Dragon Snack Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Doesn't the Tiki Golem have a squirrelly 'pilot' in his back? So in order to win, we have to paint a mini that looks like Ed? depending on who you ask around here that would be... 2727, 3163 or 2216 The one that I believe looks like me is 50027, but then again I'm the modest type What about 2044? Runs and hides... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted December 10, 2008 Author Reaper User Share Posted December 10, 2008 Since there are sculpting classes at ReaperCon, how about a separate Sculpting category? Any medium, size, basing, genre or style could be entered, as long as it is unpainted. This would encourage more sculptors to attend, benchmark their progress, interact with the top talent in the field. Yes, I realize it would not be a huge draw, but apply similar Open System judging standards for sculpting aspects. The field would likely still be small and awards presented only if truly merited. The sculpting category is Open. Scratch sculpts are not only allowed, but encouraged! Yes, you still have to paint the model, because it's a painting competition. In truth, sculpting categories don't work unless you are at a very large convention, like Gen Con (Gen Con DOES have a category for unpainted sculpted figures, by the way, so that is your venue if you are looking for this kind of event!). Even at our own ReaperCon, where we have some of the top talent in the sculpting field teaching classes, we have learned that 90% of the people who take those classes want to learn to convert models better, not do their own scratch sculpts. When we switched over to a lot of conversion classes we saw class attendance make a huge jump! What this tells me is that we are a long way from being able to even think about giving a medal for best scratch sculpt. Putting a whole category in there goes back to what I said in the beginning: we don't want to create more weak categories. Even if we don't give any awards, it is a section of shelf looking bare and sad. And, when it comes down to it...the model still needs to be painted. I am all for making the aforementioned medal available even this year, but people who look forward to a competition like this want to see painted stuff. Even our own sculptors get sick of looking at plain green or grey figures. It's the paint that makes the model come alive! Bob and Julie tell me year after year that most of the fun of sculpting this stuff is seeing what YOU guys do to it, when the color comes into play! Gene and Jason have mentioned this as well, and Werner Klocke was a painter before he was a sculptor--he has won Golden Demons with his own painted scratch (or darn near) sculpts! --Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted December 10, 2008 Author Reaper User Share Posted December 10, 2008 Also, for the record, I'm gonna agree with Ed and Sue. In the end, if a tiki golem gets entered in Ordnance, the judges are either going to move it to another category or they are going to judge it as Ordnance. Honestly, if I built a giant 11" tall tiki golem out of balsa, I think it would definitely belong in Ordnance...so there is no real reason I can think of that the smaller one wouldn't be allowed there, too. So Warjacks are a go in Ordnance, and bring on the tiki golems! --Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyHorde Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Thanks, Anne! Good answer - another example of how much careful consideration has gone into these changes. Without having actually attended RC (yet!) I couldn't be sure how much or how little demand there would be, the overall interest, the size of the venue compared to Gen Con, etc. Seeing the Gen Con entries and talking with all the great Reaper sculptors made me wonder if it might fly at RC, but I certainly understand if it's not enough of a crowd-pleaser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rastl Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 At this point if I enter I'll just put it where I think it should go and let the judges move it around as they see fit. There's so many variables that I've stopped trying to follow a lot of them. Maybe when Anne gets the FAQ out things will be more clear to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User EdPugh Posted December 10, 2008 Reaper User Share Posted December 10, 2008 Doesn't the Tiki Golem have a squirrelly 'pilot' in his back? So in order to win, we have to paint a mini that looks like Ed? depending on who you ask around here that would be... 2727, 3163 or 2216 The one that I believe looks like me is 50027, but then again I'm the modest type What about 2044? Runs and hides... Actually I would take that one EXCEPT... it was done by Sandy as a 'character comment' on an actual person in the industry at the time. So sadly it is already taken. Now 2474 is not taken and there are days that I could easily portray this character~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pae Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Does that mean that the "Ed's Choice" award will go to the miniature with the most charming, sensitive and engaging personality, too? So in order to win, we have to paint a mini that looks like Ed? depending on who you ask around here that would be... 2727, 3163 or 2216 The one that I believe looks like me is 50027, but then again I'm the modest type I was thinking 2718, but maybe that's more appropriate for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixminis Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 I think Gus was just bucking for a Tiki themed award to be made in his honor I'm all for that!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artists Wren Posted December 11, 2008 Artists Share Posted December 11, 2008 Wow, these are some exciting changes in the works! I've been interested in attending an event with this kind of judging since I first read about them several years ago. And it's super generous of Reaper to open up its contest to minis from all manufacturers. The ideas for the display room sound terrific, sounds like we'll get to see a bigger variety of minis and see them a little more up close and personal. And the possibility of adding a small write-up to an item and getting to see some of the thought behind the modeling and painting is pretty cool. I have another commitment in May, so I'm eager to hear when the dates are in hopes that they don't conflict. (Though where I'll come up with the money is a different question, but it worked out this year, so I'm hopeful for next. :->) And if I can make it, the new rules should mean I'll have more than only one or two things to display. @LunchBox - re: the scariness of competing in the same category as Derek. Yep, it absolutely is intimidating to compete with someone who can draw an incredible concept, sculpt it amazingly, and paint the heck out of it! After last year's RC results I briefly considered having a shirt made up to say 'I beat Derek Schubert at ReaperCon 2008', but given that Derek is a super nice guy on top of all that talent, it seemed like it would be kind of tacky to do. ;-> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperbryan Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 At this point if I enter I'll just put it where I think it should go and let the judges move it around as they see fit. There's so many variables that I've stopped trying to follow a lot of them. Maybe when Anne gets the FAQ out things will be more clear to me. Except that you're 100% correct. You paint the model, (convert, base, or dioram-itize as much as you need) and then *you* decide what category it should be in, based on category descriptions and judging criteria. The judges will move it UP to a different category if they feel it would rate a higher medal in a different category than in the one you selected (they will not, however, move it and then go, well, you would have gotten a silver there, but we felt it really belonged in here, here's your bronze). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperbryan Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Wow, these are some exciting changes in the works! I've been interested in attending an event with this kind of judging since I first read about them several years ago. And it's super generous of Reaper to open up its contest to minis from all manufacturers. The ideas for the display room sound terrific, sounds like we'll get to see a bigger variety of minis and see them a little more up close and personal. And the possibility of adding a small write-up to an item and getting to see some of the thought behind the modeling and painting is pretty cool. I have another commitment in May, so I'm eager to hear when the dates are in hopes that they don't conflict. (Though where I'll come up with the money is a different question, but it worked out this year, so I'm hopeful for next. :->) And if I can make it, the new rules should mean I'll have more than only one or two things to display. @LunchBox - re: the scariness of competing in the same category as Derek. Yep, it absolutely is intimidating to compete with someone who can draw an incredible concept, sculpt it amazingly, and paint the heck out of it! After last year's RC results I briefly considered having a shirt made up to say 'I beat Derek Schubert at ReaperCon 2008', but given that Derek is a super nice guy on top of all that talent, it seemed like it would be kind of tacky to do. ;-> Expect a Formal Date Announcement in the next few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artists Wren Posted December 11, 2008 Artists Share Posted December 11, 2008 Thanks for the heads-up Bryan, I'll keep my eye out for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted December 11, 2008 Author Reaper User Share Posted December 11, 2008 At this point if I enter I'll just put it where I think it should go and let the judges move it around as they see fit. There's so many variables that I've stopped trying to follow a lot of them. Maybe when Anne gets the FAQ out things will be more clear to me. Except that you're 100% correct. You paint the model, (convert, base, or dioram-itize as much as you need) and then *you* decide what category it should be in, based on category descriptions and judging criteria. The judges will move it UP to a different category if they feel it would rate a higher medal in a different category than in the one you selected (they will not, however, move it and then go, well, you would have gotten a silver there, but we felt it really belonged in here, here's your bronze). Bryan is exactly right. There are no rigid categories. You, as the painter, decide which category your piece fits best in, based on the criteria and description of that category. The judges will move your piece if they feel it would fit and thus score better in another category but they will never move you to a category which would downgrade your award. As painters in our industry, I think we have gotten used to having our entries defined by rigid rules systems which tell us exactly what to enter where. While this does help to equalize the playing field in competitive painting contests, in an Open System it merely serves to stifle creativity. The end rule is: we are encouraging you to paint anything you have ever wanted to paint, convert or sculpt anything you had ever wanted to convert or sculpt, and create any scene you've ever had dancing in your imagination. Whatever you create, there will be a place for it in our competition, for you to show what you can do, for our judges (and your peers, during Best in Show judging!) to give you feedback on it, and for you to walk away with an award for satisfying your own muse. And in the process of giving life to your creations, you will necessarily learn and get better at whatever you are attempting, giving you an even greater level of satisfaction. What's not to love? --Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper User Vaitalla Posted December 11, 2008 Author Reaper User Share Posted December 11, 2008 Thanks, Anne! Good answer - another example of how much careful consideration has gone into these changes. Without having actually attended RC (yet!) I couldn't be sure how much or how little demand there would be, the overall interest, the size of the venue compared to Gen Con, etc. Seeing the Gen Con entries and talking with all the great Reaper sculptors made me wonder if it might fly at RC, but I certainly understand if it's not enough of a crowd-pleaser. I completely understand. ReaperCon is a very small convention--where we get over a hundred people, Gen Con pulls tens of thousands. And even with those thousands, there are not very many sculpting entries. Now, Gen Con does not get very many attendees from the modelers' side--the artists who traditionally paint and sculpt historical figures and who are the bulk of the entrants at shows like the MMSI Chicago Show. If they did, I think their sculpting category would bloom! We here at Reaper are hoping to draw a fair number of modelers from our local community and these are the scary guys who sculpt their own 54mm dioramas. If we get enough of that going on, darn straight we will start giving an award or two for best scratch sculpt! Maybe in the meantime we can consider a "Best Conversion" medal, though? I think that would be spiff. --Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Froggy the Great Posted December 11, 2008 Moderator Share Posted December 11, 2008 Maybe in the meantime we can consider a "Best Conversion" medal, though? I think that would be spiff. --Anne Yes. Yes it would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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