Candlekeep's Grand Fanart Contest: Rules & Sign Ups
AndreaColombo
Member Posts: 5,530
Well met, artisan, and welcome to our humble citadel of knowledge and learning!
In this fine day, it is our privilege to avail ourselves of no less than Candlekeep's Keeper of the Tomes' patronage to host an event most magnificent: Candlekeep's Grand Fanart Contest!
Arists from all around the Realms are welcome to partake this extraordinary event, and submit the results of their efforts to the jury for a chance to win our exquisite prizes!
Come on, come all! Sign up today and contribute to the splendor of these halls with your skill and talent!
..::Candlekeep's Grand Fanart Contest Rules::..
Take part in one or more rounds for a chance to win free copies of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (upon the latter's release), as well as a chance to be featured in the Candlekeep Library on baldursgate.com!
During each round, any number of submissions shall be accepted from each contestant, so if you want to take multiple shots at one or more rounds, you are welcome to do so. Each submission will count as its own standalone entry and will stand an equal chance of being awarded a prize.
For round I, we require 100% original artwork and no photomanipulations will be accepted.
Due to the very nature of rounds II and III, photomanipulations will be accepted as entries for Gender-swap Portraits and Ust Natha Portraits. In this regard, please note that the developers have given their consent to alter existing portraits from the game; however, if you're going to use other pictures as a base for your photomanipulations, we require that you obtain the original author's explicit consent in written form before submitting your entry.
With regards to rounds II and III, submissions must retain the style and proportions of the original Baldur's Gate portraits: All three sizes should be accounted for (large = 210x330, medium = 169x266, small = 54x84) and may be uploaded individually or archived and uploaded with a single picture denoting what you have entered.
However, higher-resolution portraits are welcome so long as they are constrained to the same proportions as used by the in-game portraits. Example of random sizes higher than large using the same ratio: 652x1024, 955x1500, 1303x2048, this will make it easier for resizing later.
Although multiple entries for the same joinable NPC will be accepted, we strongly encourage contestants to offer alternate gender-swap and Ust Natha portraits for different NPCs: This way, we may avoid ending up with several entries for popular NPCs and none for the others.
Signing up for the contest is not mandatory, and you may partake any round at your leisure.
However, albeit completely optional, announcing your intention to partake one or more rounds (and specifying which ones) would be a much appreciated courtesy.
Up for grabs are eight (8) free copies of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition provided by the members of the jury themselves, as well as eight (8) free copies of Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition once the game is released. Winners may choose to receive either a Windows version or a Mac version for each.
If you already possess the game, you may decide to give your free copy to a friend or use it for multiplayer purposes. Selling free copies of the game that were won through this contest would be against the spirit of the contest itself, and is therefore strongly discouraged.
In addition to these generous prizes, we're offering to reward outstanding submissions with a feature in the Candlekeep Library on baldursgate.com! Yes, you read that right: The best contributions will be hosted on the game's official website for everyone to see, with many congratulations from the developers!
In this fine day, it is our privilege to avail ourselves of no less than Candlekeep's Keeper of the Tomes' patronage to host an event most magnificent: Candlekeep's Grand Fanart Contest!
Arists from all around the Realms are welcome to partake this extraordinary event, and submit the results of their efforts to the jury for a chance to win our exquisite prizes!
Come on, come all! Sign up today and contribute to the splendor of these halls with your skill and talent!
..::Candlekeep's Grand Fanart Contest Rules::..
Take part in one or more rounds for a chance to win free copies of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (upon the latter's release), as well as a chance to be featured in the Candlekeep Library on baldursgate.com!
Structure and schedule.
The contest will consist of three consecutive two-week rounds, each followed by a one-week pause during which submissions shall be judged, and prizes awarded:- Round I: EPIC FAILS IN EPIC MOMENTS. 9th January to 23rd January, 12:00 P.M. (CET)
Click here to check the starting time and date in your time zone.
Click here to check the deadline in your time zone.
Pick any moment in Baldur's Gate (preferred) or Baldur's Gate II (accepted) that is full of pathos and/or heroic tension, render it unto utter desolation through some awkward epic fail, and capture the disillusion and disbelief on everyone's face and body mimicry. - 1st one-week pause: from 23rd January to 30th January, 12:00 P.M. (CET)
- Round II: GENDER-SWAP PORTRAITS. 30th January to 13th February, 12:00 P.M. (CET)
Click here to check the starting time and date in your time zone.
Click here to check the deadline in your time zone.
We've all fantasized about Edwina at least once, and probably many more times—but what happens when other joinable NPCs don the cursed Girdle of Gender Change? For this round, you may pick any number of joinable NPCs and draw an alternate portrait of the opposite sex for them. If you choose to draw more than one portrait, each one will count as its own, separate submission. - 2nd one-week pause: from 13th February to 20th February, 12:00 P.M. (CET)
- Round III: UST NATHA PORTRAITS. 20th February to 6th March, 12:00 P.M. (CET)
Click here to check the starting time and date in your time zone.
Click here to check the deadline in your time zone.
In Baldur's Gate II we get to visit the drow city of Ust Natha in the Underdark, and we do so disguised as drow ourselves courtesy of Adalon. However, our portraits remain unaltered which, from a roleplaying perspective, is kinda awkward. For our third and final round, pick any number of joinable NPCs and draw an alternate portait in drow disguise for them. If you choose to draw more than one portrait, each one will count as its own, separate submission. - 3rd one-week pause: from 6th March to 13th March, 12:00 P.M. (CET)
- Round IV: PORTRAITS FOR UNCOMMON CLASS/RACE/GENDER COMBOS. 14th March to 28th March, 12:00 A.M. (CET)
Click here to check the starting time and date in your time zone.
Click here to check the deadline in your time zone.
At some point, most of us have wanted to play a PC with an unusual combination of traits. But finding suitable portraits for female dwarves or half-orc clerics can prove quite a challenge, and that's why this round's theme is uncommon class/race/gender combinations. For example, dwarven swashbucklers, gnomish wizard slayers, female gnomes/half-orcs/dwarves, or something else—it's up to you. Pick any such combo and draw a portrait for that character. If you choose to draw more than one portrait, each one will count as its own, separate submission. - 4th one-week pause: from 28th March to 4th April, 12:00 A.M. (CET)
- Round V: PORTRAITS FOR NON-JOINABLE NPCS. 4th April to 2nd May, 12:00 A.M. (CET)
Click here to check the starting time and date in your time zone.
Click here to check the deadline in your time zone.
The world of Baldur's Gate is filled with memorable non-joinable characters that stay with us long after the game is over. However, few of them are lucky enough to have their own portraits. Round V asks you to draw portraits for those without, such as Black Lily, Shandalar, Davaeorn, Marek and Lothander—anyone except the likes of Drizzt and Elminster, who are famous outside the series and already depicted in a lot of art. Portrait guidelines are the same as before. If you choose to draw more than one, each will count as its own, separate submission. - 5th one-week pause: from 2nd May to 9th May, 12:00 A.M. (CET)
- Round VI: AREA ART. 9th May to 6th June, 12:00 A.M. (CET)
Click here to check the starting time and date in your time zone.
Click here to check the deadline in your time zone.
Baldur's Gate and its sequel let you explore a wide variety of locations, from a peaceful halfling village to an island of feuding werewolves. This month's theme invites you to draw area art for any in-game location, similar to the pictures of Nashkel, Baldur's Gate, Balduran's ship, and the Friendly Arm Inn that appear in the Enhanced Edition. Want to bring to life the infamous Durlag's Tower? Or the skeleton-infested Undercity with its ominous temple to Bhaal? Now's your chance to do so and possibly win a set of both Enhanced Edition games!
Areas from both games are acceptable subjects, but ones from BG:EE are preferred. Although characters may be included, the focus should be on the area itself. - 6th one-week pause: from 6th June to 13th June, 12:00 A.M. (CET)
Submissions.
No submissions shall be accepted before the starting time or past the deadline of each round.During each round, any number of submissions shall be accepted from each contestant, so if you want to take multiple shots at one or more rounds, you are welcome to do so. Each submission will count as its own standalone entry and will stand an equal chance of being awarded a prize.
For round I, we require 100% original artwork and no photomanipulations will be accepted.
Due to the very nature of rounds II and III, photomanipulations will be accepted as entries for Gender-swap Portraits and Ust Natha Portraits. In this regard, please note that the developers have given their consent to alter existing portraits from the game; however, if you're going to use other pictures as a base for your photomanipulations, we require that you obtain the original author's explicit consent in written form before submitting your entry.
With regards to rounds II and III, submissions must retain the style and proportions of the original Baldur's Gate portraits: All three sizes should be accounted for (large = 210x330, medium = 169x266, small = 54x84) and may be uploaded individually or archived and uploaded with a single picture denoting what you have entered.
However, higher-resolution portraits are welcome so long as they are constrained to the same proportions as used by the in-game portraits. Example of random sizes higher than large using the same ratio: 652x1024, 955x1500, 1303x2048, this will make it easier for resizing later.
Although multiple entries for the same joinable NPC will be accepted, we strongly encourage contestants to offer alternate gender-swap and Ust Natha portraits for different NPCs: This way, we may avoid ending up with several entries for popular NPCs and none for the others.
Signing up.
Everyone is welcome to apply for any number of rounds.Signing up for the contest is not mandatory, and you may partake any round at your leisure.
However, albeit completely optional, announcing your intention to partake one or more rounds (and specifying which ones) would be a much appreciated courtesy.
Prizegiving.
Prizes will be assigned by a jury composed of @Troodon80, @Jalily, @Balquo and @AndreaColombo during each one-week pause in between rounds. The jury's verdict shall be final and non-negotiable.Up for grabs are eight (8) free copies of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition provided by the members of the jury themselves, as well as eight (8) free copies of Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition once the game is released. Winners may choose to receive either a Windows version or a Mac version for each.
If you already possess the game, you may decide to give your free copy to a friend or use it for multiplayer purposes. Selling free copies of the game that were won through this contest would be against the spirit of the contest itself, and is therefore strongly discouraged.
In addition to these generous prizes, we're offering to reward outstanding submissions with a feature in the Candlekeep Library on baldursgate.com! Yes, you read that right: The best contributions will be hosted on the game's official website for everyone to see, with many congratulations from the developers!
Post edited by Jalily on
27
Comments
and to be clear- awarded artist gets bg:ee AND bg:ee2 or are these randomly selected?
It just makes it easier for us to keep track of who's doing what.
I have a question though - I've already made (and posted here) a whole bunch of gender-swapped NPCs. Am I allowed to enter those pictures in this new challenge, or do you only accept stuff made specifically for it?
The night @Cuv came up with the concept for this, @Jalily and I were thinking what might happen if Gorion beat Sarevok during the initial BG cutscene. We figured that for the game to continue, Sarevok's victory must happen ... so we imagined Sarevok reloading his savegame after being defeated. That cutscene is an epic moment in which Sarevok's supposed to win; Sarevok losing the battle and reloading is an awkward epic fail (it shows up in my mind as a manga-style Sarevok sitting in front of his PC with a drop next to his head).
@Syntia13 In the interests of fairness, we'd like everyone to start out with a "blank slate," so to speak, and strongly encourage you to enter new works created for the contest.
ohh, and LOL @ that cutscene.
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/6605/baldurs-gate-fanart-challenge-2-girdle-of-masculinityfemininity
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/14283/fanart-contest-round-i-epic-fails-in-epic-moments
Good luck to all participants!