AnimeSuki Winter 2011/2012 Banner Contest - Collaboration/Discussion Thread

[relentlessflame]

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

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AnimeSuki Winter 2011/2012 Banner Contest

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• 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:

Contest Rules & Policies

1. 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).
2. All entries must reflect the "Winter" theme, or feature the AnimeSuki Mascot Kairin.
3. 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.
4. 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.)
5. 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).
6. 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.
7. All discussion about this contest must occur in the Collaboration/Discussion Thread. The Entry/Submission Thread is only to be used for your submission.
8. 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.
9. We may disqualify any banner deemed to be offensive or inappropriate, or that doesn't otherwise seem suitable for use as a Forum Banner.
10. Contest winners shall be decided through a user voting system, details of which will be announced at vote-time.
11. 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:

1. Upload your banner draft to any online image host
2. Copy the URL to your banner to the clipboard on your computer (Ctrl+C/Cmd+C)
3. Click on one of the following links:
   • Beige/Grey Colour Scheme
   • Blue Colour Scheme
4. 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:

1. Review any existing conversation or ask questions in the Collaboration/Discussion Forum to get any relevant clarifications before you begin.
2. Work on your draft.
3. Post your draft in the Collaboration/Discussion Thread for feedback from other forum members and artists.
4. Make revisions to your draft based on feedback received.
5. 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!!

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This is the Collaboration/Discussion Thread.
Use this thread to ask questions, post drafts and collaborate with fellow artists.
Once your submission is ready, please post it in the Entry/Submission Thread.

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[Hiroi Sekai]

Sounds fantastic! I'm very new to Photoshop but it can't hurt to make an entry, I suppose.

One question right off of the bat (and I apologize if this is something insanely simple), but using the gradient provided, I notice tiny little bits of grey and white around the top and sides. Is this intended or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for the assistance.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

One question right off of the bat (and I apologize if this is something insanely simple), but using the gradient provided, I notice tiny little bits of grey and white around the top and sides. Is this intended or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for the assistance.

Thanks for participating! I opened the image in Photoshop here, and I don't see any major distortions or artifacting caused by the JPEG compression, but I'll see if we can get a PNG version just to be safe. In any case, the intention is that it's the same linear gradient all the way across. Feel free to use this as a base, but keep it in a separate layer in case any tweaks are needed later.

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

Thanks for participating! I opened the image in Photoshop here, and I don't see any major distortions or artifacting caused by the JPEG compression, but I'll see if we can get a PNG version just to be safe. In any case, the intention is that it's the same linear gradient all the way across. Feel free to use this as a base, but keep it in a separate layer in case any tweaks are needed later.

Sounds like a plan, many thanks for the heads-up.

[felix]

@relentlessflame

Since the banners are only 760 x 100 couldn't we just have the rules be save as PNG-24 (ie. no-size limit). They will be cached (assuming you've set it up properly) and are also unlikely to reach very large sizes even one were to try (they are not wallpapers afterall).

Extreme example:



PNG-24, 181kb is the highest I could get

Obviously the banner contest is not a contest of getting it to fit the size, and there's also no reason not to use the highest possible quality. JPEG compression artifact also generally affect red tones; things like red santa suits.

I would also like things like GIF banned. Nobody should post in that appauling quality.

[blaze0041]

Hmm, I only just noticed that holiday themes (e.g. Christmas) are excluded from this contest. I'm guessing that, like last time, is so the banners don't look out of date by March?
I noticed that the older Winter (2006) banner comp allowed Christmas themed ones.
(Am I reading it wrong?)

If that's the case, what words/concepts could budding banner makers use as inspiration in regards to winter? (Aside from snow, snowflakes, white, etc. I don't suppose kimonos and cherry blossoms are within the theme boundaries, huh?)

@felix
The small-ish file size limit is certainly something to think about, though it is clear that not everyone who visits here has a fast internet connection. A 60KB image on a 56kbps modem would probably take over 12 seconds to load (then compounded by all the other stuff that has to load as well). Not saying that having a higher file size limit is a bad thing, and I don't have a definitive number of people who access this forum on a dial-up connection... just something to consider.

[felix]

@blaze0041

(thinks of a typical winter)

What is this thing you call snow?

[Daniel E.]

Originally Posted by blaze0041

If that's the case, what words/concepts could budding banner makers use as inspiration in regards to winter? (Aside from snow, snowflakes, white, etc. I don't suppose kimonos and cherry blossoms are within the theme boundaries, huh?)

Your best bet would be to look for images and then just work with what can you find:



Even if it's not exactly what you were looking for, it could still work for a banner. Not saying that you should use this one, but I actually think it's a nice winter themed one.

And yes, we picked Winter so that the banners would last longer.

[Ryonea]

Originally Posted by blaze0041

Hmm, I only just noticed that holiday themes (e.g. Christmas) are excluded from this contest. I'm guessing that, like last time, is so the banners don't look out of date by March?
I noticed that the older Winter (2006) banner comp allowed Christmas themed ones.
(Am I reading it wrong?)

If that's the case, what words/concepts could budding banner makers use as inspiration in regards to winter? (Aside from snow, snowflakes, white, etc. I don't suppose kimonos and cherry blossoms are within the theme boundaries, huh?)

Wondering about this as well.... so a Santa costume is a no-no, then?

[Zakoo]

I hope there's going to be some touhou theme, because I'm missing the Yukari/Ran/Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen there was in summer.

[MisaoFan]

I'm waiting for Haganai's christmas banner !

[Sumeragi]

Could commissioned work be submitted? I have a few ideas, but suck at photoshop.

[felix]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

Could commissioned work be submitted? I have a few ideas, but suck at photoshop.

Commissioned work?

[ganbaru]

A cooperative work would make more sence: one provide material and ideas and the other do the photoshop work.

[felix]

Collabs means less banners though.

[ganbaru]

Maybe not, not everyone will have the time to work on a banner, given than we are less than 2 weeks from Christmas with all it came with.

[Bila]

Well tried something very fast here, i liked the result nway

well how it is ~
Source: Kantoku, http://www.zerochan.net/779828

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Bila

Well tried something very fast here, i liked the result nway

well how it is ~
Source: Kantoku, http://www.zerochan.net/779828

Okay, well, I'm totally biased because it's one of my favourite characters by one of my favourite artists (I have that artbook ), but I like it. The only thing I wonder is what might happen if you move Corti down a few pixels, and slightly less glow/brightnesss. The dot outline on the left is a tiny bit off, and the pink flower outline near the bottom to the left of Corti doesn't quite work for me (it blends out so it kind of looks like a loose thread). All in all though these are just minor tweaks; I like the composition and the font for the logo. (Though I guess technically it's "AnimeSuki" with a capital S, but nobody's ever been consistent on that before, so probably doesn't matter.)

[Daniel E.]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

Could commissioned work be submitted? I have a few ideas, but suck at photoshop.

Yes, you can ask someone to work on your idea. This certain someone has to be a member of this forum, though.

[Hiroi Sekai]

Originally Posted by Bila

Well tried something very fast here, i liked the result nway

well how it is ~
Source: Kantoku, http://www.zerochan.net/779828

Quite nice! I like how the red counterbalances the white and the blue of the gradient/snow. Just one thing, did you use Photoshop's noise feature to make the background snow? I was playing around with that and didn't like the occasional funny shape that kept popping up.

One question as well, I'm assuming any additional text aside from the forum name isn't recommended? I didn't see it in the rules so I thought I should ask.