Welcome to the Andromeda Design Contest!
Brought to you by PNY Technologies, NVIDIA, CGSociety, Substance by Adobe, Quadspinner, 80 Level and CGMA
Below you will find 4 different Andromeda challenges: Planet Perseus Environment, Intelligent Life, Unknown Creatures, and Airship Arrival. You can choose to do just 1, all 4, or anything in between.
Eligibility, Requirements, & FAQs are located at the bottom of the page.
Prizes are the same for all four categories.
Registration open now through Feb 21.
Quick Links:
Register Here
Discussion & Questions
Terms & Conditions
Planet Perseus: Environment Challenge
Welcome to the Planet Perseus: Environment Design Contest!
THEME
The theme of this challenge is “Planet Perseus.” We’re challenging artists to imagine the environment of a world unknown to mankind.
Deep in the Galaxy of Andromeda lies the planet Perseus. Perseus has only recently been discovered by astronomers and it is thought that this planet is home to intelligent life. In this challenge, you will create one (1) rendered environment. Renders of the front, back and side views of the environment and any structures will also be required, along with a callout sheet of elements such as wireframes and texture maps. Will Planet Perseus host large incredible cities never before imagined? Or will it be home to smaller civilizations? It is up to you to decide how this Planet and its environments are portrayed.
Special guest judges, Jacob Norris, Lead Environment Artist, and Ken Fairlough, Lead Concept Artist as BioWare, will be judging the submissions.
Your Environment - Briefing
We are looking for unique and one of a kind environments
- Environments must include at least one original creation or architectural element (model).
- Users much submit model WIP views of their original created assets.
- (Judges will favor entries with more original creations/elements, but kitbashing and paintovers are allowed.)
- Kitbashing is allowed but must include at least one original creation or architectural element (model).
- The final submission must be a rendered still image using your 3D software, or a dedicated renderer.
- Must have 3 different renders of views of your environment
- Applications like Pixologic, ZBrush, Substance by Adobe, 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, Photoshop, etc. can be used.
IMPORTANT: The final work must be submitted as a digital image. You can use any 2D, 3D applications and techniques necessary to realize your creative vision.
See important details on eligibility & submission requirements at the bottom of the page.
Dates for Planet Perseus: Environment Design Contest:
- Submissions start January 13th, 2020
- Deadline for submissions March 9th, 2020, 11:59PM PST
- Winner announced: March 23rd, 2020
Judging Criteria
Entries will be judged on both creative and technical details. The theme of the challenge must be clear in the final image. An original take on Planet Perseus will be highly valued.
Prizes – Please see the Terms & Conditions for prize eligibility by location
1st Place
- NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 GPU ($1249 USD value)
- Substance Suite 1 Year Indie License ($219 USD value)
- 50% off 1 CGMA Course (up to $499 USD value)
2nd Place
- Substance Suite 1 Year Indie License ($219 USD value)
- QuadSpinner Gaea 1 Year Pro License ($199 USD value)
3rd Place
- NVIDIA Shield ($199 USD value)
Honorable Mentions: - open to all locations & all participants
CGSociety CG Awards feature
Challenge Rules
Deadline
The deadline for entries is March 9th, 2020 11:59PM PST.
Winners Announcement
Winners will be announced and posted on cgsociety.org on March 23rd, 2020.
See important details on eligibility & submission requirements at the bottom of the page.
Judging
Special Guest Judges: Jacob Norris and and Ken Fairlough
The judges’ decisions will be final.
REGISTER HERE
QUESTIONS & DISCUSSIONS HERE
Unknown Creatures
Welcome to Andromeda: Unknown Creatures Design Contest!
THEME
The theme of this challenge is “Unknown Creatures.” We’re challenging artists to imagine a world unknown to mankind filled with creatures.
In this Challenge you will create one (1) rendered creature with no paint over. We’d like to see your creatures in their appropriate environment. Renders of the front, back and side views of the character will also be required, along with a callout sheet of elements such as wireframes and texture maps. These creatures can have physical characteristics of humans, dinosaurs etc. It’s up to you if your creature will be bipedal or a quadruped.
Special guest judge Bryan Wynia, Senior Character Artist, will be judging the submissions.
Your Creature - Briefing
Your challenge is to create a visually compelling Creature using at least one 3D software.
- We are looking for unique and one of a kind creatures
- Creature can be bipedal or a quadruped
- Must be shown in an environment
- Creatures can be terrestrial or aquatic
- The final submission must be a rendered still image using your 3D software, or a dedicated renderer.
- Must have renders of the front, back and side views of your creature
- Applications like Pixologic, ZBrush, Substance by Adobe, 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, Photoshop, etc. can be used.
IMPORTANT: The final work must be submitted as a digital image. You can use any 2D, 3D techniques.
See important details on eligibility & submission requirements at the bottom of the page.
Dates for the Andromeda: Unknown Creatures Design Contest:
- Submissions start January 13th, 2020
- Deadline for submissions March 9th, 2020 11:59PM PST
- Winner announced: March 23rd, 2020
Judging Criteria
Entries will be judged on both creative and technical details. The theme of the challenge must be clear in the final image. An original take on Planet Perseus will be highly valued.
Prizes – Please see the Terms & Conditions for prize eligibility by location
1st Place
- NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 GPU ($1249 USD value)
- Substance Suite 1 Year Indie License ($219 USD value)
- 50% off 1 CGMA Course (up to $499 USD value)
2nd Place
- Substance Suite 1 Year Indie License ($219 USD value)
- QuadSpinner Gaea 1 Year Pro License ($199 USD value)
3rd Place
- NVIDIA Shield ($199 USD value)
Honorable Mentions: - open to all locations & all participants
CGSociety CG Awards feature
Challenge Rules
Deadline
The deadline for entries is March 9th, 2020 11:59PM PST.
Winners Announcement
Winners will be announced and posted on cgsociety.org on March 23rd, 2020.
See important details on eligibility & submission requirements at the bottom of the page.
Judging
Special Guest Judge: Bryan Wynia
The judge’s decisions will be final.
REGISTER HERE
QUESTIONS & DISCUSSIONS HERE
Airship Arrival
Welcome to the Airship Arrival Design Contest!
THEME
The theme of this challenge is “Airship Arrival.” It is up to you as a visionary, to conceive an aircraft of some kind arriving at a location. It could be here on planet earth, on another planet or deep in outer space. Will your aircraft be under attack? Or will it be the first to land on a new planet? You decide. There should be a human scale to your aircraft, even if the scale makes them seem small.
PNY and NVIDIA are challenging you to imagine the future of travel anywhere above or beyond the surface of earth. Whether it’s a flying DeLorean or a Massive airship, we want to see what the future holds in this universe or in a galaxy far, far away.
Special guest judges Gavriil Klimov, NVIDIA’s Art Director, and Gurmukh Bhasin, 3D Concept Designer, will judge the submissions with the PNY Technologies team.
Your Vehicle - Briefing
Your challenge is to create a visually compelling design using at least one 3D software modeling and rendering application.
- We are looking for a unique vision and point of view
- The size of your airship can range from a single seat to an entire city in motion.
- This aircraft must be modeled for the future
- They can be visualized on the ground, in the atmosphere, or outer space.
- Vehicles can either be grounded or airborne
- The final submission must be a rendered still image using your 3D software, or a dedicated renderer.
- Renders of the front, back and side views must be provided
- Applications like Pixologic, ZBrush, Substance by Adobe, 3DS MAX, MAYA, Blender, Photoshop, etc. can be used.
IMPORTANT: The final work must be submitted as a digital image. You can use any 2D, 3D techniques.
See important details on eligibility & submission requirements at the bottom of the page.
Dates for the Airship Arrival Design Contest:
- Submissions start January 13th, 2020
- Deadline for submissions March 9th, 2020 11:59PM PST
- Winner announced: March 23rd, 2020
Judging Criteria
Entries will be judged on both creative and technical details. The theme of the challenge must be clear in the final image. An original take on Planet Perseus will be highly valued.
Prizes – Please see the Terms & Conditions for prize eligibility by location
1st Place
- NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 GPU ($1249 USD value)
- Substance Suite 1 Year Indie License ($219 USD value)
- 50% off 1 CGMA Course (up to $499 USD value)
2nd Place
-
Substance Suite 1 Year Indie License ($219 USD value)
-
QuadSpinner Gaea 1 Year Pro License ($199 USD value)
3rd Place
- NVIDIA Shield ($199 USD value)
Honorable Mentions: - open to all locations & all participants
CGSociety CG Awards feature
Challenge Rules
Deadline
The deadline for entries is March 9th, 2020 11:59PM PST.
Winners Announcement
Winners will be announced and posted on cgsociety.org on March 23rd, 2020.
See important details on eligibility & submission requirements at the bottom of the page.
Judging
Special Guest Judges: Gavriil Klimov and Gurmukh Bhasin,
The judges’ decisions will be final.
REGISTER HERE
QUESTIONS & DISCUSSIONS HERE
Planet Perseus Intelligent Life: Character Design
Welcome to Planet Perseus: Character Design Contest!
THEME
The theme of this challenge is “Planet Perseus.” We’re challenging artists to imagine the characters of a world unknown to mankind.
Deep in the Galaxy of Andromeda lies the planet Perseus. Perseus has only recently been discovered by astronomers and it is thought that this planet is home to intelligent life. In this challenge, you will create one (1) rendered character. Renders of the front, back and side views of the character will also be required, along with a callout sheet of elements such as wireframes and texture maps. Will Planet Perseus host incredibly advanced intelligent life? Or will it be home to smaller less advanced civilizations? It is up to you to decide how this Planet and its inhabitants are portrayed.
Special guest judge Marco Plouffe, Co-Founder of Keos Masons, will be judging the submissions.
Your Character - Briefing
Your challenge is to create a visually compelling characters using at least one 3D software.
- We are looking for unique and one of a kind characters
- The final submission must be a rendered still image using your 3D software, or a dedicated renderer.
- Must have renders of the front, back and side views of your character
- Applications like Pixologic, ZBrush, Substance by Adobe, 3DS Max, Maya, Blender, Photoshop, etc. can be used.
IMPORTANT: The final work must be submitted as a digital image. You can use any 2D, 3D techniques.
See important details on eligibility & submission requirements at the bottom of the page.
Dates for Planet Perseus: Character Design Contest:
- Submissions start January 13th, 2020
- Deadline for submissions March 9th, 2020 11:59PM PST
- Winner announced: March 23rd, 2020
Judging Criteria
Entries will be judged on both creative and technical details. The theme of the challenge must be clear in the final image. An original take on Planet Perseus will be highly valued.
Prizes – Please see the Terms & Conditions for prize eligibility by location
1st Place
- NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 GPU ($1249 USD value)
- Substance Suite 1 Year Indie License ($219 USD value)
- 50% off 1 CGMA Course (up to $499 USD value)
2nd Place
- Substance Suite 1 Year Indie License ($219 USD value)
- QuadSpinner Gaea 1 Year Pro License ($199 USD value)
3rd Place
- NVIDIA Shield ($199 USD value)
Honorable Mentions: - open to all locations & all participants
CGSociety CG Awards feature
Challenge Rules
Deadline
The deadline for entries is March 9th, 2020 11:59PM PST.
Winners Announcement
Winners will be announced and posted on cgsociety.org on March 23rd, 2020.
See important details on eligibility & submission requirements at the bottom of the page.
Judging
Special Guest Judge: Marco Plouffe
The judge’s decisions will be final.
REGISTER HERE
QUESTIONS & DISCUSSIONS HERE
Eligibility
Artists participating in the “Andromeda” design contests must be a member of CGSociety.org, and registration to CGSociety is free. Entry is limited to individual artists, so team entries are not eligible. Please see Terms and Conditions to find out if you’re eligible to win prizes.
To enter the challenge, make sure to enter your name and category in the registration forum before February 21st.
Contestants must submit a minimum of 3 WIP images to the challenge gallery.
How to do this: when uploading your image, select the appropriate challenge from the genre dropdown (eg. Andromeda Character) in the menu to ensure judges are able to track your progress. (These WIPs may be put into a folder so as not to affect your overall portfolio.)
Deliverables
Each design should be at least 3,000px wide. When you have uploaded your submission, the challenge system resizes the image for web viewing to 1,920px width. This in no way affects your submission resolution. Work-in-progress artwork to show the progress of your entry such as concept art, silhouettes, sketches, progress shots, etc. is required.
Final Work
The final 3D work must be submitted as a digital image. You can use any 2D, 3D techniques.
Finals MUST BE UPLOADED to the Finals Gallery between March 2nd and March 9th.
How to do this: when uploading your image, select the appropriate challenge from the genre dropdown (eg. Andromeda Character FINAL) in the menu to ensure your image is shared in the Finals Gallery.
Final work should be:
- High-resolution completed entry - 1,920px+ on longest edge, e.g. landscape should have 1,920px+ width, portrait should have 1,920px+ height
- Front, back and side angles of your 3D render
- Work-in-progress artwork will also be required to show the progress of your entry such as concept art, silhouettes, sketches, progress shots, etc.
Upload your final image using the appropriate category genre from the dropdown (eg. Andromeda Character FINAL) in the last week of the challenge.
Work in Progress
A minimum of 3 WIP (work-in-progress) materials must be uploaded into the WIP gallery throughout the first 7 weeks of the challenge. (These WIPs may be put into a folder so as not to affect your overall portfolio.)
Original Artwork
Entries must be new artworks specifically made for the challenge, and cannot be based on the concept art of another artist.
Disqualification
Any image deemed to contain content that depicts racial, political, religious, or any other inflammatory material in an inappropriate manner may be disqualified and removed. Interpretation of what is, and is not, appropriate material is the sole discretion of PNY and CGSociety teams
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I ask questions about the challenge?
Please direct questions about the challenge to the Discussion & Questions page. We’ll do our best to address and clarify questions there.
Where do I ask about technical problems?
If you encounter any technical issues, please drop us a line on the Discussion & Questions page. Please provide as much detail as possible when reporting issues - provide a URL to the problem and screenshots if possible. Thanks!
Can I submit multiple submissions for a challenge?
No. You can only submit 1 submission per challenge/category. Feel free to work on multiple entries if you like but submit only 1 for judging in the final gallery.
Can my design be based on an existing IP?
No. Your design should not infringe any IP’s rights.
Can a team participate in the challenge?
No. This challenge is for individuals only.