PLEASE READ: Changes to the Drawing Board monthly competitions

[James]

Okay, I've talked to the mods, and we've come up with these alterations to the rules. We'll test it this month and re-evaluate next month.

The main aims of these changes are:
To showcase as much of the work as we possibly can. To target voting on key aspects of the submitted work To give everyone equal opportunityHere are the changes in full:


Number of entries

You can post as many ideas as you like, but after the deadline we expect the submitter (artist) to chose one of their entries to be voted on and let the mod know either in the thread or pm. We encourage you to post as many as you like so we can see how your mind works :p - but only one can go through to be voted on!



Voting

There be three categories. You will be asked to vote for the best three pictures that fit in each category.

1st in any category garners 3 points, 2nd gets 2, and 3rd gets one. Just like before.

Essentially it's like how we vote now, but you do it not for best picture, but on three different aspects of the picture.

Example:

My votes I'd email would be:

CONCEPT - The idea and how it works with the theme.
1. OUTLANDER - 3 points
2. EVIL KAS - 2 points
3. BARB GORDON - 1 point

PENCILS - The composition and drawing skill - does it work well with the concept?
1. FROZEN - 3 points
2. NIGHTFLOWER - 2 points
3. OUTLANDER - 1 point

COLOUR - Use of colour - not simply how pretty, but how the colours work with the piece.
1. EVIL KAS - 3 points
2. BARB GORDON - 2 points
3. FROZEN - 1 point

Simple? Yes it is!

The staff will then tally up these points per person to create an "overall" category. No one DIRECTLY votes for the overall category, it is just the sum of the point totals of the other three. That would mean that in the overall category for this ballot, the results would be:

OVERALL
EVIL KAS - 5 points
OUTLANDER - 4 points
FROZEN - 3 points
BARB GORDON - 3 points
NIGHTFLOWER - 2 points

It's very simple. It's voting as usual but three times. It should give us more idea what was good about each pic and should award people for their excellence in a certain area.



After the competition

Afterwards if anyone wants to comment and do their own critical review on their favourite pieces in a thread, we'd love to see your comments in the WORKSHOP. This isn't mandatory, it's only if you want!! It would be great to celebrate all the hard work and if you have time we'd love to see what you liked or would like to have seen improved on your favourite pieces!

Two changes and an afterthought! Any confusion post below!!

~ TZDB Mods.

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

Thanks for the clarifications, etc... The voting system is interesting, though I must say that, for example, some drawings may be at a disadvantage. For example, what if it's black and white, or only done in pencil? That's no votes in the "colour" section. A weird thought, but a thought nonetheless. :) Could it be based on "shading" instead in a case like that?

[alienfirst]

Thanks for the clarifications, etc... The voting system is interesting, though I must say that, for example, some drawings may be at a disadvantage. For example, what if it's black and white, or only done in pencil? That's no votes in the "colour" section. A weird thought, but a thought nonetheless. :) Could it be based on "shading" instead in a case like that?

That was my question too. Most of my drawings are in black and white (CG and/or real media color only when I have an ungodly amount of free time). I like the idea for black and white images in the color category to be then based on shading, that way those drawings would at least get some points :P

Er.. yes. I like this new voting system. It seems much more organized.

[James]

Thanks for the clarifications, etc... The voting system is interesting, though I must say that, for example, some drawings may be at a disadvantage. For example, what if it's black and white, or only done in pencil? That's no votes in the "colour" section. A weird thought, but a thought nonetheless. :) Could it be based on "shading" instead in a case like that?

Yeah, erm, I think so. We kept the descriptions basic as not to confuse. Colour could also be the application of tone and it's effectiveness. If a pic is intentionally not coloured and it works better like that, then it rates well.

I'll be frank, I - and the others hadn't caught that flaw... lol. The overall winner could be dropped, it's not that necessary.

Comments (staff as well!! :p)?

[The Detective]

I like the new voting system. I feel it will give non photoshopped drawings a chance. Sometimes (and I'm not meaning ANYONE in particular) I feel that the photoshopped images do better than the hand colored ones just because they may look fancier. Again, not pointing fingers just making an observation. I think this will give them a chance. I don't see why we have to have only one piece to be voted on but oh well.

[James]

Yeah, we love CG pics (being a photoshop boy myself), but we want to highlight all styles and all types of composition - we felt this may cater for the variety of talent and skills we have here rather than showcasing the one.

[alienfirst]

I like the new voting system. I feel it will give non photoshopped drawings a chance. Sometimes (and I'm not meaning ANYONE in particular) I feel that the photoshopped images do better than the hand colored ones just because they may look fancier. Again, not pointing fingers just making an observation. I think this will give them a chance. I don't see why we have to have only one piece to be voted on but oh well.

Thank you! Finally, someone who understands the trouble real media artists have on the 'net! Most of my art is hand drawn, inked, and shaded, and because of that, I think people don't look at my art as much as, say, some other artist that almost exclusively uses Photoshop. *sigh* Real media is incredibly underappreciated...

[Outlander00]

Color could mean anything. If you chose to have the image B&W, thats your choice and wont be held against you because it does include shading and other aspects of color, I think. Im the B&W king, though I feel I always need to explain why it is that way and this new voting sytem will be fair to those as well.

I have a feeling, based on the feedback, that this new system will give everyone a fair shot at winning comps, as well as have everyone push the bar when it comes to the work put out.


*psst*... Good job covering our butts, boss! :p

[Dee]

i will make a bold guess that the first one is because of me.

*sigh*

lol well at least its becoming more fair overall.


CONCEPT - The idea and how it works with the theme.
1. OUTLANDER - 3 points
2. EVIL KAS - 2 points
3. BARB GORDON - 1 point

PENCILS - The composition and drawing skill - does it work well with the concept?
1. FROZEN - 3 points
2. NIGHTFLOWER - 2 points
3. OUTLANDER - 1 point

COLOUR - Use of colour - not simply how pretty, but how the colours work with the piece.
1. EVIL KAS - 3 points
2. BARB GORDON - 2 points
3. FROZEN - 1 point

What? none for me? LOL. j/k

[Dee]

Thank you! Finally, someone who understands the trouble real media artists have on the 'net! Most of my art is hand drawn, inked, and shaded, and because of that, I think people don't look at my art as much as, say, some other artist that almost exclusively uses Photoshop. *sigh* Real media is incredibly underappreciated...

I think Photoshop is a real media too. it is a tool as is any physical media, and I would much rather work on my PC than with my brushpens because by the time I scan the work, it looks like crap.

Your art is amazing. I prefer seeing yours more often than anything because it's so nice and sharp. Your color work is insanely awesome, but I adore your pencils too--- like that pic you did for me a while back.

Color as an option, I think means what works best for the piece. If it's black and white and done well, it will demand far more attention than some other pieces. It's all how the overall piece works.

my pieces are almost always hand drawn, inked lines and scanned before I do any more work. my Diablo one was a huge layout and I then went in to color it because if I damaged it with physical media... id have lost the entire piece.

i look foward to this month's contest.

[James]

i will make a bold guess that the first one is because of me.

*sigh*

lol well at least its becoming more fair overall.


Not really Del. We want a system which is fair yet entices people to draw as much as possible. This way you can do as many entries as before and then - as you would with roughs to a client - pick which entry is best to be judged.

The most important thing is that when it comes to voting everyone is even. We can never say for definite, but more than one pic seems to split the artists votes. I've seen several occasions now where it seems the split may have lost an artist a place in the final three.

Multiple entries do seem to effect voting curves. This is the only way to keep things fair and make sure all efforts get the same chances. Whether it be in the favour of the submitter or the entrants, either way this seems to clear up confusion.

Please please please continue to submit as you like to the thread. Only after when we go to vote do you need to pick the fav of all the pics you've done!

So this is something which has been talked about from day dot - no one is pointing at you or anyone else. This has come from feedback and as you know, I've had qualms about the comp for a few months now. We've done a friendly comp for 5 months - I think people want something a little more indepth.



What? none for me? LOL. j/k

Those were Tim's examples in the conversations we were having. I changed 'SJJ' to 'Evil Kas' just as I wouldn't be voting for my self in the example. I adjusted and stole some of Tim's wording in the example. Thanks Tim! *steals wallet*

[TimTwoFace]

Those were Tim's examples in the conversations we were having. I changed 'SJJ' to 'Evil Kas' just as I wouldn't be voting for my self in the example. I adjusted and stole some of Tim's wording in the example. Thanks Tim! *steals wallet*

Yeah, note how I was totally selfless and didn't even put myself on that list!

...

...man, now I feel like I'm missing out. Timmy have low self-esteem this afternoon...*AMBLES OFF AND KICKS A STONE ACROSS THE PAVEMENT*

-Tim

PS - I'm glad all you guys like the new suggestions and guidelines we mods have formulated!

[Dee]

Yeah, note how I was totally selfless and didn't even put myself on that list!

...

...man, now I feel like I'm missing out. Timmy have low self-esteem this afternoon...*AMBLES OFF AND KICKS A STONE ACROSS THE PAVEMENT*

-Tim

PS - I'm glad all you guys like the new suggestions and guidelines we mods have formulated!


YAY!! when is the next contest gonna start?? (itching to draw)

[James]

Get drawing - it starts now. The thread will be put together in around 9 hours time!

[Barb Gordon]

I'm definitely satisfied with the changes overall for the voting and such. I think it'll make the contests, and voting itself, much more enjoyable for everyone, much more fair and keep everyone interested in participating.

~Barb

[Stu]

Being that the rules are changing again for the DKA cover months, will you posting them here for feedback?

[James]

The DKA rules are entirely seperate to the monthly comp. The DKA details will be posted in the thread when we issue the details. We're taking the monthly comp offline for a little bit. In the meantime we'll do some other stuff, namely the DKA comp and maybe some All Stars just for a change of pace. :)