Contest Entries, Things to consider when submitting and voting |
  |
 Oct 15 2007, 10:37 AM
Post
#1
|
|
|
|
Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that people are voting for a variety of designs, some of which are either undeveloped sketches and/or not "TATTOOABLE." The idea of this contest series was to challenge everyone to design tattooable flash that could be used for building a versatile portfolio.
When deciding the winner, you should not be voting for a design you think is cute, funny, or clever but rather for the most developed and professional design/entry. For the sake of this forum, I implore you to consider this when you cast your votes. If a professional artist came to the site, would he/she be impressed with the caliber of work we are contributing (and subsequently voting for)? I hope that every artist will keep this in mind and remember that these contests are meant to challenge you and your artistic comfort zone. I hope that all those casting votes remember that you should vote only for the design that looks the most like a tattoo/flash design in a professional artist's portfolio. While I understand that many people come to this forum for the welcoming community, the main goal of creating this site was to push each other to learn and improve our artistic skills as they relate to the art of tattooing. Thanks for reading. -------------------- Stay humble.
|
 |
 
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 10:49 AM
Post
#2
|
|
|
|
Sorry Jason, I disagree. Anything and everything can be tattooed and because a picture does not fit in the traditional tattoo genre does not mean we should discourage people from being creative. I myself most enjoy the drawings which are not tattooable because most of the time they're very creative which, I can in turn elaborate on and make a design which is "tattooable".
-------------------- I haven't failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work.[http://www.facebook.com/p/Marc_Chislett/623005117
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 10:53 AM
Post
#3
|
|
|
|
seems to me that everyones been doing just that. flash has always just been a tool/guideline to work from. so even if a design isn't 100% polished doesn't make it unuseable. people are voting for the one they see as the best. flash is meant to be changed and reworked so everyone doesn't end up with the exact same tattoo. so even a rough design can be made into a good tattoo with the artists eye. i personally hate just copying exactly what someone else did i have to at least change a couple things from flash to skin. i agree that pushing the envelope is a must if you wanna improve but tellin people not to like (or vote for) the piece they think is best seems counterproductive to me. so far the voting seems right on the money and the best pieces have won(deservingly) my 2cents not to be rude jason but most of us seem to have alot broader range of designs that we enjoy we all know your love of simple old school designs but you don't seem to like much else....maybe thats why the voting seems wrong to you. maybe you should have a more open mind and broaden your mind a bit ...again this is just my opinion and im not attacking you or tryin to be rude. i just didn't agree with your original post or see what you were refering to(and obviously i wasn't the only one)
This post has been edited by tatboy69: Oct 15 2007, 11:05 AM |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 11:00 AM
Post
#4
|
|
|
|
wow..
thats all I have to say.. -------------------- No forgiveness for my sins, I preffer punishment
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 11:04 AM
Post
#5
|
|
|
|
"I hope that all those casting votes remember that you should vote only for the design that looks the most like a tattoo/flash design in a professional artist's portfolio".
since the majority of us are not PRO our entries will not look like they should be in a pro artist portfolio which means its not really a contest for us?? or am i missing the point?? This post has been edited by Blackwidow: Oct 15 2007, 11:04 AM -------------------- Facebook me ... blackwidow footie/myspace me ... bwidow2001
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 11:06 AM
Post
#6
|
|
|
|
no shit..
I thought the whole point was an ART contest.. to get people being creative.. to create origional peices and just to stay active in drawing ect. with a given topic.. -------------------- No forgiveness for my sins, I preffer punishment
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 01:14 PM
Post
#7
|
|
|
|
I appreciate the feedback, and agree that there are many styles of tattooable art. However, if you are going to sit there and say with a straight face that the best entries have consistently won, I would be quite surprised. Yes, I like old-school traditional. However, I don't care if you draw bio-mech, horror, Japanese traditional, whatever... I just feel like some of the entries are just not following the guidelines (and people are voting for them!). I am not going to name names, (I am not by any means trying to diss people) just saying that I can't imagine someone walking into a shop and saying, "Oooh, I want that design!" Could you imagine the winning entry in a tattoo magazine? If the artist brought it into a shop as part of a portfolio would it reflect favorably on the him/her? This is NOT an art contest as much as this is not an art website. This is not a "tattoo" website for casual enthusiasts. This is a tattooing forum for those who want to express themselves in the medium of flesh and develop as a tattoo artist.
Taste is subjective. Execution is not. This is not to discourage anyone from participating, but more a call to step it up and really work to make the best possible designs you can, whatever the style! A hastily completed pencil sketch is not going to challenge your skills. Shit, I am not always proud of my work, nor do I think I have deserved to win. However, I do my best to complete my designs to the "best of my abilities." In the end, people will vote for whomever they want. I cannot affect that. I just wanted to address the issue and start a discussion. Feel free to disagree with or affirm my feelings. -------------------- Stay humble.
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 01:35 PM
Post
#8
|
|
|
|
Well I have to agree with jason and we don't always agree, this is an art contest like the rules say tattooable designs and the only prize is to pic the next contest but if you are going to submit a sketch then don't put it in the contest just post it as a work in progress on a seperate thread.
To say all of these can be used because they would just be used as guidlines and then you can fix it when you do it on eth skin doesn't fly for everybody. If I meet someone one even though I can tattoo a smiley face into a portrait now new clienst don't know that so you need to do a well refined almost always color reference so they can see it. I thought thats what this art contest was suppossed to be about. If it's going to be half assed then don't submit. If I don't have a finished design I don't submit it half finished I have only submitted when I had time to compleate a finished piece. -------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 01:44 PM
Post
#9
|
|
|
|
I've gotta agree with Jason on this.
This is not meant to be an art competition it's a flash competition. You wouldn't walk into a studio and expect to see a landscape painted in oils by Bob Ross in a book of flash anymore than you'd pick a hastily penciled scribble from the wall and ask to be tattooed with it. The whole point of this competition is to work up ideas as close to "professional" looking flash as we can. There are two sides to this. One is that we come up with new and interesting ideas that we can all share and the other is to help us gain experience in drawing in a way that relates to tattooing. I work in almost every medium and have done for the last 25 years but almost all of my work has no relevance to this competition and therefore has no place here. These images should be drawn in response to the subject set and as fully worked up as is possible in the time allowed. Maybe an unrelated thread showcasing peoples other artistic endevours could be started but this community is about one thing & one thing only, the art of tattooing......... -------------------- We are all laying in the gutter but some of us are looking for spare change...
Tragic Bio.. Joe Sleepy on MySpace Merchandise JoeSleepy on Zazzle.com |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 01:44 PM
Post
#10
|
|
|
|
you're bein a bit vague j. personally i can't imagine EVER walkin into a shop and pickin some flash off the wall myself. i still think that most weeks the correct winner was chosen. maybe you should come out and say wich one you're referring to to clear things up. im certainly curious wich winner you feel wasn't deserving to win. some variations to the themes have been made but since when is art limited to set guidelines. i find it refreshing when someone puts a new spin on an old design idea.(of course they're not always good but bein creative is the whole point) anyway...i don't want to argue .its pointless,but it seems to me like you are tryin to sway peoples judging to vote for the stuff you like. maybe i'm wrong. i think thye voting has been pretty right on. and when i say they are a guideline i don't mean to change everything about a design and turn it into something else that's ridiculous they obviously chose that design cuz they liked it. but i will switch up colors or shading and maybe add somethin or take away somethin. to me people who walk into a shop w/ no clue what they want and choose some flash thats been done thousands of times is lame anyway. i'll give an example of what i mean. this week i voted for big evils design. it may not have been colored completely and shaded w/ cross hatching. but the design was solid and would be great as a tattoo. just shade it smoothly and use your own color pallette. but according to your rules its not "tattooable" well i think it is. i think people should vote for the design THEY feel is best (and they have been)
This post has been edited by tatboy69: Oct 15 2007, 01:59 PM |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 01:55 PM
Post
#11
|
|
|
|
QUOTE(tatboy69 @ Oct 15 2007, 10:44 PM)  you're bein a bit vague j. personally i can't imagine EVER walkin into a shop and pickin some flash off the wall myself. i still think that most weeks the correct winner was chosen. maybe you should come out and say wich one you're referring to to clear things up. im certainly curious wich winner you feel wasn't deserving to win. some variations to the themes have been made but since when is art limited to set guidelines. i find it fefreshing when someone puts a new spin on an old design idea.(of course they're not always good but bein creative is the whole point) anyway...i don't want to argue .its pointless,but it seems to me like you are tryin to sway peoples judging to vote for the stuff you like. maybe i'm wrong. i think thye voting has been pretty right on. Fair comment.......... -------------------- We are all laying in the gutter but some of us are looking for spare change...
Tragic Bio.. Joe Sleepy on MySpace Merchandise JoeSleepy on Zazzle.com |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 02:08 PM
Post
#12
|
|
|
|
Tat,
You seem to always accuse me of injecting my personal tastes on the site. That is unequivocal BS. I look at tattoos and subsequently, flash designs in terms of EXECUTION. You seem to like to paint me in that light when in fact, I have been very hands-off in terms of steering the forum in a particular direction. IN this specific case it is my intention NOT to mold peoples tastes, but to challenge them to go above and beyond what they think they are capable of as an artist. As for specific entries that I consider to lack effort, as I said this is would not productive to the discussion. -------------------- Stay humble.
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 02:14 PM
Post
#13
|
|
|
|
i thought the main aim was to have fun .. a friendly contest ... or at least it was set out to be as such. Now it seems fun just got serious and the small fry need not apply. There are alot of skill variants that would suffer if the rulings as above are brought into effect ... i know i am in no position to compete with Joe for example ... his work will always be 'pro' standard in comparison (sorry to use you as an example Mr Sleepy). If we were looking at making flash sheets from the contest winners then i could understand the need for high-end designs but it started out being about peoples creative imaginations ... their take on a given theme. i can understand half finished sketches being omitted from judging but i fail to see how people like myself will enter now you just raised the stakes to 'pro level'! i seldom get time to sit and draw as it is with 4 kids and a home to keep (i know i chose a real crappy time in life to commence my dream and i hold no one to fault) and i felt good within myself if i managed to enter anything at all ... i don't win and i don't expect to .. it was all about the taking part!
-------------------- Facebook me ... blackwidow footie/myspace me ... bwidow2001
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 02:21 PM
Post
#14
|
|
|
|
QUOTE(Jason @ Oct 15 2007, 03:08 PM) Tat, You seem to always accuse me of injecting my personal tastes on the site. That is unequivocal BS. I look at tattoos and subsequently, flash designs in terms of EXECUTION. You seem to like to paint me in that light when in fact, I have been very hands-off in terms of steering the forum in a particular direction. IN this specific case it is my intention NOT to mold peoples tastes, but to challenge them to go above and beyond what they think they are capable of as an artist. As for specific entries that I consider to lack effort, as I said this is would not productive to the discussion. im not here to fight with you j. i just didn't see what you seem to see in the judging of the contest. and since you refuse to stop being vague i probably won't ever see it from your point of view. and if you're not tryin to influence peoples voting then why put "what you should be voting on " in the title of the post?? anyway, i'll drop it but if you're gonna make a claim its usually beneficial to support it with somethin. im just the only one who will speak my mind on the subject if its you who they disagree with. im not condoneing bein lazy or not tryin to improve. but if people are voting for someones design then they OBVIOUSLY feel its the best design and see something of merit in the piece. and we're not human copy machines so OF COURSE flash is just a guideline. otherwise we'll all have the same shit! how lame would that be?? custom rules!! flash drools!! lol don't get worked up jason i'm just bein counterpoint to your point. |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 02:30 PM
Post
#15
|
|
|
|
I just think it's quality of the submissions not all of them are up to what I have seen people do.
-------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 02:36 PM
Post
#16
|
|
|
|
QUOTE(mark @ Oct 15 2007, 03:30 PM) I just think it's quality of the submissions not all of them are up to what I have seen people do. i hear what you're sayin i guess. thats why i haven't entered in a while is i haven't had the time to do a polished complete design and i had some good ideas for last weeks but didn't want to enter a half done piece. so as far as that goes i agree with you. but there are ALOT of very new artists here who would like to enter somethin too and just aren't capable of doing a perfect "tattooable" design. just have fun people!! it was MEANT to be a friendly competition and its losing sight of the whole point. |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 02:44 PM
Post
#17
|
|
|
|
QUOTE(tatboy69 @ Oct 15 2007, 10:36 PM) i hear what you're sayin i guess. thats why i haven't entered in a while is i haven't had the time to do a polished complete design and i had some good ideas for last weeks but didn't want to enter a half done piece. so as far as that goes i agree with you. but there are ALOT of very new artists here who would like to enter somethin too and just aren't capable of doing a perfect "tattooable" design. just have fun people!! it was MEANT to be a friendly competition and its losing sight of the whole point. It doesn't have to be the greatest piece in the world but submitting a smudged pencil drawing on lined paper isn't cool, besides everyone hated that when it was a contest topic everyone bitched that is was lame. -------------------- |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 02:48 PM
Post
#18
|
|
|
|
QUOTE(Blackwidow @ Oct 15 2007, 11:14 PM) i thought the main aim was to have fun .. a friendly contest ... or at least it was set out to be as such. Now it seems fun just got serious and the small fry need not apply. There are alot of skill variants that would suffer if the rulings as above are brought into effect ... i know i am in no position to compete with Joe for example ... his work will always be 'pro' standard in comparison (sorry to use you as an example Mr Sleepy). If we were looking at making flash sheets from the contest winners then i could understand the need for high-end designs but it started out being about peoples creative imaginations ... their take on a given theme. i can understand half finished sketches being omitted from judging but i fail to see how people like myself will enter now you just raised the stakes to 'pro level'! i seldom get time to sit and draw as it is with 4 kids and a home to keep (i know i chose a real crappy time in life to commence my dream and i hold no one to fault) and i felt good within myself if i managed to enter anything at all ... i don't win and i don't expect to .. it was all about the taking part! I really didn't mean to upset anybody. I think Jason's being "vague" because he really doesn't want to either. This competition is for everybody regardless of there skill level, it's about their ideas and getting those ideas over to other people. I've seen work posted that isn't as well executed as mine but shows better ideas and is finished work. I think all that this is really about is the level of finish on the pieces submitted. This is meant to fun but for me the fun is in the challenge as well. The deadlines and rules help people create ideas and images in an environment that closely resembles the real life side of custom tattooing and I think that's a great way to get practice and expand all our horizons. Confrontation fucks my head up so this is my last post on this subject. At the end of the day nobody's died............................................ -------------------- We are all laying in the gutter but some of us are looking for spare change...
Tragic Bio.. Joe Sleepy on MySpace Merchandise JoeSleepy on Zazzle.com |
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 02:51 PM
Post
#19
|
|
|
|
I am not saying those who are not at the "pro" level shouldn't enter. As I said, I just want to see people take the contest seriously and give it their best (whatever level they're at). I am however asking that voting members consider execution when they make a decision. After all, isn't that what a "contest" is judged on?
I am very busy. I work full time in a marketing capacity for a small company (meaning I have no support staff). I organize and promote bi-monthly design events and negotiate terms with venues, sponsors, and almost 50 vendors. I also write, play, and record music which has been my "main" hobby for the majority of my life. Then there's the dating thing. I am single and thus spend a great deal of time gallivanting around town in pursuit of "the one." Sadly, tattooing falls below there's on a list of priorities. Yet, on Tuesday nights when I watch LA/Miami Ink I stay in and spend 4-5 hours drawing and coloring my designs. Some weeks I either don't like the theme or am too busy to enter. But when I do, I give it my best. Blackwidow, I commend you for managing both a family and your own personal interests. I by no means am trying to discourage you from entering. All I am asking to everyone who enters is perform to the best of your abilities! I have seen so many entries that aren't even colored in! I suck at water color. But I keep at it every week to improve! if I left my designs uncompleted, I would never be challenged and never see improvement. This site is not supposed to be for the purposes of having fun. An apprenticeship (if you can get one) isn;t about having fun. The main goal of both is first and fore most to focus on learning and improving. Subsequently, you try to have fun while you're at it (cleaning toilets and drawing stencils to earn your keep). Now that I've stirred the pot again, take your contempt for me and my big mouth and show me what you got this week! Toodles 
-------------------- Stay humble.
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 15 2007, 03:09 PM
Post
#20
|
|
|
|
QUOTE(Joe Sleepy @ Oct 15 2007, 03:48 PM) The deadlines and rules help people create ideas and images in an environment that closely resembles the real life side of custom tattooing... Exactly! I personally know of a ton of AMAZING artists out there who are young and hungry. Their work blows my mind and makes me wonder how I'd ever earn a client against a talent pool like them. The point is you have to be realistic and as hard as it may be, compare yourself against the caliber of professional artists. The only difference is they take it seriously, and others (like me) don't. The reason "pros" hate on us scratchers, is for precisely this reason. If we don't take a design contest seriously, why are we even considering making permanent markings in flesh?! Approach each design with your best effort (like a real tattoo) and no one can fault you. Simple 'nuff. -------------------- Stay humble.
|
|
|
|
|
| Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 22nd March 2010 - 07:21 AM |
Skin designed by IPB Forum Skins