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The Paint-A-Palooza Open (PAPO) is a miniature painting competition that is guided by the principle that all deserving entries should be recognized and go home with something! No more is the competition a “Top 3 Only” system. All works will be judged on their merit instead of being judged against other categories and entries. This is called an Open Format Award System.
As an example, this means that within a single category, after all judging has taken place, there could be 9 Commended awards, 4 Bronze awards, 7 Silver awards, and 2 Gold awards! To put it another way, you are competing against your former self. Did you get a bronze in the last competition? Try for Silver this time! Got a Gold? Work hard to maintain that level!
Guts – This category is geared towards those artists that want to start or continue amassing awards and accolades on their mini painting journey. If you are familiar with other mini painting competitions, they might call this Standard level.
Glory – This category is for artists ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best. If you’ve been honing your skills and want to push your artistry to the next level, this is your stage. “Glory” aligns with what other competitions might call the Master or Advanced level — a space for those who blend technical excellence, creativity, and storytelling into their work. These are the pieces that make people stop and say, “Wow.”
Single Figure - Small
Single Figure – Large/Bust/Monster
Diorama/Duel
Unit
Vehicle/Warmachine/Ordnance/Terrain
All entries will be judged on the following grading criteria.
Difficulty
Creativity
Workmanship
Painting Skill
Presentation
Difficulty: The richness and complexity of the entry and the creativity of the techniques used throughout the piece, whether that be in painting, composition, design, or sculpting.
Creativity: Creativity is assessed through the use of such things as original color schemes, freehand designs, and innovative concepts or techniques. Incorporating new or unusual elements, arrangements, and added details is encouraged, with an emphasis on the appropriate and effective application of these creative choices.
Workmanship: Emphasis is placed on the technical precision and attention to detail in cleaning, preparation, and construction of the piece, including the removal of flaws and mold lines, smoothing surfaces, hiding joint seams, and well-executed modifications.
Painting Skill: As a painting competition, painting skill is the most critical criterion across all categories. Judges will assess techniques and overall execution, focusing on elements like smooth blending, subtle shading, and crisp details. While evaluating, judges must distinguish between personal style preferences and technical competence, ensuring that the work is judged based on skill within its chosen style.
Presentation: The overall effect of a piece is judged by its cohesiveness and the unity of its elements, including style, color, highlights, and shadows, to maintain a consistent mood or tone. Bases, groundwork, and other presentation elements are crucial, as poor execution in these areas can detract from the entry’s impact. While some aspects, like harmony and style, are straightforward, the "overall effect" also includes an intangible quality, that "feeling of life", that brings the piece together as a whole. This elusive element is often subjective, relying on the personal impressions of the judges.
Single Figure - Small
Difficulty 5%
Creativity 10%
Workmanship 10%
Painting Skill 70%
Presentation 5%
Single Figure – Large/Bust/Monster
Difficulty 5%
Creativity 10%
Workmanship 10%
Painting Skill 70%
Presentation 5%
Diorama/Duel/Unit
Difficulty 10%
Creativity 10%
Workmanship 20%
Painting Skill 35%
Presentation 25%
Unit
Difficulty 10%
Creativity 10%
Workmanship 20%
Painting Skill 35%
Presentation 25%
Vehicle/Warmachine/Ordnance/Terrain
Difficulty 15%
Creativity 5%
Workmanship 20%
Painting Skill 50%
Presentation 10%
The judging process is designed to be fair, consistent, and collaborative while maintaining the Open Format philosophy. Event Personnel (EP) are responsible for assembling judging teams, each comprising three Judges and one Stand-By Judge. The number of teams formed will ensure that the judging process is both timely and efficient. Stand-By Judges will substitute as necessary, particularly in cases where a Judge is also an Entrant.
Judges who have submitted their own work are prohibited from evaluating it.
Regardless of how good a judging system may be, it will never be without its faults, pitfalls, or shortcomings. However, using quality and experienced judges helps in the system’s success. While the judges will have rubrics and grading scales they will be utilizing, at the end of the day, mini painting is art, and therefore, the judging of art can be subjective.
The judging process involves two rounds of evaluation through all submissions. In the first round, Judges work collaboratively as a team to review all submissions. They discuss each Entrant’s work and select the piece or combination of pieces most likely to earn an award. Even if an Entrant’s work seems unlikely to medal, at least one piece or group must be chosen for secondary evaluation. During this process, Judges record the selected pieces and Entrants on their judging sheets.
For the second round, Judges evaluate the selected pieces independently. Each Judge assigns a score from 1 to 10 to each selected entry:
1-3 Commended
4-6 Bronze
7-8 Silver
9-10 Gold
Once all scoring is complete, Event Personnel will collect the score sheets, check them for completeness, and submit them to the awards committee. The committee then compares the scores and determines the awards based on the totals:
3-9 Commended
10-18 Bronze
19-24 Silver
25-30 Gold
Event Personnel oversees the entire judging process, ensuring that all teams remain focused and efficient. Event Personnel serve as the final authority in any decision-making situations. Their experience and impartiality provide a comprehensive perspective on both the submission and the judging process.
A unique feature of the Open System is that the Judges are unaware of the awards they have conferred until the presentation ceremony, when the results are revealed to everyone simultaneously. After the ceremony, Judges remain available to answer questions and provide feedback to Entrants.
Awards:
Commended Entries will receive a placard in recognition of your work!
Gold, Silver, and Bronze entries will receive a Gold, Silver, or Bronze coin in recognition of your work!
“Best in Show”, “Most Creative/Best Story”, “Judge’s Choice” and “People’s Choice” winners will receive special prizes from our Event Sponsors!
Other Rules: