So what’s the difference between the two? I'm not talking about courtroom judges or voters in the upcoming elections...I am talking about contests.So in advance, anyone who will view this as whining are cordially invited not to read. I, personally, don’t think that expression of discouragement is whining.

So...votes and judging. I have entered probably 30 or so contests on DeviantART. (I like contests.) Probably...one-third of them have been judged by a few people...a panel...the ones doing the contest...ect. 99 percent of the time the judges are people I do not know, or have even heard of before.

The remaining two-thirds have either been completely voted on by people (either the general public or people of the club whose contest I entered) or voters decide one round of the contest. (Example, one contest had the contest-giver select her ten favorite ones, and had people vote on which would win...and one had it vice-versa.)

I have never won first place...understandable. I am certainly not the best artist out there. But I have won second and third once or twice, and places an honorable mention in several others. Every single one of those has been a judged contest, with no voting whatsoever involved.

All the others that I enter that need to be voted on have not won first, second, or third. So...I guess my question is this: why? Is it truly that my art isn’t good enough? It’s got to be at least a little decent, or I wouldn't be winning anything. Do I not draw the kind of art that people want? Do I not know what they’re looking for? Do I just not know enough people who are willing to vote for me? It is that I'm not a popular artist? Not enough exposure, so people won't bother voting for me? Do I need to just draw the “ popular ” things, rather than what inspires me? Is it that I can't bring myself to vote for myself because I don't feel it’s right? Or again...is it my art?

I'm not really trying to make a point...I'm asking. What am I doing wrong? What makes the voted contests so different from the other ones? The judges aren’t professional artists, so far as i know. They’re just DA members just like the voters. Even the mods are still members...artists...people. What is so different? What do I have to do different in the voted contests to have a chance?

And how do you ask about it...without sounding like you're whining or complaining, or just mad that you didn't win? It seems no one can say anything anymore without being called a whiner by some heartless, disdainful creep.

In case someone asks, yes, this was spurred from a recent contest where I didn’t win anything. I will say that the people who won were good and I did like their pictures, one in particular that’s one of my favorites. But I wonder if it’s the quality of my entries that kept it from being voted on enough...or is it who I am or what I drew? Instead of spending 5 or 6 hours on a painting like I normally do, should I just do a quicker, less detailed sketch of something really popular?

I think a lot differently than most people, and see things a lot differently, I always have--so I guess this all doesn't make much sense to me.

So. For those who happened to make it to this point without getting bored, thanks. I was very discouraged and did need to vent a little.

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Please check out my galleries at Ellen Million Graphics (fantasy artwork), and Portrait Adoption (single-run prints of characters for RPGs and the like).

EMG
PA

I host fanfiction here: Pentafandom

I have website themes here: Themes!

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I am Wormtail in the deviantART Harry Potter Crew!

Here is the 100 Theme challenge I am doing!

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Please check out my clubs! (Mine as in I am in them or have participated in them, not an owner or admin.)





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