Well, I'm always hoping to see comments on my commissions - and I'll be trying some new things pretty soon - but for the time being I need some opinions regarding my art contests.
I've had a grand total of 5 entries between 2 contests (although I've heard quite a bit of interest expressed every now and then from other folks). Seems a little small compared to other contests I've seen offered by other folks - and just what I was expecting in general.
So the question is - any ideas what is keeping them down? Is it the requests for multi-pic process sequences? Is it the topics? The timing? Lack of advertising or contact issues?
I'm particularly surprised with this second contest since the topic was pretty broad - although I'll admit it ran for a considerably shorter period than the first one.
Basically, I'd like to try and narrow down what the *primary* issues[s] might be - before I issue the next challenge. I've got a bunch of ideas to use - aside from the one I already mentioned briefly - but I'd prefer to use a subject that's more likely to wind up with a few more entries if possible.
thanks.
The Exchange Student – Chapter 38
3 days ago
I only just found out about your contest today on the FA Forums. Somehow I miss it when you first posted it. Maybe post more frequently in the thread so it stays closer to the top? Also, I think a lot of people don't enter contests because they don't think they have any chance of winning. I don't know how you can help people get over that, but it's something to keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteYour prizes seem very reasonable and are definitely a worthy incentive for people to participate, especially since you aren't asking for a specific character to be drawn, but just giving guidelines that allow the artist to create something they want to create.
I visited your blog for the first time at the very end of September, and learned about the contest then. I found your blog through your DeviantArt account! I had less time than people who knew of the contest from the beginning, and I still entered. I'm not sure what is stopping other people, since your prizes are a great incentive!
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of contests run by individuals and TG/TF/Kinky groups on DeviantArt. Perhaps you should consider contacting admins for some of those groups and asking if they would mind putting up a Journal advertising your contest? Spreading the word specifically to large groups of people who create and admire kinky art might help.
Either way, I look forward to your next contest! :)
I appreciate the notes here. Any additional opinions are always valued - since I really don't seem to get very many of them despite the viewing #s.
ReplyDeleteIt'd be nice from time to time to get a feel for whether some styles/subjects/processes are preferred over others and whether folks feel some are under-represented on the whole and should be targeted in the future. As it is, I'm leaning towards my original idea for the next contest.
Thinking about additional ideas for future commissions though...what would folks think about a round-robin commission project? A designated series of pics - and each artist handles one or two (chosen by them) from the story sequence to illustrate in their style. Some would have process, others would be more scene-setters, etc.
Well I don't try because I can't draw !
ReplyDeleteMaybe people are not interested because they don't think the prize exists/is worth it?
I certainly hope more people will try their luck and in the meantime contribute to the community !
I would be interested in participating in a Round Robin style project. I think it would be really fun to see what the various artists could do together. :)
ReplyDeleteI think many people who would enter, are less likely to do so when they must do a series of images in order to qualify.
ReplyDeleteIt takes far more time and effort to do a series, than to do one image, especially if you are trying to make every image in the series high quality.
Artists may feel it is not worth their time to create a whole series of images, with no guarantee they will win anything at all for that expenditure of time. They might, however, be willing to do one image, with the same chance of a prize. I'm just trying to think economically.
Obviously, you may not want to offer as high of prizes for a single image contest, but you would likely get more entries. It depends, do you want more entries, or larger entries?
You have a point regarding the issue with number of pics. However, I've never tried to hide the fact that the focus of this site is on the process consequently sequential pics wherever possible. At the same time, it's not necessary to go out of the way with these contest pics to create a massive new image for each "picture" - looking for example at Engineskye's poodle-girl entry - 4 sequential pics but all on the one image - that works fine for me - it certainly met the requirements in my instructions. Doesn't have to be incredibly intricate.
ReplyDelete