How would they see the world?
How do they appear in Dreams and your imagination?
How does a fantasy with fish / reptiles look like?
In what myths are reptiles the main focus ( like greek legends about arachne , for exempel ).
Legends, strips, faerietales. Give them your own twist.

This is not the easiest contest , I know that this will be a contest that challenge your creativity , skills and originality.
A contest where the mainfocus isn’t a model but a fish or reptile.. But i know most of you can pull it off

Blame it on the aquariumclub that has me as a member. Blame it on the persoon that discovered my photomanipulation hobby and rambled about it in the club. That gives them the idea of doing an artexhibion that hasn’t been done before and that will be New for the people to see.

Our aquariumclub holds an aquariumexhibition in the year 2009. 10 years ago they did the same thing and now they are doing it again. Next to the aquariumexhibition they hold an art exhibition. Last time they asked 3 traditional artists to show their stuff. But next year they want to do something totally different, something that hasn ‘t been done before. And that is a Digital Art Exhibition, meaning art that has been made with the computer.

They asked me to collect artists that makes digital art about fish or reptiles. But I could’nt find a lot. And i can’t make 40 fish pieces So i decided to make a contest, so that everybody on DA could join and challenge them selves to create something they normally wouldn’t do.

1: the normal contest concept where there will be chosen a first, seconde and thirth winner by Judges here on DA . There will be prizes as usual
Only New works made from the 10 september 2008 will be accepted in this part.

2: The exhibition concept : every entry ( New and old pieces : so ones you have created awhile back are also accepted in this part ) will be judged by the Workgroups of the exhibition and the board of the aquariumclub. They will be strict because they have a good name to keep up and they wanted to do something totally different with this digital exhibition instead of contacting recognized artists . So they are taking a risk but they want to show the world that there is a New kind of art on the block..

The Imaginairy world of fishes and Reptiles contest starts on the 18th of September and last till the 31 December 2008 . It can be that the contest runs longer. It depends on the number of entries , the surgery of my son’s clubfeet and the deliver of my baby. But i will let it now on time.

1 :Fish and reptiles have to be in the main focus of your piece.
2 :Remember to use stock that allows you to use in commercial ways ( so get written permiss ions where they say its ok )
3 :Mermaids you can do them but they probably won't picked to be in the exhibition unless it is exceptionele good.
4: You can enter with old pieces you made , but only in the exhibition part of the contest. For the DA part of the contest it has to be a New artwork.

- You have to send me the full version file in psd file.
( We will print it out in posterform and hang it in the exhibition )
- You have to create a little card with information about the piece ( title- , where they can contact you and prize of the piece ( Because people can take your card if they like your stuff so they can contact you or buy it if they like it a lot )
-You have to put a selling prize on it (like 100 euro),Just in case people asking for it. You never know if something like that happens

First place:
Subscription of 3 months
Special brushes pack
Special 3D packs
Special Backgrounds


Second place:
Special brushes pack
Special 3D packs
Special Backgrounds

Thirth place:
Special brushes pack
Special 3D packs
Special Backgrounds

Anyone who wants to donate a prize is welcome
journal features, print, special stock donationpack, subscription, or just whatever you want to give is very welcome

Good stock about fish is hard to find so:

In my stock you will find tons of photo's of fishes. They are not taken by myself, but the original photographers did gave full authorization to put them in my stock so you can use them in the pieces you create .

Most of these photo's are taken by Robert van Mosseveld. a recognized photographer who's photo's are often used in magazines ( aquariumwereld is one of them ) about aquaristic world.
So they are excellent stuff. The other photo's comes from members of the aquariumclub that hold this exhibition. Again , I have full permission to put them in my stock and the people joining the contest can use them in commercial an non- commercial way. Which is very kind of the photographers to offer I have a special permissi on from them to add them in my stock, and a permission for every body using it and willing to put it up as print to do so. DA has recieved these a couple weeks ago.
The only can used on DA. Contact me if you have questions and i’ll contact Robert or the others when needed.

Just one thing, next to the usual credits of the stock you have to credit the photographers when you use a photo.
and lots more ( 29 packs )


<sup>So..
Be Original, be creative. Making something with a fish or reptile in the middle of attention of a manipulation is hard . You can use models but make sure that every body see that its about the aquaristic world
Surreal will be easy but dare to do something unusual because the judges are different ages and have different tastes you never know you will get picked

Spread the word about the contest, the more people entering , because you never know what will comes from it. Belgium is relativly new to digital art, and its a great way to show what can be done with photoshop and painshoppro and all the other programs. For photographers its your oppertunity to take shots of reptiles and fish that aren't kept in an aquarium of that lives in the free world.</sup>
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Entries can be found [link]