How to get Artist in Your Contest

Ok let me not be frivolous or lie to you, the people about to make a contest, artist such as myself only enter your contest for two reasons:<br><br>The prize or the subject.<br><br>Let me clarify this for any one who does not do art by reviewing both motivations in more depth.<br><br><span style="font-weight:bold">The Prize</span><br>Personally I browse the contest for some big cash for a relatively small bit of art. This is usually due to:<br> A. I need to buy something but don't have enough cash<br> B. I just spent most of my cash and need to refill the bank<br>Now that I have pointed this out it should be quite clear that if you are going to hold a contest you better be willing to shell out a LOT of VPC or goodies like dyes, upgrades or even rare made gifties. The better the prize the more are people will flock to your contest, this means more entries and your contest is a success! I would say that at the moment 20mil should be on the very LOW end of the first prize, with 100mil being very high. <br><br>So! If you put 5mil as your first prize don't be disappointed if no one even bothers to look past your list of prizes. Seriously that is the very first thing I look at when considering a contest, if its to low I just cross it off the list, end of story. So you have a big prize? Put it in the title! I'm lazy and if I see a contest title with something like (60mil in prizes!) I am much more likely to click and therefore enter that contest! <br><br>If you are offering art as a prize put it as 2nd or 3rd, and it better be damn good art. How do you know if you are 'damn good'? How much are people willing to pay for your art on VP? 10mil? Yeah then you are good! Less? Its questionable, remember, you want people to draw for you! If you just want to draw art and receive art, make a post some where else and offer art trades not a contest, your likely to get more like that. <br><br><br><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject</span><br>Lets move onto the second thing I mentioned, your subject. Basically what do you want them to draw? If you say, "I want a drawing of the pit bull JUST LIKE this photo [link]" That is rather boring to draw. There is no artistic freedom, its like a homework assignment and no one likes homework! Better is something like: "A pit bull with these markings, and I'd like him to be aggressive or guarding" You see how much more the second example is left to the artist to interpret the image? <br><br>I can show you another example. My character is VERY plain and bland! I know that, I did it on purpose! (Don't believe me? <a href="http://evlon-shape-shifter.deviantart.com/art/Proper-Evlon-Ref-112621933"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">look</a>) So how can I make a black wolf with red point dynamic and interesting? I could have a really cool pose, mood, action, setting, any number of things really. She doesn't have to be just standing there. <br><br><span style="font-style:italic">But my character isn't simple at all! It has this, and this, and this and...</span> If you list every attribute separately and you have more than 10 things in your list you character is VERY hard to draw. Make a test list, and make sure you list things like markings, breed, fur type or other physical things. Good, you have more than 10? Your going to scare away half of your artist by over whelming them! <span style="font-style:italic">But Evlon this is how I have to have it drawn!</span> Really? Then make a good ref and be prepared to pump up your prize amount to draw them back in!<br><br>I would like to add that your 'character' may be considered a 'sparkle animal' if you have to much on it. Need to see a good example? <a href="http://evlon-shape-shifter.deviantart.com/art/Mr-Fancy-Pants-112129444"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">LINK</a> If you have one of said sparkle animals be it dog or dragon or something else, you WILL scare away most every one. Why you ask? Due to the sheer amount of 'add-ons' your sparkle character has! Lets see if I was to list EVERY attribute I would have 25! I don't know about you, but If I saw a list of things for the character I was going to do of a contest and it had 25 I'd be leaving as soon as my finger can hit the back button (Which is pretty damn fast!)<br><br><br>So! In review:<br>- Bigger prizes equal more artist<br>- Don't try and pawn art off on artist, it just doesn't work well<br>- Have an interesting subject<br>- Let artist have free range<br>- Keep your character short, sweet, and simple <br><br>(Questions will be taken and answered)