Monthly Art Challenge: July 2017 Edition!

Here's the run-down on how it works. Every month, we'll post a set of themes or parameters to follow. URPG members can make art, using any medium, and if it's posted during that month and fits the theme appropriately, they earn cash in addition to the Pokemon they're trying to capture, regardless if it passes or fails. Curators will also earn a bonus if they curate a piece of artwork in a timely manner.

For now, this is only applicable to artists twice per month as a trial period. If it works out, the limit might be removed. We'll see. Curators receive a bonus for all the art they curate, so long as it's in the correct time frame.

Curators, please address the theme when you curate a piece of work to tell the artist if their art applies to the bonus or not. Artists, please use common sense when fulfilling the themes. The art should incorporate one of the themes in an important/meaningful way to qualify for the bonus.

For example, if the theme is the ocean and an artist only draws one seashell sitting in the corner, this does not count for the theme. This goes for colors too—they should have some meaning and be purposeful, not just be there on a whim or by lucky chance. If desired, artists can type out a short paragraph explaining which themes they went for and why they think it fits that month's parameters.

**Note that the monthly theme only applies to capture attempts and not cash.

However, this bonus does count toward your Legend Tracker for both artists and curators.

New this month: Genre Prompts!
This month, with permission from WinterVines, I wanted to try out one of my new ideas! This month, we'll be trying out the option of a genre prompt. What this will be is a prompt that dictates not only the content of a work, but the style, too! Each month that we do one of these, I will provide a small biography on that subject, as well as some high-profile examples from that style. Your job, as an artist, will be to try to step out of your comfort zone and emulate that style! These can be anything from an entire genre or a movement to a single artist that left an impact on art history!

Rewards
For Artists - Theme Prompt:
  • Simple or Easiest Rank – 2k
  • Medium Rank+ - 5k

For Artists - Genre Prompt:
  • Simple or Easiest Rank – 3k
  • Medium Rank+ - 7.5k

For Curators:
  • 1k extra per piece
  • Must be curated before 1 week after the month ends

July Theme Prompts
For many parts of the world, summer is in full spring. Depending on where you live, this is either the best time of the year--or the worst! I know that where I generally live, it's sweltering, sticky, and unpleasantly humid, but in other places I've visited, it's dry, warm, and perfect swimming weather!

This month, let's try to explore all parts of the month of July--the good, the bad, and the ugly! The heat drags some of us down, while for others, it proves the perfect time for outdoorsy activities like hiking, rafting, and biking! It's also the breeding/nesting season for many of the northern hemisphere's birds, where the longer days give them more time to catch food for their newborn young. For those who are on summer break, let's appreciate the ability to relax (and play URPG) during these lengthy days.

Fun fact: July was named after the famous Roman general, Julius Caesar, as it was his birth month. He is survived by several famous literary works, including Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Because of this, themes pertaining to his character and to conquest are welcome this month!

Applicable themes are:
  • Heat/Humidity
  • The great outdoors
  • Nesting
  • Relaxation
  • War/conquest


July Genre Prompts
This month, for our first ever theme prompt, I'd like to feature one of my favorite genres: Baroque!

The Baroque art style was a definitive one in painting. Ranging widely across the late 1500s to the early 1700s, it was known for its dramatic lighting and emotional content. At the time, it was brought about by the Catholic Church, who wanted to revitalize the emotion that their faith invoked. Baroque paintings usually invoke a sense of drama through its high contrast, and are also characterized by their sense of grandeur. Light was a key feature in these paintings--they almost always featured a very clear, strong light source.

Italian painter Caravaggio helped bring this style to popularity, with pieces like:

The Calling of Saint Matthew:
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The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew:
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Another artist of this time, Artemisia Gentileschi, was known for her uncharacteristic representation of religious women as grittier and unapologetic for their time in works like:

Susanna and the Elders:
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Judith and her Maidservant:
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Other famous Baroque artists were Rembrandt, Diego Valazquez, and Peter Paul Ruebens if you'd like to research more examples for inspiration!

Notice the sharp contrast and the clear light source, as well as the expressive nature of the features. These also deal with very emotionally-heavy content (revelation, martyrdom, assault, murder, etc.). While you don't have to strive for all of these, these are just some of the things you can go for when trying to mimic this genre! Don't feel too restricted--be sure to still have fun with it, too!

Feel free to post any art within the month of July including one or more of these things to receive the bonus. If you could, please put a [JUL] tag in the thread name or on the art pieces you want to count for that month. Remember, artists can only get the bonus twice. Fulfilling the genre theme will count toward this count. You may also choose to grab both bonus allotments at once if you're feeling daring enough to do the monthly theme and the genre, but it'll still take both of your bonus slots for the month!

Got an idea for next month's theme/genre? Share it in this thread! Feedback on the new theme is also greatly appreciated!