FAQ

You can always find the full rules on the Enter page. If your question has not been answered below, please reach out to us at challenge@mentalcanvas.com.

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Can I enter if I've never used Mental Canvas before?
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Yes! This challenge is for everyone. This is not a competition for the most complex or technical creation, it’s an opportunity to reimagine what drawing can be. And we’re here to help! When you register for the challenge, you will have access to live training sessions and webinars.

I’m not a professional artist, do I still have a chance of winning?
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Absolutely. Creativity is key here: you can make an incredible, award-winning creation without being a professional artist.

Is this only open to certain countries?
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The Challenge is global, but there may be some restrictions. Click here to see if Paypal is available in your country should you win a prize. 

Please note: The Contest is void in the Crimea region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Quebec, Puerto Rico and anywhere else such contests are prohibited or restricted by law. It is your responsibility to comply with the contest laws of your country/jurisdiction. Certain countries/jurisdictions have laws regarding Contests that may prevent Sponsor from awarding you your Prize. If you are a winner and this happens to be the case with your country/jurisdiction, you acknowledge that you may not be able to receive any Prize at all from Sponsor. By entering this Contest, you acknowledge the risks, and understand that you may win, but not be able to receive a Prize.

Is it free to enter?
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Yes, it’s free. It’s free to download the promotional version of Mental Canvas Draw (on Windows or iOS) during the contest period and it’s free to register and submit to the Challenge.

Can a team enter?
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Only 1 person can submit an entry. It is your responsibility to share the prize if you collaborated with others to create the entry.

Can Minors submit?
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Anyone can submit who is over the age of 13 at the time of submission. If you are a minor in the jurisdiction in which you reside, you must have the consent of your parent or legal guardian and have them fill out the contact information section of registration.

Can a company enter?
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Only individuals can submit, but you can collaborate with colleagues if your organization approves of it. It is your responsibility to share the prize if you collaborated with others to create the entry.

Is there a Student Prize?
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There is not a student-specific prize, but students are highly encouraged to participate. This challenge is all about innovation and creativity, and students are well suited for it!

What do I need to submit?
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First, you will create your Mental Canvas masterpiece. From there, you’ll submit the MCS file and the corresponding video in the submission portal in the Mental Canvas Draw software. Along with that, you will share the video on social media

How many files can I submit?
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You can submit up to 6 entries. You'll see 6 slots when you submit in the submission portal. More entries = more chances to win, so we encourage you to make use of all 6 slots! However, each entry should be unique: submitting the same file more than once will not be helpful.

Why do I need to submit the mcs file?
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We want to ensure that you’re creating the submission entirely in Mental Canvas, no post processing! Plus, seeing the Mental Canvas file allows us to step right inside the drawing and see more than we ever could with the video.

Can I use images?
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Of course! You can import JPGs and PNGs in Mental Canvas Draw. The images can be photographs and/or other forms of digital art. You can create an entirely image-based scene, or collage images and drawings together. If you do include images, please consider the copyright: you should not include images that are owned by others.

Can I use artwork I created in Procreate, Photoshop or any other software?
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Yes, you can use art pieces from other software as long as they are your original work. The final submission must be created inside the Mental Canvas Draw app for you to be able to submit it, but the scene itself doesn't have to be drawn entirely using the system. You can import work from Procreate, Photoshop or other apps and your submission would still qualify. You can see many fantastic examples of this in Mini Challenge 8, which was about reimagining your existing work in Mental Canvas.

Can I add music?
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You're welcome to add music to your social media post. However, the in-app submission of the video and MCS file will not include music.

How do I submit?
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There are 3 important steps in the submission process:
(1) Register
(2) Post your video to a social media platform.
(3) Submit your entry through the submission portal in Mental Canvas Draw.
Learn more about how to submit here

How should I post on social media?
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Share your entry on at least one of the 6 social platforms listed below and use the hashtag #ReimagineDrawingChallenge and tag Mental Canvas. Make sure to use a public profile so the post is visible to anyone. Please enable and include the watermark in the video.

The social media platform options are: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, and Linkedin. Note: The Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, and Linkedin.

Mental Canvas Accounts:
Instagram: @mental_canvas https://www.instagram.com/mental_canvas/ 
Twitter: @mental_canvas https://twitter.com/mental_canvas 
Facebook: @MentalCanvas3d  https://www.facebook.com/MentalCanvas3D/ 
Youtube: Mental Canvas https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAG95dDYzHK9vMr6kSk3jXQ/
TikTok: @mental_canvas https://www.tiktok.com/@mental_canvas
Linkedin: Mental Canvas https://www.linkedin.com/company/mental-canvas

Why do I need to post on social media?
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The $100k challenge is a huge opportunity for you to show off your creativity, and we want you to share your masterpiece with the world! Join the Mental Canvas community online to share your work and get inspired from others.

Who are the judges?
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The judges will remain anonymous during the competition to ensure they will not be contacted or biased. The judging panel will be at least 5 judges with a majority from the Partner organizations and external experts. Mental Canvas reserves the right to add more judges. You can see who judged each Mini Challenge when the winners are announced.

What are the judging criteria?
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The Judges will evaluate each entry on the following criteria: creativity, innovation, aesthetics and originality. The categories do not impact the selection of the Grand Prize. The judges are looking for creative and original use of the Mental Canvas Draw software.

Will every entry be considered?
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Of course. Every submission will be considered.

What is the breakdown of the prizes?
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There are 18 prizes in total.  There will be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner for the grand prize along with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each of the 5 categories. The prize breakdown is as follows:

Grand prize (across all submissions, regardless of category):
1st: $25,000
2nd: $15,000
3rd: $10,000

Categories Winners (for each of the 5 categories):
1st: $5,000 (x5)
2nd: $3,000 (x5)
3rd: $2,000 (x5)

In addition, there will be honorable mentions for a free 1 year mental Canvas subscription with a cash value of $1,000

How will I be notified if I win?
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We will contact you via the e-mail address provided at registration. This is why it’s very important you provide accurate contact information. You will have up to five business days to accept, and we will award the prize to an alternate winner should you not accept within that time-frame.

What about taxes?
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Any taxes owed as a result of winning are the sole responsibility of the winner.

Can I win both a category prize and a grand prize?
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No, you won’t be able to win more than 1 prize. You’re eligible to win any of the 18 prizes when you submit.

How do I submit an entry for a category prize? What about the grand prize?
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You will select the categories you prefer to be considered for at the submission stage. Ultimately, the Judges have the right to choose if a submission falls into one category or another.  So if you submit something that could be eligible for the "comic" or "storytelling" categories, that's OK and the judges will decide which one it is best suited for (or the grand prize).  Another way of saying this: all the entries will be considered for all of the prizes so you're not gaining/losing any opportunity by submitting to one category over another. Any submission that the judges consider the “best-of” Mental Canvas content will be awarded the grand prize, regardless of category.

Will submitting in a certain category affect my chances of winning the grand prize?
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No, the grand prizes will be awarded to the “best-of” all entries, which isn’t determined by a specific category.

How do the Mini Challenges differ from the $100K Challenge?
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The Mini Challenges are shorter challenges that are a part of the overall $100K Challenge. Participating in the Mini Challenges is a great way to start preparing for the main challenge, engage with the Mental Canvas community and connect with other creators.

Are the Mini Challenges a required part of the $100K Challenge?
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No they're not, the Mini Challenges are meant to be a way to engage with the community, and provide artists with a chance to learn Mental Canvas so that the final submissions are spectacular, but submitting to the mini challenges is not required to take part in $100K challenge. While the Mini Challenges are not required, we encourage everyone to participate because the Mini Challenges are a helpful way to prepare for the final.

Do the Mini Challenges have the same deadline as the $100K Challenge?
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We always include the deadline of each Mini Challenge when we announce it -- they are about 1 week long. We are having the mini challenges during this time to encourage artists to learn Mental Canvas, but they can start working on their final submissions at any point during the $100K Challenge. There will be at least a couple weeks between the last mini challenge and the final submission deadline for the $100K Challenge, so that everyone can focus on their final submission.

Are the rules for the Mini Challenges different from the $100K Challenge?
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The Mini Challenges have the same rules as the $100K Challenge regarding eligibility and acceptable content (no plagiarism!). However, the way you enter a Mini Challenge versus the $100K Challenge may be different. For example, you'll have to enter the first few Mini Challenge on social media, but you must submit the $100K Challenge entry within the Mental Canvas Draw Software. Each Mini Challenge has a corresponding webpage that provides all the information on how to submit to that challenge. You can obtain this information by clicking the yellow banner at the top of each webpage on our website, and by registering for the competition to receive the most up-to-date information about Mini Challenges.

What is the current Mini Challenge?
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The current Mini Challenge will always be listed at the yellow banner at the top of each page.

Will Mental Canvas share my work if I enter a Mini Challenge?
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By entering the Mini Challenge you give Mental Canvas the right to share your work. We will always credit and tag the artist! If you ever have specific requests or questions about this, please feel free to reach out to us.

Do I need to register to participate in a Mini Challenge?
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Yes! You only need to register once to participate in any/all of the challenges. You can register here.

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