And yes and no.

The authors of the top 3 works from each category of MECH’22 (previous edition) are moved to a separate section. In other words, their works are judged in a separate course from the others.

In this way, from edition to edition, the number of people with higher skills will increase. Thus, the effect of the same participants winning awards every year will be avoided.

Still how!
Since MECH is not a competition, the level of participants is of secondary importance.
Just look at the gallery of all the works from MECH’22 to see how different skills the participants showed.

If you are a beginner it makes all the more sense to take part.
Why? For several reasons.

“There is no point in exhibiting, because the level of works is overwhelming…”
You can often read similar opinions regarding competitions based on competition. In MECH, the works are shown at the very end, so it is much harder to lose motivation.

MECH is an ideal opportunity to really test your skills.
It is very possible that you underestimate your skilling, and in this way you can more easily determine the further direction of development. After the work is published, you can discuss your submission together with the community or put it in the “feedback from Sami”.

If your work is highlighted it’s a sign that you might also want to consider taking part in other Competitive events.
The previous edition clearly showed that the authors of the best works were somehow surprised by the verdict of the judging committee.
A few months later, some of these people submitted their works to major painting festivals and took specific places.

This is because in this way the technical skills and creativity of the participants can be better compared.

This minimizes the risk that some participants will choose (not necessarily consciously) easier models to paint and thus get, so to speak, advantages.

In addition, by putting the same sculptures side by side, it is much more adequate and fair to evaluate the painting itself.

For this reason, dioramas or kitbashes/conversions are not advisable.

Nie. To jedynie wskazówka dla organizatora jakiego obłożenia może się spodziewać w danej kategorii.

Jeśli zechcesz wziąć udział we wszystkich kategoriach, ale dopadnie Cię życie i skończysz tylko część – nic nie szkodzi. Najważniejsze jest dokończenie i wysłanie przynajmniej jednej figurki.

Równie dobrze możesz w trakcie zmienić zdanie i zdecydować się wziąć udział w innej lub dodatkowej kategorii. Wybór należy do Ciebie.

Sure.
It makes no difference whether someone is a Patron, Adept, Guardian or Seraphim.
The strength of Sami’s MiniEmporium brand lies in the social funding of its existence, without categorizing people in terms of the amount of support.

MECH is an event organized for the community in order to develop the skills of its members and thus popularize the hobby in our country.

As an organizer, I don’t earn anything from it directly, so I offer a simple and, in my opinion, fair deal.
The support on Patronite allows me to still deal with MiniEmporium full-time. This gives me the time and opportunity to organize such events.
The more support, the more I can give from myself.

Also, in a way, those among the viewers who have decided to support me as a creator are indirectly responsible for the emergence of such initiatives.
I only manage it.

The publication of WIPs before the end of the challenge can (and most likely would) negatively affect the motivation of some participants.

This refers to “There is no point in exhibiting, because the level of work is overwhelming…”.

When we show our work to a wider audience it is very easy to have concerns. Especially when we do it for the first time.
Is my painting good enough? What if I stand out from the level of others? I’m a little ashamed because I’m just starting out. I can’t take a good picture of my figures….

Every artist has heard such whispers of doubt in his own mind at least once in his life. By eliminating WIPs during the challenge, we potentially reduce the number of such doubts. And by the same token, it’s easier to muster the courage to actually complete your works in holy peace.

The deadline for sending works is 31.10.2023
What counts here is not the date of receipt of the package by the organizer, but the date of posting in the participant’s package.

It depends. MECH’23 is a community-centered event and we make some decisions together.

In MECH’22, there was a situation where one of the participants ran out of hours to finish his work. He wrote about it on Discord and the entire community participating in the event decided to give him extra time specifically!

At the end of the day, he not only managed to complete his intended plan, but also made it to the distinguished group.

The limited time is also intended to practice the skill of saying “stop.” At some point you have to consider the work finished, because in fact each figure can be “drawn” indefinitely.

However, if you fail to prepare any work in time, then your entry fee is forfeited. This is due to the fact that much earlier package labels will be generated, diplomas ordered, shipping cartons purchased and other costs incurred.

In part, this is semantics, but what is important here is the specific distinction from similar events.

Competitions are often competition-oriented. In addition, they are also often physical events where you have to show up in person to submit entries.
In the case of online competitions, the onus is on the participants to take relevant photos and deliver them to the organizers.

The word “challenge” in MECH changes the optics from competition to development and “proving yourself.” The idea is to get the courage to face something new, for everyone it will be something different – a new scale, a different type of model, manufacturer or even techniques.