What happened to contests?

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

I know it's not the fault of CMON, because individual retailers should be
the ones to host a painting contest, but it has been 2 years since there has been a painting contest on this website. Can anyone tell me how I can get involved in a painting contest outside of CMON? I live in Seattle Washington area. Until then, CMON should host one!!

 

[MAXXxxx]

WAMP usually has one.

But while it'll probably of no help to you, but here(eu) now starts the competition season with about 1/week or 2weeks.
Just in April that I remember:
- Mosonmagyarovar - Hungary
- Salute - UK
- Duke of Bavaria - Germany
- AMT Torrent - Italy

ohh I found a few in the US too:
- Crystal Brush - Chicago (afaik organised by CMON) - April
- MFCA Show - Pennsylvania - May

And there are probably a few not-so-large local ones too in your area.

Like a GW local competition (there is about 2/year in the city here, only local shop and city, no real prize or anything, but can be fun if you like/have GW models)

 

[HodRod]

If you paint dwarfs (fantasy only), there's always a competition going one over at BugmansBrewery.com (both single units and whole units).

Librarium-Online.com has a lot of army specific competitions going on as well.

WAMP is a good one too, but those guy are fantastic painters, so you really got to up your game there.

 

[Zab]

wamp always has a few going, reaper too and brushbrothers.de as well. The golden vincis are currently running and there are few others i have forgotten about. Ironically the one year i decide to swear off the distraction of contests to put a dent in my personal projects there seems to be more than ever! :doh:

 

[Dragonsreach]

One problem we have had on here, and I suspect that will apply to other web based competitions, is padding, shill voting and deliberate sniping.
It's a shame that behaviour like that spoils competitions, which is why I now prefer physical comps.

 

[MAXXxxx]

with sniping you mean something like: http://www.coolminiornot.com/288070
that said, I value the comment much more than any score it may have gotten if not for (down)voting.

and sadly not even physical comps are completely free of those things (but mostly are).


from those listed for april, I plan to go to the hungarian one (flight, hotel already booked), not that I'll have any real chance. last year there were almost 1200 entries and quite a few of them from famous people.
But it'll be good to see them and while I'm there... why not show what I painted? everything else (placing 1-3) is extra.

 

[Bailey03]

As the others have mentioned check wamp forum for contests. They run quite a few. The competition level can vary quite a bit over there depending on what company is sponsoring and what the prize is. Either way its free to enter so what do you lose?

There are a number of shows in the US. Not too many out west though. There's Schams down near LA. It's got a lot of talented painters and is worth the trip down if you can make it. Adepticon and MMSI in the Chicago area. HMSNEO in Tulsa. Plus shows in NY, Atlanta, Philly, and DC. Most of those (aside from Adepticon) are on the open judging system. That means every figure is judged against a set standard and awarded gold, silver, bronze, or a certificate of merit. If 10 entries deserve a gold then they hand out 10 hold medals.

There are other shows in the US of course, but those are the ones I'm most familiar with.

 

[HodRod]

One problem we have had on here, and I suspect that will apply to other web based competitions, is padding, shill voting and deliberate sniping.
It's a shame that behaviour like that spoils competitions, which is why I now prefer physical comps.

You mean giving everyone who's not me a 1 score is wrong?

Seriously though, Bugmans does a good way of voting. At the end everyone votes 1st, 2nd, 3rd (can't vote for yourself). Points are then allocated to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and at the end, the votes you got are added up and a winner is decided. The only way to rig it is with your own vote (don't vote for people who are your competition), but that's all you got. I know CMON would want to use its Vote mechanism, so this really wouldn't work here (unless they forsaked their voting mechanism).

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

with sniping you mean something like: http://www.coolminiornot.com/288070
that said, I value the comment much more than any score it may have gotten if not for (down)voting.

and sadly not even physical comps are completely free of those things (but mostly are).

Yes, very funny how the guy is so shocked and dismayed that it has been voted a 6.6, demanding justice and declaring it at least an 8, and then he accidentally gives you the default 6. I think this little technicality needs to be addressed by CMON.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

One problem we have had on here, and I suspect that will apply to other web based competitions, is padding, shill voting and deliberate sniping.
It's a shame that behaviour like that spoils competitions, which is why I now prefer physical comps.

There are other formats that can be introduced to reduce the effectiveness of these sordid practices. I'm sure you've heard of the Iron Painter held at impromptu moments over at Wyrd? If not, or for those who are not familiar, it puts two artists against each other in a tournament style bracket, where each has around two weeks to paint a mini based on a certain theme; a color, emotion, etc. This challenges the imagination of even the most
practiced painters and produces a creativity that would otherwise be unharnessed. This diorama, for instance:
http://www.coolminiornot.com/339981?browseid=8509522

But any contest, even though it may be rigged or unbalanced, is simply a good time. Maybe the answer then, is to not wait on some company to sponsor a competition, but for CMoN newbs like myself to form a grass roots movement and develop interesting and challenging painting contests of our own. Prizes need not be of monetary value. Get your mini displayed on the home screen for a week, for example. We could do a CMoN Olympics. Gold,silver, and bronze medals for such events as sculpting, painting NMM, painting TMM, basing, diorama, etc. The overall winner would prove himself to be the Coolest Miniature Maker. We could have amature level contests: newb v newb. Or, in a sort of Dancing with the Stars format, we could pair an expert painter with a newb and see who paints the best mini based upon the instruction and advice of the experts.

Essentially, it is this sort of community building events that drive sites like this, for me at least. The success of such contests would force sponsors to take part and offer compelling prizes. If we fail to hold contests because there are cheaters, well then....THE TERRORISTS HAVE WON!!!!

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

In regards to WAMP holding competitions, thank you all. I became aware of this shortly after leaving the OP and I am proud to say that I will be painting a sexy Ronin to take part in Wyrd's contest. Wish me luck...and if you haven't seen these models which I am referring to take a look, I believe they are the newer Ronin. I have to pick one of these three:

http://wyrd-games.net/shop/M2e-Ronin.html

 

[Dragonsreach]

I'm sure you've heard of the Iron Painter held at impromptu moments over at Wyrd? If not, or for those who are not familiar, it puts two artists against each other in a tournament style bracket, where each has around two weeks to paint a mini based on a certain theme; a color, emotion, etc.
This challenges the imagination of even the most practiced painters and produces a creativity that would otherwise be unharnessed. !

I know you are new here, very keen and enthusiastic but the Iron Painter concept is just way too much like TV competition/Britain's (or the US) got Talent for me to be interested. As to it producing a level of creativity unharnessed, no I would find it hampering and restrictive not liberating and the timescale, I only get to paint on a Sunday and/or Monday due to work so that's a non starter for me.

In fact I'm not much of a fan of the 'first past the post' concept anymore and prefer to be judged against a standard measure, as happens at Euro-Militaire.

 

[Wigdog]

I prefer shows in person, not where just photographs (that can be doctored) are sent. You can check out IPMS contests which are held all over the country (do a google on IPMS, and you can find a link to contests in all the states) and annual figure shows like Atlanta, Pensacola, Chicago, MFCA, Tulsa, California, Long Island, Washington D.C., Dallas (these figure shows feature both historical and fantasy) and fantasy shows like Resintopia and Wonderfest + more on the West Coast where you are. There are also big shows like Adepticon. Also check out shops like Hobbytown which are about to have I think local and national contests and Games Workshop stores.

I'm lucky to be a member of the Atlanta Figure club and the Atlanta armor (AMPS) club and you are certainly invited and welcome to come to our show held each February. Really is a tremendous help when you can talk with like minded folks plus see works in the flesh.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

I know you are new here, very keen and enthusiastic but the Iron Painter concept is just way too much like TV competition/Britain's (or the US) got Talent for me to be interested. As to it producing a level of creativity unharnessed, no I would find it hampering and restrictive not liberating and the timescale, I only get to paint on a Sunday and/or Monday due to work so that's a non starter for me.

In fact I'm not much of a fan of the 'first past the post' concept anymore and prefer to be judged against a standard measure, as happens at Euro-Militaire.

Just as you have an appreciation for my fresh zeal as a newcomer, I can acknowledge your disillusion with poorly considered subjectivism in many online contests. Just thought I'd expose a demand that may, or may not, exist.

 

[BloodFather of Kharnath]

I prefer shows in person, not where just photographs (that can be doctored) are sent. You can check out IPMS contests which are held all over the country (do a google on IPMS, and you can find a link to contests in all the states) and annual figure shows like Atlanta, Pensacola, Chicago, MFCA, Tulsa, California, Long Island, Washington D.C., Dallas (these figure shows feature both historical and fantasy) and fantasy shows like Resintopia and Wonderfes + more on the West Coast where you are. Also check out shops like Hobbytown which are about to have I think local and national contests.

I'm lucky to be a member of the Atlanta Figure club and the Atlanta armor (AMPS) club and you are certainly invited and welcome to come to our show held in February. Really is a tremendous help when you can talk with like minded folks.

Thank you for the insight. I think contest in person would be far more enjoyable, but unless those contests are held locally, I have a lot of trouble attending. My military service requires a "mileage pass" for me to travel more than 150 miles-as the crow flies. I do have 2 weeks around Christmas, and 2 weeks in the dead of summer, but outside of this it can be VERY difficult to move about the country.

Of four games workshops in my area, only one holds a monthly painting competition. However, the theme is very limited and just doesn't work well for me. This month, for instance, is a 40k monstrous sized unit on at least a 60mm base. Next month is a LotR figure with similar restrictions. I may take part, even though neither hold much interest for me.

 

[Rothskin]

Maxxx what is the name of this Mosonmagyarovar - Hungary thing? Where can i find info?

 

[MAXXxxx]

http://www.mosonshow.hu/?lang=en

it'll be the first time I'll be there, so no idea how it is really.

From what I heard from friends:
- smaller than euromilitaire, but still one of the largest in europe
- mostly centered on military modelling (in the painting competition there are about 10 times as many categories for planes/tanks/etc as for fantasy figures), so for scifi-fantasy painters it's mostly unknown
- last year the number of entries in the competition was more than 1000, and here I don't mean the "GD-UK-splashed on 3 colors to get in early" entries.
- judges decisions can be weird sometimes (this mini: http://www.coolminiornot.com/234087?browseid=8534586 wasn't even taken as consideration because it's painting is not historically correct enough)


from the site it's mostly:
- painting competition
- model and diorama show
- ongoing lessons in modelling / painting
- trade - area (here I heard a lot of good and not so good things. Good: possibility for good deals and OOP minis. Bad: recasters are also not unknown)