4th Annual Young Artists Contest - Traditional Art

ELIGIBILITY: Deviants between the ages of 13 and 17. There will be three age categories in this contest: 13, 15 & under (14 & 15), and 17 & under (16 & 17).  The age category is determined by your age as of August 15, 2012.  Example: If you turn 18 on August 16, you are eligible to enter in the "17 & under" category for this contest. *Please be fair to yourself and others by being honest about your age.  Only a truly desperate would attempt to increase one's chance of winning by entering below his/her age category.  Whatever the outcome, this is not something people would respect.


THEME: No theme. Any subject matter in any style is accepted.
NO MATURE CONTENT, NO FANART, NO CELEBRITY PORTRAITURE,  AND NO WORK THAT COPIES EXISTING ARTWORK OF OTHERS, PLEASE.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Artists who submit photo-realistic portrait entries (animals included) are asked to provide link(s) to the reference photograph(s) used.  Please state in your entry deviation's "artist's comment" that photograph used is EITHER your own OR that you're using a reference material/stock photos available for such purpose, in which case, make sure to provide all relevant links (Links need to point directly to the images and not a landing page/homepage of a site).   If you cannot provide all relevant information as asked, please do not ask us to allow an exception to the rule.  Just enter a different piece that you do have all the information for.   Caricatures, heavily stylized or abstract pieces are exempt from these requirements.


MEDIA ACCEPTED: Drawings and paintings (2-D) done in TRADITIONAL media. (They are: charcoal, pencil, colored pencil, pen & ink, watercolor, acrylic, oil, tempera, pastel, oil pastel, crayon, markers, etc. on paper, board, or canvas as support. You may mix any number of media just so long as they're traditional media.) DIGITAL ART, PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTO-MANIPULATION, 3-D CREATIONS, AND LITERATURE ARE CONSIDERED OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THIS CONTEST AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Entries DO NOT have to be made specifically for this contest. You may enter deviations already in your gallery.  *IMPORTANT* -- Old work can be entered at each contestant's discretion, however, do not base your submission category on how old you were when you made the particular piece.  Age category is determined solely by how old you will be as of August 15, 2012.

SUBMISSION LIMIT: Up to 2 entries per deviant.


DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Wednesday, August 15th, 2012, at 11:59 pm PDT (Pacific Daylight-Saving Time is GMT minus 7 hours.). No late entry will be accepted.  No deadline extension will be given.

The YAC 2012 submission folders will be open starting June 16th, 2012 to accept your entries.


HOW TO ENTER: Join this contest group, .  Then submit your entry/entries into the proper Age Category folder. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE AGE CATEGORIES WHEN YOU SUBMIT.  If you submit your piece to a wrong age category and failed to send a note to aruarian-dancer about it before August 15, 2012, your piece will be judged in whichever category it is found.

* IMPORTANT: By submitting your entries to this contest, you are agreeing that you have read and agreed to the terms of this contest.


JUDGES:


CRITERIA FOR JUDGING: Creativity/originality 40%, technique/skill 30%, composition/design 20%, presentation 10%. Technique/skill is judged based on how well you draw and how well you use your medium to best accomplish your inner vision.  Presentation is overall appearance; We would like to discourage you from entering a drawing done on a lined notebook paper, for example.  Also, if your piece is vertical (portrait) in orientation, but you do not rotate the photo when you submit it to the contest, this, too, will be a disadvantage.  Uncropped photo showing anything other than the image of the artwork does not present well, either.

Note on Editing: Necessary adjustment for color saturation, lightness/darkness, etc. of the photographed or scanned entries via means of photo editing programs is ALLOWED.  However, addition of elements such as effects, texture, repeated items via means of "brush"(i.e. butterflies, flower petals, etc.) frames, texts, etc. is NOT ALLOWED.  Simply put, editing done only to make your digital file to look as close to the original artwork is allowed.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS: On or around Saturday, September 8th, 2012. Here on this group and on aruarian-dancer's journal.

PRIZES: Many generous deviants are donating various prizes for this contest. (The following list indicates all the prizes donated as of June 16, 2012.)
and anonymous donors

1 BEST OF SHOW (chosen from the 3 first place winners): 12-month dA subscription from aruarian-dancer, 3-month dA subscription from KateSkirmish, :3-month dA subscription from thrivis, an ACEO print from thrivis, :an ACEO print from Katerina-Art, a handmade gift box from Immy-is-Thinking, and a drawing request from Albloo

~~~Category 1: Age 13~~~

1 FIRST PLACE: 3-month dA subscription from genimac, 3-month dA subscription from :devPhadris:, 1-month dA subscription from packstrap, a drawing from catzilla, a choice of print from celticwren, and a 4x6 print from thrivis

1 SECOND PLACE: 3-month dA subscription from genimac, a choice of print from celticwren, a 4x6 print from thrivis and a gift/request art from Nara-kun

1 THIRD PLACE: 1-month dA subscription from Mangsney a choice of print from celticwren, and a 4x6 print from thrivis


~~~Category 2: Ages 15 & under~~~

1 FIRST PLACE: 3-month dA subscription from genimac, 3-month dA subscription from :devPhadris:, 1-month dA subscription from packstrap, drawing from catzilla, a choice of print from celticwren, a 4x6 print from thrivis


1 SECOND PLACE: 3-month dA subscription from genimac, a choice of print from celticwren, a 4x6 print from thrivis, and a single character fanart from talespirit

1 THIRD PLACE: 1-month dA subscription from Mangsney, a choice of print from celticwren, an ACEO print from thrivis

~~~Category 3: Ages 17 & under~~~

1 FIRST PLACE: 3-month dA subscription from anhthr, 3-month dA subscription from Phaedris, 1-month dA subscription from packstrap, a drawing from catzilla, an ACEO print from thrivis, and a choice of print from celticwren

1 SECOND PLACE: 3-month dA subscription from genimac, a choice of print from celticwren, an ACEO print from thrivis, a character commission from faerywitch

1 THIRD PLACE:  1-month dA subscription from Mangsney, a choice of print from celticwren, and an ACEO print from thrivis

*dA points will be awarded (Amount to be determined.) to Honorable Mention honorees.

*There will be 7 (seven) Judges Choice Awards this year, chosen from all entries up to Honorable Mention honorees, for each judge's own reason, separate from the overall contest judging.  This year, we will be giving away 1-month subscription to each of the seven JCA winners. (donated by jeffzz111,PSPTubeStop, ScarletWitchDezi, andaruarian-dancer)

*All winners, honorees, and awardees will receive award certificates customized with the title of the artwork and dA username from aruarian-dancer.  All winners will also receive journal features from zemimsky,Immy-is-Thinking, MayumiOgihara,KathrynBriggs,ScarletWitchDezi, petrova, packstrap, and JoannaBromley on their dA homepages, plus a web site feature from Renamski on www.fantasyartfanatics.com.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Previously, 95% of the questions asked have been the kind that could have been easily answered if the entrants would have read the information thoroughly.

Q: Can I enter a deviation that's already in my gallery from a year ago?
A: Yes.  Entries do not have to be made specifically for this contest.  However, if you're entering the work you made when you were 13 and you're now 14, the category used for submission will be based on your current age (in this case, 15 & under), NOT when the work was made.

Q: How many entries can I enter?
A: 1 or 2.  Your choice.

Q: I am 17 right now and I turn 18 on the August 10th.  Can I submit an entry before that date for this contest?
A: Sorry, but no.  The cut-off date for age classification and eligibility purposes for this contest is August 15th, 2012.  If you turn 18 anytime before that date, you're considered over the upper age limit.

Q: Is it OK to adjust my color or brightness using a photo editing program?  My scanner makes my original image look too light.
A: Editing an image of your entry for such purpose is often necessary and therefore allowed.  But do not add enhancements, such as texture, frame, etc.  Editing should only be done in order to make the scanned/photographed image to look as close to the original as possible.

Q: I drew a lineart in pencil on paper (traditional), and I want to color it on my computer.  Is that OK?
A: Not for this contest.  The work must be 100% traditionally done.

Q: Can I enter fan art?
A: No fan art, please.  

Q: I have a portrait of my baby cousin.  I used my own photo, but for privacy reasons, I don't want to post a link to the reference photo.  Is that OK?
A: I'm sorry, but we cannot accept it.  Please submit a different artwork if you cannot provide what we ask for in an accepted submission.

Q: What do you think my chances of winning are?
A: It is NEVER a good idea to ask contest judges or organizers such a question.  This contest makes all the current submissions viewable to all.  You can take a look at the entries and estimate it for yourself.  Putting your time and effort into your creation will show in the quality of your work.

Q: Can I use markers to color my work for this contest?
A: Of course.  Basically, if you have to draw or add color/texture/background using your computer, it's not accepted in this contest.  But if you're drawing on paper, canvas, board, etc. with any medium that leaves lines or colors on it, it's accepted.

Q: If I wanted to enter a drawing that I did when I was 13, although I entered my first piece in the "15 & under" category, do I submit to the "age 13" category?
A: Although it is up to each participants if you choose to enter an old work that was done a few years ago, your age category for this contest is determined only by you age as of August 15th, 2012.  So if you choose to enter that old piece, you'll be entering that in "15 & under" category.

Q: I've already entered 2 pieces in "15 & under" category.  Can I enter more in other age categories?
A: No, each participant is limited to 2 submissions. And in one age category only.  Submitting pieces into multiple age categories is a basis for disqualification and your pieces may be removed from the contest.

Q: I'm 12.  Why isn't there an age category for me?
A: That's because the minimum age to open an account (and be in compliance of their terms of service) on deviantART is 13.

Q: Oops!  I accidentally submitted my entry into the wrong age category folder.  What should I do?
A: Not to worry.  Just send a note with your artwork's title, which folder it was submitted to, and which folder it should go into.  She will move it to the proper category.

***If you have any questions that are not answered on this contest information page, send aruarian-dancer a NOTE with a subject line "Contest Question".