Fan Art FAQ, Board Rules, Contest Guidelines and Resources — Please Read

Table of Contents
1. A Brief History of this Forum
2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
3. Board Rules
4. Monthly Art Challenge Guidelines

4.1 Contest Rules and Requirements
4.2 List of Past Contests​

5. Information, Inspiration, Resources and References

​

1. A Brief History of this Forum

Only a year after the Trek BBS community was founded in early 1999, a sub-forum dedicated solely to Star Trek fan art was added in May 2000. Originally called “Trek Art”, the forum was retitled “Fan Art” ten years later in January of 2010, when the forum was grouped together with “Fan Fiction” and “Fan Productions”.

The position of forum moderator has been filled by five people in the past: Necromancer (who was its first moderator), drbob, Santana, @Vektor and @Ptrope. Serving for the longest periods of time have been @Vektor (2002 – 2005) and @Ptrope (2005 – 2017).

One of the oldest traditions of the forum is the monthly art challenge, first introduced in 2003, when @Vektor moderated the forum. As of this writing there have been more than 150 editions of the contest.


2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Am I allowed to post non-Trek artwork here?
A: Well, this is the Fan Art forum on a bulletin board dedicated to Star Trek, but it’s not prohibited to post artwork unrelated to Trek. As a rule of thumb, new posters should probably start with something pertaining to Trek and keep the non-Trek stuff under half of what they post from then on.

Q: Is it okay to ask people to make stuff for me, even if it’s for free?
A: Depends on what you're asking for. A lot of people in here will gladly do up a Website banner, a blu-ray cover, put your head on a Starfleet uniform, etc. while asking nothing in return except proper credit. On the other hand, you should probably think twice about asking people to do something they would normally earn hundreds or thousands (or tens of thousands!) of dollars for doing professionally. You should have no expectation of people doing that kind of work purely out of the goodness of their hearts, and don't be surprised if some of them take offense at even being asked to do so. They don't like the implication that their talents and efforts are essentially valueless. In short, you can ask, but at least try to understand what you're asking for.

Q: Why are so few people responding to my posts? I've got dozens of views but almost no responses.
A: Before you assume people are sending you a message with their lack of response, stop and consider what you've given them to respond to. A lot of people will respond just to say they like what you're doing and want to see more, but many more people will respond if they feel they can be part of the process. That’s why threads involving works in progress (WIPs) tend to be so popular. You will also usually get direct responses to direct questions. And don't underestimate the significance of how many views you're getting, regardless of the number of responses. If people didn't like what they were seeing then they wouldn't keep coming back for more. On the other hand, if your work really isn't that good or just fails to strike a chord for whatever reason then you may not be getting many views or responses, in which case you may just have to live with it. Not everyone is a Picasso or Leonardo Da Vinci. Just understand that people aren't deliberately trying to be rude by not responding.

Q: I want to build 3D starships, too! How do I get started?
A: First, understand that 3D modeling and animation is not something you just decide to dive into one day on a lark. The learning curve to be able to produce anything more than boxes and spheres is quite steep and typically takes years to master. Second, most of the software for creating this stuff is spendy, upwards of two or three thousand dollars. There are, however, some very inexpensive or even free packages like Blender and Rhino that are very good, especially for someone who is just starting out, and can be downloaded right off the Internet. Third, there is a certain amount of talent and natural ability involved in creating computer-generated imagery (commonly called CGI or just CG); contrary to popular belief, the computer does very little of the actual creative work for you. If you're a good artist in more traditional mediums and have a pretty good sense of spatial perception then you probably have a shot at being a good CG artist. Then again, there are some awesome CG artists out there who can't draw a decent looking stick man so it really depends on the individual. If none of those issues present a problem for you then the best place to start is with one of the free or inexpensive packages, test the waters to see how you like it and how good you are at it, post some stuff here in Fan Art and let the feedback guide you from there.

Q: Where can I get a copy of [insert name of costly software here]?
A: Short answer: Not here. If you're looking for a bootleg copy then nobody here can help you. The Trek BBS is not to be used in any manner, shape or form for the distribution or procurement of illegal software. If you already have an illegal copy and you're using it to post your artwork, we don't want to know about it. Or more accurately, you don't want us or anyone else to know about it. The people here don't condone it and they will not look kindly upon it. You've been warned.

Q: How do I keep people from stealing my work or using it without proper credit?
A: The only foolproof way is not to post it at all, but there are less exclusive methods to help protect your intellectual property rights. The most common is to simply put your name, logo or some other identifying mark on everything you post. Such markings can be removed, but those who are inclined to steal your work in the first place are usually too lazy to bother. Some markings are harder to remove than others, full-frame watermarks, for example, that cover the actual image without obscuring it.

Q: I want to use part of someone else’s work in some of my own. How do I give them proper credit?
A: This is a case where cluttering up the image is not a matter of choice. Proper credit should appear on the image for elements that you yourself did not create. If you like to render 3D fleet battles containing dozens of starship meshes by other authors then every single one of them must be credited. If you don't know who created the element you want to use then at least acknowledge that its creator is unknown so there’s no confusion that you might be claiming it as your own. The format is fairly typical: “Enterprise mesh by Dennis Bailey” or “Photomanipulation by Captain Robert April.” This also applies to image elements from sources outside of the Trek BBS, such as the NASA website or sites with astronomical images.

One exception to on-image credit would be stock images, objects and characters purchased for use in images and art, such as 3D content to be used in programs like 3DS, Maya, Vue, Poser, etc. — most of these contain licenses that allow their uncredited use in other works, but one should read the EULAs carefully and abide by them; if the EULA requires credit to be given, or does not allow public use at all, that is the guideline to follow.

Q: Is there a limit to how large posted images can be?
A: Not necessarily. Especially in the Fan Art forum picture-heavy threads and large images come with the territory. No matter how big the image is, the board software will automatically scale the image down to fit the width of the page. Clicking on the image will enlarge it to its original size. However, please don't forget that large images mean longer loading times for visitors of your thread. So it's wise to keep the number of super-sized images on one page down to a reasonable amount wherever possible.

Q: Where can I host images online so I can post them in my threads?
A: The most reliable place is in your own bought-and-paid-for webspace. You can either buy some or use one of the numerous free hosting services, such as imgur.com, tinypic.com, flickr.com or postimage.org.

Q: The image I wanted to post actually belongs to someone else so I just linked right to their Webspace. Is that okay?
A: No, it's not. That practice is called “leeching” or “hotlinking” and is frowned upon on the internet. Hotlinked images will be removed by the moderator.

Q: How far can I go with screen caps, video and audio clips of Trek episodes and other copyrighted material?
A: This is a very good question with a very complicated answer. In general, the limit has always been that you can't post anything that is likely to infringe on any copyright holder’s profit potential. For example, you can probably get away with adding a few seconds of captured video from the TOS episode “Balance of Terror” to your CG recreation of the F/X shots, but you would be in big trouble if you tried to post a copy of the entire episode. The former is not going to remove the necessity of anyone going out and buying the series if they want to see it, whereas the latter very well might.

Another example might be screen captures; there are very few scenarios in which posting a screen cap is going to deprive Paramount or anyone else of due compensation. One more example worth noting would be printed materials from books or magazines: If you scan something like that and post it at an equal or even comparable quality and resolution to the original then you're infringing on the profitability of that publication and Trek BBS cannot be a party to it.

Q: What are the limits on nudity and other adult themes in posted materials?
A: Explicit sexuality has never been a really big issue here in Fan Art. Every once in a while someone will post a fairly suggestive character sketch, but "adult themes" just don't tend to play much of a part in Trek related artwork. As stated in the Trek BBS board rules, adult content like nudity, near nudity or anything like that is not allowed. The boards sponsors comes down hard on that.

Q: How do I update my works in progress without it being considered spamming?
A: Most of the definitions of “spamming” from the Trek BBS rules apply equally here as with anywhere else on the board (i.e. don't post the same thing multiple times, don't make posts with no real content or relevance, don't post more than two or three threads in a forum within a reasonable length of time). However, there is one variation which may, at times, be unavoidable: It is possible you may need to post more than twice in a row in your own thread because a.) you have created new images, b.) the time to allow editing of your posts has elapsed, and c.) no one else has posted anything in your thread since your own previous post(s). If this is the case, don't feel that you can't post because you will risk a warning. However, bumping a thread with irrelevant posts, posting multiple times within the feasible editing window instead of editing the existing post, and other such avoidable behavior will still be assessed according to the existing board rules.

Q: I want to change the title of my thread or correct a mistake in my poll; can I contact the moderator?
A: Yes, no problem. Just ask in the thread or feel free to send the moderator a private message if you need help editing your thread.

 

3. Board Rules
The current version of the board rules is located here. For your convenience they are reproduced below:

No Spamming
You can't post the same thing multiple times on the board, or post the same thing over and over in a certain thread or forum, or continuously make posts that have no real content or relevance to what is being discussed. Spamming can even just be posting too much – as a general rule, don't post more than two or three threads in a forum within a reasonable length of time. Just posting stuff like "Okay, " or "I agree!" could be spamming. Contribute to a discussion; don't just build post count.

No flaming
You can't call someone an ass or even use a tame term. If it's getting personal, step away from the computer.

No trolling
This means don't post stuff that you know will enrage someone in hopes of getting them to flame you back. This does NOT mean a contrary opinion.

No slurs
The N----- word, the F-- word, etc. (Slurs, not profanity) If it's borderline, just don't do it. This covers race, sexuality, ethnicity and religion or lack of religion. Just don't insult others.

No sales
While I'll wink at something in your signature line, we frown on posting strictly to sell your stuff. Sorry, but we don't want to take responsibility if the transaction goes south. This includes fundraising efforts unless it's something I approved personally for you, ebay, and the like.

Post no more than twice in a row
This is so you don't dominate a discussion/thread. Use the quote function if you need to answer multiple posts aimed at you.

Don't hotlink
If you're posting a picture, host it on your own site/Photobucket, whatever. DON'T just link to another site. They hate that.

Picture size
I'll add more on this shortly. Short guide: The smaller, the better. If it stretches the page, you've messed up. Also - if you're quoting someone who used pictures in their post, no need to repeat that picture in your thread.

Personal Stuff
No posting personal stuff of other people taken from other sites, including FB, Twitter, LJ pages or whatever, UNLESS they have given you permission. I don't care if it's publicly listed elsewhere. No doxxing.

Piracy, Adblockers
No promoting piracy, or promoting adblockers. The last one especially will get you tossed from the board.

No duals
If I catch you with a dual, I will shut the dual, and either warn you or toss you off of the board, depending upon the circumstances. A dual means having more than one account.

Resurrecting dead threads
If you find a thread that has not had a post in it in over a year, don't post in it. Start a new thread instead. You can, if necessary, link back to the old thread if something crucial is in the thread.

Adult content
No nudity, near nudity or anything like that. Our sponsor comes down hard on that. If we ask you to remove something, that's why.

Avatars
No cussing, provocative photos or trolling via the avatar.

Signature line
No graphics whatsoever (use the avatar for that). Text only. Keep it short. If not, I will contact you. Four lines max is all that is allowed INCLUDING spacer lines.

Penalities
At the discretion of the moderator, you may be warned for breaking the rules. A certain amount of warnings trips a day, week or month ban. If I feel that you are here only to cause trouble, or if I feel you don't care about the warnings and will keep making trouble, I can and I will eject you from the board. You don't know what that number of warnings may be, so don't try it.

2 warnings in a year = One day off
4 warnings in a year = One week off
6 warnings in a year = One month off
8 warnings in a year = Three months off
10 warnings TOTAL (entire time here, not just in a year) = See ya!
Note: a year is a contiguous year, not a calendar year.

Appeals
If you feel your warning is in error, contact the mod privately. Give him/her time to respond (like a day or so at the least). Only if you still feel that you don't have resolution, post in Moderator Actions. I will then review the action. My decision is final.

 

4. Monthly Art Challenge Guidelines

4.1 Contest Rules and Requirements
The monthly Fan Art challenge is not an ‘official’ function of the forum, but is informally agreed upon and continued by the members for over a decade now. It is held in the spirit of fun and should not be taken too seriously. Everyone is welcome to enter the contest.

In general, the requirements of the monthly challenge are determined by the winner of the previous month's challenge, but the common expectations are that a) the artwork you submit is created during the month of the challenge, rather than using artwork or compositions that already exist and happen to fit the theme and rules of the challenge, and b) you are allowed only one final image to submit, although it may contain multiple views. The contest's theme should be chosen in a way that involves the majority of posters, no matter their artistic orientation. Here are some suggestions for new contest themes.

To cut down on confusion and logistical problems, the entrants need to post their final entries in the new contest thread started by last month's winner, usually until the last day of the month. Last month's winner will then post the poll in a timely fashion, usually on the first day of the month with a voting period of about three days.


4.2 List of Past Contests

2003
Aug 2003 | Classic Car Spaceship | Enter

2004
001 | 01 | Jan 2004 | Alien Worlds | Winner: Ptrope
002 | 02 | Feb2004 | Enterprise Movie Poster | Winner: dukesman | Ptrope.com
003 | 03 | Mar 2004 | Trek episode book covers | Winner: porthos4captain | Ptrope.com
004 | 04 | Apr 2004 | Insignia | Winner: The Axeman | Ptrope.com
005 | 05 | May 2004 | Redesign a Trek Prop | Winner: vulan2k3
006 | 06 | Jun 2004 | Personal Shuttle | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com
007 | 07 | Jul 2004 | Starship Nose Art | Winner: Kirkunit | Ptrope.com
008 | 08 | Aug 2004 | Starship Enterprise by Other Designers | Winner: The Axeman
009 | 09 | Sept 2004 | Trek Wheeled Vehicles | Winner: The Axeman
010 | 10 | Oct 2004 | Matte Painting | Winner: Vektor
011 | 11 | Nov 2004 | A Startling Discovery | Winner: Ivymae
012 | 12 | Dec 2004 | Trek Crossover With Another Series | Winner: Kail

2005
013 | 01 | Jan 2005 | New Trek Animated Series | Winner: Focus Abbey
014 | 02 | Feb 2005 | New Trek Series | Winner: Adam Ihle
015 | 03 | Mar 2005 | Trek Aliens | Winner: HortaVorta
016 | 04 | Apr 2005 | Trek Advertisements | Winner: LonegunGirl | Ptrope.com
017 | 05 | May 2005 | Trek Valentine | Winner: Ptrope
018 | 06 | Jun 2005 | Steam Trek | Winner: Ushaan | Ptrope.com
019 | 07 | Jul 2005 | Computer Interface
020 | 08 | Aug 2005 | Propulsion | Winner: vulcan2k3 | Ptrope.com
021 | 09 | Sept 2005 | Moonbases | Winner: Ushaan | Ptrope.com
022 | 10 | Oct 2005 | Cops & Robbers! | Winner: biotech
023 | 11 | Nov 2005 | Down & Dirty! | Winner: ThomasModels | Ptrope.com
024 | 12 | Dec 2005 | Trek Christmas Ornament | Winner: Connon

2006
025 | 01 | Jan 2006 | Fast Food in Trek | Winner: Masao | Ptrope.com
026 | 02 | Feb 2006 | The Sporting Life! | Winner: Temis the Vorta
027 | 03 | Mar 2006 | Other Sci-Fi in a Trek Context | Winner: Adam Ihle
028 | 04 | Apr 2006 | Happy Anniversary, Trek | Winner: B.J.
029 | 05 | May 2006 | Speed! | Winner: Flux Capacitor
030 | 06 | Jun 2006 | So We Meet Again! | Winner: Starscape
031 | 07 | Jul 2006 | Trek in Other Artists' Styles | Winner: Masao | Ptrope.com
032 | 08 | Aug 2006 | Failed Trek Revivals, Spin-offs and Merchandise | Winner: Adam Ihle | Ptrope.com
033 | 09 | Sept 2006 | Mixed Media Trek | Winner: Kail | Ptrope.com
034 | 10 | Oct 2006 | The Animated Series! | Winner: Redfern | Ptrope.com
035 | 11 | Nov 2006 | Home for the Holidays | Winner: johnhazard | Ptrope.com
036 | 12 | Dec 2006 | Assignment: Earth! | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com

2007
037 | 01 | Jan 2007 | Mirror, Mirror | Winner: smalltalk66 | Ptrope.com
038 | 02 | Feb 2007 | Express Yo'self | Winner: Admiral2 | Ptrope.com
039 | 03 | Mar 2007 | The Pike Chronicles | Winner: Focus Abbey | Ptrope.com
040 | 04 | Apr 2007 | Reimagining TOS | Winner: Kail | Ptrope.com
041 | 05 | May 2007 | Trek Character Endorsements / Promote This, Sir! | Winner: Flux Capacitor | Ptrope.com
042 | 06 | Jun 2007 | Sport Trek! | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com
043 | 07 | Jul 2007 | Personal Trek Tech! | Winner: Adam Ihle | Ptrope.com
044 | 08 | Aug 2007 | Domo Arigato, Star Trek Roboto | Winner: aridas sofia | Ptrope.com
045 | 09 | Sept 2007 | von Braun's Ultimate Space Program | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
046 | 10 | Oct 2007 | Great Moments in Trek History | Winner: Starscape | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
047 | 11 | Nov 2007 | The Beauty of Trek | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
048 | 12 | Dec 2007 | The Perfect Gift | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote

2008
049 | 01 | Jan 2008 | Assimilate This! / We Are the Borg! | Winner: Admiral2 | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
050 | 02 | Feb 2008 | Tomorrow is Yesterday | Winner: biotech | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
051 | 03 | Mar 2008 | It's a Small Trek After All | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
052 | 04 | Apr 2008 | A Trek Odyssey | Winner: Flux Capacitor | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
053 | 05 | May 2008 | Speed Trek! | Winner: Starscape | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
054 | 06 | Jun 2008 | It's All About Time! | Winner: Ihlecreations | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
055 | 07 | Jul 2008 | Amalgamated! | Winner: Flux Capacitor | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
056 | 08 | Aug 2008 | Back to School | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
057 | 09 | Sept 2008 | Take Me to Your Leader! | Winner: Starscape | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
058 | 10 | Oct 2008 | To Quote, Perchance to Trek | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
059 | 11 | Nov 2008 | Dirty Jobs | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
060 | 12 | Dec 2008 | Holidays Across the Galaxy | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote

2009
061 | 01 | Jan 2009 | Upgrades | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
062 | 02 | Feb 2009 | Look! Up in the Sky! | Winner: Albertese | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote | Runoff
063 | 03 | Mar 2009 | Pre-Production | Winner: Admiral2 | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
064 | 04 | Apr 2009 | Hydrospace | Winner: Vektor | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
065 | 05 | May 2009 | Inspiration | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote | Runoff
066 | 06 | Jun 2009 | Good and Evil | Winner: Flux Capacitor | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
067 | 07 | Jul 2009 | Trek on the Track! | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
068 | 08 | Aug 2009 | Lock & Load! | Winner: B.J. | | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
069 | 09 | Sept 2009 | The Challenge Coin | Winner: Shaw | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
070 | 10 | Oct 2009 | Myths and Legends | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
071 | 11 | Nov 2009 | The Thin Red Line | Winner: The Lensman | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
072 | 12 | Dec 2009 | 2nd Chance for 1-Shot Wonders | Winner: Mr. Cellophane | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote

2010
073 | 01 | Jan 2010 | Metamorphosis | Winner: BK613 | Enter | Vote
074 | 02 | Feb 2010 | Trek in Winter | Winner: Flux Capacitor | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
075 | 03 | Mar 2010 | The Future of Refreshment | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
076 | 04 | Apr 2010 | B-Movie Poster | Winner: ITL | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
077 | 05 | May 2010 | Cheese Factor Eleven! | Winner: Tosk | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
078 | 06 | Jun 2010 | Animal Kingdom | Winner: Starscape | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
079 | 07 | Jul 2010 | Health & Safety | Winner: BK613 | Enter | Vote
080 | 08 | Aug 2010 | Star Trek Rocks | Winner: Ihlecreations | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
081 | 09 | Sept 2010 | Where No "Mad Men" Have Gone Before | Winner: Starscape | Enter | Vote
082 | 10 | Oct 2010 | Another Time or Place | Winner: neoworx | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
083 | 11 | Nov 2010 | The Captain's New Duds | Winner: KNH | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote | Runoff
084 | 12 | Dec 2010 | Locutus's Legacy | Winner: Dac | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote | Runoff

 

2011
085 | 01 | Jan 2011 | Multiverse Madness | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
086 | 02 | Feb 2011 | Gerry Anderson's Star Trek | Winner: Ptrope | Enter | Vote
087 | 03 | Mar 2011 | Kirk, James Kirk / Spy Trek! | Winner: Ensign Ro- | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
088 | 04 | Apr 2011 | Bridging Your Home | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote | Runoff
089 | 05 | May 2011 | Freedom | Winner: Vektor | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
090 | 06 | Jun 2011 | Shore Leave | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
091 | 07 | Jul 2011 | Enterprise Support Craft | Winner: Winston Smith | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
092 | 08 | Aug 2011 | Known Unknowns | Winner: Morpheus 02 | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
093 | 09 | Sept 2011 | There's An App For That! | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
094 | 10 | Oct 2011 | Scare Trek | Winner: Solarbaby | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
095 | 11 | Nov 2011 | Is That One of Our Ships? | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
096 | 12 | Dec 2011 | Sweet Zombie Jesus! It's HUGE! | Winner: BK613 | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote

2012
097 | 01 | Jan 2012 | Channeling Dr. Cooper | Winner: Albertese | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
098 | 02 | Feb 2012 | The Good Ol' 21st Century | Winner: BK613 & Shawnster | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
099 | 03 | Mar 2012 | That's Not Her Style | Winner: Klaus | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
100 | 04 | Apr 2012 | A New Beginning | Winner: 137th Gebirg | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
101 | 05 | May 2012 | Arms & Sigils | Winner: Winston Smith | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
102 | 06 | Jun 2012 | Costume and Uniform | Winner: Venardhi | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
103 | 07 | Jul 2012 | Civilian Life | Winner: Albertese | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
104 | 08 | Aug 2012 | Mars! | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
105 | 09 | Sept 2012 | A Great Fall! | Winner: The Lensman | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
106 | 10 | Oct 2012 | The Horror of It | Winner: The Lensman | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
107 | 11 | Nov 2012 | Just Suppose … Juxtapose | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
108 | 12 | Dec 2012 | Conference Room Inspiration | Winner: Ensign Ro- | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote

2013
109 | 01 | Jan 2013 | Brewgineering! | Winner: Winston Smith | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
110 | 02 | Feb 2013 | Cities! / The City | Winner: BK613 | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
111 | 03 | Mar 2013 | March Madness | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
112 | 04 | Apr 2013 | Beauty and the Beast | Winner: Solarbaby | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote | Runoff
113 | 05 | May 2013 | Into Darkness | Winner: Dac | Enter | Vote
114 | 06 | Jun 2013 | Turn Off the Dark … ness | Winner: Solarbaby | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
115 | 07 | Jul 2013 | The Unthinkable! | Winner: Flux Capacitor | Enter | Vote | Runoff
116 | 08 | Aug 2013 | R&R | Winner: Klaus | Enter
117 | 09 | Sept/Oct 2013 | The Alternative Factor | Winner: The Lensman | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
118 | 10 | Nov 2013 | The Spin-Off! | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
119 | 11 | Dec 2013 | A Blue Christmas | Winner: Starscape | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote

2014
120 | 01 | Jan 2014 | The Shape of Things to Come | Winner: smalltalk66 | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
121 | 02 | Feb 2014 | Second Chances | Winner: DFScott | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
122 | 03 | Mar 2014 | Memorabilia Magic | Winner: Albertese | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
123 | 04 | Apr 2014 | Ancient Legacies | Winner: Klaus | Enter | Vote
124 | 05 | May/Jun 2014 | New and/or Improved | Winner: Klaus | Enter | Vote
125 | 06 | 3rd Quarter 2014 | Sports and Recreation | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
126 | 07 | Oct 2014 | Monster Mash | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
127 | 08 | Nov 2014 | Alternative Liveries | Winner: Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
128 | 09 | Dec 2014 | Off the Rack | Winner: Ptrope | Enter | Vote

2015
129 | 01 | Jan 2015 | In Soviet Russia, Star Trek Watches YOU! | Winner: The Lensman | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
130 | 02 | Feb 2015 | Spin-Offs – or What the Future Held! | Winner: Starscape | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
131 | 03 | Mar 2015 | A Tribute to … | Winner: B.J. & Ptrope | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
132 | 04 | Apr 2015 | Disney Trek | Winner: Solarbaby | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
133 | 05 | May 2015 | Election Fever | Winner: Solarbaby | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
134 | 06 | Jun 2015 | Get your Crayons Out | Winner: The Lensman | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
135 | 07 | Jul 2015 | Sing, Sing, Sing | Winner: B.J. | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
136 | 08 | Aug/Sept 2015 | Famous Pictures | Winner: 137th Gebirg | Enter | Vote
137 | 09 | Oct 2015 | TAS Remastered | Winner: monodox | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
138 | 10 | Nov 2015 | The Lost Model Kits | Winner: BK613 | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
139 | 11 | Dec 2015/Jan 2016 | It's cold in Space – Bring a Blanket! | Winner: Starscape | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote

2016
140 | 01 | Feb/Mar 2016 | Back on Civvy Street | Winner: Starscape | Enter | Vote
141 | 02 | Apr 2016 | Design Series VI | Winner: B.J. | Enter | Vote
142 | 03 | May 2016 | Flags! | Winner: BorgMan | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote | Runoff
143 | 04 | Jun/Jul 2016 | Mashup | Winner: Albertese | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
144 | 05 | Aug/Sept 2016 | Original and Iconic | Winner: BorgMan | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
145 | 06 | Oct 2016 | October is Twisted Month | Winner: The Lensman | Enter | Vote
146 | 07 | Nov 2016 | Trekmas Cards / TreXMas Cards | Winner: Cyfa | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
147 | 08 | Dec 2016 | Anachronistic Star Trek | Winner: B.J. | Enter | Vote

2017
148 | 01 | Jan 2017 | Damage! | Winner: LeeDrawsStuff | Enter | Vote
149 | 02 | Feb 2017 | Pilot! | Winner: BorgMan | Ptrope.com | Enter | Vote
150 | 03 | Mar/Apr 2017 | Honor Those That Came Before | Winner: aridas sofia | Enter | Vote
151 | 04 | May 2017 | Star Trek Forever! | Winner: Soran77 | Enter | Vote
152 | 05 | Jun 2017 | Summer Fun | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
153 | 06 | Jul 2017 | Walk Like An Egyptian | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
154 | 07 | Aug 2017 | Ready Player One-Seven-Zero-One | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
155 | 08 | Sept 2017 | Tomorrow's News | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
156 | 09 | Oct 2017 | Celebrate good times, come on! | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
157 | 10 | Nov 2017 | Let's See Your OC! | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
158 | 11 | Dec 2017 | Unfinished Business | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote

 

2018
159 | 01 | Jan 2018 | Your Favorite Trek Moment | Winner: DeMilburn | Enter | Vote
160 | 02 | Feb 2018 | Alternative Trek | Winner: pl1ngpl0ng | Enter | Vote
161 | 03 | Mar 2018 | Trekformers | Winner: Starscape | Enter | Vote
162 | 04 | Apr 2018 | The Magical World of Star Trek | Winner: Starscape | Enter | Vote
163 | 05 | May 2018 | Starfleet Needs YOU!!! | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
164 | 06 | June 2018 | Isik For Your Thoughts | Winner: Starscape | Enter | Vote
165 | 07 | July 2018 | Unseen Scenes | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
166 | 08 | Aug 2018 | A Trek on the Wild Side | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
167 | 09 | Sept 2018 | That ... is a Starship | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
168 | 10 | Oct 2018 | Anomaly of the Month | Winner: USS Triumphant | Enter | Vote
169 | 11 | Nov 2018 | Captain Proton Reboot | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
170 | 12 | Dec 2018 | Secret Star Trek Santa | Winner: Starscape | Enter | Vote

2019
171 | 01 | Jan 2019 | Secret Societies | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
172 | 02 | Feb 2019 | Mix and Match | Winner: FInn | Enter | Vote | Runoff
173 | 03 | Mar 2019 | Celebrations at Starbase | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
174 | 04 | Apr 2019 | Oops A Daisy! | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
175 | 05 | May 2019 | Treasure Map | Winner: SCE2Aux | Enter | Vote
176 | 06 | June 2019 | LGBTQ Month! | Winner: SCE2Aux & Cyfa | Enter | Vote
177 | 07 | July 2019 | Food in the Star Trek Universe! | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
178 | 08 | Aug 2019 | Under the Sea ... | Winner: BorgMan | Enter | Vote
179 | 09 | Sept 2019 | I Spy, I Spy … / Spytember | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
180 | 10 | Oct 2019 | In Memoriam … | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
181 | 11 | Nov 2019 | What The Trek? | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
182 | 12 | Dec 2019 | Best of 2019 | Winner: The Lensman | Enter | Vote

2020
183 | 01 | Jan/Feb 2020 | Crisis on Infinite Treks | Winner: ashefivekay | Enter | Vote
184 | 02 | Mar 2020 | Looking Forward | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
185 | 03 | Apr 2020 | Into the Arboretum ... | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
186 | 04 | May 2020 | Princessium and the Po | Winner: BorgMan | Enter | Vote
187 | 05 | June 2020 | In Times of Crisis ... | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
188 | 06 | July 2020 | New Look Next Gen| Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
189 | 07 | Aug 2020 | Not Trek | Winner: BorgMan | Enter | Vote
190 | 08 | Sept 2020 | The Lower Decks | Winner: Starscape | Enter | Vote
191 | 09 | Oct 2020 | Black Future History | Winner: Atolm| Enter | Vote
192 | 10 | Nov/Dec 2020 | Star Trek Redux | Winner: MisterD | Enter | Vote

2021
193 | 01 | Jan 2021 | Villains and Antagonists | Winner: Atolm | Enter | Vote
194 | 02 | Feb 2021 | Star Trek Gerry Anderson Style | Winner: BorgMan | Enter | Vote | Runoff
195 | 03 | Mar 2021 | Time is Relative | Winner: Rekkert| Enter | Vote
196 | 04 | Apr 2021 | Big in Japan | Winner: Cobalt Frost | Enter | Vote
197 | 05 | May 2021 | Greetings, Programs! | Winner: Starscape | Enter | Vote
198 | 06 | June 2021 | Vacationing on the Final Frontier | Winner: Cyfa| Enter | Vote
199 | 07 | July 2021 | Blue & Gold | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
200 | 08 | Aug 2021 | YOUR Star Trek | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
201 | 09 | Sept/Oct 2021 | Creepy Cosplay | Winner: Cyfa | Enter | Vote
202 | 10 | Nov 2021 | Let There Be Light! | Winner: Orac | Enter | Vote
203 | 11 | Dec 2021 | A Star Trek Christmas Carol | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote

2022
204 | 01 | Jan 2022 | Everyday Inspiration | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
205 | 02 | Aug 2022 | Hailing Frequencies Closed | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
206 | 03 | Sept 2022 | TOS Anniversary | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
207 | 04 | Oct 2022 | Pre-Warp History | Winner: MisterD | Enter | Vote
208 | 05 | Nov 2022 | Toy Trek | Winner: Michael | Enter | Vote
209 | 06 | Dec 2022 | Trek Craft Inspired by a Car Manufacturer | Winner: MisterD | Enter | Vote

2023
210 | 01 | Jan 2023 | Design Evolution | Winner: | Enter | Vote

Top winners of all time:

1. Michael (20 wins)
2. Starscape (16 wins)
   
3. B.J. (15 wins)
4. Cyfa, Klaus and Ptrope (14 wins each)
5. The Lensman (8 wins)
6. BorgMan and Flux Capacitor (7 wins each)
7. BK613 (6 wins)
8. Albertese and Solarbaby (5 wins each)

 

5. Information, Inspiration, Resources and References
(Note: This section has been sourced from this thread including new and updated information. The users originally suggesting each item are noted at the end respectively.)

Want to add to the list? Please post here!

Tools, Links & Resources

• Set Blueprints Exchange: a thread collecting set blueprints
• Star Trek Blueprints: a thread collection starship blueprints
• Star Trek Blueprints Database: 4,500+ Star Trek blueprint sheets
• Trekcore.com: an extensive database of episode screenshots, sounds, promotional art and rare photos for all the Trek series and movies.
• Ex Astris Scientia: maintained by German long-time Star Trek fan Bernd Schneider, EAS focuses on the starships and future technology that appeared in the various TV series and movies, as well as on the discussion of artistic, political, social and philosophical aspects of Star Trek. It features a Starship Database, Starship Articles, Fleet Charts and a Treknology Encyclopedia.
• Star Trek Starship Handbooks: PDF ebooks containing data and schematics on various vessels from the Star Trek series and movies, culled and collated from around the web.
• Starship Schematics Database: A site archiving every single starship design ever conceived in Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Babylon 5, and Space Battleship Yamato, both official and unofficial, interesting and mediocre. (suggested by @K'riq Sa)
  
• TrekMeshes.ch: free Star Trek 3D ship meshes. (suggested by @K'riq Sa)
  
• FabioFeminoFantaScience.org: Italian site with hundreds of pages of artwork by Robert McCall, Chesley Bonestell, and Frank R. Paul about retrofuturism (spaceships, megastructures, flying cars) and Mars. Lots of scans of old sci-fi magazines. (suggested by @Masao)
• Starship Dimensions: a site with just about every sci-fi universe's ships scaled relative to each other. (suggested by @backstept)
  
• Free stock photos: Pexels, Unsplash, FreeImages, StockSnap, Pixabay
• Escher Girls: very informative blog that showcases the prevalence of certain ways women are depicted in illustrated pop media (i.e. impossible and ridiculous female poses).
• Project Rho: Winchell Chung's site has two major attractions: in-depth analysis of building a “real” old school intrasystem “rocketship” and lots of background material and related information on the 1960s Jefferies-design Leif Ericson spaceship model, which is a nice inspiration for Jefferies-style (TOS-)work. (suggested by @Harry)
• “The Tough Guide to the Known Galaxy”: a sobering review of common sci-fi elements. Nice to read if you want to bring in some realism into your sci-fi designs/fanfiction. (suggested by @Harry)
  
• Paleofuture: A blog on retrofuturism. (suggested by @Harry)
  
• Concept Ships: concept spaceship “blogazine” with cool designs and techniques. (suggested by @Ptrope)

Artists

• Kia Asamiya: Japanese manga artist whose work spans multiple genres and appeals to diverse audiences. Worked on projects with Image Comics, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics, as well as developing a manga adaptation of the film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. (suggested by @Blamo)
• Harald Belker: designer for movies like Star Trek Into Darkness, Minority Report, Batman and Robin, Serenity and others. His site has 2D rendering tutorials (based around automotive concept art, but applicable to any futuristic/sci-fi art), and galleries of some of his film work. (suggested by @Ptrope)
• John Berkey: prolific and popular science fiction and science illustrator, whose art has been on hundreds of book covers, as well as frequent appearances illustrating articles in magazines like Popular Science. His art is characterized by brash, seemingly-freeform strokes that, looked at closely, don't seem to even try to achieve any kind of realism, but the impressions of his complete paintings are of extensive detail and realism. One of the true kings of spaceship paintings! (suggested by @Ptrope)
  
• Scott Chambliss: production designer with credits for Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. His site features a lot of nice production drawings and concepts.
  
• Doug Chiang: a designer for the Star Wars Prequels and War of the Worlds. Unfortunately, the site seems to be largely defunct now, though. (suggested by @Masao)
  
• Ryan Church: concept artist for numerous genre films like Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Thor: The Dark World and Tron (2010). His site has a lot of concept art for inspiration.
• Vincent Di Fate: an old school Fantasy Artist who's done promotional pieces for NASA, movie posters (including Jaws), and sci-fi and fantasy novel covers. (suggested by @2takesfrakes)
• Daren Dochterman: concept artist for genre movies like Independence day 2, Batman v. Superman, X-Men: The Last Stand and Star Trek Beyond. He also contributed to the Director's Cut of the first Star Trek motion picture. His site features many nice concept renderings.
• Doug Drexler: designer for all the modern Star Trek shows and the Next Generation movies. His popular blog “The Drex Files” featured a ton of Star Trek concept art but infamously shut down in 2013. Much of the content can now only be found via archived sites.
• Pierre Drolet: digital artist and compositor involved with the visual effects for Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and Star Trek Nemesis. His site features many of his renderings. Plus: Pierre Drolet on ArtStation.
• John Eaves: prolific concept illustrator and designer who contributed countless designs to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise and eight Star Trek films. He is now working on Star Trek: Discovery. He designed the USS Enterprise-E and the USS Discovery. His site and his blog “Eavesdropping” are sprinkled with lots of concept designs.
• Harrison Ellenshaw: filmmaker and visual effects artist whose work can be seen in such films as Star Wars, Tron, The Empire Strikes Back, Superman IV and many others. See some of his work on this site. (suggested by @2takesfrakes)
  
• Sean Hargreaves: concept and production designer for Star Trek Beyond and movies like
  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Fifth Element and The Fountain. His site features some of his work for Star Trek and Independence Day 2.
• Burne Hogarth: cartoonist and illustrator whose book “Dynamic Figure Drawing” is an important learning tool, and he has a whole series of books. (suggested by @Admiral2)
• Alex Jeager: concept artist for movies such as Star Trek: First Contact, Starship Troopers, Galaxy Quest, Pacific Rim, Star Wars – Episode II and the Marvel movies. Designed the fan-favorite Akira-class ship for First Contact. His blog features some of his art.
  
• Jim Martin: production illustrator on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek Generations. He designed the Defiant. His blog and his site are chock-full of inspiring concept art.
• Robert McCall: conceptual artist on 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. His site features a lot of nice space art. (suggested by @FatherRob)
• Ralph McQuarrie: legendary conceptual designer and illustrator, who worked on Star Trek and the original Star Wars trilogy. He also designed for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Battlestar Galactica (1978), Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. His site seems to be under construction, though.
• Syd Mead: the legendary designer behind the look of the movie Blade Runner, as well as the design of “Johnny 5” from Short Circuit (not to mention the inspiration behind the AT-AT walkers in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back!) (suggested by @Ptrope)
• Neville Page: creature and concept designer for such movies like Watchmen, Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond, Avatar, Tron (2010) and Prometheus. His site features a plethora of concept sketches and renderings.
• Victoria Passariello: 3D artist working on Star Trek: Discovery, who created the models for the USS Kerala and some Klingon ships.
• Andrew Probert: production designer famous for designing the Enterprise refit for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the Enterprise-D for The Next Generation. He also worked on the original Battlestar Galactica, Airwolf and Back to the Future. Unfortunately, his site seems to be under construction. He sometimes posts here under the name @Probert.
  
• Alex Ross: comic book artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. His site shows off a lot of his inspiring artwork. (suggested by @USS Jack Riley)
• Masamune Shirow: Japanese manga artist best known for the mangas Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed. The site showcases his work. (suggested by @Admiral2)
• Rick Sternbach: production designer and art director for all The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Star Trek: Nemesis and Solaris (2002). One of his major designs is the USS Voyager. His site hasn't been updated in over a decade, but features some nice concept drawings for Star Trek props and ships. He occasionally posts on the Trek BBS as @Rick Sternbach.
• Lee Sullivan: British comic artist working on titles such as Doctor Who, Transformers and Judge Dredd. (suggested by @Blamo)
• Doug Wildey: designer and creator of Jonny Quest. His site features a lot of art from that series. (suggested by @Admiral2)
  
• Wally Wood: comic book artist best known for his work on EC Comics's Mad and Marvel's Daredevil. (suggested by @Admiral2)
  
• M Yang: story artist and animator showcasing his artistry on his blog (with some Trek artwork here and there). (suggested by @down to earth)
• Feng Zhu: prolific concept artists who worked on Transformers, Star Wars III – Revenge of the Sith and games like Dead Space and Wing Commander. Here's his design blog, too. (suggested by @backstept)

Books and Magazines

• The Art of Star Trek: a study of the artistic development of the television series from the first design concepts through to Voyager. Features a lot of concept sketches and prop close-ups. Authors: Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (suggested by @Ptrope)
  
• The Art of Star Wars books: highly informative, not to mention just plain entertaining, with extensive artwork and concepts from the most insignificant props to the most lavish sets and scenes, as well as an exhaustive collection of costume designs. (suggested by @Ptrope)
  
• Creative Illustration: book by Andrew Loomis aimed primarily at the professional-level illustrator. Divided into seven sections: Line, Tone, Color, Telling the Story, Creating Ideas, Fields of Illustration, and Experimenting and Studies, this book is filled with instructions, tips, insider experiences, and incredible illustrations. (suggested by @BJensen)
  
• Illustration: a quarterly magazine devoted to the history of American illustration art. Folks like Norman Rockwell to Frank Frazetta to Robert Peak (who did the poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Rollerball, among many others); art from comics to pulp magazines to advertising to model car boxes. (suggested by @Ptrope)
  
• ImagineFX: Large-format magazine devoted to sci-fi and fantasy digital art, with lots of tutorials, along with a CD containing the support files for those tutorials, often with demos of the software used. Numerous galleries of digital artists, working in Photoshop and Painter, along with various 3D programs to create complete paintings and compositions. (suggested by @Ptrope)
• The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: features an in-depth look at the conception of DS9 and is filled with concept sketches and set plans. Authors: Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens
• Spectrum – The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art: an annual collection of fantasy and science fiction art from a vast selection of (mostly American) publications, as well as a great deal of unpublished art. Illustrations, book covers, comic artwork, sculpture – it's all here and it's all fantastic. Even some of our own members have appeared in several of these coffee-table volumes. (suggested by @Ptrope)
• Star Trek: Designing Starships: is a hardback reference book from Eaglemoss Collections compiling the starship design articles from issues of the Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection magazine. Three volumes are available at this point.
• Star Trek Phase II: The Lost Series: is a reference book by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens which gives a detailed analysis of the development and early days of the abortive spin-off, Star Trek: Phase II, featuring lots of concept art and set photos.
• The Star Trek Sketchbook – The Original Series: awesome art book by The Original Series producer Herbert F. Solow and his wife Yvonne that showcases conceptual artwork by Walter Matthew Jefferies, William Ware Theiss, Fred Phillips and Wah Chang, the four production staffers who were most responsible for the visual look of TOS.

Forums

• CGSociety: a place for CG artists. (suggested by @Arrqh)
• ConceptArt: a great site/forum that has a lot of amazing 2D concept art from some amazing artists (suggested by @Arrqh)
• PencilJack: art forum for 2D art, mainly comic books and so forth. (suggested by @Mr. Cellophane)
• SciFi-Meshes: mainly a 3D site with great forums, a huge gallery and many great artists (suggested by @backstept)

Tips & Tutorials

• “A Novice's Guide to Digital Aviation Profile Art”: helpful link that mainly talks to image editing software (suggested by @B.J.)
• Maya Tutorials: Enough tutorials to start your own 3d movie. (suggested by @MikeGainer)

Want to add to the list? Please post here!

 

Please discuss this here.