#RPG – Zelart Scholarship for Genre Artists 2019-2020

It’s only January the 6th and I’m already a bit overstretched. Despite one of my resolutions being not to let that happen.

This is for good reasons at least! I used the end of last year to raise money for my friend Jamie’s wheelchair – which he should be getting soon, but we do need a bit more funding to cover fitting and customisations should you feel generous.

I’ve also done a couple of things and have given money to help fight the Australian Fires. I’d encourage other people to do that too.

I’ve also had to help out a couple of hard-up friends (worse off than me) over the holiday period.

I don’t know that I have the energy to do justice to another fundraising campaign right now, and there’s always a great deal of negativity from certain quarters when I run the scholarship. Negativity I don’t feel as equipped to tackle as usual.

I did, recently, discover some of Zel’s art that hadn’t been published yet. I will be putting the usable parts of this art up for sale, piece by piece, in the coming weeks and days.

Sales raised just about $100 specifically for the scholarship last year. I will invest that money in new pieces of art, from people that need commissions.

Otherwise, I throw this open to artists associated with the game industry or fandom, if you want to donate any pieces to the cause of raising money for next year and helping more young artists, it would be greatly appreciated.

You can contact me at grim@postmort.demon.co.uk

November Update: Postmortem Studios, Zelart Scholarship, Youtube and Me

#RPG #Art – ZelArt Scholarship Winner Announcement!

And the winner is (after many trials and tribulations)…

Morgyn McDonald!

Morgyn’s piece depicting a sexy, smoky genie or djinn is now available for purchase (to support next year’s scholarship) at RPGNOW.

Don’t forget, you can also support the scholarship by buying other scholarship supporting art. There’s even a megabundle of the first 100 pieces.

You can also support monetarily during our year-end funding drives, or by donating art to be sold to support the scholarship.

Who are you? Where are you from? Where can people find your work?

My name is Morgyn McDonald, I am a 22 year old Métis Canadian Graphic Artist living in the Greater Toronto Area.

Where did you hear about the scholarship fund?

I was scrolling through my Twitter when I saw a friend of mine share your grant and I immediately jumped at the opportunity.

What made you take the leap to enter?

As a creator who has only recently started trying to get into the industry I feel like I am scrambling to apply everywhere for every opportunity I can get to gain exposure. I just want as many eyes on my creations as possible, you know?

Can you confirm that you’ve received the money?

Absolutely! Everything went smooth as butter and I received the grant without a single issue via PayPal. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

What do you intend to spend the money on?

RENT. Oh my gosh, rent and groceries is all it can go to at this point. I am trying my hardest to get my name out there in hopes someone might need my brand of imagery in the world of digital art and design.

Will you help us spread the word next year?

Absolutely, I would love to share the chance!

If people want to contact you to commission some work, how can they do it?

My email is MapleBaked@hotmail.com and my username is @Sokawahtik on Twitter.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I would like to encourage new artists to seek out chances to join competitions, draws and contests whenever and wherever they can. Any opportunity to share your creations is a chance to make waves! Luck and light to all.

My email is MapleBaked@hotmail.com and my username is @Sokawahtik on Twitter.

#RPG #Art – Zelart Scholarship – LAST CALL

I honestly don’t know why it’s so difficult to give away money, but apparently, it is. I had selected a winner of the scholarship but unfortunately, due to injury, they are unable to complete work and get the funds. I’m going to throw them a couple of commissions down the line, but I’m uncomfortable sitting on this money any more.

So, last call.

If you are a genre artist (Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Military or other genre work) and are currently hard up (unemployed, disabled, medical expenses, in education or otherwise struggling) please get in touch, with a sample of your work and/or an entry within the next SEVEN DAYS.

Entrants, if accepted, will be awarded a scholarship/hardship grant of $500 USD in exchange for their entry, which will be then sold as stock art in the RPG industry, hopefully leading to more work and contacts in the future, as well as funding the next scholarship fund.

Contact me at grim@postmort.demon.co.uk or via social media for more details.

If I do not receive any entries by midnight on the 8th of March 2019 I will do what I did a previous year and use the money to commission works from artists offering commissions to help ease hardship (#commissionsopen, deviantart and so on).

Please share this everywhere and alert people you know who could qualify.

#RPG #ART – Zelart Scholarship 2018-2019

DONATE, SHARE, ENTER!

Many artists are struggling. The gig economy, the degree of competition, university or college fees, it all adds up to be a massive discouragement to many artists and for those who make their living from their art, life can be extremely precarious. The Zelart Scholarship seeks to redress this for those who have the biggest challenges ahead of them, young or disadvantaged genre artists. For several years we’ve been doing all we can to help.

The Zelart Scholarship

Hi, my name is James ‘Grim’ Desborough. I’m an author and roleplaying game designer from the UK, with my own small press publisher, Postmortem Studios. I run the Zelart Scholarship in memory of my friend and collaborator, ‘Zel’.

Zel was an artist I worked with and helped through his education. We met through friends and formed a strong working relationship together. We made card games together and he provided illustrations for several of my gaming books. I got a great sense of satisfaction from helping a young, budding artist through school and watching his talent blossom.

Sadly, Zel was killed in an accident before I got to see him fully achieve his artistic potential or the success he so richly deserved.

Casting about for something I could do to commemorate him, I remembered how we had met, how the work I gave him had helped him so much and how good it had felt to nurture that talent. The best way to remember Zel, I felt, was to do the same for others.

In my day to day work I do what I can, deliberately seeking out young, marginalised, disabled, unemployed, homeless and other disadvantaged artists to give them a leg up, money and help in getting the attention of the RPG and publishing community to get them into more regular work.

The Zelart scholarship is a natural extension of this. A way to hunt out and promote new talent and to give them a lump sum of cash to smooth their way.

What We Need & What You Get

We sell Zel’s back catalogue of stock art, along with donated artworks and the artwork of past winners to raise funds over the year and supplement that with what we can raise via this fundraiser. This isn’t about selling a product to you, but what you get out of it is more, reasonably priced stock art, a way to nurture new artists and a warm sense of self-satisfaction.

Whatever money we get will go to the scholarship winner, if we raise a great deal over and above our target we may institute second or third tier awards. Whatever we raise will go to artists.

Risks & Challenges

It can be challenging to find people both to sponsor and to enter into this scholarship. Previous years this has proven very challenging. Whatever you can do to spread the word to potential sponsors, donators and entrants is greatly appreciated.

Other Ways You Can Help

Besides a contribution, you can help out in many other ways.

Are you a young artist or an artist suffering from reduced circumstances? Then enter!

Are an artist who is doing OK for themselves and has some spare personal pieces they don’t mind being sold to support this enterprise? You can donate art!

Do you know a young artist or an artist who needs the money due to disability, unemployment or other issues? Tell them about it!

Rules for Entry

Entries to try and win the scholarship award should meet the following requirements:

1. At least A6 at 300 dpi and able to be delivered digitally.
2. It is preferred that you have a Paypal account for ease of payment.
3. You must be either a student, or an artist in reduced circumstances, whatever those might be.
4. Your art must fit into the loose definition of ‘genre art’. That is science fiction, fantasy, horror and similar.
5. Adult art is permitted, but nothing ‘hardcore’. Consider your limit to be that of ‘burlesque’.
6. Contact for further clarifications and entires is grim AT postmort DOT demon DOT co DOT uk.

#RPG Stock Art MEGABUNDLE deal! Support the Zelart Scholarship

We do a lot of stock art at Postmortem Studios, it’s a great way to expand our art library and to support artists. We also do a scholarship every year, paid for by proceeds from the preceding year’s art.

We’ve just hit 100 (at least in terms of stock number) and that seems like a good time to throw out a MEGABUNDLE!

This is over 100 pieces of art, of various genres and types, and makes a great starter-kit for a new RPG publisher or for someone who likes a lot of handouts and props for their games.

If this sounds like you, and you want to help support genre artists through school or times of hardship, head on over and hit that buy button!

If you are an artist and would like to donate art to be sold in support of this effort, please contact me at: grim AT postmort DOT demon DOT co DOT uk.

If you would like to use our established sales-front to sell your own stock art, contact me at the above email address as well.

#RPG #Art #Cosplay – ZelArt Scholarship Commissions

The ZelArt Scholarship fundraiser has paid out and combined with the private donations there’s about $600 to play with. As I’ve covered, this year we’ve done things a little differently. To increase the sustainability of the project and the scholarship, this year the money will be going to as many art commissions as possible to be sold as stock art to support the scholarship into the future.

To that end, I am now looking for artists to commission.

I would prefer, still, to hire artists who are at school, college or university or who need the money due to some hardship or necessity. I’d still like to help people, even doing things this way around, as much as possible.

• Obviously, the cheaper people can provide work the better, as we can get more work to sell. That said here’s what we’re looking for…
• Original content – you can provide suggestions or we can.
• Fantasy, science fiction, horror, post apocalypse, steampunk, modern cop/spy/soldier, occult and other genre material.
• Characters, weapons, ships, vehicles, anything that fits. Spot-art for pages would also be good, several smaller pieces (like spot art) on a page would also be acceptable.
• Quarter, half or full page at 300-600 dpi, colour or black and white (B&W sells better).
• We’re opening up to cosplayers too, the same sorts of requirements apply and your content must be original. There isn’t the money to commission costumes or shoots, but you would be helping a good cause and making a little bit of cash!

Commissioned art will be paid on completion and your contact details and portfolio link will be included as part of the stock license. This means that any company or individual using your art will be given your information and must include it in any products that they produce. ‘Exposure’ has a bad rep, with good reason, but on top of being paid it can’t hurt!

If any artists want to DONATE art, they can also do that and it would be greatly appreciated. We’re open to that all year round.

Contact HERE for more details or to put yourself forward.

#RPG #Art – ZelArt Scholarship 2017-2018

YOU CAN DONATE MONEY HERE 

IF YOU WANT TO DONATE ART, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM

Let me sum up…

Hi. I’m James ‘Grim’ Desborough, owner of Postmortem Studios. We’re an independent RPG game and fiction publisher with a large portfolio of genre stock art. I’ve been working in the RPG industry for nearly 20 years and have worked with a lot of great artists and publishers.

For many years I worked with a young, promising artists known as ‘DarkZel’, until he was tragically killed in an accident. In his memory I have run a scholarship fund for several years as a competition, helping out young or struggling artists with money for supplies or just to help them through school. I want to help them, in the same way, I helped Zel.

This year we’re doing something a little different. My ill health will not allow me to run a full crowdfunder and competition as I have in the past, and it has also become apparent that we do not have a large enough stockpile of stock art – yet – to make the scholarship self-sustaining. To that end, this year, I intend to solicit donated art and to use the money raised here to commission art pieces from young and struggling artists, all of which will be sold as stock art to help the viability of the scholarship long term.

By helping here, you’ll be contributing to aid for young artists for years to come.

What We Need

The money raised from the last year’s sales of the scholarship stock art will be combined with whatever is raised here to commission pieces from young and struggling artists. $500 will allow us to commission a number of pieces which will then be sold on sites like RPGNOW into the games design and writing community.

‘Exposure’ has a bad rap when it comes to creative work – I’m a writer, believe me, I know – but artists who donate art or get commissioned will get exposure to a large, potential pool of clients and their contact information will be disseminated to anyone who buys their art. I will also promote them on my blogs, social media and Youtube channels. Those commissioned will, of course, also be paid!

If we don’t reach the full goal, whatever amount is raised will go on commissioning art. Similarly, if we exceed our goal, all the money raised will go on commissioning art.

What do you get? You get to help create a legacy and to make young and struggling artist’s lives a little easier.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can’t donate, what you can do is share the campaign and encourage others to do so. You can make people aware of the existing Scholarship stock art and encourage them to buy it and use it in their own projects. If you’re an artist, you can donate work and the details for that can be found on the Postmortem Studios blog.

DONATING ART

If you’re an artist you can donate art to the stock-art stockpile to help raise money in the future – and even if you can’t donate art, please let other artists know. Art you donate will be sold as stock art to other RPG companies and publishers with the requirement that you be credited and linked. ‘Exposure’ is bullshit, as any creative person knows, but you will get some of that in addition to helping other artists.

• Art can be of any genre. Fantasy typically sells best, then science fiction, then horror and then the rest.
• Art can be of any style. Realistic, stylised, anime/manga, traditional fantasy, painted, sketched or any other.
• Art can be B&W or colour.
• Art must be submitted digitally at 300-600 dpi and preferably at approximately A4, A5 or A6 international sizes.
• Art may be existing art, provided you have the rights it has not already been licensed to anyone else.
• Suggestive or nude art is permissible, but not ‘full on hardcore’.
• Violent art is permissible.
• Art can be donated year round, but this push will run until the end of January.
• Please mail grim@postmort.demon.co.uk your entry (or a link to a download site) and include your portfolio web address and contact email for new customers.

 

#RPG – Darkzel Scholarship Winner Announced!

The winner of this year’s Darkzel Scholarship is Emily Vitori, who received a $600 payment thanks to the fundraising at IndieGoGo’s Generosity Platform and money raised over the last year from legacy sales of Zel’s art and those of previous winners.

Emily is a keen and enthusiastic member of the gaming community, known and loved by many. She’s also a brilliant artist with an Art Nouveau quality to much of her work, mostly accomplished via traditional media and techniques.

Emily says:

Inspired by gaming and mythology since I first overheard my brother play Dungeons & Dragons as a child, I’ve been drawing fantastical characters and creatures to help others bring their creations to life and for my own personal art therapy for many years now. I received an Art Education degree in college and did my best to instill that same joy in others through teaching art to young children for five years in Ohio, but unfortunately had to give that career up in order to help support my husband who has since become disabled. Now I work in the insurance industry but I still haven’t given up on the joy that art brings to me and others as I do freelance illustration and fantasy portraiture by commission. 

And I do suggest you give this lovely lady some commissions. I’m loathe to put her contact details up here, but if you contact me privately I can pass them on so that you can commission from her.

Emily also – very generously – offered seven pieces of art for sale as stock art and these will be going on on RPGNOW over the next few days. All art sold from the Zelart section goes on to support the scholarship in the future.

Scholarship Report for 2016/17

Weirdly, running the scholarship seems to get harder every year. I’ve stepped up publicity as much as I can, my social reach has increased (thanks to Youtube and maxing out followership on Facebook) but in spite of this and expanding publicity to directly emailing the art and design departments of every university and every college in the UK it has still proven very hard to get entries.

If anyone would like to volunteer to help publicise in the future, that would be greatly appreciated.

I also received a lot of promises of support from various people that never materialised. Only Ben Rodriguez who promised a piece of donation art to help support the scholarship delivered. If you are a fantasy artist who wants to donate work to support the scholarship, you can donate at any time. Not just when we’re fundraising. Just let me know.

We’ve also suffered, again, from attempted sabotage. Because my name is attached to the project and because of my stances on free expression, along with various other issues, some people have taken it upon themselves to ‘warn’ people not to get involved or not to support. While I hope plugging away and continuing to confound the scuttlebutt will disarm these attempts it does cause damage and interferes with fundraising and getting entries. Why someone would seek to prevent hard-up artists getting aid in this way… I don’t know, but it happens.

Whatever the case, running the scholarship has become increasingly stressful and difficult and I think I will need to recruit help next year if I am to keep running it.

Watch this space.

#Art #RPG Fantasy Art Scholarship Update

We’re up over $300 but still need at least $200 more to hit the goal of $500.
We’re also still need donated art that can be sold as stock art to support the scholarship fund and we still need applications from artists FOR the scholarship!

You can donate and find more details HERE

Please, please consider donating even a dollar, 5 dollars, any amount for the scholarship so that we can help support and foster new sci-fi, fantasy and horror artists to work in games and other publications in the future as well as helping out artists who might be in reduced circumstances due to unemployment, disability or other issues.

Please pass on this information wherever and however you can in forums, social media sites and elsewhere and let’s make this a success again.