Painting Contest

Wet your pallet, lick your brushes & drink your paint water- Get ready to enter!


The Painted Ursa 2019 Miniature Painting Competition


Welcome to the Painted Ursa Miniature Painting Competition Information Packet, where you will find all of our information in one place:
Awards, Independent Awards, Rules and Regulations, Schedule, Fees, Category Descriptions, Judging Criteria, and more.
For Questions, concerns or registration forms prior to the convention, please contact Trevor Allison by email: Armouredwolf@gmail.com

Painted Ursa Miniature Painting Competition strives to inspire new painters to learn more about painting, and to provide an atmosphere which encourages learning, the sharing of techniques, and knowledge.

Painted Ursa is a open competition with awards given based on merit. This style of competition awards medals based on level of skill, regardless of the number of entries received. While there is still an element of competition between painters, the primary goal is to reward painters for their existing level of skill and help give them a measurable goal for improvement from year to year.

Each entry will be awarded points by a judging panel, with the points weighted based on difficulty, creativity, workmanship, & painting skill.

The judging panel will consist of three judges and one standby judge. The standby judge will assist as needed to break a tie in the event of matching scores for the "Best in" awards.

The judges will use scorecards to assess each piece, and those scorecards will be used to determine final placement and given to the entrant, when the piece is picked up.

All entries will be judged based on four criteria:

Difficulty - complexity of the piece and of the techniques used, be they painting, sculpting, design, or composition.

Creativity - Use of innovation and implementation of new or unusual concepts, techniques, color schemes, arrangements, and added details. Newness and appropriate use of creative elements are important.

Workmanship - Judges will be looking for technical precision in cleaning, preparation, and construction. Thorough removal or resurfacing of flaws in the piece, seamless joints, well-constructed base, or diorama elements, clean and model-appropriate modifications, and precision in original sculpts.

Painting Skill - As this is a painting competition, this is very important to all categories. Judges will be evaluating the techniques used, and the overall effect achieved. For example: subtlety in shading, crisp details, layering, blending etc etc.

This competition is open to any and all miniatures
No matter what manufacturers

Multiple entries into any category is allowed , however judges will determine which entry will be judged and awarded.

The Categories for the 2019 competition are:

Single : This category is for any Single model fantasy, Sci-fi, chibi, historical base size up to 60mm. (Including oval base size up to 32x60mm)

Vehicle / Monster : This category is for machines, Machines of War & Monsters of any size.

Unit - Units should have a clear theme and it should be obvious that they are part of the same group. Open to infantry & cavalry
base size 60mm or smaller
25x70mm oval or smaller
Units should be attached to a single base for transport. Figures must be secured to the base using sources such as blue tac, white tac, or magnets to prevent damage while judging.

Open- This category is open to anything and everything, single, monsters, dioramas , Painted Ursa judges, sculpted, conversions but will be excluded from “Best of” winners. All models in this category will only receive awards based on their merit.
Models in this category should be kept to a 15”x 15”x15” size restrictions.

Youth- Consideration will be given to the age of entrants. Youth category and awards are given to entrants 14 years of age and under.
Models entered into youth are excluded from “Best of” winners

Pick up of entries:
Entries may be picked up from 7 pm to 8:30 pm on Sunday. Entries may be picked up as early as 10 am Sunday and MUST be picked up by 8:30pm on Sunday. Entries not picked up by 8:30pm on Sunday will be shipped to the entrant at the entrant's expense.

Competition Rules and Regulations:
1. Entries must be made in-person by the painter and be the work of the painter. Entries painted by anyone other than the entrant will be disqualified.
2. Entrants must have a BZU General Admission ticket to enter
3. Multiple entries into any category is allowed, however judges will determine which entry will be judged and awarded.
4. Winning models from other contests or competitions (online or offline) may not be entered.
5. You cannot enter painted models published prior to BZU and this competition in any professional print media, i.e. manufacturer magazines or gaming material. Online publication of your painted entry prior to Painted Ursa is acceptable only if done so in order to receive feedback on your work from the hobby community, though our intention, as ever, is that painters provide untested entries.
6. Disqualified entries forfeit all prizes, titles, and awards. The painter is barred from entry in future Painted Ursa Competitions. Awards are given to the next winning entry. Information that may result in disqualification should be brought to the attention of Painted Ursa and Competition Administration immediately.
7. Judges reserve the right to re-categorize any entry.
8. All entries must be finished and based. Please look at size restrictions within each category description. Management determines final category placement of all entries and can change before or during judging.
9. Entry registration indicates permission for BZU and/or Painted Ursa to photograph entries and show them in all public media both online and print.
10. BZU and/or Painted Ursa Staff, crew members, and Competition management cannot be held responsible for lost or damaged minis.
11. Painted Ursa judges are forbidden to enter any main categories (single,unit, vehicle/Monster) and are only allowed to enter Open to be judged.
12. All decisions of the judges and management are final.
13. Entries must be received by 9 pm on Saturday of BZU.
14. Entries and Prizes must be picked up by 7 pm Sunday of BZU ,or the entrant will pay shipping and handling for their entries and prizes to be mailed to them. If we receive no replies to our attempts to contact you by phone or email by Oct 31 of this year, prizes will be forfeit and entries still in our possession will be auctioned.
15. You must pick up your entries in person, or sign a release form allowing your entries to be picked up by a specific person if you will not be able to pick up your own miniatures. We will be checking ID.


Policy Information:

Entry Height is limited to 15" including base due to display space limitations.
Models too large for display case may be refused.

Winners Lists:
Painted Ursa Winners Lists will be posted as early possible.

If you must pick up your entry during times we are closed, you will have to make prior arrangements.

Additional Information: If you have additional questions please contact Trevor Allison (Armouredwolf@gmail.com)