I'm not going to submit anything this time around... the categories are just too broad. However, I will volunteer to judge.
First off, I studied art throughout highschool. I received the art award in grade twelve for academic achievment. That being said, I'm not one to put a 'grade' on any sort of art.
Art is an expression of ones self. Who is anyone to say that what someone created is not 'art' or not worthy of a specific grade?
That being said... that is why I did not attend the awards ceremony to accept the award, nor did I pick up the certificate afterwards.
Secondly, why do I want to be a judge?
Well, I love art. I love drawing... and painting... and sketching, and photography, and sculpting, and art history, and architecture, and paper mache, and ... and... and.... Well, you get the point, I am a huge fan of art. In order to be able to 'judge' or critique someone effectively, one must at least
like what they are looking at.
After being a fan of art in general, I do have some sort of background with the theory behind art. I know about composition, the use of colour and textures, shading, spacing, proportion, use of space, and lining. I will be able to use that to my advantage when looking at a piece of work and comparing it to other pieces.
Lastly, I want to 'judge' because, not only do I want to see the works of other people on this board... I also want to be able to pass along some constructive criticism to those who submit entries. Having a contest is all fine and dandy, but I want the people who have taken the time to enter to come away from this... no matter what sort of 'judging' goes on, with some ideas and hints to help them on their next project.
I am a big fan of helping other people out. If I submit a piece of work to someone... I *want* to know what they like or don't like about it. I am always looking for ways to improve my technique... tips and tricks of the trade are only useful if they are shared with other people. I want other people to improve on their skills.
No one is perfect; no one knows everything; there is always something to be learned or discovered. I want everyone who enters this contest to feel good that they submitted something, regardless of whether they won or not. I may pick a piece that looks like a winner to me, but I am going to state why I think so, and why I chose that one over the others... to show the other people how to demonstrate a specific skill accurately, or how to improve for the future.
What do I look for in fanart?
Well, for one, I look for originality. In my own work, with the exception of a few pieces that I really wanted to recreate because they were so beautiful, I may style my drawing to mimic anothers, but I make sure to add a little something of my own, whether it's a certain way of colouring, a certain style of colouring, the clothing design, the features... something that personalizes it.
So, originality, or personality is one thing that I keep an eye out for.
I also pay attention to colouring... or shading. Is the colouring correctly suited for the type of picture? I suppose colouring's not too much of a fuss for anime drawings, but shading is at least. Where is the light source coming from? Has the artist highlighted or shaded the correct areas?
Use of space is another thing I look at. Is the drawing centered? What is the focus of attention? How is the depth perception? Has the artist effectively conveyed a sense of space between objects, or a sense of balance within the picture?
Lastly (not the last thing I'd look for... the last thing that I'm going to mention at the moment), I would look for what image, or what message the artist is trying to convey. Is the picture one that inspires creativity? Does it provoke dark thoughts? Is it a happy, comical picture? How well has the artist (since we're talking anime here) relayed their emotions and feeling through their art?
And... what is my ideal fanart?
Well, besides what I have already mentioned... my ideal fanart would provoke emotion within me. Does it make me laugh? How hard does it make me laugh? Does it make me sad, depressed, or does it move me to tears? Am I inspired by the piece of work?
Afterall, the whole point of art... is to make someone feel something. What can I take away from this piece? What does this work bring to me that I did not have or see before looking at it?
*yawn* well, that's enough out of me.. it's 2AM! Gotta sleep! Ja~