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[June 30th]

Safe Space

 

Draw anything that is both safe and (a) space in some way, shape, or form.

(or thought to be)

Deadline: June 30th (Dutch Time)

As usual the entries will be judged on:
- Concept: Is it a creative interpretation of the theme that also tells us something about the world in which it takes place.
- Playability: Does it have clear walkable areas, things to interact with, etc?
- Artistic Execution: How well was the chosen style executed? - What's the feeling of the place? - Does the image convey the wanted atmosphere?

To your pencils!


Additional rules for the use of Generative A.I.
1. The input for the GenAI must be something you created. It can be a sketch, a photograph, a collage of images, &c. Whatever it is, it must originate from you hand and mind.
2. The output of the image created by GenAI (based on your input in point 1) must be significantly altered by you.
3. You must share all three steps (or more if you use multiple GenAI passes): your input, the output of the AI and your altered version (of course I woudl advise to put them in a spoiler-block as to not influence the initial experience of the final piece).
4. You do not have to share additional prompts used.

In short, your decisions and your 'fingerprints' must be all over both the origin and the final version of your piece.

Spoiler

Why have special/additional rules for A.I.?

I have clear opinions on and reservations about the use of Generative A.I. in general and even more so in creative processes (images, music, story, programming (and yes, that is creative too in the same vain as the other examples)). But I also think my opinions should not block anyone from joining this competition in good faith. So it was either: (a) exclude A.I. image generation all together or (b) have a compromise that is at least some sort of framework in the context of this Background Blitz. I choose the latter.

I hope you understand and accept my decision. And if not, please keep your discussions on the subject matter to the following thread: Your thoughts on A.I. art creation or PM me personally if you really want to (but please don't, because that would mean I might have to interact with people).

[close]

[The Private Investigator]

The Private Investigator

I feel it's been a while since we worked on something traditional.

Private investigators come in all forms and sizes. So I have only one real rule: whomever you draw has to fit that bill (and hopefully pay the bills doing their job). Basically that's all there is to it. Oh, and they shouldn't be affiliated with any official or unofficial law enforcement organization.




The rules of this Jam are simple:
1. Draw a private investigator.
2. No size-limits.
3. No color-limits.
4. Multiple entries are allowed.
5. Try to have fun.

Voting will start on March 17th Dutch Time...and the competition is open until voting has started (so if I'm late, you can still participate).

[draw something you associate with the Netherlands/the Dutch]

Theme: Let's make fun of the Dutch...

I think we all agree that the Netherlands is the greatest country in the world...

...but that doesn't mean you can't make fun of them. Or if you like to be more personal make fun of me as I'm Dutch (and no, I'm not from Holland!)

So for this Blitz you can be as clownish or cliché as you like while you draw the Nederlands/the Dutch. Any subject goes (as long as the final drawing is considered appropriate for audiences) any time-period goes (past, present, future, or any other time-period you can think of). Of course it doesn't have to be a caricature or parody of this great country. You can be positive. But why would you? - It's the Dutch we're talking about. 

In sort: draw something you associate with the Netherlands/the Dutch.

Deadline: Feburari 23rd

As usual the entries will be judged on:
- Concept: Is it a creative interpretation of the theme that also tells us something about the world in which it takes place.
- Playability: Does it have clear walkable areas, things to interact with, etc?
- Artistic Execution: How well was the chosen style executed? - What's the feeling of the place? - Does the image convey the wanted atmosphere?

To your pencils!

[Theme: Liquid]

Theme: Liquid

Like last time, this Blitz takes inspiration from the current MAGS competition ("Body of Water"). So any background created for the MAGS may also be used within this competition (even if you started/created it before I started this Blitz).

However...I've chosen to go a little bit broader as any liquid is valid (I would actually accept a frozen lake, so even 'liquid' can be taken with a grain of salt).

The liquid, however must play a central (though not necessarily dominant) role in the scene in one way or another. That means that a picturesque water mill in a forest is just as valid as the Titanic or a lab with flasks filled with undetermined liquids.

And for some science and inspiration:


Deadline: December 1st

As usual the entries will be judged on:
- Concept: Is it a creative interpretation of the theme that also tells us something about the world in which it takes place.
- Playability: Does it have clear walkable areas, things to interact with, etc?
- Artistic Execution: How well was the chosen style executed? - What's the feeling of the place? - Does the image convey the wanted atmosphere?

To your pencils!

I thought about this long and hard about a theme...
...and then I saw the DVD of the Princess Bride on my desk.

Childhood Movie Character

The rules of this Jam are simple:
1. Draw a character from (one of) your favorite childhood movie(s).
2. No size-limits.
3. No color-limits.
4. Multiple entries are allowed (even from the same movie).
5. Just in case, add a reference link to the movie/character just in case.

Voting starts November 26th Dutch time (so you have up-and-until the 25th to draw).

[Buddy Cop Movie Game]

Buddy Cop Movie Game

The unlikely pair...partnered up.

I'm sure you've all seen at least one buddy cop movie. The kind, where two people are forced to team up to defeat the criminals. Well...this is that kind of movie game.

The rules for this Jam are simple:
1. draw your very own two characters of a fictional buddy cop movie game.
2. at least one of the characters should be in law enforcement
3. at least one of the characters should be able to speak.

Rule 2 and 3 are quite open for interpretation. Including what exactly entails law enforcement or being able to speak. If you want to draw a knight partnering up with a monk who took a vow of silence, that's great. If you want to draw a psychic toaster partnering up with a member of the Queen's Guard...I think that still fits the rules. So be creative.

There are no size-limits, colour-limits, etc. But remember, buddy cop movies are all about teaming up unlikely couples...at least the best ones are. So really try to push their personalities through.

Voting starts May 10th Dutch time.

[Older than Before]

Older than Before

Hero's are people too.
And like us regular folks their birthday comes once a year.

The idea for this SpriteJam originates form a tutorial I was working on a few years back (around the Day of the Tentacle remaster just came out) on drawing a character at different ages. Unfortunately I never got around to actually writing it. But, at least I still have the pictures.

In this SpriteJam, take a character from a commercial point-and-click adventure game. It doesn't have to be the main character.



And re-envision that character at an older age. You get to decide how much older...but I do expect a bit more time to have passed than a single day. Remember, you do not have to use the same drawing style as the original (though your welcome to do so, if you so desire). And yes, you can be more creative than I was below...because let's face it: maybe Bernard became a professional bodybuilder in his late twenties. Who knows? - Well, you do. Or at least you get to decide.





So the rules are simple:

• Take any character from an existing commercial point-and-click adventure game (that does of course include commercial indie games...and even commercial games you've created yourself).
• Re-interpret what they would look like at a later stage of their lives. How did life affect them?
• I want the character to be clearly recognizable (but please also post a picture of the original for comparison)

 

• You can enter as many times as you like.
• Entries must be in on March 1st.

And as always: have fun, and try to be creative.

[Business woman from another century]

Business woman from another century

Due to personal reasons I, right now, don't have the (emotional) energy to write a great and fun introduction like my predecessors did. Instead I will write something boring and hope your entries will elevate the experience.

The goal is to draw a business woman who lives/works in a different century from our own. Think before the year 2001 or after 2100 (give or take a year, depending on where you believe this century starts or ends). So basically I'm looking for someone before or after the great-intern-hiring (we had last month).

Summary:
* Make a sprite based on the concept of a business woman (from another century)
* Post it in this thread.
* The Deadline is December 31st 2020. I'll try to announce a winner on January first.
  (I know most Jams are a little shorter; but December tends to be a busy month)

Things I'll be looking at
* the use of colours (as well as how well they are limited)
* readability of the design (think contours)
* expression/stance/personality.

Animations are welcome but not mandatory.

And the most important thing is of course: Have Fun! and be creative

[Attractive Female Villains]

Attractive Female Villains

credit: Fanpop

They are every hero's weakness: women. And why are they his weakness? - Simply because they're better than men (or so my wife tells me). So today we're going to draw the female villain. But we're not going for the old creepy witch or the ugly demon type...this is all about beauties with brains (and a desire to take over at least some part of the world...I don't care which world, or how big a part).

The challenge in this blitz lies in combining beauty and evilness; two features that are often presented as contrast (the beautiful angel vs. ugly demon cliché). She might be 'the weaker sex' (as if we really believe that), but she is certainly in control.

The rules:

• Color: You may use a maximum of 3 hues (minor hue shifts will be overlooked). You may use as many levels of saturation or lightness as you wish, but stick to a limited number of hues. Some background information can be found here.
• Size: maximum height of the sprite should be 1/4th of the screen-height you're creating it for (you may choose whatever screen-size you desire...so it's more of an arbitrary rule).
• Well that's about it actually...

As always, this Jam is open to any style and any technique. Rough sketches and character designs are always a welcome addition and much appreciated...but not obligatory. And for this Jam I'll allow multiple entries per person if you want to increase your chances of winning or when you simply feel inspired. 

Have fun drawing!

The Djinni

This SpriteJam is going to be magical. You are working on a project set in an Arabian fantasy world. The project-leader has asked you to design and draw the Djinni-character that will play a central role in the story.

Djinn can be both good and evil, and it's up to you to decide. You may base him/her on Islamic/Arabian mythology, or go for a more Hollywood-approach. The djinn does not have to be bound to a magical object (but he/she can). There are, however some design-limitations:

• he/she must be both physical and non-physical at the same time (air, smoke, water-vapor, fire, whatever).
• he/she must have a distinctive middle-eastern feel.
• he/she must not use more that five base-colours (not counting black/white, shades, or alpha)
• he/she must have humanoid features (but does not have to be human, or have human anatomy)
• There is no size-limit. The character can take up the entire screen or be as small as 20 pixels high (or less, if you consider 20 pixels a size-limit)

Multiple entries are allowed (this may also be characters that interact with the djinn), but I want to see a small backstory of the character and how he/she plays a central role in the story (concept art is also appreciated, but not required).

The competition runs from March 2nd - March 15th 2015, and the winner will be decided by me (no voting this time, sorry). As long as I haven't announced my decision, the competition is open for submissions.

And most importantly: have fun!

[SPRITEJAM]

SPRITEJAM

For this second of the renewed Sprite Jams I wanted to go back to an old classic: The Adventurer. We all know them: Biggles, Indy, Rick O'Connell, and many, many more...some of whom died before they could make a name for themselves or worse: without a savegame.

Of course just drawing some adventurer would be way too easy, so I've added a couple of character-design and artistic-rules to it:

Rules
Character Design

• The adventure takes place on Earth somewhere between 1870 and 1950 (but it doesn't have to be historically accurate of course).
• Our character (male or female) is a non-white human.
• He/She carries a 'signature' item (like Indy's whip). It's not a piece of his/her clothing, but should be clearly visible

Technical Rules

• Your palette should consist of maximally six base colors (not counting shadows/highlights etc. nor black and white)
• Your character should be between 20 and 25 percent of your intended screen-height (not counting attributes or clothing)

Somewhere around the 12th of January I will announce a winner.

Have fun everyone (and I don't mind seeing intermediary concept-art if you have any )

a Gateway to ...
Background Blitz 24 October - 11 November

Many stories involve portals of some kind that transport people from one reality to another (like in the fairytale of Frau Holle (mother Hulda). These portals can come in all shapes and sizes. They may be of magical or of technological origin. They may be highly decorated or as humble as may be. But they all have one thing in common: they connect two worlds (or places, or times, or whatever).

The goal of this Blitz is to draw a portal between two clearly distinct* worlds**. The origin, size, shape, form and genre of the portal is all up to you. But there is one rule: something (no matter how much) of both connected worlds** has to be clearly visible in the image.

Other rules: AGS compatible.

voting will start the 12th of November.

Don't be shy to ask questions, and make sure you have fun drawing!




*  No, you're not allowed to have the portal start and end in the same room...but that's about the only limitation.
** World in the broadest possible definition of the word.

[Topic:]

Topic: Post Mortem
It may be argued that at some point in your life your are going to take your last breath and die...and then what?

Anything goes, be creative...But remember that this scene takes place after a character has died. If you like dreamy cloudy scenes and want to depict Saint Peter at the gate of heaven...perfect. Prefer three-headed dogs, go for Hades. But why stop there? - Rimmer from Red Dwarf, the zombies from Shaun of the dead, even Murphy from Robocop...they're all dead.

Rules:
- AGS compatible.
- You must use at least 1 color (or go pure black-and-white (with shades of gray)).
- Must have at least 1 element that is/can be in front of the character.
- Image file-name must start with the letter B.

Voting starts September the 17th (standard Dutch time).

Ps. I might actually join this one myself...I know it's not customary.

[The Roaring Twenties]

The Roaring Twenties

"The Roaring Twenties characterizes the distinctive cultural edge of the 1920s, principally in American cities, but also in Berlin and Paris, for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase emphasizes the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism. "Normalcy" returned to politics in the wake of World War I, jazz music blossomed, the flapper redefined modern womanhood, Art Deco peaked, and finally the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ended the era, as the Great Depression set in worldwide." -- Wikipedia



This Blitz we're going to put the Jazz in our drawings as we create a scene from the pre-Wall-Street-Crash-1920's.
You'll have two rules:
1. The scene must be indoors (but there's nothing wrong with windows)
2. It has to depict the upper-class
(3. AGS compatible would be nice I guess)

here and here is some research, and don't forget to search the internet for examples of 1920's fashion for males and females, architecture, and art deco. Because it will be on the exam

Have fun everyone!

EDIT: extended for 48 hours. Voting will start the 22th

[PLANT/HOUSE (kinda)]

PLANT/HOUSE (kinda)

 

Backstory:
As you probably all know, there's this girl/guy who has the power to shape plants to his/her will (by magic? - using a machine? - alien technology? - I don't know). So what do you do if you have that kind of power? - You build yourself a home made entirely out of living plants (ok, you can use other materials as well, as long as it makes sense, they are not 'reshaped', and plants are the main element).

So, what does this home/house/lair/dwelling/spaceship look look? - Any genre goes...

Restriction:
Anything that fits with AGS (and you might want to start thinking about using the color green)

Voting:
Starts the 21th of March. I will not vote myself unless there is a tie (but participants are encouraged to vote).

categories:
Idea: Was it an original/creative interpretation of the theme?
Atmosphere: Was an interesting world created? - Did the scene evoke a feeling?
Design: How well the individual elements are designed, from clouds to doorknobs.
Composition: How well the elements are combined to create a pleasing whole, and lead the viewer to the points of interest.
Functionality: How well it would work as a background, with clearly defined entries and walkable areas, as well as a good viewing angle (this also includes introductionary shots of an area as long as a player character can be present in the scene).
Technique: How well it's rendered (within the chosen style!), in no way meaning the more elaborate the better.
Personality: I added this category specifically for this Blitz. Since the background in man-made it should reflect the personality for the character who created it (is he/she evil, childish, creepy, weird...etc). How well does the background reflect a certain personality?

Have fun, be creative, and remember: plants are people too!  

Every museum has to be guarded. Whether it's by cute women, or lazy fat men is all up to you.

Rules:

• 1.80m = 25% of the Y-screen resolution
• Maximum colours: 10 (6 for high-res imagesnon-pixelart not including shading and anti-aliasing)
• AGS compatible

For bonus points (to increase your chances of winning):

• Make the guard non-Caucasian
• Multiple entries are allowed

Have fun, and I hope to see some nice and original entries.

Ps. Adding a background is allowed, as long as you also provide the sprite sans-background.

[Create a background that has a good and an evil aspect.]

For the previous Blitz I originally wanted to create two complementary backgrounds depicting the same scene but with a different character: one would be good (the one that I entered) and one would be evil. But due to time constraints on my part I ended up creating only one. However, it did give me an idea for a Blitz that I hope you will like:

Goal: Create a background that has a good and an evil aspect.

Your interpretation of the goal is very open, and just to give you an idea as to how open, I've included some of the possibilities that popped up in my head only minutes after I decided upon the theme: two backgrounds of the same modern city where one if dark, dirty, depressed, and the other is bright, healthy, happy. Or a wizard's court where on the left we have the dark warlocks' area and on the right the white wizards' area. What about a wormhole on a starship's bridge through which you can see the counter-part universe.  

Anything goes as long as there's something evil and something good within the entry/entries.

Limitations: AGS compatible (although due to the special nature of this Blitz I'll also allow NintendoDS compatibility of 2x 256 x 192 pixels).

Additional: If you believe the background's functionality within a game is unclear you may provide a walkable-area-map or a textual explanation. This is not required but if available I urge people to check it out before they vote.

Voting will start somewhere the 9th of November, and entries may be entered as long as I didn't start the voting yet. Voting will be done in the usual categories:

Idea: Was it an original/creative interpretation of the theme?
Atmosphere: Was an interesting world created? - Did the scene evoke a feeling?
Design: How well the individual elements are designed, from clouds to doorknobs.
Composition: How well the elements are combined to create a pleasing whole, and lead the viewer to the points of interest.
Functionality: How well it would work as a background, with clearly defined entries and walkable areas, as well as a good viewing angle (this also includes introductionary shots of an area as long as a player character can be present in the scene).
Technique: How well it's rendered (within the chosen style!), in no way meaning the more elaborate the better.

[Arabian Stars]

One of my favourite stories by Scheherazade (One Thousand and One Nights) is the highly overlooked story commonly referred to as:

   

Arabian Stars

A long time ago, in a land far far away...

In this mind-boggling tale of adventure and romance, the young orphan Aladdin Skywalker meets the evil sorcerer Jafader (who passes himself off as the brother of Aladdin's late father). By means of trickery (and some magic), he convinces Aladdin to retrieve a seemingly worthless artefact that turns out to be a magical lamp in which a (cursed) Djoda lives.

Instead of handing it to the sorcerer, the young man decides to keep the artefact, and use the three wishes the Djoda is willing to grant him to win over the heart of the beautiful daughter (Leiaroulpadmedour - Leiaroul for short) of the Chinese emperor  whom he saw from the streets as she passed him by.

Aladdin's plan succeeds and they are about to marry when the evil sorcerer Jafader (appearing as Aladdin) kidnaps the girl and puts a curse on the city of Baghdad to keep everyone in...and the price for everyone's freedom is of course the lamp. The Djoda - who does not want to be a prisoner of he evil Jafader - tells Aladdin of a magical Scimitar of Light which would allow him to defeat the evil sorcerer and rescue his one true love.

Together with the pirate Solobad (whom he meets in a bar at the harbour) he escapes from the cursed city on the back of a giant falcon (with whom Solobad and Aladdin fly from one end of the country to the other). After many adventures they obtain the Scimitar, and return to Baghdad to face Jafader. During the final battle, Aladdin is severely wounded and survives only through the power of Leiaroul's love. Together, Aladdin, Leiaroul, Solobad, and the Djoda finally manage to defeat the sorcerer, and they trap him in Djoda's lamp (in exchange for the Djoda's freedom).

The story ends when Aladdin and Leiaroul marry, and Solobad leaves on his falcon in search for new adventures.



Draw any character from the Arabian Stars universe (in other words: a reinvention of characters from the StarWars-universe as if it were part of the 1001-nights universe* (early medieval middle-east or far-east setting)).

rules:
- Size: 1/4th of the screen Y-resolution = 1.80m (but your characters may be smaller or bigger)
- Colours: max 10 unique colours (this does not include anti-aliasing or shading/highlights for high-res images).
- Fun: try to have it!
obligatory:
- Create a name and a background story for the character telling us how they fit within the story above*...it will not influence your chances of winning, but I just like to read them.

The host (that's me) decides the winner, but multiple entries are allowed to increase your chances.

I usually (loosely) base my decision on the following criteria:
- quality: how well did your sprite turn out
- functionality: is it usable in a game (this includes can it be animated)
- personality: does the sprite have character
- creativity: how creative were you with the execution of your idea
- style: one style is not better than another; but I like it when people experiment with styles uncommon to them. It's not the most important criteria, but when it doubt it might help me decide.

this Jam will end October 4th

* It is not a requirement to use the story provided above as long as it fits somewhat within the 1001-nights universe. Also, there is no reason to feel that the character mentioned in this story are confined to the way I presented them...

[goal]

When Omni Consumer Products (OCP) was in financial trouble, they had to cut corners in their cyborg department. Fortunately, their R&D department was both creative and experimental, and even with a budget reduction of 800% they were able to deliver some interesting cyborgs based on life tissue and household appliances (and sometimes duct tape). Basically, everything they could lay their hands on was put to good use.

goal
Draw any of the creatures created by the OCP cyborg department as long as it's a combination of living tissue (humans, animals, plants, fungi, everything goes) with one or more household appliances (or components thereof). It's preferable if the creature has some sort of purpose.

rules
Colours:
low-res: 12
high-res: 6 + black&white (when using coloured lines, an additional 6 colours is allowed for that purpose). This does not include highlights, shading, shadows, and anti-aliasing; although it's advised to use such effects sparsely to make animation easier.

Size:
Both X and Y should be no more than 1/4th of the Y-resolution of the game (60 for 320x240, etc)

You may add a context (environment) for the sprite but must also provide an image with the creature on it's own...which will be used to decide the winner.

Multiple entries are allowed and may increase your chances (particularly if the entries have a relationship to one another).

Jam ends August 31st.

Be creative...
                   ...have fun!

In line with the previous theme I'll stick to special-effects animation for this competition. You've probably all seem it in various animation movies: a bubble of air is forming in some liquid substance (a swamp, a pot over a fire in a witch's house, etc)...and at some point it will burst.

Rules
- At it's biggest size (before bursting) the bubble should be between 10 and 50 pixels in diameter.
- You may have multiple bubbles to create a loop, but this isn't required.
- The liquid in which the bubble is forming may be anything from a transparent soap-water, blue sea, a brown swamp, to green pea-soup. Of course the viscosity of these liquids will be slightly different, which may have some effect on the bubble itself.
- The host will decide the winner.

Supplied sprite
Uncommon to the animation competition I will not provide a sprite here. Partly because I have a drawing style and approach that is not very common here at AGS, and partly because the competition is about something that is forming...which would make it impossible to provide a sprite in the first place.

Duration
The competition will end the 1st of August.

Have Fun!


Disclaimer:
The goal of this competition is to create an animation that is usable in a game that YOU would make (rather than one in the style of the host) and I tried to keep it as style-independent as possible.