A little disturbed
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@JennyJones I don't know about you, but these questions do really matter (so thank you @dafoota for starting this discussion) because I need to be smart about how I spend my time. My entry can be anything I need it to be - an svs class assignment, a portfolio piece, a personal piece - but that insurance that I'm learning with my time by making the prompt a secondary thing might just guarantee I never win. So I completely see what you're saying about not
entering.Every contest entry takes time and sometimes it's not a good fit. It really might not be for me.
Maybe you can post your isolation entry into the featured student thread.
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@carolinebautista Wow. I’m out on a limb but your reasoning/discernment seems top tiered!
I thought about posting for students to give feedback, but it just seems like more of hassle. Here are my thoughts. I would have to discern through feedbacks that are helpful, some that are of topic, and some being bias heavy. I also know because this community is so positive I suspect that it would be difficult to actually get strong constructive criticism.
I have not went this route and I’ll heavily consider it. With no disrespect to the wise students I’ma go to the source first type of person.
With much love and respect. ONE!
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@dafoota I agree it can be positive, and also that what that word means is probably different for each individual, and so I understand the feeling of bait and switch.
What I was trying to say though is the definition of Isolation itself notes that is generally negative. From Webster dictionary:. "ISOLATION stresses detachment from others often involuntarily." So when we think of the word the first feeling you get with that is a negative one.
Now Lee was pointing out like you said, that it can be positive and that's totally valid. But I think what Will was trying to say, was if you put a person alone in a space. If the feeling matches "isolated" with more of a somber mood or feeling. Then it can work. But if it's happy which doesn't immediately read as isolation (but more relaxed or alone) then you'll need to do more to show the disconnect of that person from others. Like Braden's for example.
It doesn't mean that you or others were wrong for showing happy or anything. Just that when he looked at it, as an outside observer, it didn't immediately read as isolated to him. And you're right that this can vary from person to person, but that is also part of why it's really important to share your work with others and ask what they see and get feedback.
And also, he was critiqing these at a lightning pace, and gave his gut reaction. With more time they might have been more consistent or said something else.
Hope that helps
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@JennyJones fair enough.
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Hey, wow! I go on vacation for a week and then all this pops up! You guys keep me on my toes! : )
This month was a little bit unique in that it was my topic, but I happen to be out of town for the judging. I saw the top 16 before I left and loved them! But it was absolutely possible for Will to have a different take than I would have. That is just how it worked out this time and I do understand the confusion.
Ultimately though, I still want to stress that the contests main goal is NOT to get in the top 16, the top 8, the top 4, or even to win. The main point is for you to get a portfolio piece out of it that fits exactly where you are going in your career. For example, if someone was going to be a concept designer and work mainly on characters, they could submit a great character sheet with turnarounds and expressions. Would that win? Nope, probably not. But that would be what that person needs. I do not want you trying to cater to the judges because that would defeat the purpose of this. The purpose is to move YOU forward in YOUR career. That is why we don't clarify too much when giving these prompts. Too much information and it would start to look like we were art directing the contest.
I understand that winning feels great too so ideally you would get a portfolio piece AND win too! But that should never be the goal. Keep entering your best and keep on painting!
Let me know if you have any questions at all. I'd be happy to answer them.
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@Lee-White Would you guys accept an animation, like the animated gifs they sometimes have for editorial illustrations? The reason I ask is because technically, it is more than one image. It wouldn't work for many of the prompts, but i'm hoping to try it eventually, especially for the simpler prompts.
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@carolinebautista Sure! I'd love to see that!
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I'm a little late to this thread but just wanted to say that I also have struggled with my own attitudes toward the contest, realizing that I have often invested too much of my self-worth based on whether my piece makes the cut. It actually helps me to see pieces that I love not make the cut or get trounced in the polling because it reminds me that there is always subjectivity in contests, and if pieces I love don't get chosen then maybe the fact that my piece didn't get chosen isn't a reflection on my artistic abilities. (It could be, but at least there gives me room to hope!)
I did want to add, however, that as much as I think the polling portion of the contest can be brutal, I was one of those who supported the polling approach because I thought it might help balance the fact that all of the SVS judges are white males. There is a great diversity of nationality and gender in those watching and it's nice that those voices will have some impact on the outcome. It would be great to have more diversity in the SVS teaching and leadership but I know SVS is trying to do that and has added some new teachers that reflect that goal, and allowing the SVS membership to have a voice in the contests helps as well.
Laurie DeMott
instagram.com/demotlj -
One thing that everyone should also know is that no matter what direction we take the contests, it will make some of you happy and some unhappy. I've come to accept that because there is no way to make it perfect for everyone.
When the contest was the draw over version, some people felt we spent too much time one or two entries so we didn't get to see enough entries. Or they feel we worked on the wrong one. When it was a straight contest and I was picking the winners, people felt I chose the wrong one and others should have made it that didn't.
What I love about this version is everyone gets a voice and i really feel that the voting works really well. I think it shows pretty well how an art director must feel when picking an illustrator for a project. Contest winners (or job winners) are often chosen for arbitrary reasons and there is no concrete "why" as to how one person got the win over someone else. Especially when the images are SO close in quality. Many times it simply boils down to an art director saying "i just like this one more". You guys get to experience that when you vote. It's tough and sad because you have to chose knowing that the one you didn't pick actually belongs to someone you might know from the forums. Every vote makes someone happy and someone else sad. it's just the nature of our business. But the good part is as you get used to entering and the feeling from entering and not being selected, or losing in the round of 16, it gets easier. You get less attached to the outcome and just say 'I'm going to enter no matter what'. Try your best and let it go. After you upload your image, the rest is out of your control. So just get back to the drawing board and make more images. As Peter Brown stated yesterday in the jump session, it really is about showing up and having lot's of ideas, making lots of images, having lots of failures, and then watching a few of them succeed. It makes it all worth while. : )
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@demotlj I'm relatively new to the forum and the contests; for me the contests are all about motivating myself to make and publish something that I wouldn't have otherwise. As events I enjoy the contests for the live commentary and the chance to see a whole lot of work in a short period of time, but I think the more meaningful learning experiences on the SVS platform are in the courses, podcasts and guest artist events. Which leads me to echo your words - YES PLEASE to more diversity in SVS teaching and leadership!
http://luckyplatt.com/
@imluckyplatt -
@Lucky-Platt @demotlj We hear you loud and clear and totally agree! We are working on a number of things to address this (and have been for the past few years!). The more diversity the better!
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