My Amiga Art Contest Submissions Over the Years

[intric8]

Since 2019, I've participated in the Amiga Art Contest created and hosted by Douglas Compton (10MARC).

The contest is organized into five categories:

• Hand Drawn - anything you create yourself in a paint package on an Amiga.
• Digital Photography - this means importing a photographic image into an Amiga art package and getting creative with it.
• 3D - ray traced 3D objects or fully rendered scene stills.
• MOD/Music - actually any kind of file is OK as long as it was created on an Amiga.
• Amiga Animation - this can be 2D or 3D animation.

I've always submitted images to the Hand Drawn category. In 2019, I used the Inaugural event as an excuse to teach myself Deluxe Paint III much more deeply.

I didn't know what I was doing and I suck at drawing cars, but I had a really good time trying to figure things out and learn the software. 32 colors - I was a fool!

I got kind of lost in the details.

In fact, by 2020 I'd gotten pretty into it and wound up even making a video tutorial of Deluxe Paint III's basics after being asked how I'd created an image based on the movie Tron in only 16 colors. I created the image in April of 2020 as a means to relax during what was a really stressful and uncertain time. I submitted it and another image I created in the Fall, Terminator, to the contest.

I was using a different monitor then and it must have been slightly less vertically stretched as this image has a bit of an elongated "O" in the logo. I was really proud of myself for figuring out how to create the rings. 16 colors - now we're talking!

Terminator. I remember the red glowing eyes in this image being a really difficult puzzle to solve. I went back to 32 colors so I could create more gradient blending, but it made it harder even with such a monochromatic palette.

Then came 2021. I decided to create my own Heavy Metal homage to the Amiga, blending metaphors. This image took me so long to do I only did the one image that year. In fact, the logo was practically one puzzle and the robot was another. I was really happy with how this turned out and it even won an award with at an Irish Amiga event art contest that year. I actually had it printed on a small canvas and sit that atop my Denon CD stereo in my Commodore cave.

Easily the most difficult image I've ever done.

2022 came and went and I simply didn't do a dang thing for the contest.

Then 2023 arrived and I knew I wanted to do something to get back into it. I'd seen a really cool image that year of a fantasy Donkey Kong screen where all of the characters were from Stranger Things, which I love. I was really inspired with the crossover concept, so I sat down and dreamt up my own take. I took a horror movie I admire and pretended it was the subject of a "choose your own adventure" video game. This was one of the two images I submitted last year. Due to a lot of life issues, Doug was unable to put the art contest together last year so this never got shown. I've decided I'd at least like to share what I created here. I did show some of my friends at the Seattle Commodore Computer Club months ago, too.

I made this kind of a joke, where I pretended to click the "watch tape" choice. If you have ever seen The Ring, you know you shouldn't play that danged tape. =) Back to glorious 16 colors. Ah...

This last piece is another one of the most difficult images I've attempted. Heavy Metal probably still wins for being the most painstaking, but this is a very close 2nd place. In fact, to be completely honest I kind of gave up on the top of the toast. The amount of detail it would have required to get it just right is likely beyond my abilities. I feel like what I've landed on is more like the breakfast French Toast, but I'm fine with it. I'm very happy with how the cheese and overall composition came out.

I was heavily inspired by a fantastic video in 2023 about a classic Amiga image based on a hamburger. The video spent an incredible amount of time deconstructing the original image, and then reconstructing it. I decided to create a vegetarian homage to that effort, with "Grilled Cheese". Also 16 colors. Yellows and browns FTW.

And that's it, folks! I've never won any awards in the annual Amiga Art Contest. Whatever I do, I know deep down there are a TON of people 10x better than me at this stuff. But for me that's never been the motivational driver. I have a lot of fun putting an image together. I really enjoyed the entire process of my Ring idea last year and might try to do another cross-blending of themes again. Or maybe something more painterly like a Bob Ross landscape just to chillax and unwind and not crush myself in tedious pixel art renderings. I would like to teach myself some color cycling animation techniques, too. And I actually do prefer to work in 16 colors because it removes a lot of complexity and forces me to think in a much more efficient way.

To 2024, and beyond!

[Shot97]

You're telling me this fantastic art hasn't won a prize? Have you placed? Force them all to use NTSC resolution and work in your space!

[intric8]

Haha! Nope, nada. But again, when I see the submissions at the end of the day I'm simply proud to be part of the overall experience. As the competition has grown, my chances become less and less each passing year.

Truth is I never expected to win anything, ever. In 2019 I did it to educate myself, and also to participate because the event was brand new and almost no one knew about it. I wanted to make sure Doug had some entries! But then I had so much fun, I was eager to return to do my own thing (TRON).

There are people who have been using these tools for decades that possess a mastery and skill I'll never achieve. And I'm totally fine with that. Sort of like YouTube, if I do it for fun then I do it regardless of "success". If I try to do it for "glory" then it becomes a job and I imagine loses some of its luster. I'm totally fine with doing it for me first, and staying right where I am. Thanks for the kind words, Shot. So glad you enjoyed the artwork!

[Zippy Zapp]

I agree with Shot! haha Your artwork is fantastic and I look forward to seeing more. I think Amiga art really needs to be seen on the Amiga and on a good modern display or preferably a CRT. Keep up the good work.

[Signman]

I like the artwork for grilled cheese except a little too cheesy for my taste.

[intric8]

except a little too cheesy for my taste.

Hahah!! Fair enough. No Roman fondue for you, then.

[Signman]

Doubting there will ever be one this year. I know Doug had votes cast a good while back.