Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Nancy Drew Inspired Art Contest

After viewing all the excellent art submissions from our last contest we’ve decided that we want more of it! We’re running another contest to gather up some brand new creations to be placed in another release this year. We want to fill all the nooks and crannies we can with fan-created artwork, so here’s your chance to be a part of a classic Nancy Drew case!

This contest is open to anyone; young or old, near or far. There are two categories to enter, and you can submit entries for both categories. However you may only enter each of them once:


PHOTOS (due April 19th):
Strike a pose and snap that perfect picture. For this category, submit your best “yearbook-styled” photo of yourself. Photos may be mailed in or submitted digitally via email.

• Should a portrait picture.
• Photos must contain only you.


ARTWORK (due April 19th):
Create artwork inspired by Nancy Drew or the Nancy Drew games. Drawings, paintings, and anything else you can think of are allowed, just be sure to follow these few simple rules!

• Submissions must be scanned in and emailed or physically mailed via the postal system.
• Digitally created images may be emailed.
• The person submitting the work must be the creator of it.
• The artwork must contain no text.


Submissions will be accepted in both categories until April 19th after which we will pick 10 photographs and 30 pieces of artwork to be placed in an upcoming release. Email us your photos and/or scanned artwork to HIcontest@herinteractive.com along with your name, phone number, email address, and permission to post your entry online, with the subject line "Nancy Drew Art Contest." If you need to mail us a physical copy of your artwork, please use the following address:

Nancy Drew Art Contest
c/o Her Interactive
1150 114th Ave. SE, Suite 200
Bellevue, WA 98004

Be sure to also include your contact information with the artwork you submit. Any artwork sent through the postal system must be received by April 19th so make sure you mail in your entry early. Winners will be individually contacted upon completion of the contest. And while we won’t have room to announce all of the winners, you can bet we’ll display a selection of the winning submissions on the Amateur Sleuth blog.

Good luck to everyone!

-Novel-

60 comments:

Anonymous said...

In the painting, can it be another cover redesign?

Christine said...

For the yearbook photo how will it be judged? Or will it be selected randomly?

Corbalizer said...

Can the artwork come from a screenshot from one of the games, and all you have to do is to edit it to make it different?

wodedrawling said...

Awesome!

emii said...

Sounds awesome! I was wondering, for the second part of the contest, what object, theme or whatever is our art supposed to be? Thanks!:)

Luv,Emii

Miranda Panda said...

Can you enter only once?

Anonymous said...

Awesome!!!!!!!

JerseyGirl :] said...

Wow!! This sounds fun!! Im GOING to do this!!! :]

Anonymous said...

This sounds awesome! I can't wait to get started! =)

Kimmy said...

Ok, so Im kind of confused on the picture part. Do you just submit a normal photo, like a school photo, or do you want a silly photo? And how will you pick the photos to be in the game? Is it random? I just need this cleared up! Thanks!

Novel_Sleuth said...

Q and A, here we go!

@ anon - "In the painting, can it be another cover redesign?" - You could do another redesign if you wish, just make sure that you don't include any text (like the rules state)

@ Christine: If you meet the criteria for the photo (i.e. its just a picture of you, posed like a yearbook photo) then you'll be entered into our final selection. The final selection will likely be random, as we're not looking for anything in general beyond the above items.

@ corbalizer: you may certainly do that for your entry, but we'd really love to see what you can create all on your own!

@ emii: we just want you to create a drawing of something inspired by Nancy Drew. Maybe its a location, like a haunted house, or something iconic like a painting of a magnifying glass. It's all up to you!

@ miranda: There are two categories, and you can enter each, but only once. So you can enter one photograph and one drawing.

@ Kimmy: We say "yearbook" picture to give you a clue to what we're looking for. We want a posed photo with just you in it. Essentially we'd like it to look like it came from a yearbook. Assuming you meet the requirements, we'll be doing a random drawing of the applicants to get the 10 winners.


Thanks for all the questions. Good luck!

-Novel-

Anonymous said...

It's not quite clear to me. Does the "yearbook photo" have to be serious or can it be silly?

Anonymous said...

If we're doing artwork, what is the limit on the size, both digital and traditional? Also, if we do digital, what kind of file should it be?

sheena said...

in the photo contest..
can we add edit out picture?
just like adding some effects, text or whatever we want? is there any limitations when it comes to photo editing? tnx ^_^

Abbie said...

I was wondering for the piece of art. You said inspired by can it be fan art or should it be just taking themes from games.

Anonymous said...

Should we include the title of the game we created a picture for somewhere in the email and/or letter?

Anonymous said...

You say "young or old..." Will "old" people over the age of 18 or 20 have a chance in the "yearbook"/portrait photo part?

Anonymous said...

Does the picture have to be from one specific game or can it be from lots of games mixed together?

Anonymous said...

Will we get a message to inform us if we're entered into the contest?

S. said...

For the art contest,
is it just a painting/drawing or could it be a collage of screen shots and drawing?
Or just a drawing?
Thanks,

Anonymous said...

I am going to do this! Can we use glitter, and other materials like that? or can it only be paint, or drawn?

Anonymous said...

You say winners, is the prize having our photo/art work published somewhere? or something else?

Anonymous said...

for the drawing part you just want us to make somthig that is linked to Nancy Drew somehow?

Unknown said...

What will the photo be used 4?

Alexandra said...

What size can the drawing be?
Can it be any size?

Thanks! :D

Anonymous said...

you say 'No Text' but i wanted to do the Waverly crest which has on it the Waverly slogan. Could I write the Waverly slogan on the crest or does it have to be left out? Thanx

Anonymous said...

Could I like edit some screenshots together and make a Nancy Drew collage or does it have to be hand drawn?

Anonymous said...

This sounds so cool, I entered the last contest with no results maybe I'll do better this time. By the way can we use a full length photo or just a head shot? also what do the winners receive? Thanks

Anonymous said...

why cant the art contain text?

Anonymous said...

whats the judging criteria for the drawing?

Anonymous said...

i want to paint a picture of all the easter eggs in the nancy drew series, but what does the raven egg in WAC look like?

Anonymous said...

Nancy Holmes Girl: Hi, just wondering if it would b all right if i dressed up like nancy drew & took a photo?

Anonymous said...

Can you dress up like nancy drew 4 the photo?
Just Wonderin???

Novel_Sleuth said...

Questions and Answers, here we go:

"It's not quite clear to me. Does the 'yearbook photo' have to be serious or can it be silly?"
- @anon: Well, we'd like it to be serious. Which is what you'd expect for a photograph like this. You won't be disqualified if you send in a humorous one, but depending on what you do, it may hurt your chances of being chosen.


"If we're doing artwork, what is the limit on the size, both digital and traditional? Also, if we do digital, what kind of file should it be?"
- @anon: As far as I can tell there is no size, as long as the image can be digitized in some way (i.e. scanned). Digital files can be as large as you can send, and we would prefer something lossless like ".tga", but a ".jpg" will be just fine.


"can we add edit out picture?
just like adding some effects, text or whatever we want? is there any limitations when it comes to photo editing?"
@ sheena - Sure, you can add edits to the photos. Just make sure that the final product contains only a photo of a single person.


"I was wondering for the piece of art. You said inspired by can it be fan art or should it be just taking themes from games."
@ abbie - it doesn't have to come directly from the games. If you played SHA and it made you love horses, then draw some horses! It helps if we understand the correlation to the games, but isn't necessary.


"Should we include the title of the game we created a picture for somewhere in the email and/or letter?"
@ anon - you don't have to, but it might help for context. It is entirely up to you.


"You say 'young or old...' Will 'old' people over the age of 18 or 20 have a chance in the 'yearbook'/portrait photo part?"
@ glyphgirl - absolutely! We've just chosen that description because it most easily explains what kind of photo we are looking for. Most people recognize a 'yearbook' style photo, whereas if we asked for a portrait, we might receive full length shots, or even head shots, which will not work for this project.


"Does the picture have to be from one specific game or can it be from lots of games mixed together?"
@ anon - the picture can be based off of a single game or many games. It is totally up to you. Use whatever inspiration you'd like to.


"Will we get a message to inform us if we're entered into the contest?"
@ anon - yes, but our webmaster was recently waylaid and should be pouring over the entries we've received in the next few days. If you've entered and haven't gotten a confirm email, give it a few days before you re-send. From what I understand he's got quite the backlog. ^.~


"For the art contest,
is it just a painting/drawing or could it be a collage of screen shots and drawing?"
@ serena - well, we'd love it if you would create your own drawing. The whole idea is to have users come up with their own ND inspired art. While I enjoy the idea of a creatively themed collage, it will not be accepted as a valid entry, sorry. :(


"I am going to do this! Can we use glitter, and other materials like that? or can it only be paint, or drawn?"
@ anon - Sure you can use other materials. Just remember that you'll need to mail it to us or scan it in and email it. So be sure that your masterpiece will remain intact through either process.


I'm taking a short break here. I'll answer the rest in 5.

- Novel -

Novel_Sleuth said...

"You say winners, is the prize having our photo/art work published somewhere? or something else?"
@ anon - if you win the art contest, your art will appear in a game we're releasing later this year. The same goes for the photographs.


"for the drawing part you just want us to make something that is linked to Nancy Drew somehow?"
@anon - in a sense, yes! Really it just needs to be inspired by Nancy Drew in some way, maybe you draw a host of magnifying glasses or a TRT inspired castle scene. It is really up to you. This contest is about finding wonderful Fan-made Art!


"What will the photo be used for?"
@ tara - we'll be placing the photos somewhere in the game. We need a whole slew of pictures to litter various frames, and we'd love to fill them with our fans!


"What size can the drawing be?
Can it be any size?"
@ alexandra - any size that can be easily digitized. If you create a digital work, than any size that can be easily emailed. We aren't too concerned about breaking the size limit. Use whatever works for you!


"you say 'No Text' but i wanted to do the Waverly crest which has on it the Waverly slogan. Could I write the Waverly slogan on the crest or does it have to be left out?"
@ anon - we're trying to include art that doesn't have extraneous text in it because of how we localize our games. However something like the Waverly Seal would probably be okay because it the language is integrated into the design already. So the short of it is; go ahead!


"Could I like edit some screenshots together and make a Nancy Drew collage or does it have to be hand drawn?"
@ anon - I'm sorry to say that we probably won't be accepting collages. We really want to see some handmade art, cause we know how talented you truly are!


"By the way can we use a full length photo or just a head shot? also what do the winners receive?"
@ anon - we really need to have something more of a shoulders-up, so to speak. That's why we say 'yearbook-styled.' The winners will have their photo (or artwork) placed in a new release due out later this year!


"why cant the art contain text?"
@ anon - mostly this is due to our localization standards. Any text would have to be translated and altered on the artwork itself, which could be a very laborious process. In order to insure that the inclusion of these fan-made pieces can be done in a timely manner, we've had to exclude the use of text in the artwork. Sorry. T.T


"whats the judging criteria for the drawing?"
@ anon - as crazy as this sounds, I don't know. I'm not part of the judging process, and they are keeping it a secret from me as well. I imagine they'll be looking for a wide variety of entries, so do what inspires you!


"i want to paint a picture of all the easter eggs in the nancy drew series, but what does the raven egg in WAC look like?"
@anon - I'm afraid that I'm completely unable to spoil that tidbit of info. Perhaps the message board can provide some assistance...


"Hi, just wondering if it would be all right if i dressed up like nancy drew & took a photo?"
@ Nancy Holmes Girl - I don't see why not, just make sure the photo is shot to our previously stated expectations (yearbook-like portraiture).


"Can you dress up like nancy drew 4 the photo?Just Wonderin???"
@ anon - you bet, just check out the above answer!


Thanks everyone. Good luck!

- Novel -

Anonymous said...

the www.HIcontest address doesnt work, so where can I send the photo via email?

Anonymous said...

do the pictures have to be a certain size?

hanifa said...

This contest sounds interesting, I definitely want an in. However, I live in Southeast Asia, so would I still have to include my phone number? Thanks :)

Anonymous said...

Do I send my email with the photo to the HIcontest@herinteractive.com link??

Anonymous said...

Are pets eligbile for the "Year book style" photos?
i was thinking of doing one of my dog...

Anonymous said...

Are the winning enties going to be placed in a dossier game or an adventure game?

CrazyCurlyCatLady said...

Can the artwork be a drawing of a character from a past game or is the point to make something more general like a magnifying glass or a treasure chest?

Novel_Sleuth said...

Next up, "answers!"

anon: "the www.HIcontest address doesnt work, so where can I send the photo via email?"
@ anon - well, if you're having trouble with that email, you can always mail it to feedback@herinteractive.com or webmaster@herinteractive.com the employees who run them will be sure to forward them on to the right place.


anon: "Do the pictures have to be a certain size?"
@anon - not really. We haven't really included a minimum or maximum. You probably want it larger than a playing card and smaller than a movie poster, but if it was beyond those, we'd still enter it into the contest.


@hanifa - Not exactly. But if you don't include a phone #, what we'd need instead is a second point of contact, such as an address. We basically need two methods to be able to contact you if you win.


anon: "Do I send my email with the photo to the HIcontest@herinteractive.com link??"
@ anon - you bet. Make sure to include all the pertinent info as well (name, phone, email, permission)


anon: "Are pets eligbile for the "Year book style" photos?
i was thinking of doing one of my dog..."
@anon - we've been going back and forth on this, and I think the answer is going to have to be no. Sorry but we really need photos of people.


anon:"Are the winning enties going to be placed in a dossier game or an adventure game?"
@anon - that is a fantastic question, and I totally can't answer it. ^.~ It is going to have to remain a secret for the time being.


@gaby - nope, a character would be a perfectly wonderful drawing to include. It's all about whatever inspires you!


Thanks for all the questions. Happy sleuthing!

- Novel -

Anonymous said...

Can I ask a silly question? :) Actually, I would like to ask about submission... Should it be an official letter or only artwork, name, phone number, email address, and permission to post my entry online? Don't be surprised about this question, please, because I'm from Russia and it's my first forein contest... How should I write a permission? "I do not claim any rights"?

Anonymous said...

When you say 'no text', does that mean I won't be able to sign the bottem of my drawing with my signature?
~Chels

Faith said...

Does the picture have to be scanned or can it be sent as an e-mail attachment?

Anonymous said...

Hey can we use things from multiple games?

Anonymous said...

Can I send a photo of me ice skating or something like that??? Or does it have to be like a portrait?? Oh, and does it have to be a current picture of me, I have some really cute pictures of when I was younger :-)!

Erika said...

For the "yearbook sytle photo", would you prefer black and white, or color photos??

Anonymous said...

I can't include my phone number or street address for privacy reasons (parents won't allow it). Will my entry still be accepted if I only include my email?

Novel_Sleuth said...

Anonymous - "Can I ask a silly question?..."
@anon - all you need to send us is the artwork, your name, phone # and email address, along with a short statment granting us permission to post your work. The permission can be something as simple as "I give Her Interactive permission to show this work."


Chels - "When you say 'no text', does that mean I won't be able to sign the bottom of my drawing with my signature?"
@ chels - you can absolutely sign the artwork, we just didn't want any extra text (like titles or bursts). An artist's script is fine.


Faith - "Does the picture have to be scanned or can it be sent as an e-mail attachment?"
@ faith - For artwork, we would rather it be scanned and emailed, or physically mailed. For the personal photo, you can just email it to us.


anon - "Hey can we use things from multiple games?"
@anon - quite possibly. Whatever inspiration you wish to use should be just fine!


anon - "Can I send a photo of me ice skating or something like that??? Or does it have to be like a portrait?? Oh, and does it have to be a current picture of me, I have some really cute pictures of when I was younger :-)!"
@anon - you bet! any picture of you would be fine. Just remember that what we're looking for is close-up shot, framing the face (ala 'yearbook photo'), as long as the picture matches that, you can send in whatever you would like.


erika - "For the "yearbook sytle photo", would you prefer black and white, or color photos??"
@erika - To be honest, I don't think we'd discussed it. I imagine that either will do. Color is perferable because removing is easier than adding, but we wouldn't disqualify a b/w picture.


anon - "I can't include my phone number or street address for privacy reasons (parents won't allow it). Will my entry still be accepted if I only include my email?"
@anon - technically yes, it will. We request a secondary contact point for entries, but we wouldn't revoke an entry unless we had no way of contacting the individual.


Thanks for the questions! Good luck and keep at it.

- Novel -

Anonymous said...

I think this is a unique question....

I submitted my drawing for the art contest. It contains random scribbles to stand for the text on the label of a bottle of sneeze powder. It is obviously not real text. Will it still be disqualified? Because it has "fake" text? Thanks!

CrazyCurlyCatLady said...

Can the picture be a hand-drawn version of a work of art, like a really old painting, that you used in a past game or does the piece have to be totally original?

Hopeful Rabbit Productions said...

You said the artwork has to be inspired by Nancy Drew. Could it be from one of the books? If so, may I use the title to let you know which one it is?

Hopeful Rabbit Productions said...

I want to do an artwork and the photo, but I have no way of putting it on my computer. For the artwork, I'd have to ask one of my relatives to scan it onto her computer, but I won't be at her work when she does it. Is it possible she could send it for me, under one of my email addresses?
For the photo, it's kind of the same situation.

Chelsea said...

Just a quick question... when you say "no text," does that mean no words AT ALL in the picture? I'm drawing two "phone" characters from the games, and I incorporated like... nametags in the picture to clarify who they are. It might not even be that easy to see. If it's basically just a reference to their names (and maybe another reference to Koko Kringle ^^), is that allowed, or should I just take out ALL words?

Novel_Sleuth said...

anon - "...Will it still be disqualified? Because it has "fake" text?"
@anon - No, you will not be disqualified for the "fake" text. What you're describing is perfectly acceptable.

@gaby - sure, you can recreate a piece of artwork from a game!

@allison - Sure, it can absolutely be from one of the books. As for mailing it in, the solution you suggest is acceptable. As long as we get the work, it doesn't matter where it comes from. Just make sure that the email you give us to contact you is correct. ^.^

@chelsea - Nametags on characters is fine. If text is built into the picture, like the KoKo Kringle logo, it is acceptable. I'm sure that what you have in mind will be just fine. ;)

Good luck to everyone!

- Novel -

Anonymous said...

So i sent in my picture for the contest via mail and I haven't gotten an email saying that the got my picture....what do I do??

Anonymous said...

I am a twin, so for the photo contest, is it OK for both my twin and I to send a photo in?

Anonymous said...

I got an email saying they wanted to use my peice of art, so I faxed over my release form right away! But I'm worried they didn't get it or something. I tried emailing them a few questions, but I havnt gotten anything back. Does this mean I will no long be in the game?