Frequently Asked Questions
What the heck is Illustration?
For Worth1000's purposes, "Illustration" encompasses all forms of two dimensional art that use neither photographic nor 3D rendered elements. This commonly includes all types of "real" media (pencil, pen, paint, charcoal) as well as digital media (Painter, Photoshop, Gimp, MS Paint), in a range of styles including painterly, line art, manga, vector, and more.
How do I enter a illustration contest here?
- Create an account if you don't have one yet
- Make sure you have a grasp of the basic rules
- Find a contest you like that is open for entry in the Contests listing
- Read the contest rules and make sure your entry meets them and the general Illo Rules.
- You can shoebox or illustrate especially for the contest, it's up to you!
- Click the orange "Submit" button up on the right and follow the instructions.
- Chose to pay or have your entry sponsored.
- Don't forget to vote and leave helpful comments! :)
useful reading - voting scale, voting karma, commenting guidelines
What contests can I enter?
If you're a new user, you can enter any contest you feel ready for, with the exception of the pre-arranged Head-to-Head contests in the [illoh] arena. Once you've won a few medals or trophies though, you might graduate an arena or contest type and no longer be eligible to enter.
useful reading - graduation in the [illob] arena, [illoh] Arena
What is not allowed in contests?
Simply put, you must be the artist of all of the artwork you submit. No tracing, no filtering a photo, no submitting someone else's painting, no chopping multiple drawings together and calling it your own. You must be the original artist of all of your work. Brushes and Textures included. Of course, it's never quite that simple, so make sure you check out the Entry Requirements
useful reading -entry requirements, [illo], [illob], [illoh]
I got a disqualification (DQ), what should I do?
- Check your email (the address you signed up with) and your site inbox for a disqualification mail that will tell you the reason for the DQ.
- If the contest is still open for entry, you can replace your DQ'd entry with a new one and it will have a chance at being reinstated into the contest if there is enough time for an Admin or Moderator to review it before the contest closes for voting. Go to your stats page and then your entry's page and click "edit" below the entry title and select the new file through Entry Content -> Browse to re-upload it. It will be automatically flagged for Moderator review.
If the contest has opened for voting, then unfortunately there is nothing to be done. Don't worry, we all get DQ'd at some point; don't forget to read the rules of the contest carefully!
useful reading -entry requirements, contest rules
Does Illustration DQ for quality?
Entries in the Advanced Arena are held to a higher quality standard than the Beginner Arena, and may be disqualified if they do not meet a general standard. This is a very rare occurrence.
useful reading - [illo]
Who can I talk to for a critique or advice?
We have an excellent Critics Corner where you can get help with your entry - critiquers are friendly and eager to help. If it's for an open contest, make sure you ask for a private critique over site message.
useful reading - Critics Corner rules
Who can I turn to if I need help?
The Illustration Admins take care of the Arenas, and are there for anything concerning an entry of yours. The Moderators can help you out with questions about site conduct or community questions. If you just have a general question, go ahead and start a thread about it in the relevant Forums and the community will get back to you. Please use the Report function on any images or comments that you feel need to be brought to the attention of Admins or Moderators.
I don't think I'm good enough to enter, should I?
Absolutely! We're a friendly bunch and critique is constructive and fair. You can check out the Beginners contests if you don't feel ready to meet the big guns yet. If you don't mind trying and want to get better in a supportive environment, this is definitely the place for you.
Do my illustrations stay mine after I enter them?
Yes. Worth doesn't take away any of your rights to your art, you simply give Worth permission to use it. You can read what you allow Worth to do with your Illustrations in the Terms of Use.
Someone made a mean comment on my illustration!
We have a very low threshold for drama and mean-spiritedness. Report the comment using the Report link to bring it to the attention of an Administrator or Moderator.
The Illustration Topic
A topic is an area of the site that aggregates content from many similar arenas into one single view. For example, the Advanced Illustration and Beginner Illustration arenas are both tagged with the topic of "Illustration" and would therefore both have their content show up in the "Illustration" topic. We even have an "All" topic that aggregates all public content into one view!
For Worth1000's purposes, "illustration" encompasses all forms of two dimensional art that use neither photographic nor 3D rendered elements. This commonly includes all types of "real" media (pencil, pen, paint, charcoal) as well as digital media (Painter, Photoshop, Gimp, MS Paint), in a range of styles including painterly, line art, manga, vector, and more.
Admins
The Admins keep the Arenas running and are the final authority when making interpretations of the rules of the Topic. Contact them directly if you have questions regarding the Illustration FAQ, the rules or your entry.
The Worth1000 Illustration Admins for the Advanced Illustration Arena, the Beginner Illustration Arena, and the HxH Illustration Arena are:
Moderators
Moderators in the Advanced Illustration Arena, the Beginner Illustration Arena, and the HxH Illustration Arena give out bling and help answer community questions. They also create Collections. They are:
For a full list of moderators and admins you can contact for help, please see this list. Moderators are usually long-standing members, selected for their knowledge, helpfulness, and participation.
Voting Scale
The voting scale is the same for the entire Illustration Topic. The voting scale is a guide on how members are supposed to apply their votes. This helps keep the contests fair and balanced as it allows everyone to understand what criteria should be taken into account.
| 1 |
Possible troll. Completely sub par. Any image voted a 1 should also be reported (if Advanced). |
| 2 |
No technical skill. No thought to composition or theme. Lazy. Any image voted a 2 should also be reported (if Advanced). |
| 3 |
Novice work and/or poor ideas, little thought went into composition or originality of idea. |
| 4 |
Below average. The idea is there, but more time or practice could benefit the artist. |
| 5 |
Definitely displays potential and thought, but lacking in some distinct areas. |
| 6 |
Just above average. User shows much promise ahead. |
| 7 |
Great idea. Good execution. Perhaps a bit unrefined in a few places. |
| 8 |
Great entry all around. Original idea with a show of great skill, solid composition, and a thoughtful approach. |
| 9 |
'Wow' entry. Stands out amongst the crowd. Makes you want to see more by the artist. Pro quality. |
| 10 |
Instant classic |
What to consider when voting
There are three general aspects to a illustration you will want to consider:
- Technical execution
- Artistry
- Appeal
The first can concern composition, lighting, pose, subject arrangement; the second will concern creativity and clarity of idea or expression; the third is a smaller factor which has to do about how well the image speaks to you. No illustration should score low based on the failure of any one aspect. How you weigh the criteria will depend on the context of the contest - for example awarding points for "achieving good greenness" in a "Green" contest is a bit irrelevant; an interesting point of view on the subject and technically superior lighting or a deliberate mood successfully created should weigh heavily.
Most contests do not specify a illustration style or medium or context; a cartoon has a different aesthetic than a photo-realistic painting. It is therefore important to try and consider what the artist was attempting in his or her illustration and rate accordingly. Keep an open mind and consider the intent of each illustration when voting.
Entry Requirements
These requirements apply to all Illustration Arenas.
Originality
You must be the original artist of your entry, first and foremost. We'll trust you on that, but it needs saying- do not enter anyone else's artwork as your own; not only will your entry be disqualified, you could be banned from participating in any contest on the site, in any category.
"What's that mean exactly?"
- Entries for illustration contests must be entirely original creations
- No photographs
- No artwork from other artists
- No rendered images created in Poser, Bryce, 3d Studio Max, etc
- No tracing
- No gridding
Any of the aforementioned images may not be pasted into your entry or traced. You may use any of these things as a visual reference to look at while you work, but again- they may not be pasted into your entry or traced, unless otherwise specified in the contest rules.
Digitally editing scans or photos of your own artwork is permitted (i.e.: using photoshop to color ink line art, post-processing paintings, etc.).
Close Reference
If you do use a photograph for reference, the resulting image must never be an exact replica of that image- your image must be significantly different from the photo used- gridding a photograph of your reference as an aid is not allowed. "Close Reference" disqualification is a subjective call made by the discretion of the admins. Sources should help you be creative, not be a crutch to get an edge.
"What is Close Reference?"
- Creating art too close to the reference to be judged fairly, because the merits of the reference source as seen on the entry outweigh the merits of the entry itself.
"How do I know if I am Close Referencing?"
- If you're proud of how close you copied your source without tracing, you Close Referenced.
- If you think there was no way you could have made your entry using the reference as a mere influence or general guide, you Close Referenced.
- If you're contemplating not including your reference links as required, ask yourself why.
"Um, cute, but those answers aren't good enough. I'm confused. How do I know if this thing I'm working on right now is Close Referenced?"
- You message your illo admins and discuss it with them privately. Don't wait until the last day of a 14 day contest to ask lorem or nik if your entry is okay. If you got an idea, or an idea for a process, that you think may be on the unsafe part of a gray area, bring it to us early and we'd be really happy to help! With any site rule mostly governed by admin discretion, the choice should be clear where you should turn should you have a specific concern or question about your entry.
Additional notes:
Guess how often we DQ for Close Reference? Not often.
It's not a matter of leniency though, rather that most people are in a safer zone than they suspect and most of our core community players are level-headed people who strive to make original art. What this tells the new user is that the best place to find out how the community works --and what's expected of them-- is with the people. Make friends. :)
Filters
Using applications/plugins to render, filter, or generate aspects of your art can be helpful. But we highly discourage using these tools to create the art for you. In the spirit of encouraging original work, collective admin discretion may disqualify entries when there is little evidence that human effort and creativity were used. In these cases, admins may ask to see your work files and ask about your processes. To avoid unnecessary disqualification, please ask an Illustration Admin as early as possible (before entering) if you are unsure about your entry or idea.
Brushes and Textures
Native application brushes and textures, as well as copyright-free brushes found on the net, are almost always acceptable.
"Almost always? What brushes and textures are NOT allowed?"
- Photographic in nature (e.g. resembling or sourced from real clouds, bricks, tree bark, etc.)
- Entire objects (e.g. plants, vehicles, characters, etc.)
- Illustrations within themselves (e.g. art nouveau bordering, line art elements, rendered objects, etc.)
Any brushes you have created are acceptable, providing they are not based on photographs or the artwork of others. It is preferred, but not required, to use your own original brushes. For unique situations, the discretion of the admins is the final answer. If you are unsure if your entry abides the restrictions, ask an Illustration Admin first, as early as possible.
A more comprehensive description and discussion on the guidelines for brushes and textures can be found here.
Using Sources
You must include a link to all major photo references used so that everyone can see just how different from your finished image they are, and if you do not use photo references, your preliminary sketches must be available on demand. If you do not use preliminary sketches, you must provide a .psd or screenshots that clearly show your progress if we request it. We regret the necessity of these measures, but unscrupulous individuals have made them unavoidable to ensure a fair shake for all of our competitors.
Mediums
Any medium is acceptable as long as it conforms to the individual contest guidelines, i.e. if the contest calls for line art, you may enter line art created in a digital image editing program such as Photoshop, PaintShopPro, Illustrator, etc. or on paper or canvas; however, you must scan or photograph your entry yourself- we cannot accept any entries by snail mail, sorry.
Text
WWW addresses on your image are not allowed. Watermarks on your image are not allowed. Artist signatures are allowed if they don't distract from the work, promote the artist, or act as watermarks. Besides links to references and works-in-progress, please keep additional supportive text in your comments down to a couple sentences and let your work be judged by the quality of your image.
Mature Content
See the site wide age rating guide for specific ratings.
What is "tasteful" and what is not may be subjective, therefore, all such decisions are at the sole discretion of the admins, and all such decisions are final. If you are unsure if your entry abides the restrictions, ask an Illustration Admin first, as early as possible....
Contest-Specific
Some contests may state rules in the contest page write-up. These rules should be seen as superseding any Arena Regulations - e.g. a contest may allow Close Reference where it is otherwise not allowed.
Arenas
Worth1000 is now divided into arenas. Every arena is a self-contained area that revolves around a topic, in this case: Illustration, and a skill level. Every arena has its own contests, forums, hall of fame and more! Most important to note is that some arenas may have their own specific rules regarding voting and entering contests. You can join as many arenas as you like and even get a personalized view that shows all the aggregated content from your arenas in one spot!
Beginner Illustration
[illob]
|
This is where most people will start, and contains 3 major types of contests: Fun themes, Medium Specific, and Skill Enhancing. Graduation from this arena is done on a person by person basis. |
Advanced Illustration
[illo]
|
This is where the big dogs play. All of the contests are theme oriented and there is a high standard to live up to. |
Head to Head Illustration
[illoh]
|
This is where members can engage in one-on-one contests, and contests with a restricted list of players who develop their own contest themes and ideas. |
The Beginner Illustration Arena
The Illustration Beginner Arena is geared towards artists who want to participate in a learning environment. This contest area of this arena will host the Beginner Illustration Contests, Illustration Revolution Contests with beginner rules, and beginner Illustration Shorties. The forums are geared more towards a learning environment, this includes specific questions about mediums or technique. This forum will also be the home of Art Class threads. The Beginner Forum should also be used to set up any Illustration Revolution Contests with beginner rules.
Eligibility
There are no hard eligibility requirements. Beginners contests are for: beginners or users with little experience with the given theme. If you think you could snatch up the bling with your artistic prowess, please visit the other contests.
For example, the first new Beginner contest is a Color Me (colorizing given line art). If you have little experience with this, please feel free to enter. But if the next contest is "Kittens" and you know you can make the best photorealistic feline masterpiece, please sit it out.
"but... I got a site message about Graduating?"
- Over time, we may ask members to 'Graduate' from the Beginners Arena. Don't be scared! This means we think you are more than capable in all areas to complete with the best. Congrats!
"I can't win in the Illo Advanced Arena! Why can't I stay in Beginners?"
- It's not all about winning. I mean, lets be honest, a lot of it is, but not all of it. Trophy Collecting in Beginners isn't attractive or helpful to the community.
- Over time, if it becomes evident you're advanced and "trophy collecting" the Beginner series, we'll discuss it with you. Please enter Beginners to learn, not to win.
- If you think you can't win an Advanced, then keep practicing, you might surprise yourself!
We are trusting the community to self-govern. If you have any questions, or concerns, or just want more info, Check out the Beginner Contest Eligibility sticky.
The Advanced Illustration Arena
The Illustration Advanced Arena is geared towards artists who want to participate in a more challenging environment. This contest area of this arena will host the Advanced Illustration Contests, Illustration Revolution Contests with advanced rules, and advanced Illustration Shorties. The forums are for all of you illustration questions and comments, cool images you find, discussions of style and art and just general Illo fun and bonding! The Advanced Forum should also be used to set up any Illustration Revolution Contests with advanced rules.
Eligibility
All entrants are eligible for participation in the Advanced Illustration Arena, and all contests within, as soon as they feel ready. Entries in the Advanced Arena are held to a higher quality standard than the Beginner Arena.
The Head to Head Illustration Arena
The Illustration HxH Arena is geared towards artists who want to test their skills against other members. This contest area of this arena will host the HxH Illustration Contests. The forums are used simply to post a HxH challenge, look for a challenge or spitball HxH ideas. Please see the HxH Arenas FAQ for more details on setting up a HxH.
Illustration Revolution
It is now much easier than ever to design your own contests! IRs are no longer modified H2Hs. Consider them do-it-yourself regular Advanced and Beginner Illustration contests.
Starting a Revolution!
- Decide Eligibility:
- To create an Illustration Revolution, first decide on whether you would like to run a Advanced Revolution, or a Beginner Revolution.
- To determine whether a contest is Advanced or Beginner, use this guide:
- Advanced: State no eligibility requirements ("all in"), OR make any eligibility rule that limits beginners (ex. "Only people with at least one 8.0+ illo entry score can play", "2 Gold trophies required")
- Cost: 10 credits, for Trophies.
- Beginner: Make any eligibility rule that limits advanced users. (ex. "Cannot have an advanced gold illo trophy to play", "Must not have an 7.5+ illo entry score")
- IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A BEGINNER CONTEST, YOU MUST SET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
- Cost: 5 credits, for Medals.
- Make a Post:
- Once you have determined if you would like to run an Advanced Revolution, or a Beginner Revolution head over to the appropriate forum and post a thread. Advanced Illustration Revolution threads should be in the forum in the Advanced Illustration Arena. Beginner Illustration Revolution threads should be in the forum in the Beginner Illustration Arena. YOU MUST STATE ELIGIBILITY RULES, NOT JUST WRITE "ADVANCED" OR "BEGINNER".
- Please use the following format in your post title
- Illustration Revolution: (theme)
- for example: Illustration Revolution: Space Monkeys
- Please use the following format in your post:
- THEME: (ex. Space Monkeys)
- DESCRIPTION: (ex. Everyone loves space and most people love monkeys. Put some monkeys in space and let the wackiness flow.)
- SKILL/ELIGIBILITY: (ex. Beginners. Players must have no 8.0+ illo entry scores.)
- ADDITIONAL RULES: (ex. Must be drawn by hand or painted by brush. Nothing digital besides scans or photos of your art.)
- Please use the thread tags in your post:
- Illustration Revolution
- Your Theme
- Join or be Joined:
- To join a contest, simply state so in an IR thread. You are not punished for not entering, but HIGHLY encouraged not to pledge to an IR if you cannot enter. Just as with any other regular Illo contest, you may enter multiple entries.
- Ready for Setup:
- Whether Advanced or Beginner, you only need 10 signups. When you reach 10 sign-ups, edit your title and add "READY FOR SET UP". ex. "Illustration Revolution: Space Monkeys" and "Illustration Revolution: Space Monkeys - READY FOR SET UP", respectively. Admins will start them as soon as the schedule allows (usually within a week from "Ready to setup") and they will run for 14 days.
Additional User-Controlled Rules
By default, all regular illustration section rules apply. Feel free to amend them, but bear in mind you want to attract as many people as possible. (ex. Allow close reference, Aviary only, 18+, just Line Art.) Admin override applies for legal and extreme conditions.
We're trying to keep this easy and fun, to promote an increase of user-created section content. We want you to participate in what you want!
Art Class
Art Class is no longer a periodic, site-run contest series. Instead, it is a thread-based group activity which will allow us all to practice and play with various subjects and techniques in a non-competitive atmosphere. Taking place in a thread also means that Art Class critiques and discussions will be open among everyone, that we may *all* benefit from each others advice and helpful comments within each "class".
Another reason they're now thread-based is that we can free the limitations that made some good art class themes impossible to moderate in contests. (ex. Drawing from a photograph, still life, drawing upside-down, etc.)
Art Class threads will, of course, be open to anyone and everyone who wishes to participate - no matter their individual skill levels. While we are currently working on the schedule, new AC themes will pop up in the Beginner Illustration Arena Forum. from time to time. (If you have suggestions for specific themes you'd like to work with, feel free to send a message to one of the Illustration Admins - we'd love to hear from you!)
And, the real beauty of having Art Class as a thread means that each theme will never really close - so anyone, at any time, may add something to the thread to keep the discussion and education moving forward. You're free to practice techniques and play with those AC subjects whenever you feel the desire to - even if months have passed since the AC theme was originally created. When you post your art, you can add text about how you did it, what you'd like to work on, etc. and edit or follow up with new art at any time.
After an Art Class thread has gained enough participation, there's also nothing stopping you from creating an IR contest if you like the theme, if it can translate into a contest well.
Starting a Class:
We have some exciting new changes happening. We are giving the power back to the people! That's right, you now have the ability to start Art Class!
- Pick a theme.
- Decide what you would like to learn about, or what you would like to teach. Great ideas include techniques, composition, color theory and many more.
- Make a Post
- Once you have determined if your theme, head over to the Beginner Illustration Arena Forum and post a thread. Please try and be clear and organized in your post, share any tips and tricks you have, and show us an example of your theme. Please review previous Art Class threads to get an idea of how to post. Examples include: Happy Little Trees, Creating Texture, and Creating Texture.
- Please use the following format in your post title:
- Art Class: (theme)
- for example: Art Class: Color Theory
- Please use the thread tags in your post
- Art Class
- Tutorial
- Your Theme
- Critique and be Critiqued.
Additional Rules:
A few small rules will apply to Art Class Threads:
- Illustrations may be posted directly within the thread provided they are less than 75k in size, and less than 600px wide. Images which are larger than that must have a link provided instead of the full-sized image.
- Illustrations (such as nude figure studies) which contain any potentially NSFW (not safe for work) content must have a link instead of the actual image, along with a "NSFW" mention in your post.
- Critiques and comments made within any art class thread MUST remain constructive. Art Class is a place to practice and learn - it's not a place to belittle anyone's hard work.
Definitions
Here are some common terms found throughout the Illustration Arenas:
Art Class
(AC) |
See [Art Class]. |
| Calendar Series
|
The Calendar Series is an ongoing monthly contest
series that runs independently of the regular schedule and is supported
by own rules. Its purpose is to collect the best entries submitted for
a printed calendar. More information here [CalendarSeries]. |
| Close Reference
|
See [Close Reference]. |
| Color Me
|
In these contests you ARE allowed to use someone else's artwork
(provided). The purpose is to colorize a black and white/line art
piece of art using allowed methods. |
DaW
(Draw a Worthian) |
Periodic contests which invite you to use your fellow Worth members as subjects.
|
DQ
(Disqualification) |
An entry that breaks the rules will be removed from the contest. |
| Gridding
|
Creating a grid over an existing source to transfer information to a blank grid. Same as tracing, gridding existing artwork is considered indirect
tracing and is forbidden. |
| Hitlist
|
A contest description may list "Hitlist" items or subjects. These are
things we do NOT want to see entered, and entering them will result in
a disqualification. Example: The theme "Rodents" with a Hitlist of
"Mice" means we want to see any rodent except mice. |
| Illo
|
Illustration, or the Illustration Arena/Community as a whole. "Two
days too short? You could always enter Illo." |
Illustration Revolution
(Illo Revolution or just IR) |
See [Revolution]. |
IS
(Illustration Shorties) |
Rare, quick fun contests with a runtime much shorter than usual.
|
| Line Art
|
For our purposes, line art is artwork made with black lines over a
white background without the use of gradients, shading, blurring, or
methods of coloring or grayscale use beyond simple black and white. |
| MS Paint Wars
|
Periodic contests which invite you to use your fellow Worth members as
subjects 1) in a good-natured, yet derogatory and humorous, manner and
2) with the worst display of technical skill you can produce with MS
Paint (or similar application). |
| Shoeboxing
|
Entering a contest with a previously created entry. Shoeboxing is forbidden in some contests, and will be stated in
the description when not allowed. |
Themepost
(or Thempic) |
Images used to represent a given contest. Note that Illustration
themeposts may differ than themeposts of other Arenas. While they
often represent a previous entry that fits the current theme, they
generally do not suggest any style, medium, or subject you should
follow unless otherwise noted. Often, Illustration themeposts are mere
title pages for a contest or contest series (i.e. a graphic
depicting a contest series name). |
| Tracing
|
Recreating exact parts (details, outlines, lines, etc) of an existing
work of art into your own. Whether physical (paper tracing over
artwork) or digital (scanning artwork and drawing over it in a
computer program), this practice is forbidden. |