Art Contests

Art contests on the Flame are fairly few and far between. Unfortunately, our art moderators, wonderful as they have been, have all eventually had to leave the position, and (at time of writing) we haven't found anyone to fill the position.

Well, when they exist, how are they run?

The rules for the contest depend on the moderator/host, the goals of the contest, and what else is going on the in the community. Past art contest have followed several themes, including the following:

Brigit's Flame community themed icons and banners
Themed artwork for specific topics, such as "Dream Land" or "Fail"
A "book cover" for the previous month's main contest winner.

As a general rule, the art contests are run similarly to the main and mini contests. The moderator posts a topic, sometimes with an example of one way they have interpreted the topic, and there is a certain period of time in which members can submit their art. Once that deadline comes, the art mod creates a poll with all of the entries, and all members have a certain period of time to vote on which pieces they think are the best. Winners are announced when the poll closes, their names goes on the community's profile page, and all art is put live on the website.

What can I win?

There are no tangible prizes for winning the art contest, but you will get: the warm fuzzies from knowing that your art was a community favorite, your name on the profile page, and a smile on your face every time you see your banner on a post or a member using your icon.

How will I know when the next contest is coming?

Well, you may not. Until we have a regular art moderator, there is no real plan, and art contests don't seem to be happening. Even with a regular art mod, there was no 'warning' for the contests - the challenge can come out of nowhere, but there will always be plenty of time for contestants to get their entries in.

Does the community do anything with art when there are no contests?

Yes, absolutely! We always accept community-themed artwork, whether it's banners or icons! If you've made some art for the community, feel free to get in touch with Pipisafoat or one of the other moderators. We'll be glad to put your work on the website, and we'll post it on the community so everyone can see and consider using your contributions.

Additionally, there are occasional offers made especially for community members. In place of a contest one busy month, Attentionhoard offered to make personalized icons for each member who requested one; Pipisafoat and Hwango sponsored the same offer a few months later for any members who missed Attentionhoard's. Many members use these icons, and you can see all of them here on the website.

Can I see the art that's been made for previous contests?

Sure! All community artwork is on the website, though nothing is labeled "from the art contest." It is a good bet that anything in "Miscellaneous Community Artwork" was made for a contest. If you want to see things organized by contest, there is an "art" tag on the LiveJournal community that includes all past contests, and most of the art is still visible there.

Who's run this in the past?

We've had three very talented art moderators in the past. Most recently was Attentionhoard, and before him were Musicrocks987 and Lacombe. They all did splendidly, and we were sad to see them step down!