Contest 2010 Calendar Contest! (Drawing)

As this one is to be judged by DoA staff rather than voting, is it ok to post our submissions prior to the announcing of winners?

 

If you want to post them on Deviant Art or a personal website, that's fine... but we'd prefer that you not post them on DoA so that the winner's entries can be a surprise to members.

We would prefer that these be new images created specifically for this project, rather than being pulled from an older portfolio.

 

Even though we can submit three entries to the contest will only one image be chosen per person or is there a chance that someone could have two - three images in the calender?

 

Depending on how many entries there are and how many are print quality, there is a possibility that one person could have multiple pictures used.

 

you suggested against Volks but re you including custom dolls as well. I have a custom Dollfie Dream will she work as my model. do they necessarily have to be drawings or can we do watercolor or computer generated?

 

Any type of 2d original art will be accepted as contest entries.

You may enter any doll that you wish, but we are fairly certain that Volks will not give permission, in keeping with their history. If a doll will be recognizably Volks, be it resin or vinyl, there is a definite chance that we would not be able to get permission to include the image, and therefore, respecting company wishes, we would not be able to use it. Using the doll as a basic model, without it being definitively Volks-looking in the final image, would be more easily acceptable.

 

Regarding doll nudity - yea or nay? Or to what extent will it be acceptable?

I'm asking this because of the visible joints thing - obviously, the less clothes a doll wears, the more joints you can see. Nudity in art isn't new, after all...

 

Light nudity is all right, but it would be better to tend toward upper-body nudity than lower. It also depends on the degree of detail... I'd say that detailed genitalia would be a "no."

Think in terms of what people would want to have on a calendar that was up on their wall where other people (parents, coworkers, children, younger siblings) could see it.

 

Thanks for the clarification I think I might be amongst the first to submit an entry... @ @ *crosses fingers*

 

With regards to the face, of course it does have to be a doll, but can the face avoid trying to look like a specific one. Hard to explain, I'm trying to avoid the Angel of Dream look with an idea I have, despite the fact it is an Angel of Dream doll it is based upon. So it will be softer, less sharp nose, more detail on the eyes, so it is more 'human' in some details but is still obviously a doll. Sorry if that makes no sense, I am not too good with explaining things.

EDIT: Better description. A stylised doll, one not obviously based on any particular type of doll or doll company but still a doll. Just wanted to draw a doll that is more 'my style' than a specific doll company style

 

QUESTION! D:

I'm not big on prints and stuff, so what does 300dpi mean? DX


Also, I have a character that is gonna be a MnF Shiwoo and I was hoping to use him for an entry.
Do you think CP will grant permission?
I'll try to keep him more stylized, but I wanted him to still resemble the specific doll he's supposed to be. >_>;

 

300dpi is the minimum resolution for professional/clean prints. IF you make art for print purposes, most people ask it to be at least 300dpi (isn't it dots per inch?)

 

When you scan an image, there should be an option before scanning on what 'dpi' ('dots per inch' is correct) . For images on the internet/computer screen, 72 dpi looks good, but printing requires a higher quality image, or else it'll look grainy and pixelly. When you scan an image in a higher dpi, you capture a lot more details of the image. On the screen, the image will likely look gigantic at 300dpi, but when you print it out, it should be normal-size. Uh, kind of hard to explain... But it shouldn't be difficult to scan your image as 300dpi even if you don't fully understand it.

ali

 

My art program can resize canvasses to 300dpi (though it doesn't call it dpi, it calls it pixels/inch), so it is easily possible to draw straight in that resolution onto the computer to if you are like me and lacking of a scanner

 

Pixels and dots are the same concept. 300 pixels shows up better than 72. Imagine coloring in a 1 inch square with just making dots. 72 dots will look not as colorful as one with 300 dots in it.

If you set your canvas to 300 dpi before you start, you can have your drawing at 300 dpi, as long as you save always in high-resolution. For example, in Photoshop, you can set your document to the "US paper" preset, and it will give you the document 8.5x11 in 300 dpi.

Speaking of which, can the document be made entirely in digital media, such as Photoshop/Illustrator/Corel Painter?

 

My program has not got that concept, so that is one thing I'm thinking of. I'm not drawing the picture in 8.5x11 format, though as I am drawing in 300dpi I have the ability to transfer my picture into an 8.5x11 frame and still keep the resolution.

That is a thought too, what file format would I have to save it in? .jpg? .png? Photoplus, the program I am drawing in, is not popular and its filetype barely recognised unlike photoshop.

 

Tiff or PNG are usually best for print but jpg would be fine.

May I ask what program you use?

I'm considering entering but have no idea what to draw...

 

My program can cover all three of those filetypes, so that is good :3
I am using Serif PhotoPlus 6, that being the program I always use whenever I'm not drawing pixel art

 

Would you prefer if our pictures were in black and white or color? I can do both but... The B&W is a much better quality.

 

You can do color or black and white. As long as the piece is doll-related and well-executed, it doesn't really matter.

We can't guarantee that any company would give permission, but in the past Fairyland has been very kind to us... so I would guess that it would be all right.

That's fine. It doesn't need to be a specific doll - the challenge is more that it should have doll characteristics like joints, possibly doll-like posing, possibly images that play on the eyes/wig being removable.

That's fine. No tracing though, please. We don't consider traced images to be original artwork. There should also be no photographic elements. (Photorealistic coloring is okay, but you shouldn't collage in pieces of photos.)

When you enter, you can send a smaller, low resolution .jpg. If your entry wins, you will need to send a high resolution format. JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PSD are all okay.

 

So we can send in the image as a lower resolution .jpeg and send the high resolution version if the image wins. But does the drawing need to be in RGB or CMYK, or no preference?

 

We'd prefer that the image be in RGB.

 

Can there be more than one doll subject in the picture? Like a group shot?

 

Yes, you can do a group shot.

 

Wow! I just had a wonderful idea!

Can I write just a little on it, like someone thinking a small "oops" or "what!" without it being sentences and conversations?

 

Nope, unfortunately, we'd rather that there is no text at all, and that the pose and expression get across the unspoken dialogue.

 

so after the judging is done and the winners notified, will we be able to see all the entries?

 

Yup, we will post all the entries, though it may take us a little time. August will be a very busy month for us.

 

Thank you for the quick response! but i thought of something else!! i also wanted to enter the other contests that you guys are doing! is that ok? to enter multiple contests?

 

Yes, you may enter as many contests as you like.

 

Okay, I've done a few doll arts in my time and already have one of my works in mind, that involved a non company specific girl naked, but not pornographic, (the pose covers the lower region) but her breasts are showing. It's going to be a watercolor.
is there not going to be a clash in the calendar between the digital art and the traditional?
and will you be grading/choosing the works with disregard to the medium or format?
thanks. ^^

 

We are accepting pieces in all formats; to best show the talent of the hobby in its variance, watercolor, colored pencil, digital- all of these are very welcome.

As said before, however, we'd prefer that you designed a new piece, rather than one that you have done before. We want the calendar to be full of new art, rather than art pieces that are older and have been seen by many before.

 

Ah thanks. another question about nudity.
What about how a doll is posed?
What if the pose COULD be seen as vaguely suggestive, but no where near pornographic? only breasts shown, but not flaunted. Or does all art have to be G rated?

 

Use your best judgment. Again, think of whether you'd be comfortable showing it to your grandmother, boss, or child.

 

How much artistic licence do we have regarding the realism of the doll?

For example, if the majority of my work has to do with unity with nature, then the outline of the doll may not be as defined as, say, a graphite sketch of a doll that is standing in front of me. As long as the joints are visible and obvious, will the entry be accepted?

Thanks for your help!

 

This is again a matter of using your own discretion. If the doll is obviously a doll, even if uniquely rendered, then it will be fine. If one has to stare at the picture for awhile to determine what it is, it will probably not work out.

 

Well... I don't know if this question has been answered yet... but.. will this callendar have a standard positioning of the callendar on pages, or can I design my art freely and you will take care of this later?

 

Your picture should be formatted as an 8.5x11 image (landscape orientation, not portrait ). The calendar itself won't affect your picture, so you don't need to design a space for the calendar image.

 

Sorry for my ignorance, is this dimension in inches?

 

Yes, inches. That is the size of a normal US letter-size sheet of paper.

Landscape orientation means the paper is wider side to side than top to bottom, i.e., it is actually 11 inches wide by 8-1/2 inches high.

 

Thanks, hobbywhelmed ^^ I'm not used to inches so I prefered to ask ^^

 

21.59cm x 27.94cm here's the conversions for those on the metric system

 

EDIT: sorry, ignore this post!
I found someone else already posted the answer!

 

Read a couple of messages just before yours--

 

Answers a question that was bouncing around my brain too :3 I had the 'which is height, which is width' question in my brain but I see it has already been answered

 

Just a thought, does anyone know how willing Soom would be to allow one of their MD to be drawn for the calendar? I was thinking of doing a painting of one of their dolls but I want to make sure it will be accepted before I spend tons of time on it. ^^;

Also, do the winners receive a free copy of it (if its made that is)?

 

keelerleah > you can always send an e-mail asking soom for their permission, explain what it is for an add the link to this thread and hope for the best.... I think though if you work was inspired by a Soom MD (ie: faun-like hands or Beryl type Hooves) but not a direct copy then you'd be pretty safe I'd imagine...

 

Hi! I've gotten a few submissions already, but I wanted to remind everyone that my name is Truffle, not Truffles. (There is only one of me, which my owners would probably say is a good thing!) Please be sure you are sending your entries to Truffle with no s. "Truffles" is also a user here, and if your submissions go to that account, they won't be entered.

If you've sent an entry already, please check your Sent items to make sure it went to Truffle.

 

Is full bleed acceptable on this, or is there going to be a margin? If there is a margin, what size will that be?

 

I would treat it the way that most full-bleed is treated. You can design to include full-bleed designs, but don't include any crucial details in those margins.

 

oh gosh... i just might enter this. it would be quite the honor to be printed in a doll calendar

 

I checked, and both my entries were sent to Truffle.


Also, has there been any update about the doll from Charles Creature Cabinet? I'm very curious, lol.

 

The dolls have been posted to me, but I have not received them yet. I will photograph the doll when it arrives.

 

Gotcha. Thanks! Too many years in a graphic design program warps your brain. ^^;

 

Awesome! I look forward to seeing it!

I'm trying to think of one last thing I can draw for the calendar contest. Hmmm...

 

How exciting! I haven't had a reason to break out my illustration skills in a while.

 

Yes, the dimension is in inches.

We need more submissions for this contest! While I'm assuming we'll get a flood of entries closer to the end of the submission period, at this point producing an actual calendar is not even entering the realm of possibility. Get drawing, people!

 

With regards to sending them, is it just a PM with a link to the image or is it best emailed? Just making sure.

Some problem regarding a doll was blocking me from finishing my picture, so I'm drawing, I am!

 

I'm definitely putting in two entries.. just.. need.. to draw them! (still catching up on Otakon commissions XDDD)