Strokes of Genius

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Extended Deadline: May 15, 2013 CLOSED

Winning art will be featured in North Light Books’ hardbound showcase of the best in contemporary drawing. From quick contour sketches to carefully rendered drawings with a full range of values, North Light Books will showcase the best of the best in a variety of styles and subjects. The theme of Strokes of Genius 6 is Value: Lights and Darks.

Prospectus:

Artwork Eligibility

Tonal value is one of the key art elements of any drawing. In a simple line drawing, the  artist decides on the value, or values, of the line. In a complex drawing, the artist generally decides on a value key, whether in the light or dark range, or a full range of values from black to white. It is tonal value that most creates the illusion of three dimensions in a drawing, and it is also the foundation of composition. One cannot overstate the value of value in drawing. If your artwork is selected you will be asked to write a paragraph that  speaks to the theme of value. Artwork can be in any dry medium, or wet medium applied in a linear fashion that would be traditionally considered drawing. This includes—but is not necessarily limited to—pencil, charcoal, Conté, pen and ink, scratchboard, silverpoint, colored pencil, pastel and even some paint mediums if used in a drawing-like manner. Final judgment on whether a work of art fits into the “drawing” category will be determined by the editors.

Mediums

A range of mediums will be included. At least 50% of the book will be black-and-
white artwork. We are also looking for a range of finishes, from quick contour sketches to carefully rendered drawings with a full range of values. A fully saturated pastel or colored pencil “painting” may not be considered eligible for this book (at the discretion of the editor). There is no specification for subject matter. All appropriate subjects will be considered.

Submissions
Digital images must be submitted online or on CD ROM or DVD (please label the disks with your name, email and address). For judging purposes, these images must be high quality, in RGB color mode, JPEG format, and 72dpi. Digital files submitted by mail must be labeled with your last name, first name, the entry number (should correspond to the number on the entry form), with no punctuation marks until the file extension (example: Wolf Rachel 3.jpg). Disks will not be returned.

Entry Form

Enter online or use the offline entry form.  If entering offline, the form must be completed and submitted along with your artwork, postmarked by April 15 May 15, 2013. Keep a copy of the entry form for yourself—we may refer to it in future correspondence.

Entry Fee

The fee is $30.00 for the first digital submission and $25.00 for each additional digital submission. If you are submitting online, all entries must be within the same checkout cart in order to receive the additional entry discount. If you are paying by check or money order please make them payable in U.S. funds to F+W Media, Inc. Entry fees are non-refundable.

Selection Process

All submissions will be reviewed by Rachel Wolf and the editorial staff of North Light Books. Art will be selected on the basis of general quality as well as suitability for this publication.

NOTIFICATION AND REQUIREMENTS OF WINNERS

Notification for winners will be September 20, 2013. Winners will be asked to provide some specific written information about their selected drawing(s). Winners will also be required to submit a 9” x 12” RAW file (RGB format, 300dpi) or 4” x 5” transparency for the work to be published. The transparency or CD-ROM will be held by the publisher until the date of publication and then returned. For a list of winners, visit artistsnetwork.com/strokesofgenius after September 20, 2013.

Click here to check out the complete list of winners for Strokes of Genius 5.

 Click here to check out the complete list of winners for Strokes of Genius 4.

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