ENDED --- Below the Ice - 2025 Winter Gear Competition
THIS COMPETETION IS NOW CLOSED
Thank you for all of the submissions. See Tail Squared GOLD's you Tube for results and reels. The next competition will be held in spring of 2026.
2025 Winter Gear Competition
Below the Ice
As winter blows in and covers the land in snow, a variety of critters recede to the depths of their dens and hollows. One creature, however, has been lost in the storms of ice and cold.
Prompt: Create a mask, headdress, or face piece that represents a creature of deep winter.
Rubric:
-Relation to prompt. Twists on the prompt are encouraged.
-Creativity and Out-of-the-box thinking, Higher risks and experimentation for extra points!
-Quality of craftsmanship. Not necessarily based on material quality, but the way that the artist uses them.
-Cohesion, balance, overall principles of art and design
Rules for submission:
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES : DECEMBER 15 2025
-30 to 60sec video featuring your mask from all angles submitted before the deadline via email, titled properly
-Artist statement following outline submitted in email with video, formatted properly
-Follow materials allowed
-1 artist per submission, 1 submission per artist
-100% designed and crafted by submitting artist
Notes and suggestions:
-Gear outside of the mask/headdress is not prohibited but will not be considered as part of the submission.
-The finished project is yours to keep/sell/trade, you do not need to send in physical goods and will remain the owner of your design and piece.
-Prize money will be 100$ base, plus 50% of the proceeds from the announcement, rules, and information videos. Prize money will not be mailed physically. Payments will be made via Paypal, Venmo, etc. We will work with the winner to find an online, secure payment method that works for you.
Prohibited materials:
-Purchased finished bases (paper cat masks are allowed, as long as they are purchased as a raw material and are not pre-felted or altered in any way)
-Finished accessories that you did not make yourself outside of basic materials (ex. Do not purchase finished horns, bracelets, eyes, etc. Basic materials such as beads, fabric, glue, blank meshes, plastic, cardboard and similar are fair use! Patterns for bases, muzzle or ear shapes, are accepted but discouraged)
Feedback:
-You are welcome to email the provided email at any time for feedback regarding the rules, concepts, and rubric regarding the competition. I will not provide direct feedback on your design so please do not submit photos or videos until your final submission.
Behaviors resulting in Disqualification:
-Harassment or hate towards other artists will result in immediate disqualification. Show kindness and support to other creators and their work.
-Not following allowed/prohibited materials
-Incorrect submission format. Submissions uploaded on youtube, submissions that do not meet the project criteria, and unfinished submissions will not be considered or graded in the competition.
Submission:
Answer the artist questions. Take a 30-60 second silent (no talking or music) video of your mask. Show all of its features, angles, and designs with as much clarity as possible. Use good lighting by filming in a bright room or outside. Use as high quality camera as you can. HD or higher is recommended so that I can see all your hard work! You can crop and edit your video if you’d like in order to fit it all into the time frame. Submit via the link below.
Fill out the form following this link:
https://forms.gle/Y8PK5tpoTnaVCASHA
FAQ:
Do I need to be a Therian to enter?
Nope! Anybody can join, regardless of identity. All inclusive competition!
Does it need to be a real animal that I base my mask from?
No, any creature is allowed!
Do I need to send my mask to you? Are you going to sell it?
Nope, the work you make is still 100% yours! I will be making a showcase video of some of the top submissions to the challenge, you will be credited via artist name entered in the field as well as a channel/social link if provided.