Contemplating entering the upcoming BP portrait award, it's highly competitive, has like 2000 odd entries. It's quite prestigious to be one of the final 50.
Only problem I see it is that the judges show favour to laboriously detailed pieces that literally show every single hair and wrinkle, I think they also suffer from the same kind of pretentiousness the Oscars do, where "heavy" subject matter such as the aged, homeless, gay, and Holocaust survivors always do well.
Anyway, here's the winner from last year (best quality I could find).
>>2288810
And here's a sketch from the artist's website, seems a bit underwhelming, he clearly lacks ability with the fundamentals, I've seen much better from here on /ic/ to be quite honest.
Is the way to win these kinds of awards just to keep piling in the detail?
Close up, so you see what I ean about the obsession with detail, this is a pretty common complaint of this award btw, several British newspapers have been critical of the judges' choice for such detailed and morose work.
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jun/17/bp-portrait-award-2015-national-portrait-gallery-london
>>2288810
>>2288814
Awards are usually pretty meaningless. History does not remember paintings or artists for the awards they won. I think it is better to do art that is true to yourself, and if it happens to please the judges then good for you, but you shouldn't change who you and your art are just to try to win their favour. Would you rather win an award because you pandered to their tastes or because you did something genuine and it was recognized?
>>2288817
I wouldn't mind winning 30 thousand pounds in prize money desu.
>>2288821
That's if you get the top prize which he won't. He'll just end up pandering and still win nothing and feel empty inside. Better to do something honest and know you stuck to your ideals.
![FB_IMG_1434543488509[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/iW51aeg.jpg "FB_IMG_1434543488509[1].jpg")
>>2288810
was also considering this, there's a seperate award for people under 30 as well which also has a pretty nice cash prize. As long as you get subject matter and the theme right, I think they can be pretty forgiving when it comes to the technical aspect of the image.
This guy just made a modern interpretation of the story of jephtah and his daughter from the bible and won the award this year
>>2288810
I'm guessing the answer's 'no' - but do they accept digital submissions?
>>2288878
I think they would, but I doubt they'd go for anything digital unfortunately. Its free though so no point in not entering
>>2288875
I'd be happy just to be one of the 50 on display desu, don't want to have to pull on the heartstrings though, they do have some more Sargent-esque stuff as runner ups at least.
>>2288827
>entering a contest
>selling out
wew lad. Good luck making it in any competitive field with that mindset.
>>2288913
Entering a contest is not selling out. Entering a contest with a piece where you changed your style and subject matter to try to pander to the judges is selling out.
>>2288917
>>2288827
>being 12 and worrying about "selling out" like anyone gives a fuck.
>>2288810
>>2288814
>seems a bit underwhelming
However underwhelming it may seem his technical ability is miles beyond 99% of IC, which in this case seems to matter to the judges. You sound like you're already making excuses for not winning before you even painted something.
Rather than complaining that a group of people (or in this case judges) show preference to a style of work you can't/don't do find a venue that accepts things closer to what you do. The chances of you actually placing first are slim even if your ability is on par (which it isn't) so there's no point in entering just to win the money. If you're uninterested in the subject matter it'll show in your work.
>>2288952
>his technical ability is miles beyond 99% of IC
Going from that sketch, it's really not, I'd say about as good as 10-20% of what you might see in the drawthread.
He's basically got average talent and has obviously copied quite closely from a photo, you know, like this.
>>2288814
That's Thomas kanter's art, not Thomas ganter's, the artist you're looking for.
>>2288960
I fucking hate this guy, 70% of his facebook-likes are just underaged idiots that hype him for his looks, rather than his "skills", which only consist of copying a photo
and the worst thing, he's fucking successful and won't have to work a single day in his life ever again
>>2288952
>>being 12 and worrying about "selling out" like anyone gives a fuck.
It's not whether other people give a fuck. You should give a fuck about your own artistic integrity and development.
>>2288814
this is a different person
this sketch: http://markthomaskanter.com/section/17504-Drawing.html
The PB Award winner :http://thomasganter.com/news
pic related is some drawings
by looking at the first page this should have been obivious. There are no paintings like the BP oil painting on that site. I just also noticed Kanter /Ganter. ALso I took too long on this comment and a was beaten to it but idc.
paint a hobo or a nigger with an instrument. They love that shit.
>>2288988
>...your own artistic integrity and development.
Kek. Painting a different subject matter than what you normally do won't lessen your integrity or retard development. Thinking like this may mean you are retarded however.
>>2288985
Whoops, he's not as bad as I thought then, still get the feeling he's the kind of artist who's over reliant on photographs though.
Though I think the majority of the BP artists aren't even using a sitter in the conventional way, just a photo.
http://thomasganter.com/drawing
>>2289003
It's obvious with some of them.
So do plebs judge this shit? I really don't see why anyone but an artist can determine the skill of another artist.
>>2289003
Th e perspective on the mug of the OP's pic is really off
A friend of mine entered the comp with this, didn't get accepted, I think it's better than some of the entries though.
>>2288997
Thomas Ganter's oils and drawings are really good, but I was surprised at how amateurish his watercolours are!
