubba! That's awesome. Thanks!
And I shall see to the small errors, cheers for that too.

I figured was clear about point gathering in the following part:

Quote:

Points: The points gathered from the votes can be used for the following options:

But to be more clear I added a couple of words in the "Votes" chapter:
"Votes are in a 1 2 3 system and there are points attached to them."

Will that do?

Also I changed the words aloud (I now see what I actually said *giggles*) to allowed in the basic rules 4 and 5.

And I noticed I was missing the links to a worldtimezone site in the copy of the rules and settings in the first post... added them and I updated the info on the link to the rules and settings.

Thanks Fireheart!

CoH Fan-Art Sale still several slots open!

Read my in-game stories and check out my DeviantART page.
- coXso - It was a memorable time filled with art!

A reminder to those who are interested...
I'll be announcing the January theme on December 25th!

CoH Fan-Art Sale still several slots open!

Read my in-game stories and check out my DeviantART page.
- coXso - It was a memorable time filled with art!

Hey DeeDee, you're very brave, heh

Just looking at the guidelines for what constitutes acceptable art mediums for this. Does 3d Art meet the requirements?

Thanks Henri . And I'm afraid Caemgen his interpretation is correct.
3D art, rendered in programs like DAZ Studio are not allowed (that is what you're getting at...right?). Afterall, it's a drawing contest.

Also I'd like this opportunity to mention that one of the prizes contains a one hour personal "one-on-one" tutorial/training on demoediting from the one and only Samuraiko!!.
With this an artist will be able to create reference scenes in CoH before making 'm into art!

CoH Fan-Art Sale still several slots open!

Read my in-game stories and check out my DeviantART page.
- coXso - It was a memorable time filled with art!

Cheers for clarifying that guys. I suspected that would be the case but just thought i'd ask

So, grab your pencils/mouse again and Draw, Henri! You were doing great art before Daz, you can still do great art after Daz!

Do you need more Robots to draw? I have a few.

Be Well!
Fireheart

Heh, thanks for the vote of confidence Fireheart, appreciate it Don't worry though, i've not abandoned the painting. 3d art and also 3d modelling is just a new area i'm exploring at the moment, just give myself a wider understanding of the digital art world i guess.

I am planning to try to enter the FArt 2012 but with moving to the UK in January, it'll depend on how time comsuming the move and getting sorted will be, and how long i'll be without internet... and when, where and even 'if' my pc turns up, lol...

I always say.. it never hurts to ask (the answer however is something totally different *giggles*

Good luck with the moval, Henri! (I've been through 11 allready (and by the looks of it.. I'm not yet done either )), so I know the chaos it can bring.
I hope you'll join the battle though. Remember, you have till March to do so .

CoH Fan-Art Sale still several slots open!

Read my in-game stories and check out my DeviantART page.
- coXso - It was a memorable time filled with art!

Given how fluid the community is and that for many people their real lives can prohibit entering one month, I would continue to advocate as I have before for a more open system. Rather than mandating that people participate every month (where we end up with people dropping out and very few artists by the end) I would advocate making every month open to everyone. Players vote on the pieces and points are awarded. 10 points to first, 5 for second, 3 for third, and 1 for submitting (I made this numbers up) Then at the end of the year the artist with the most points wins.

Entering the contest late means that you have lost out on the opportunity to win points in earlier months, but means that talented artists who join our community after the start deadline aren't shut out of the competition, and can still enjoy a month win, even if they would be unable to achieve a contest win. This also means that an artist that cannot complete a submission one month, can still continue to participate later.

Given that this idea has received no support in the past I suspect people like the reality television sense that comes from elimination, and it certainly makes it feel more like a competition. This was just my brainstorm of how to avoid some of the problems that have arisen in the last several years and try to get a contest that lasts the whole year.

Regardless, Kudos to you for being willing to run it DeeDee!!

Draggynn, I like you're idea but... The problem I see with people moving in and out willy-nilly and winning months is it makes it that much harder for those competing every month to earn points. If I was scraping by, getting a few votes here and there, and near the end maybe going to make the cut of the final three... Then someone, or even a couple someones, come in out of nowhere and gobble up mega points, well that would be frustrating as all get out. I competed every month!! And wham, out of nowhere I get shoved out by someone who did a total of two pieces?? Sure, maybe THEY don't make the final cut, but I can still very much feel they stole my opportunity to make it.


Personally, I kind of like an idea like the first 9 months (or whatever) be open to everyone and anyone. People can win months or not... And then after all those months, people who competed in at least say 6 months get to put what they feel are there best 2-4 pieces up for consideration. Once these "portfolios" are chosen by all who qualified, they are put up to a new vote in which people judge on the body of works, not just an individual piece, to see who makes the final cut.

In that way I think people would not HAVE to compete every month, just most months. It would allow for life to interfere but not knock someone out... It would allow for monthly winners but also not someone getting such a commanding lead as to be inevitable.


*shrug* But then again, I am sure some would have problems with that system. Whatever system, people will have issues with it. All in all, I think the most important thing is to be clear about what system will be used, and to stick to it consistantly.

Thank you for the feedback / suggestion Draggynn and Caemgen too! Much appreciated.

As for a response;
I think both suggestions, or rather systems, are good ones and I can absolutely see why they can work, but.... obviously there would be a but *giggles* otherwise I wouldn't be commenting, I also think in a contest like this one, the artists who decide to participate, participate with devotion to come up with a piece every month.

Personally, I see the FArt Battle as a battle where devotion plays a big part in.
For an artist to work his/her way through the battle for as long as possible, no matter what... now that's something he/she can be proud of.
That is why I decided to keep it "closed" for most part.

About the eliminations:
Unfortunately history has shown us that participants sometimes drop out, out of the blue, with or without notion, for whatever reason.
Most eliminations are pretty much from own choices.
Eliminations make it easier for voters to vote because there are less choices to make in the end.

However, this FArt Battle can run without eliminations, because every month a new winner is set by the voters of the CoH forum. It doesn't matter how many paricipants are left in the Finale. The points are just a luxurary to buy yourself time, a headsup on the theme or at some point a 1st or 2nd vote.
Afterall, the only other way to quit the Battle is by disqualifying yourself by.. for example, not submitting a piece after March 2012.

The downsided is, since I cannot controle how many participants are left every month, it makes it hard to set a month for the Final Round.
With Eliminations still active, there is some controle over setting a month for the Final Round as you know exactly how many are left after each month.
This is why I kept the elimination option active.

*waves*

CoH Fan-Art Sale still several slots open!

Read my in-game stories and check out my DeviantART page.
- coXso - It was a memorable time filled with art!

Here's an idea...

Last Year Bubba worked his **** off to make a workable system, it came upon problems because everyone has a different idea of what it should be.
I dropped out just because i couldn't put the time in over the summer,, but watching the fight to win towards the end, well, it wasn't pretty, so, my idea...

Don't have a winner. But maybe publicise the thing on DA? We all have watchers, the more you post the more people look. The incentive then is to post every month because as soon as it's tagged, 'posted this as part of the 2012 FArt battle... blah blah' people think, ooh, a competition, that's a link to lots of good art... if you post it, they will come... maybe...

Just an idea, you're not competing to win, but to be seen...


prehaps?

I think competing is a huge component towards getting entries... Compare the FART's to the various Art Jam's we've had on the boards... The FART gets more entries and more interest.

As for trying to make it a thing on dA... That could be interesting but could also have drawbacks. I suppose it would depend on how it was managed.

i think what i'm trying to say is, i post stuff i've done so that people say, 'ooh, i like that H', or, 'ahh, H, that's not right, you need to change this'... i post for a reaction, to be noticed. All that political shite to win at the end isn't for me

I agree that the FArts have a nasty tendency to end in... drama. Part of that is because, ultimately, skill becomes irrelevant and the real key is simple popularity. More people can relate to your images more easily, it's all subjective, so they vote that way.

Then people can argue that the votes were unfair - which, Of Course!, is a simple truth - no vote is completely 'fair'. It's just more fair than the alternatives. People vote their opinions and an opinion is like... etc, everyone has one and they all stink.

The amazing thing is that the Community likes the FArts and they keep returning, to see who's competing and what their arts look like, and maybe they'll add their opinion to a vote-thread. It's also amazing that the FArtists keep returning to compete and share their precious gifts, then let people poke fun at them by trying to set a 'value' on that free expression of their soul. So, the Hosts continually try to set up the competition so that it is relatively easy to run, the rules are clear, and to maximize the 'fairness' of an intrinsically 'unfair' process, pitting a wide variety of skill-levels and personalities 'against' each other.

If I didn't enjoy seeing the arts and cheering the artists, I wouldn't bother to show up - especially at the end.

Be Well!
Fireheart

I agree that the Battle so far has ended in drama, unfortunately.
I do hope it can be avoided in the upcoming one. I suppose that will be my challenge *giggles*.

In my opinion... as long as the rules are clear and they don't change during the battle, there simply cannot be a problem as everybody that plays, plays with the same rules. No exeptions.
That's why I announced the rules up front, so people can read and reply to them. And if I see good reason in those replies to change rules... I surely will, but not once the battle has started. Once it has started (which will on December 25th, when I announce the first theme), there's no changing rules or settings except for pointing out when the Final Round will be, because that all depends on the amount of participants after March.

Edit: Also... the Battle has always been a contest and so it shall be in 2012.

In the end... the host of a game or contest will make the rules and settings and the participants agree with them by entering the game or contest. That's his/her duty afterall.

I wish I could set up a steady neutral voting team to make populairity less a thing with voting. But it's impossible to get such a team and to let it stick with the battle for a maximum of a year.
So, complaining about the votes not being fair will simply not get anyone anywhere, before, during or after the battle.
I think this is why Bubba came up with the points and early-bird system.
To give "less populair" artists a chance aswell, but through other ways. It sure worked for me!
Also it will give an artist more honor if voters just vote their opinion in stead of blindly putting their favourite artist on the first vote and go to their opinion from there on.

I have thought about the option of participants e-mailing their entries (or PMing a link to it), so I can gather them and put them up anonymously, so the voters will not know who made what untill after the votes are in. But even then there are still ways to make voters do what you want. In my opinion...that's a way of cheating, really...
Oh well.... somehow there are always ways to somehow manipulate something to make it "unfair" for someone else.

I did my best to rule out as much as possible.
And the rest is up to the participants and voters.
Fact is that the FArt Battle is a non-official CoHboards contest, hosted by someone who will freely take up the responsibility and who will have to work with what's available as a player of City of Heroes.
There is not much controle over anything really and a lot of honest, honorable playing, voting and battling is up to the participants and voters.
That's just how it is and how we will have to manage.

As for prizes, they can motivate the artists. To have a purpose besides winning.
Also prizes are good ego-boosts .
I'm still working on some extra prizes. Not getting a lot (did get some though!) of responses from artists I contacted sofar, but I'll keep trying!

If anyone wants to offer a nice prize (besides ingame inf)... PM me, please, much appreciated! .

wow.. long story... wish I could make it shorter.. but I can't! *giggles*

CoH Fan-Art Sale still several slots open!

Read my in-game stories and check out my DeviantART page.
- coXso - It was a memorable time filled with art!

Thanks Draggynn!

@syrusb: Yes, the battle is also about artists challenging themselves . That is what I meant too.. but sometimes I forget to actually explain every bit of what I mean . Self-challenging takes devotion... so in my head I covered that.. I'm odd that way sometimes *giggles*. But I definitely agree...and also I'm very serious about running the battle in 2012 .

CoH Fan-Art Sale still several slots open!

Read my in-game stories and check out my DeviantART page.
- coXso - It was a memorable time filled with art!