Chief Technical Officer
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...I thought the emphasis was on generating excitement for Pathfinder. This is at odds with Sarah's statement that the emphasis is really on discovering new freelance writers.
RPG Superstar is a concept that serves many masters. If I had to rank the main three motivations we had for it in year one, I'd do like so:
1. Help us find talented freelancers
2. Increase awareness of Paizo, our community, and our products
3. Give visitors a good reason to keep coming back to the site every week or two during January and February (traditionally not the best of months).
I would venture to say a mediocre artist knows their work is mediocre. All writers know their writing is the most cleverest, most poetical, most artistical prose ever!
The reason for this is also pretty self-evident.
The ability to produce art is, these days, a more or less specialized skill. Everyone in this community is at the very least literate and as such, being able to write sentences is a given (meaning that the accepted baseline for writing skill is significantly higher than it is for art). Whereas we can all write sentences with at least moderate skill (hopefully), how many here can draw an nude figure or paint a landscape with the same degree of ability? After a certain point, distinguishing good writing from poor writing is ultimately far more nuanced than in visual art.
In representational art, specifically, (which 99% of fantasy art truly is) viewers (both educated and otherwise) can objectively evaluate how good a drawing or painting based on how closely it approximates the "real thing" (style notwithstanding). Since creating art is so specialized and the education we receive in it so comparatively negligible, the variance of skill among artists is far wider.
As an artist myself (Rummy-Tum-Tugger Contest Honorable Mention, w00t!) I'd actually love to participate in such an RPG Artist Superstar contest, which would probably be much easier to judge.
I would venture to say a mediocre artist knows their work is mediocre.
A glance at some of the threads linked from this one should disabuse you of this notion.
I would venture to say a mediocre artist knows their work is mediocre.A glance at some of the threads linked from this one should disabuse you of this notion.
Fair enough. Nice link.
My mate has a saying posted on the fridge: just because no one understands you, does not mean you are an artist. :)
Still I do not think anyone would submit a crayon picture on notebook paper for such a contest. The writing equivalent, probably does happen. At least it did on the the first year. :)
Still I do not think anyone would submit a crayon picture on notebook paper for such a contest. The writing equivalent, probably does happen. At least it did on the the first year. :)
I dunno, you can do some pretty awesome stuff with crayons.
Lined notebook paper, though - that's just gauche. :)
Still I do not think anyone would submit a crayon picture on notebook paper for such a contest. The writing equivalent, probably does happen. At least it did on the the first year. :)I dunno, you can do some pretty awesome stuff with crayons.
Lined notebook paper, though - that's just gauche. :)
lol :)
A glance at some of the threads linked from this one should disabuse you of this notion.
In my experience (and I hope that this is true en general) these types of delusional individuals are in the minority. ;)
my two C-bills,
** spoiler omitted **
So while Paizo may not need a new RPG Superstar artist (yet) I encourage people to try their hand at sketching the items. One, it's an ego trip seeing 'your' item rendered in ink. Two, people will see them and comment. (If I'd had money, I'd have bought a comission from Hugo for Donna, now I have (had) money but no Donna :-( )
Wayfinder is a good proving grounds for artists. I know personally one guy who's done art for Wayfinder that just got tapped for some paid work (not by Paizo -- yet, anyway).
I would venture to say a mediocre artist knows their work is mediocre.A glance at some of the threads linked from this one should disabuse you of this notion.
Reading one of those side linked threads make me want to go to that site and submit all abstract expressionism.
What about all the English majors that graduate every year?
They get shipped off to work behind the counter at Starbucks, where they and their kind belong.
They get shipped off to work behind the counter at Starbucks, there they and their kind belong.
What about all the English majors that graduate every year?
A glance at some of the threads linked from this one should disabuse you of this notion.In my experience (and I hope that this is true en general) these types of delusional individuals are in the minority. ;)
You might find this article on the Dunning-Kruger effect interesting and/or depressing.
Basically, the more incompetent people are at many tasks, the less likely they are to realize how incompetent they are.
You're not a true writer until you've come to the realization that everything you've already written is crap.
Quote of the 1-ish week ago.
You might find this article on the Dunning-Kruger effect interesting and/or depressing.
Basically, the more incompetent people are at many tasks, the less likely they are to realize how incompetent they are.
Well, that certainly explains American Idol auditions.
I have the solution. I'll describe ten beloved PCs or NPCs and ten different artists can volunteer their time to illustrate them. I'll pick a winner and keep all the art. I have no money for prizes or to commission finished work, although I'd like to in the near future.
So...who wants to commit their time and energy just to make me happy? : }
I reckon this was a joke, hm?
If not I really meant it when I said I'd like this (which means I'd like to participate)