Attack Guide FAQ

1. I copied and pasted a character, but I gave them new outfits on each copy. Do they all count as full bodies?
If a character is copied and pasted, it only counts one time. All artwork must be original for each character instance to count. (Note that premade bases are not allowed!)

2. I have a generic character in my attack (ex: a waitress serving a character), can I get points for them?
Yes! Just add the Artfight character you are drawing twice in the character field - this will allow you to receive points for the generic character without having to create another profile. Make sure the character count represents the amount of characters you have drawn in the end. Note: canon or copyrighted characters are not allowed in attacks.

3. I made unique art for the thumbnails of my attacks, may I include this in my rating?
You may if the artwork is truly unique, meaning you have not used a base to make several thumbnails, and it contains nothing re-used from the attack itself. So if you drew the head of the character on the thumbnail, you may add a headshot to the ratings.

4. How do I rate a three-headed character?
Fullbody + 2 headshots.

5. What about extra limbs?
Usually this counts as the full character, so it is rated as a normal fullbody. Keep in mind features in unusual places may need a filter, see here for more information.

6. If a character has missing limbs like missing their legs because of an injury or being born without legs, do I rate them as a fullbody?
Yes, if you have drawn the whole character, then that is a fullbody.

1. Is traditional art okay?
Yep! Traditional drawings are just as welcome as digital drawings.

2. Where can I find free art programs/software?
You can find a list of free art programs for computer, tablet or phone here.

3. How should I rate my attack if the background is unshaded, but the character is fully shaded?
Characters are the main focus of attacks. If a character ratings differ from the background, it is the characters ratings that should be counted when rating. In this case the attack would be rated fully shaded. If the background differs too much in quality, for example, the background is a sketch while the character is fully rendered, the background may be rated down to the “scene elements” background category.

5. I spilled some color when making a traditional piece and tried my best to clean it up. Do I have to rate it as a rough color?
We are aware traditional art is a bit unforgiving and has no ctrl+z button. If the spills aren’t too severe and you did your best to correct the error, it can still count as clean color or painted if that was your intention. You can also ask a moderator for input. ♥

6. Is it okay to use mirroring or a symmetry tool? (The left and right side of the drawing are identical)
Yes.

1. How do I upload a 3D attack?
You can take a screenshot of the model or render an image via the program you are using. You can also search youtube for how to make a turntable video. (This will not count as animation unless the character itself is moving independently.)

2. Is it okay to use a base model for sculpting characters?
Yes! In 2022 we are now allowing base usage. BUT, the base MUST be simple and stripped of features and you still have to model significant features yourself by hand. You can not just spray paint the same base 10 times.

3. Does using Paint 3D for Windows count as a 3D attack?
Yes.

4. What 3D programs are there? Are any free?
You can find a list of free 3D programs here.

5. May I use premade animations for my 3D model?
Yes, but it has to be free to use, credited, and you cannot rate your attack as an animation since you did not do the animation work yourself. (This also goes for re-using animations you have made yourself.)

6. Can I build a statue, construction or flat “pixel” block piece in Minecraft as a 3D attack?
Yes, rate it under crafts and "beads and brick builds".

7. Can I make a Minecraft skin and rate that as 3D?
Yes, rate it as a "3D doll paintover" in the 3D section.

1. Can I submit a cosplay as an attack?
Yes! Cosplay goes under “Paintovers and Cosplay” now. Keep in mind you have to make at least one major part of the cosplay by hand. Just dressing up with clothing you have around will not count.

2. Can I submit doll or squishy paintovers as attacks?
Yes, as per 2021 there is now a category named “Paintovers and Cosplay”.

3. Can I rate my cut-out traditional drawing as papercraft?
It can only be rated as paper craft if there is a layering of multiple sheets of paper. A single sheet of paper with a drawing on it should be rated as drawing.

4. I made some attacks in the form of buttons, pins, badges, and keychains. Can I rate this as craft?
No, it should be rated as a drawing.

5. Can I rate my wood burning attack as craft?
No, it should be rated as a drawing.

6. I did a traditional painting on a canvas board/stretched canvas, should that be rated as craft?
No, traditional paintings of any medium should be rated as a drawing.

7. Can I mail the crafted attack to the one I attacked?
In the event someone wants to physically send their crafted/traditional attack, Art Fight does not condone or take responsibility for any shared personal info. Exchange of address happens at the person’s own risk. We do not recommend minors to give out their address without permission from a parent or guardian first.

8. Can I make an attack out of an aspect of a character or craft an item that belongs to a character? (For example DnD dice inspired by a character, or a bracelet belonging to a character.)
You can! As long as it resembles the character or is a belonging of the character. These kinds of attacks are usually rated as "Simple Shaped Character" for size.

9. What do I rate a 3D printed attack as?
If you modeled it in 3D, printed it, and didn’t do much more with it, you can rate it as 3D. If you painted or physically worked with it, you can rate it as "Cosplay and Paintovers".

1. My animation contains music or is too long to put into a gif, is there a way to submit it as a video?
Not currently. Though you may upload a still image or a shorter gif from the animation to the site and then link to a youtube video or other video service in the description of the attack. You can rate it based on the video and not the still/gif you uploaded.

2. What is an “unique frame”?
An unique frame is a frame that is completely different from other frames. In a frame-by-frame animation, an unique frame is a redrawn frame.

3. Can I add the animation check if only the background elements are animated and not the characters?
Yes, we now have a category named “Minor Animation / Animated Background”, which will cover this type of attack.

4. Can I add the animation check to my spinning 3D Model?
Yes, this can be rated as "Animated Background".

1. What is a mass attack?
A mass attack is an attack with a lot of characters in it. There is no strict definition of a mass attack; it’s a term created by the community over the years.

2. How do I post a mass attack?
You submit the attack as usual, but you can add an extra character with the “Add character” button. You can add up to 100 characters to an attack. Any more than 100 characters can not be added to your attack by the staff team, this is the absolute character count limit.

3. Since there is only one main recipient, how do I notify the other character owners that I included their character?
They will be automatically notified in their attack notifications! ♥

4. I made a mass attack containing characters from both teams. How will this affect the points?
If the main recipient (the one you wrote the username of) is on the opposite team, you will get points for all characters, regardless of their team. This also goes the other way, so if the main recipient is on the same team as you, the whole attack will count as friendly fire and give 20% of the full points.

1. Can I use references?
Yes, as long as you do not directly trace or heavily reference someone else's art. Heavy referencing is left up to moderator discretion; you are welcome to ask any moderator about specifics if you have questions.

2. Can I add a canon character to my attack?
For copyright infringement reasons, we do not allow attacks or characters with copyrighted media present. (You may mention a canon character in descriptions, but you may not request characters to be drawn with a canon character.)

3. Are photos allowed for backgrounds?
Yes, photos are allowed for backgrounds, but they must be rated as “no background” and the image needs to be credited to the original creator/photographer/copyright owner, even if you are the creator, or the attack may be removed by a moderator. Photo credits should be stated in the attack credits.

4. Can I do an attack where the character is cosplaying a canon character?
Full cosplay is not allowed, as this easily breaks copyright because of the outfit design, but elements of cosplay are allowed, such as a character’s shirt, glasses, etc. Some generic outfits or non-character-specific outfits like a Fallout character wearing a vault dweller jumpsuit or a Pokemon oc wearing a Team Skull grunt outfit are allowed.

5. I’m not sure if I should mark my attack as polished?
Polish can be used if you have spent extra time or effort on a piece, or if you simply are very happy with it and feel like it’s some of your better work.

6. How many of my attacks can I mark as “polished”?
As many as you want, as long as you feel like you’ve put in extra effort, extra time or are extra proud of the work. Moderators may check for misuse if you have rated a majority of your attacks as polished though. Otherwise we do not heavily police it, as it is subjective.

7. Can I make an attack that is literature/writing or a composed/music piece?
While you can not submit these as pure attacks, you can make a drawing / 3D model / craft, and then attach writing or composed music in the description of the attack. This definitely counts for polish!