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CTRL-ALT-DEL's status: Online

Welcome everyone to my first Avatar Art Contest. Yes, the title does indeed read Metal Gear. I'll explain that in the following posts.

First off, why am I holding this contest? It's simple, really. I sold my Angelic Sash the other day, and now I miss it. So! Arts will fill the hole where it used to be.

Everyone is welcome to enter, no matter the medium. The details on all this are in the following posts. Here are a few basic details that should give you an idea of how this contest will work.

Entry Deadline: The contest will now run until a minimum of 40 people have entered, or when I have deemed that the contest has run for too long to remain fair to existing entrants.
Deadline for Finished Work: Pending
Winners Announced: Pending


Updates:
Dec 2, 2005: Created this Art Contest. Yay.
Dec 3, 2005: Extended the deadline for applications.
Jan 8, 2006: Extended the deadline for applications.
Feb 18, 2006: Re-organized the prize and deadline structure

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Post 1: Introduction
Post 2: Table of Contents
Post 3: Description of Contest / FAQ
Post 4: Guidelines / Rules
Post 5: Categories / Awards
Post 6: Profiles / References
Post 7: Hints / Tips
Post 8: Entrants
Post 9: Banners
Post 10: Links Out
Post 11: Reserved
Post 12: Reserved

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Description of Contest / FAQ

So, what is this contest all about? Well, it's about arts. Surprise, huh? Basically, I've always wanted avatar art done of myself, but have never really had the cash to commission anything extraordinary. I figured this contest would be a good way to get the art I've wanted, and to let artists showcase their talents.

There are very few rules. I'll explain them in this handy FAQ, which should hopefully explain most everything you'll want to know. Anything not covered here, feel free to ask in the thread, or PM me directly.

Q: What is the subject of this contest?
A: My avatar, as pictured below will be the primary focus of this contest. Incase you are wondering, yes, he is supposed to resemble Solid Snake, of the Metal Gear Solid 1 era. I tried to cosplay the outfits as closely as I could, while still maintaining a certain uniqueness to the costume.

My Avatar: User Image

Q: What items are you using?
A: Some of the harder-to-see items that I'm using are The Scar of Hero, Yellow Torque Shades, Cig, and the Blue Glamrock Headband. The headband is supposed to have longer tassles, and be solid blue, but this is the closest GAIA has. 3nodding

Also, for the Metal Gear Solid theme, the gloves I'd prefer are Naked Snake's, from Metal Gear Solid 3. That is, black gloves, with only the Ring and Pinky fingered. The Index, Middle finger, and Thumb are cut fingerless about one centimeter (1/2 an inch) from the palm of the hand. Not a requirement, just a request. ^^

Q: Why Solid Snake?
A: Solid Snake is my hero. "The man who makes the impossible possible." This has always been my favorite type of character, and Snake best represents what I like to think about said characters. Refusal to give up, and a dedication to anyone he lets get close enough to be a friend.

Q: Who can enter?
A: Anyone! In fact, the prizes are according to how many people enter, so tell your friends! The more people who enter, the larger the prize pot will become.

Q: How do I enter?
A: In order to submit your artwork, you must PM me with the following information: Your GAIA username (where the award will be sent should you win), which category you're entering, and this message should contain links to examples of your artwork. Please keep in mind that if you are submitting avatar edits, only extremely well done pieces will even be taken into consideration.

Q: Is there a fee for entering?
A: Absolutely not.

Q: What mediums are allowed?
A: Anything you want, within reason. I would prefer full body CG or B&W, but I won't dock points for other well done media. Don't try to use a medium you're not comfortable with. 3nodding

Q: Can we submit more than one piece?
A: You may submit more than one piece for various categories, but only one award will be given per artist. If the artist is deserving of multiple awards, they will be granted the award with the largest sum of value. Also, a single entry may only be eligible for one award.

Q: Can we draw your avatar in any other way?
A: Sure! You can draw my avatar as just my GAIA avatar looks, or match the costume to more closely resemble Snake's. Also, if you'd like, I wouldn't mind seeing some nicely done art of my avatar dressed as Link (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo 64), or Cid Highwind (Final Fantasy VII, Playstation 1) either!

NOTE: Drawing my character as my GAIA avatar works like this. Whatever he's wearing at the time you decide to start drawing, that's the subject material. There's no particular costume you're confined to for this category.

Q: Can we draw other characters from Metal Gear Solid, The Legend of Zelda, et cetera?
A: Sure can, but all pieces submitted should contain my avatar in some fashion as mentioned above. In fact, in the Metal Gear Solid theme, if you somehow drew my character with Solid Snake (training, on a mission, etc...), it would probably net you some bonus points.

Q: What will you do with our finished art?
A: I will likely put it into an album of some kind, and use some of it in my signature on GAIA. I would like to have the rights to resize, crop, etc as I want, but I will never, ever claim the artwork as my own, or modify the main piece without permission.

Q: What're the rewards?
A: I give a list of all the rewards on Post 5.

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Guidelines / Rules

So, what're the rules? Well, alot of them were pretty much covered in the FAQ, because there really aren't that many. But, I'll cover what I can.

1: No copying. This one's fairly simple. Copying is against the GAIA TOS, and we all know that's a bad thing.

2: No extreme gore or other material above PG-13. Violence is okay, as is partial nudity (if tasteful). If you feel your piece is borderline, get in contact with me. I'll let you know if it's acceptable as an entry.

3: All artwork must be original to this contest. If you've drawn Solid Snake or anyone mentioned in this contest in the past, please don't try and submit that as your piece. I'd like there to be some way to identify my character from the protagonist he's portraying.

4: Late entries may or may not be taken, according to my own discretion. Unless the work is very well done, and deserving of having had a little extra time, the piece will not be eligible for an award.

5: My decisions are basically final. Unless Lanzer rides in on his G Corp Giraffe and whaps me.

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Categories / Awards

I've decided to hold this contest to have various categories that can be submitted. The primary four, that is, the ones that should be in your application are:

CTRL-ALT-DEL, Metal Gear Solid
CTRL-ALT-DEL, The Legend of Zelda
CTRL-ALT-DEL, Final Fantasy VII
CTRL-ALT-DEL, GAIA

These are fairly straight forward. The best picture of my avatar as himself, as Solid Snake, as Link, and as Cid Highwind.

Keep in mind, that just because you choose to draw my avatar as one of these heroes, it does not mean that you can't include said hero in the photo as well. As I mentioned, I'd love a picture or two of my character participating in a training exercise, or mission with Solid Snake.

Lesser category prizes will be given out, according to different art styles. These will likely not be announced until the awards are handed out.

The Awards:
Best Overall: 500 000g

Best CTRL-ALT-DEL, Metal Gear Solid: 250 000g
Best CTRL-ALT-DEL, Legend of Zelda: 100 000g
Best CTRL-ALT-DEL, Final Fantasy VII: 100 000g
Best CTRL-ALT-DEL, GAIA: 100 000g

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Profiles / References

CTRL-ALT-DEL
Name: Chris
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Height: 5'6"
Eye Colour: Hazel
Hair Colour: Brown
Nationality: Canadian

(All quoted text below obtained from Wikipedia)

WARNING: Spoiler Material

Solid Snake:
Quote:
Solid Snake is the main character in the Metal Gear video game series. He is known as "the man who makes the impossible possible" and is a mystery and myth to much of the world. He is a highly trained, elite soldier with a personal preference for parachuting, husky racing, SCUBA diving, free climbing, rappelling, small and medium range handguns (though well-versed in all types of munitions), various hand-to-hand combat techniques, and smoking.

Early life and career
Snake was born as a result of the Les Enfants Terribles project, which was an attempt to create clones of the legendary special forces operative Big Boss. Out of the the three clones created (the others being Liquid Snake and Solidus Snake), Solid Snake was given Big Boss's recessive genes (Liquid received Boss's dominant genes (during the events of Shadow Moses Liquid believed he had received the recessive genes and Solid Snake the dominant ones, hence his resentment towards Solid Snake throughout the game) and Solidus, a balance between the dominant and recessive genes). Ironically, it was Snake who battled and defeated both Big Boss and Liquid.Details of his early life are largely unknown, the only clue being Snake's own comment that he was "raised by many people." By the early 1990s, Snake had joined the armed forces in time to take part in the first Gulf War.

Outer Heaven incident
Apparently his career was notable enough that in 1995 he was recruited into the Special Operations group FOXHOUND. Still a rookie, he was chosen to infiltrate the heavily fortified state of Outer Heaven near South Africa, rescue his fellow operative Gray Fox and other prisoners and destroy a new super weapon called Metal Gear. Unbeknownst to Snake, his superior who ordered him into Outer Heaven, Big Boss, was behind the uprising. Using all his training and abilities, Snake managed to destroy Metal Gear and defeat Big Boss.

Zanzibar Land incident
After the Outer Heaven incident, Solid Snake decided to leave FOXHOUND. Then he was scouted by the CIA and spent six months as a deep cover agent before he was dissatisfied with the system and left. He then became a mercenary for hire. Earning enough money, he went into semi-retirement in the Canadian wilderness. Eventually, Snake's former commander, Roy Campbell, recalled him for another operation in Central Asia in 1999. Snake's mission involved deposing the rising dictator of Zanzibar Land, who turned out to be none other than Big Boss himself, and had command of another Metal Gear tank (Metal Gear D) as well as Snake's former comrade Gray Fox. Snake destroyed Metal Gear D and defeated Gray Fox. After defeating Big Boss for good, Snake learned that the super soldier Big Boss was his father.

Shadow Moses island incident
After the Zanzibar Land Uprising, Snake returned to North America and retired to an Alaskan wilderness retreat, Twin Lakes, to try to forget his war-torn past and recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but when members of recently re-formed FOXHOUND took over the supposed nuclear disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island (really a testing ground for Metal Gear REX) in 2005, Campbell came calling on Snake again. This time, Snake found himself pitted against the new members of FOXHOUND and the Genome Army. Along the way, Snake periodically teamed up with Meryl Silverburgh, Campbell's niece, and Hal "Otacon" Emmerich, REX's designer. The field commander of FOXHOUND was revealed to be "Liquid Snake", Solid Snake's own genetic twin brother and the spoiled outcast of the "Les Enfants Terribles" super soldier project. After destroying the new Metal Gear and eliminating Liquid during an intense car chase, Snake went into deep hiding with Meryl. They eventually parted ways, and Snake would return to action with Otacon.


Solid Snake Reference: 1, 2, 3.

H&K Mk23 SOCOM Reference: 1.
(This is my preferred weapon, should you choose this theme.)


Link:
Quote:
In Ocarina of Time, 10-year-old Link has been raised as one of the Kokiri, the "children of the forest" (who are thought to have later become the Koroks in The Wind Waker). Always considered an outsider by Mido, the leader of the Kokiri (due to the fact that, unlike other Kokiri, Link did not have a fairy companion) Link became very good friends with Saria, the object of Mido's affection. Link's life changes one day when the Great Deku Tree sends a fairy, Navi, with instructions to bring Link immediately.

After bypassing a distraught Mido, Link battles a curse put on the Tree by Ganondorf, an evil Gerudo thief from the desert. Dying, the Deku Tree directs Link to Hyrule Castle, where he encounters Princess Zelda. She sends him on a mission to collect three Spiritual Stones and save Hyrule. Once Link obtains the stones, he travels to the Temple of Time and opens the Door of Time with the Stones and the Ocarina of Time. He then draws the Master Sword from its stone pedestal. This action imprisons Link in the Temple of Light for seven years, while Ganondorf takes control of Hyrule and seizes the Triforce, a legendary artifact hidden in the Sacred Realm by the three goddesses, holding unimaginable magical power.

Seven years after drawing the sword from the pedestal, Link is awakened as the Hero of Time by Rauru, Sage of Light. Link finds that seven years have passed, and he has grown up. He sets off on a quest to cleanse the land of Ganondorf's evil. Returning to the Kokiri Forest, he finds that none of his friends have grown up, and most now don't recognize him! Finally he meets the Deku Sprout (the Great Deku Tree's successor), who reveals the hidden story of his past.

The reason Link has grown, while his Kokiri friends have not, is that he is actually a Hylian, orphaned in the Hyrulean Wars. When Link was a baby, his mother fled with him to Kokiri Forest, and, mortally wounded, left him under the Deku Tree's protection. He was brought up as one of the Kokiri, and knew no differently. Now, Link must rescue the other five sages from their temples so they can awaken to their powers and lock Ganondorf away in the Sacred Realm. After Link gathers the sages in the Temple of Light, the final Sage, Zelda, reveals herself and is captured by Ganondorf?who could only hold the Triforce of Power, and now seeks to recover Wisdom and Courage by sacrificing Link and Zelda. Fighting through Ganondorf's castle, Link confronts and seemingly defeats the tyrant. But the King of Evil reveals the true blackness in his heart, and, using the Triforce of Power, transforms into the monstrous Ganon. After Link triumphs over Ganon, Princess Zelda uses the power of the Ocarina of Time to return Link to the past and allow him to live out the seven years of his youth taken from him while he was sealed away by the Master Sword.


Link Reference: 1, 2, 3.


Cid Highwind:
Quote:
Cid Highwind is a playable character in Final Fantasy VII.

He is the most uncouth of the protagonists; he constantly swears and loses his temper, and chain-smokes cigarettes. Despite this, he has a good heart, and is even voted temporary leader of the party at one point. He fits into the archetype of an oyaji.

Since childhood, Cid dreamed of becoming the first human in space. He almost achieved this goal through the Shin-Ra Space Program sometime prior to the start of the game. However, just as the rocket Shin-Ra No. 26 was about to launch, Cid realized that an engineer named Shera had defied orders and ran a last-minute recheck of the oxygen tanks. Continuing the launch on schedule would have killed her. Cid scrapped the launch in order to save Shera's life. In the wake of this disaster, Shin-Ra concluded that space exploration was not financially viable, and withdrew funding from the project altogether.

The hot-tempered Cid blamed Shera for destroying his dream, and Shera, being an extremely insecure person, accepted the blame completely. After the incident Shera devoted herself to doing whatever she could to atone for her mistake, although Cid continued to treat her abominably. However, her concern over the oxygen tanks is eventually proven to have merit when an explosion temporarily traps Cid in orbit during a later successful attempt to go into space. After this, Cid finally forgives Shera.

Aside from his ambitions as an astronaut, Cid designed a number of aircraft and was also a great pilot. Among his designs were the propellor plane Tiny Bronco, and Highwind.


Cid Highwind Reference: 1.

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Hints / Tips

Okay, so clearly, you want a winning entry, right? Well, here I'll put a few tips to help you with that.

1. Detail. I love detail. Now, while this isn't the end all and be all of a winning picture, it's a fairly good start. This is why I prefer full body, as it allows for more detail, and imagination on part of the artist. Also, keep in mind that I will not dock points for one medium against another. Go with what you prefer!

2. Scenes. While a well done stand-alone image of my avatar has a fighting chance, a well-done scene of my avatar in an environment stands a better chance of winning. As I've mentioned a few times, if you can draw a well done scene of my avatar with Solid Snake, I will love you forever. Or upon horseback with bow & arrow, a la Link, or even Chocoboback as Cid! 3nodding

3. Emotion. I really, really like images that depict emotion. Be it anger, sadness, happiness, or even fear, if you can somehow make me feel an emotion with your artwork, that's a large step towards winning.

Also, don't be afraid to use comedy sometimes. They don't all have to be "action packed" as it were. This goes for all the categories.

Hints to drawing the Metal Gear Solid category:
When drawing an entry for the Metal Gear category in particular, keep in mind that my avatar's outfit is supposed to resemble that of Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid 1 (Even if Snake is in the picture as well). This does not however mean that it needs to be identical. You are allowed to use bits of my GAIA avatar represented above, and incorporate them into the picture. For example, the Scar of Hero, and sunglasses would make great additions, I think. (Unless he's wearing some other kind of headgear. xp )

Do keep in mind that the tassles on my Avatar's headband are also supposed to be lengthened for the image in this gategory, to resemble Snake's own bandana.

I added this little bit because I got a few questions asking about whether people were supposed to use my GAIA avatar's outfit, or use Snake's outfit. I just wanted to clear up that you can draw however you like. Borrow from either costume to create something unique in your mind. I'm not dictating the costume. 3nodding

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Entrants:

Here, I keep a record of all people who are running in the contest, and their awards when that time comes.

Contestants:
Metal Gear:
animebabeca
Kakashiluver | x |
The Naomi
Alistarn
khateerah
Schneidor | x |

Legend of Zelda:
i_donate_organs
Kakashiluver

Final Fantasy VII:
Esid

GAIA:
misaokat | x |
The Naomi

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Banners:

I am completely willing to participate in banner exchange. If you'd like, please just PM me with your thread's address, and let me know you'd like to trade banners. Here, I will keep the code and images for all advertisement banners, should you wish to exchange. Feel free to use whichever you prefer.

User Image
[url=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11216752][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v105/zero_genesis/mgaac.jpg[/img][/url]


User Image

[url=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11216752][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v105/zero_genesis/mgaac2.jpg[/img][/url]

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Links Out:

Here, I will display the banners of any fellow art contest hosts who wish to exchange in a banner exchange with me. 3nodding

Other Art Contests:
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User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.
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- Reserved -

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- Reserved -

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Now open! The Metal Gear Avatar Art Contest is now open, and accepting applications, banner exchanges, and general discussion. Welcome one and all!

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