Fans often express their love for a series, character, or fandom through fan art. These works may be simple drawings, paintings, photoshopped images, or even cosplays that demonstrate the artist's passion for the subject matter. By hosting annual fan art contests, you can give your fans an opportunity to showcase their work while also helping to build and strengthen the bond between the community and the creator(s) of the franchise.
Steps to host an effective fan art contest:
1. Choose a theme: Decide what type of art you want to see at the competition before you begin. For example, if your project is set during medieval times, then you might want to focus on that particular era. Or maybe there are certain characters that you would like featured more than others. This will help narrow down the field and make it easier to judge entries.
2. Determine prizes: Will there be cash rewards? Digital badges/medals? Free entry into future events? Something else entirely? Make sure you choose something appropriate and valuable enough that people will want to enter but also feasible within your budget. If necessary, hold several rounds of voting until one winner emerges from each round. You could also offer incentives such as special editions of the comic book or graphic novel featuring winners' artwork inside!
3. Promote the event: Advertise everywhere possible – social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram), websites dedicated to gaming, etc. Encourage artists to submit their best pieces by offering free promotional materials such as t-shirts or posters bearing winning designs. Include links to previous years' winners so they know exactly what sort of quality you expect from entrants.
4. Select judges: Find individuals who are knowledgeable about both artistic talent AND the genre being represented. Ask them to review submissions independently and select finalists based on creativity, technical skill, adherence to theme, and overall impact. Once all finalists have been chosen, bring them together for a face-to-face meeting where they can discuss why they picked those specific pieces over others (and possibly agree upon a winner).
5. Announce results: Let everyone know who won before publishing any images online. Post pictures of the winning entries and congratulate the winners via Twitter/Facebook/Instagram posts while thanking participants who entered. Also, make sure there is plenty of time between announcing winners and actually awarding prizes so contestants don't feel like their hard work went unrewarded!
Fan art contests encourage fans to show off their skills while helping build relationships with the franchise creators themselves. By providing valuable feedback and exposure, you give them an incentive to continue creating beautiful fan art which keeps your community engaged year after year!