AnimeSuki Forum - AnimeSuki Winter 2011/2012 Banner Contest

Winners Announced! Thanks to all who participated in the contest and discussion!

AnimeSuki Winter 2011/2012 Banner Contest

Theme: Winter (Note: Not including Christmas/holiday themes)
Content Requirements: Must contain anime-related artwork, fit the above theme, use background gradient shown below, and meet AnimeSuki's general content guidelines.
Technical Requirements: 760 x 100 pixels, JPEG/PNG/GIF (no animation), max 60 KB (61440 bytes)
Number of Submissions per entrant: One (1)
Judging Methodology: User Vote
Contest Opening: 14 December 2011
Submission Deadline: 27 December 2011
Voting Phase: 28-31 December 2011
Announcement of Winners: 1 January 2012
Duration of Rotation: January to March 2012 (random rotation)
Background Gradient:

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/5...iccprofile.png

Contest Rules & Policies

All entries must include anime-style artwork/characters, whether the art is official or fan-created. To the extent possible, all artwork must be sourced (see note below).
All entries must reflect the "Winter" theme, or feature the AnimeSuki Mascot Kairin.
All entries must use the background gradient provided above as the base layer for their submission, as this gradient will form the background of the whole top bar of the forum.
All entries must incorporate the "AnimeSuki Forums" title in their artwork, in a legible font. (Your entry should also not incorporate your username or other handle.)
All entries must be static images (no animation) measuring 760 pixels wide and 100 pixels high. Files may be in JPEG, GIF, or PNG format, with a maximum file size of 60 KB (61440 bytes).
Each member may submit one (1) banner and have one (1) post in the Entry/Submission Thread. If you wish to edit/remove your entry, use the Edit Post option. Any additional posts in the Entry/Submission Thread will be deleted without prejudice or further warning.
All discussion about this contest must occur in the Collaboration/Discussion Thread. The Entry/Submission Thread is only to be used for your submission.
The contest deadlines are reflected in the summary table above. Deadlines shall take effect at 0:00 (12:00am) UTC on each respective day.
You can also check World Time Server or Time Zone Converter to help you work out what time this is near you.
We may disqualify any banner deemed to be offensive or inappropriate, or that doesn't otherwise seem suitable for use as a Forum Banner.
Contest winners shall be decided through a user voting system, details of which will be announced at vote-time.
All banners submitted shall become property of AnimeSuki and may be used now or in future years without asking your permission.

To test your banner...
We have a tool that will allow you to test the look of your banner to make sure that it will look nice on our Forum. To use, perform these steps:

Upload your banner draft to any online image host
Copy the URL to your banner to the clipboard on your computer (Ctrl+C/Cmd+C)
Click on one of the following links:
- Beige/Grey Colour Scheme
- Blue Colour Scheme
Paste the URL to your banner in the "Banner:" box (Ctrl+V/Cmd+V) and press the "Set" button.

Please ensure that your banner blends smoothly to the background gradient on both edges, and that it looks as intended in both colour schemes.

Submission Procedure:
There are two threads for this contest: the Collaboration/Discussion Thread and the Entry/Submission Thread. The Entry/Submission thread is for your final submission only (though you may edit your posts until the contest deadline). For all other discussion and to collaborate with other artists, please go to the Collaboration/Discussion Thread.

We recommend the following:

Review any existing conversation or ask questions in the Collaboration/Discussion Forum to get any relevant clarifications before you begin.
Work on your draft.
Post your draft in the Collaboration/Discussion Thread for feedback from other forum members and artists.
Make revisions to your draft based on feedback received.
Once you're happy with your submission, post it in the Entry/Submission Thread along with the related attributions. (If you need to revise further, just edit your post.)

We strongly recommend that you follow the discussion thread and check-in on your entry from time-to-time throughout the contest to make sure there are no issues or concerns that need to be addressed with your entry. If you just enter an image and then "forget about it", it's possible it may have been disqualified and you'll never know, so please participate in the Collaboration/Discussion thread and at least check-in once before the deadline.

About Sourcing Artwork:
We would ask that all contest entrants include the source of any artwork they incorporated into their design, including if possible the anime franchise and whether it is official art or fan-made (including the name of the artist, if available). If using fanart, we encourage you to ask the original artist for permission if at all possible, but we recognize that this may be difficult in some circumstances.

NOTE: You don't have to link to the URL where the image can be found, so long as you name the series and that it's either official art or fan art (and who the fan artist is, if at all possible).

To all fan-artists and copyright holders: If you see a banner that contains your art and you do not provide permission for it to be used on our Forum or in this contest, please contact the Forum Staff with the related evidence, and we will comply with your request for removal.

Thanks for your participation in this contest, have fun, and good luck!!

This is the Submission/Entry Thread.
Only post in this thread one time with your submission and related attributions.
For all other discussion (or to submit your drafts for review by fellow artists), please go to the Collaboration/Discussion Thread.