spectrum entries

[foster]

just a reminder that the deadline for spectrum is coming up jan 23.

go to http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/entry.html for more details.

send something in you could be surprised.

jon

[wronghand]

Jon,

A question, Have you found being in Spectrum has helped with business?
It's a great book, but I've been wondering is it a good promotional tool?

I have been considering whether I should send some entries to Spectrum or
save my pennies to send extra entries into CA or American Illustration.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Mike Kerr

[Joachim]

Hey Foster, thanks for that link. I never knew they had a webpage, guess it's new. I never bothered to get myself the forms because I had to send mail, blah blah...But, now I can enter next time. 23rd is too short a deadline for me, just mailing from norway takes a week or so. Whatever, 2005 is a good year to enter I think.

I never joined so I don't know about the promotional value. But, I'd guess that the only ones that get something out of it, new jobs I mean, is those "very" few that separates from the crowd with work that stands out from the rest...or got the cover or a full page award picture. Dunno though, since I never joined, but still it's a great personal satisfaction and an ego boost to be a part of it :D

[foster]

it is a good promotional tool. i have gotten many jobs from art directors looking through the book.

an entry fee is twenty dollars for single or forty for a series entry up to five pieces.

jon

[Joachim]

THat's nice to hear jon, makes it more appealing. I will definately send something in next year. ...-though you are one of the guys that stand out in the crowd, so no wonder you get all the jobs :cool:

one stupid question, I read the FAQ...they say no on this Can I e-mail my entries or submit them on a computer disc.? ...does that include sending a CD as well ? -means you gotta make a "print" for them even if the picture is digital? Or are they reffering to floppy discs ???

[foster]

i believe they are set up to view slides or prints. i just send prints from my ink jet printer, 8.5 by 11 inches. it has to do with the way they have the judges go through the room to make their selections.

if you are excepted you then can send them a a cd or transparencies.

jon

[Joachim]

Oh ok, thanks for letting me know. I didn't know that ink jet prints would work well to be rescanned and reprinted - Now I know, thanks :)

[wronghand]

Thanks for the reply, I wondered if art directors looked at the book, that's good to know.

Just wanted to budget carefully, although it is only 20 bucks, between me and my girlfriend each sending half a dozen entries(+) to each of these competitive books it
starts to add up.

[Irene Gallo]

Spectrum is an excellent tool for any art director. I keep three or four volumes within arms reach in my office. And I know a number of artists that have gotten work from surprising clients based on Spectrum...It reaches ADs outside of the genre as well as in. Plus, you can't beat the price -- 20 bucks and no hanging or publication fees after the fact.

The thing to remember with a lot of marketing is that it usually takes a bit of 'critical mass' to work. Even if you don't get a call from it within the year, it may be the image that stuck in an ADs mind that made them remember you the NEXT time they saw a mailer, annual, directory, etc. "Oh yeah...THIS guy. He had a great piece in Spectrum (or elsewhere) last year, I should look him up."

[wronghand]

Cool, exciting to get such good information, greatly appreciated.

I'm glad I posted on this thread, I was leaning to not entering and I think I would have regretted not rolling the dice.

[foster]

IRENE! ha, caught you! i do not know why these last tow posts slipped by me, must have turned off my auto response thingy.

irene gallo has given me some of my best jobs. straight from the horses mouth on whether it works for promotion guys. sorry about the horse thing irene.

irene, how are you? share, be merry, waste some time with us here.

jon

[bRyaN]

Irene & Jon: Thanks for the valuable info...

I will definately go for next years books (Spectrum and Expose).

It's good to know, that ADs look at these books for new prospects...

[lyon]

Does anyone have the address for Spectrum for sending UPS and FedEx? Not the P.O. Box one on their website.

Thanks!

Howard

[Elwell]

Spectrum
2139 So. 47th Terr.
Kansas City, KS 66106

[lyon]

Thanks!

[Irene Gallo]

Hey Jon!

No worries...I've been called much worse things than a horse's mouth.

ga!!0

[AmishCommy]

I know I'm posting this WAAAAAAY after the fact, but submitting to these annuals should be almost second nature to professional illustrators. I've been submitting for the past 3 years strait. Still no luck getting in to one but its a good way to chart your improvement. Put the most recent piece up against last year's submission. I submit to the Society of Illustrators too. Just dropped of my Art of the Storyboard entry yesterday. Deadline for that is April 19th. This business is all about perserverance.

Irene and Jon, I'm curious about the Judging. at times it seems like there is a lot of favoritism going on. I mean you two were judges this year and i'm positive that Jon's work and work that Irene ADed made it in. Last year, Greg Spalenka and Roxanna Villa were judges and "magically" Roxanna's peice made it in (not trying to be an ass, her work is good quality, just never seen it around until that year). But then again, I know Greg and Roxanna personaly, and i did send them a "Congrats on being Judges" email just before the contest, as a sneeky way of letting them know that I'm entering too. That obviously did not help any. I guess I'm wondering if you sit there and discuss the merit of every entry against the merits of others, or do you pick your favorite ones (ones that stick in your head) and then discuss their merits?

[Irene Gallo]

Hi Amish,

Sorry for the delayed response. I was out of town for a few days.

Every annual seems to have to fight the accusation of favoritism but, honestly, each one does a good job at being as fair as possible.

I've judged Spectrum, the Society of Illustrators, and SoI Student annuals, and from what I've heard from friends that have judged others, most annuals work pretty much the same way:

All the judging to get work into the annual is a simple pass/fail vote. It's done anonymously and silently. This makes it impossible for anyone on a jury to push an agenda. A critical mass of votes gets the piece in, period. ONLY the medal pieces are debated on, and that happens after all the other pieces are judged in or out. At the end of the day, even the jury has no idea what the annual will look like until the book is out (besides the medal winners) since they do not know how many votes anything got.

For the record, I know that Villa has been in Spectrum a number of years...it's incorrect and unfair to imply that she got in last year just because she was on the jury.

You are right to mention that the field is about perseverance. I know a number of BigName Illustrators -- the kind of guys that get in the annuals every year -- that almost brag about how many times they didn't make it in during the earlier part of their careers.

Irene

[foster]

tis true, what irene as said. judges are not to discuss their opinions and leanings on the art, no influences except your own, that is until they must get together to discuss the awards section.

when it came to awards irene stepped out during the book category as she had some of the books she worked on get nominated. she left, not even a backward glance, in fact it is nice to get a break from judging as it is all day long.


jon

[AmishCommy]

I started folowing spectrum a few years back, so i apologize for the Roxanna Villa comment without a full reference of what came before. It's very easy for us up and commers to bitch and complain about not getting in and overlook the obvious fact that we may not be good enough yet. I remember getting pissed off after i didnt get in on Spectrum 9 (the first year I tried). But recently i started seriously studying the annuals and indivudually analyzing each peice to figure out why it got in. Looking back at my entries from the past few years I can honestly say that my work was not up to the standard it should have been at to make it in. This year I felt like i reached the standard but i didn't make it in again. Hopefully next year, and throughout this year, I will be able to aply the thing i learned to create a stronger body of work.

also, us as outsiders to the proccess of sellecting work for the annuals, we tend to make assumptions that turn out to be false in reality. I know that applying this example to the Fine Art worl, I was always bitching about the high fees Reps and Galleries charge on the sale of art. But having worked in art gallery for a few years I see the amount of work goes into displaying and selling the work, and now those fees are justified in my eyes.

Thank you Irene and Jon for clearing this up for me.

My other question to Jon I pretty much know the answer already. When you walk the tables and pick the artwork that makes it, do you vote on your submissions or do you (knowing you and your modesty) pass them over thinking, "God, I can't believe I submitted that!"

[foster]

ha! i decided not to tempt myself and did not submit any work this year.

[Irene Gallo]

Looking back at my entries from the past few years I can honestly say that my work was not up to the standard it should have been at to make it in. This year I felt like i reached the standard but i didn't make it in again. Hopefully next year, and throughout this year, I will be able to aply the thing i learned to create a stronger body of work.
That's the smartest thing anyone can say....no matter what level they are at. I'm a firm believer in the idea that the ones that make it are the ones that can look at their work honestly and continually push themselves.

That's what's so great about this site -- it really seems does breed practice and reflection.

[Irene Gallo]

ha! i decided not to tempt myself and did not submit any work this year.
Hey Jon -- That's our loss!..but I know your reasoning. (Jon IS too humble!)

Let me just say to anyone questioning, though, that while many of the annuals have rules against jurors getting medals, it would be a huge imposition to ask them not to submit work at all. These annuals are an important marketing tool. Any juror is only one vote out of a group, so, while no system is perfect, it generally evens out.

[April]

I had a piece in Spectrum 2 (yeah, ancient history), and I got a letter from a guy in prison! :nohope:

Of course, the circulation and visibility of Spectrum wasn't like it is now. And as Irene says, there needs to be a critical mass.

I've been working in-house on computer games and only doing a bit of free-lance for card games since then, so I haven't had many opportunities to do decent paintings in the intervening time (that's my excuse and I'll stick to it!). ...Although I do keep submitting art. I think it's important for fantasy/SF/comics artists to support publications and organizations like this.

[AmishCommy]

April - I think you should submit anyways. Most artists hate their own work and what you feel may not be worthy enough may in actuality be accepted.

Best thing about Spectrum is that every time a new deadline comes around i push myself to do beter work than i have up until then. And even if i don't make it in, that push always helps me get my work to the next level. This year especialy, After i finished my entry, something inside me changed and i'm definetly producing beter work and tring thing i never have before. This year helped me get out of a rut of complacency.

Irene, I was gonna say the same thing to Jon, although you not submitting is noble and all, it still sucks for the rest of us to not get our Foster fix. Guess you'll have to do more posting in the experimetal thread you started with Dan Milligan (hint hint).