AOTM #22: Voting - CASUAL

[AOTM]

Theme: ~Love~
Defined: Show your love in a piece of art
Voting Deadline: 28th February - 11:59pm Eastern
Theme suggested by: Lustre
Contest run by: Contra Fates, and Lustre

Entry Notes

1. This is called, "A Moment Before Laughter". This embodies the happiness and love within our relationship together. No filters and no edits.
2. Because our pets are the ones that, no matter if they love us or not, are the best symbol of affection. Cats' way to show us our affection is not by resembling it, but by simply acknowledging our presence and keeping distance instead.
3. Candy foil folded into hearts and photographed. Editing used as well.

Rules for Voting:

• Vote on your favorite entry based on graphical skill.
• Please post explaining your vote and why.
• Please provide helpful feedback on the entries.
• Do NOT post anything insulting or offensive about entries.
• Do NOT vote for your own entry.
• Do NOT tell others which entry is your own.
• Poll End Date: 13th November

Comment Template:

• Areas of Achievement:
• Areas of Opportunity:
• Consensus:

This is NOT mandatory. This is to promote thoughtful critiques for the artists who took the time to submit their entries. This is just another way to show our appreciation for them.

It is not necessary to place the comments and critiques within a hider.

Other Notes:

AOTM Contest Managers are allowed to read, review, and submit their own entries - but are NOT permitted to cast a vote. This is because they know who each author of these entries are, and the entries are no longer anonymous to them. WOTM Contest Managers, however, are allowed to vote - as the entries have remained anonymous to them.

We greatly appreciate those of you who participated, and especially those of you who vote. Without either of you this contest would not exist.

Remember, it is YOU who decides the winner, so you all hold the power. Use it well. (:

Also, seeing as this is a special occasion for the Guild Newsletter, we decided it would be better to have only one winner, so the voting threads have been joined to make it easier to vote, and to give more diverse choice! Have fun!

[Jorick]

1 - This holds no meaning to me, it's just a picture of a guy. I get what you're going for here, but it doesn't hold any meaning for "love" to me personally. It also seems a bit lazy to me compared to the other entries, just a photograph that anyone could take. No vote from me because of these reasons.

2 - Decent drawing and concept, but the woman's proportions seem a little off. Her left forearm seems far too short, and her right leg looks kind of broken. The right shin isn't as long as the left one, and there's only barely a hint of an ankle there. It looks fine other than those two issues. I would've voted for it if not for the third one catching my interest a little better.

3 - I voted for this entry. The concept is pretty cool, especially with Valentine's day being so recently and the obvious link between love and chocolate thanks to that holiday. The linkage between the words and the image itself is also cool, what with the torn up foil heart. My only bits of criticism are that the chosen font doesn't seem to suit the image very well and the double ellipses in the text looks weird.

[Kaizen]

1) I know that guy! No, not really. If there were no cars in the parking lot I may have voted for this one, the cars just take away from the picture.
2) Should be disqualified for the use of cats. Gives an unfair advantage over the other entries. The cat needs a shadow, and the shadow of the woman appears to have a separate light source for each leg.
3) I like the symbolism here - or rather the message matched with the medium. That candy foil is very delicate. I try to fold them into origami sometimes - the end product is sad looking. I like the color choices. My only objection is that I think it is a dove chocolate wrapper with a hershey's kiss flag around it. I voted for this one

[Mystic Rouge]

1- In my opinion this doesn't have anything to do with the theme, there is really nothing in the photo that signifies love. I understand the concept, and it is a nice photo, but it just doesn't seem to fit against the other entries.

2- I like the idea this one has, and that it is done by hand. I agree with Jorick in saying that the proportions seem a little off, but overall not a bad entry.

3- This one got my vote because it is well put together and really fits the theme. I like the font as well though I think it draws away from the picture a little.

[VectorxMan]

Poll end date 13th November lol...

Right;back on topic!

The third entry received my vote. This one appears to have the most planning and forethought involved. The author of this third picture came up with a unique idea which appeals to both genders through the picture as well as the slogan.

Number two has been done to death. It's a picture of somebody drawing the focal point of the image. However, the edgy and rugged intended feel ended up looking amateurish. Also the cat is totally unnecessary. I don't know of a single person who associates cats with Valentine's Day.

Of the entries the only one that is 100% just a photograph is geared towards one gender. Its a picture of a man grinning with a sun rise/set in the background. The in~depth description of this entry is too abstract and the only people who find staring into the eyes of a dude to be lustrous are (mainly) women.

[AOTM]

Congratulations to Kirra!

Revel and rejoice, for you are the Casual winner of the 22nd AOTM! The Casual winner, as in you do it with style. I highly suggest you glance over the next RPG Newsletter, though I won't say more .

And to those who gave their time to respond to the images -- a big thank you! The commentary offered by all of you is what gives the artists even more to learn from when making new work.

[Kirra]

Thank you! When I first submitted my artwork, I didn’t think I was going to win since it was my first time. Thank you everyone for your comments, I’ll make sure to keep them in mind next time.

[Kirra]

... I highly suggest you glance over the next RPG Newsletter, though I won't say more ...

I don't know if I just missed it, but I wasn't exactly sure what I was suppose to look for...

[Shon Harris]

The surprise was/is a part of a new bit the AOTM is working on with the RPG Newsletter which, unfortunately, won't make it in until next time. You didn't miss anything, I did ;P.