This is the written part of my assignment. Its done as a Pink Ink article.
I'm having major problems with doing graphics, Ive never done them before! But I am trying and hope to be able finish them in time.
PPT Top Graphician
Well it’s that time again, PPT’s design elite battle it out to be named as PPT’s Top Graphician (PPTTG for short!) Only one can win and I along with many others will be watching closely to see who walks away with the much sought after title.
For those of you who don’t know, the contest was originally dreamt up by knives in the old forums, this is actually the 5th PPTTG contest, unfortunately the first contest had no winner as the forums went down before the contest had ended. This is the first contest I have had the opportunity to watch and I’m very excited to see what Flame (the new organiser) will come up with for the contestants.
The rules for this contest are very simple, in each round contestants are given a requirement as to what they are to create, this could be anything from a set to a blog. They have a limited time frame in which to create their graphic after which it is down to the judges to offer advice and rate the individual entries. Then, the judges will decide who goes and who gets to stay another round.
This PPTer has managed to grab an interview with the previous winners of PPTTG! Read on for an exclusive!
Starchaser was the winner of the 2nd PPTTG
Optimus was the winner of the 3rd PPTTG
Marissa was the winner of the 4th PPTTG
xjox: How did you feel winning PPT's Top Graphician?
Starchaser: Honestly, I was quite surprised, as I hadn't expected to get that far. I'd started making graphics about a year before the contest, and slowly worked my way up to, well...better, I guess. It was really gratifying having my work recognized, and it made what had been a pretty bad day a lot brighter. Needless to say, it was also somewhat embarrassing, since the people who I was competing against were also great artists, and I wasn't entirely sure that I deserved it more than them.
Optimus: I was pretty surprised. Especially since I was considering quitting that final round due to not being able to find a picture I liked. It was amazing.
Marissa: I really quite enjoyed it. This was actually the first time I ever entered any sort of competitive graphics contest. Even though it wasn't very official or professional, it was a fun experience, and a nice ego booster to win the first time.
xjox: Did you enjoy participating?
Starchaser: Yeah, I had a great time being a part of the contest. Some of it was pretty stressful, since I went on vacation for part of the time, and had to do all the graphics ahead of time in a pretty short time-frame, which wasn't great, but other than that I enjoyed the work. It was nice to have the motivation to make things, but it was also left, for the most part, pretty abstract, which let me have fun with the different tasks.
Optimus: I had a blast. It was a fun experience and seeing what other graphicians could produce by the end of each round was amazing. Some of the entries were fantastic.
Marissa: For the most part, yes. A few of rounds were too narrowly focused for my liking, but I understood the logic behind making them that way.
xjox: What did you enjoy most about PPT Top Graphician?
Starchaser: I think the part I liked most was the in-depth ratings I got from the judges - it's pretty rare to get a chance to have your work critiqued so thoroughly. Occasionally it was somewhat hard to hear all the problems someone had with my set, but a lot of times they were right, and it helped me improve my work by being able to see it through others' eyes. I also loved seeing the graphics other people made for the various contests, and how one assignment could be interpreted so differently by many people.
Optimus: The main thing I enjoyed was the variety in graphics and restrictions. Instead of just being told to make a set, we were to to make an LJ Icon, or a blog, or a set which didn't include the colour red.
Marissa: Making graphics, of course! I also rather enjoyed having people randomly PM me to ask how where I learned things or just to say they liked my work.
xjox: Would you take part in another contest?
Starchaser: Actually, I'm in the one that's just starting up right now. J So, yes.
Optimus: Definitely. If I feel I'm up to scratch by the time the next PPT Top Graphician starts, I might take another shot at it.
Marissa: Yes, but probably not for a long time. I really quite prefer being a judge and giving advice, and I can't participate and be a judge at the same time. ^^
xjox What advice would you offer to anyone else wanting to take part?
Starchaser: For the graphics part - Be creative. Challenge yourself to create something that's very different from what you normally do - it can come out great. Don't give up if you're having a hard time, but also don't be afraid to go back to the drawing board if something really isn't working. Make sure your graphics look balance, and work as a whole. Honestly, the really important thing is the way you approach the contest, though. Have a lot of fun, and try to learn something along the way.
Optimus: Just do what you can and don't beat yourself up because you don't think you stand a chance. Have some confidence and practice, practice, practice.
Marissa: I noticed that a good amount of people who got disqualified one way or another had it happen because they "didn't have time." That's really not a big deal for anyone playing for fun, but if people want to win, they really do have to put in the time.
Wow, thats some great advice guys, thanks alot!
If you haven't signed up yet then do it now, you are guarranteed lots of fun and you never know I might be interviewing you next time!
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