Co-founded by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), creative production company iam8bit, and communications firm, fortyseven (47), the Game Maker’s Sketchbook aims to highlight and celebrate all forms of art related to the craft of making games.

Are you an artist in the video game industry? We invite you to submit your work so fans and peers can celebrate your craft and your personal contribution to the world of interactive entertainment.

Submission Rules and Procedures

Eligibility

• Artwork must correspond with a video game title published publicly on or after January 1, 2023.
  • Titles to be released after the submission deadline are eligible.
  • Games as live services may enter artwork related to content released on or after January 1, 2023.
  • By entering, the submitting party agrees to allow the Game Maker’s Sketchbook to disclose the name, game title, or any other information regarding the submitted artwork.
• Artwork must be submitted by the owner of the artwork.
  • Owner may refer to an individual artist, game developer, or game publisher.
• Artists involved in the creation of the artwork must be credited during submission.
• To participate, all submissions require a signed license agreement.
• Deadline to enter is January 12, 2024

The Game Maker’s Sketchbook will confirm eligibility for each artwork selected. The Game Maker’s Sketchbook reserves the right to disqualify any artwork that does not meet the eligibility requirements at any point in the submission or judging process. Submitting parties will be notified via email of any disqualifications.   

Submissions

The AIAS encourages submissions from any individual or company providing that submission eligibility requirements are met. The AIAS may, but has no obligation to, disclose the name of or any other information with regards to a submitting party. The AIAS reserves the right to disclose the names of all entries after the submission deadline. After disclosure, any submitting party may withdraw from consideration.

How to Submit

1. In order to submit artwork for consideration, submitting parties must create a user account at gamemakerssketchbook.com.
2. Once logged into the user portal, carefully read the eligibility requirements.
3. Click “get started” to begin submitting artwork.
4. Each piece of art must be submitted individually.
   1. When submitting, the user must select one of the available categories that best fits the type of artwork being submitted (see below for full category descriptions).
   2. Each artwork requires the following credits:
   3.  Artwork Title
      1. Game Title
      2. Individual artist credits
      3. Developer
      4. Publisher
      5. Software used/medium
5. Artwork must be submitted as .jpg or .png files.
6. Each artwork submission is subject to an entry fee.
   1. The submission fee is $25.00 per artwork entered
   2.  In the case of financial hardship, a fee waiver may be requested. Please contact the AIAS at [email protected] in order to inquire.
7. After checkout, the AIAS will review your entry in order to verify your submission. Please allow up to 24 hours for confirmation.

If you have any questions about the submission process, please contact [email protected].

Categories

Character Art

Explorations, 2D compositions and/or 3D modeling focusing on any elements that go into designing the visual elements of character. Illustrations often include components central to character action/interaction within a game – model sheets, expression, physical movement, wardrobe and styling, etc

Environment Art

All the visuals that encompass the world that characters inhabit, including 3D and 2D art that functions as the basis for constructing a physical game world, including landscapes, architecture, planets, vessels and other set pieces.

Impact

An iconic, singular image that captures the game’s visual language, character and/or narrative, including, but not limited to, key art or concept art.

Iconography

Graphic design and iconographic elements meant to engross the player in the identity of the game world, including but not limited to UI, HUDs, dialogue trees and boxes, inventory, primary brand logo or in-game fictional logos, custom typography, symbology and repeated visual elements intended to function as signifiers.

Storyboards

Illustrations, diagrams and/or drawn sequences used to visualize a cutscene, narrative, or gameplay scene; demonstrating the flow of animation and scene direction. This can apply to either a game or trailer.

Curiosities

This is the category for anything that doesn’t quite qualify for the other more succinctly focused categories, including but not limited to, props, schematics, technical diagrams, and other trinkets not clearly defined as environment or character art.

Jurors

A jury of esteemed game artists, curators, and representatives from both within the games industry and adjacent sectors, including animation, film, and fine art, will be judging submissions to Game Maker’s Sketchbook.

Selection

Jurors are selected in collaboration between the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, iam8bit, and fortyseven Communications.

If you would like to apply to be a juror, please contact [email protected] for details.

Terms

There are no terms for jurors. However, the Game Makers Sketchbook reserves the right to review the performances of jurors and reassign or remove them based on that review.

Responsibilities

Each Juror is responsible for:

• Viewing each piece of assigned artwork.
• Rating each piece of assigned artwork via the accompanying matrix.
• Participating in the group discussion to determine the final collection.

 

Jury Process

1. Jurors are assigned one of the following categories:
   1. Character Art
   2.  Environment Art
   3. Impact
2. Jurors are asked to rate all artwork in their assigned category.
3. Once the assigned category is completed, all judges will move on to the following categories and collectively rate:
   1. Curiosities
   2. Iconography
   3. Storyboards
4. Once all entries have been rated, the top selections from each category will be collected.
5. Jurors will then discuss the selected pieces in a panel discussion in order to finalize the collection.
   1. Artwork scores are for internal use only and will not be publicly disclosed.
   2. Scores are meant to be a guideline and are not the final determination for selection.
   3. Jurors may advocate for any artwork submitted, including artwork not included as a top-rated selection.
   4. The final determination of the complete collection is determined by the juror panels via majority decisions. 

Conflicts of Interest

Since there are often occasions when a juror has helped to create a submitted artwork or game title, to prevent conflicts of interest, it is required that jurors abstain from rating any artwork attributed to any title in which they are credited, during these internal votes. Titles identified as conflicts of interest will exclude that jurors rating when determining its average score.

Awards Protocol

When the selections are announced, the Game Makers Sketchbook will mention the following information:

• Artwork Title
• Artist name(s)
• Game Title
• Developer
• Publisher

Each of the 6 categories will showcase a shortlist of 3 works with one overall Game Maker’s Sketchbook winning selection, which will all be announced & showcased on the Game Maker’s Sketchbook website on a date TBA.

ALL art submitted will be exhibited in a special category, the Artists Sketchbook.