Basic Summary

Finalists Jam accepted Skins from participants.
Accepts only standard resolution skins.

Read the about for more information.

Judging

Ranked by Judges - Only members of the jam assigned with judging permission can vote.
Entries can't be updated during the judge phase.
21 day entry period.

Rating Criteria

1. Creativity & Uniqueness
   Rate how original and creative the entry is in its conception.
   Rated 1 to 5
2. Technique & Execution
   Rate the level of skill demonstrated with the creation of the entry.
   Rated 1 to 10
3. Thematic Interpretation
   Rate how the overall entry demonstrates a thoughtful interpretation of the contest theme.
   Rated 1 to 5

Contest theme by FishStacks voted for by the community in this poll.
Banner by VinylReplica

1. Theme : Dark Depths

Make a Minecraft skin that would fit or live in the dark depths of the ocean.
Eyeless creatures, bio-luminescent fish or people who've adapted to the dark, crushing depths of the sea.

2. Skins must be new and made for this contest.

Standard definition player skins only! Sorry, no HD skins for this contest. We want to keep things on a level playing ground and skins that are most widely supported by Minecraft.

We do not and have never accepted any copies or re-posts in our contests, nor do we accept skins created before the contest's announcement date.

Do not submit copies, or paint-overs, of default textures from the minecraft.jar - This means no Steve skins, zombie skins, pigman skins, Creeper skins, or Enderman skins are permitted!

Do not submit copies, or paint-overs, of skins found in any existing texture packs or mods, even if you are the original author.

Do not submit existing member submissions, from this site or others. This includes your own galleries.

Give us something new and fresh, please!

3. Skins must be valid, usable character skins.

This is a contest for player skins only. Please do not submit mob skins, villager skins, or anything but the format expected for the player model.
Note that as of 1.8 skins are allowed to have transparencies on the second layer, skins with transparencies on the first layer will be disqualified.

4. Submit something you made, entirely by yourself.

Skins that are obvious remixes, recolors, or blatant copies of other people's work are not acceptable. Your entry will be deleted, and you will be disqualified from the contest if you are found to be submitting stolen work.

Using skin-making tools or apps such is not the same as making a skin yourself. Keep in mind also that, when using those applications, you are copying from a library of 'parts'. Several of those 'parts' were taken from talented skinners without their consent, and as such, skins containing those parts are considered stolen art. Those entries will be disqualified, and deleted from your account.

5. One entry per person.

Each user will only be permitted to submit one skin for this contest.

You may edit your entry for as long as the contest submission period is open. If you decide to change your submission at any point, you are free to do so. However, be warned that deleting your original entry may cause errors and make it impossible for you to re-enter the contest. Instead, you should use the "update submission" button on your active submission, then save the new file over your old one. Remember to change the submission title and description if necessary!

6. The contest will run for about three weeks.

Post dates must be made after today's date, March 2nd, 2021 @ 12:00 PM EST. The contest will end about two weeks from today, on March 23rd, 2021 @ 12:00 PM EST Skins submitted after this date will not be accepted.
After this time the contest will be put into a review period of three days before we move into the judging stage.

7. Take your time, and make it fun!

Give your skin some character! Give them some defining characteristics. Make it unique and awesome!

We've always scored higher for submissions that include more thought and creativity. Write a bit about the history behind your character and we'll all learn more. Remember, you have two weeks to do this. You don't have to put something up right away. Take your time!

If you're unsure if your idea will fit with the theme or have any other concerns feel free to contact our list of judges below they should be able to help you, as well as many of the site moderators.

Do not rush yourself to get something in immediately. This contest is not a random drawing - the submissions are judged by a panel of long-standing members with a great deal of experience in making Minecraft skins. It will not help your chances at winning if you submit anything less than fantastic, so take your time.

Should you chose to rush, remember that you are able to update your submission as many times as you want before the final close date of March 23rd, 2021 @ 12:00 PM EST.

8. Judging Criteria

Creativity & Uniqueness:
How creative, interesting or unique the skin is. Wow factor.

Technique & Execution:
How well executed the skin is technically. Factors include overall readability, color palette & theory, shading & highlighting and impact of the final composition.



Submit a skin as you would normally, but check the box indicating that your skin is for the contest.

1st Place

• $50 Steam wallet credit!
  
• A Contest Themed, Gold, Pixel Art Trophy for Member's Profile Trophy Case.
  
• Profile Featured on PMC - 1 Week.
  

2nd Place

• A Contest Themed, Silver, Pixel Art Trophy for Member's Profile Trophy Case.
  
• Profile Featured on PMC - 1 Week.
  

3rd Place

• Contest Themed, Bronze, Pixel Art Trophy for Member's Profile Trophy Case.
  
• Profile Featured on PMC - 1 Week.
  

All Participants

• A Contest Themed, Pixel Art Badge/Medal for Member's Profile Trophy Case.
  

If you do not know how to make skins, or have an idea but have never attempted it before, here are a few things you should know.

1. Skins must be saved as a .PNG file. No other file format will function properly.

2. The most popular tools for editing Minecraft Skins are:



We're biased but must recommend using: PMCSkin3D : Free Advanced Minecraft Skin Editor!

or MCSkinEdit, an application developed by a user named Swedman. You can download it from the official forum post, here.

You may wish to use a more advanced editor for certain effects. GIMP and Paint.net are free applications that will give you access to better tools for editing.

3. If you need help or want some tips for making nice skins, many of our top skinners have made tutorials outlining the processes and techniques they use for skinning. Check out these ones by Roobus and Leostereo



Judges will be encouraged to participate, but will be disqualified from winning prizes.