Ambigram Magazine » ambigrams

It’s All Greek Ambigram Challenge

Nikita — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:02:35 +0000

Fellow Ambigrammists, welcome back from what was hopefully a rest-filled holiday season! As promised in our last write-up in 2011, this year will be the best one yet. To help us guarantee that promise, here is the first challenge of 2012….and it is a sponsored challenge!

It’s All Greek Ambigram Challenge

For this Ambigram Challenge, you are being asked to create an ambigram for a unique soft drink company that is currently creating a new soda. The manufacturer (which will remain anonymous until the end of the challenge) will incorporate the final design on the product.

The Ambigram
The word that is being provided by the sponsor is ‘Greek Gold.’ It is to be a 180 degree rotational ambigram.

Sponsor Requirements
The sponsor has requested that the ambigram be kept in a stacked format, i.e. the word ‘Greek’ on top of the word ‘Gold.’ The sponsor will not completely exclude one-line ambigrams, but since the ambigram will be presented in a very small area, the stacked version will be given preference over single line ambigrams. In addition:

• Legibility/readability will be a major factor in the judges’ decision.
• Incorporating elements of the art of the Byzantine Empire (such as use of gold and crimson) is encouraged.
• Use of a byzantine style font (especially like the first example below) is encouraged.

Note that even though the characters in the example are not all English, they are offered as an example of the style that the sponsor is looking for.

Prizes

The top 5 ambigrams will be recognized by the sponsor, with the first place winner receiving $150. We will have the prize money in escrow, so the payout is guaranteed and will be awarded when the artist of the winning design(s) turns over the copyright of the design to the sponsor to use as they wish. The grand prize of USD $150 will be paid via Paypal from Ambigram.com. All dollar amounts are in USD.

Judging

Unlike most Ambigram.com Ambigram Challenges, this one will be judged exclusively by the sponsor of the contest. These are designs that are intended for use by the company, so while some comments may be provided by some of the judges, the winning ambigram will ultimately be selected by the sponsor.

All designs should be submitted by Sunday, February 5th; all the submissions will be posted within a day & then the judging process will begin. Results will be posted as soon as the sponsor has selected the top ambigram, and a boilerplate document will be sent to the winner shortly thereafter. Cash prizes to immediately follow after the designer returns the signed document (along with the requested files) to the sponsor.

The challenge will be open to everyone without restrictions. We will send a boilerplate document to the winner(s) that simply assigns the copyright of the design to the sponsor. Sending the document back to the sponsor will be a condition of payout. The details of this will be worked out after the winning ambigram is selected.

File Submission

• Please submit no more than 3 entries, and make sure that they are “finalized” before emailing them. We are getting swamped with entire collections of designs using incorrect file formats and dimensions; also, some artists make frequent revisions within the contest time frame and expect us to keep track of it all. You have several weeks for this challenge…so please take your time and send us the finalized submissions closer to the end of the contest. The ambigram(s) have to be created from scratch for this challenge. Make sure the files are in JPG format, 72dpi and AT LEAST 600×600 pixels in dimension. Please note that after the winning ambigram is selected, the sponsor may also request the final art in a vector format (.ai or .svg), so make sure you have that format available as well. That will be discussed between the sponsor and the winning designer.
• Please name your submissions as follows: JohnSmith_typeofambigram_Submissionnumber.jpg. Otherwise, it can be easy to lose track of which design belongs to which artist, especially if we get a lot of submissions.

To submit your ambigrams, or if you have any other questions, email us at challenge@ambigram.com.

Old School Challenge Results

Nikita — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:10:01 +0000

This challenge has been the most difficult, and successful, that Ambigram.com has ever conducted! This is the one challenge where most of the artists (with the exception of one or two) were pushed far out of their comfort zone. With every submission sent in, we thought that it would not get any better. Yet, with every entry there was something unique: a new medium, a creative letter combination, drawing technique, or simply a very complex word. If selecting a winner was difficult before, for this challenge it was nearly impossible. But, after putting out heads together, we begrudgingly selected the top five ambigrams, as well as some honorable mentions. Take a look! [NOTE: All designs are copyrighted by the respective artists. We have permission to post them here, but you must get permission from the artist for any other use of their design, or to post them elsewhere.]

Winner – Johan Skylling

Once again, Johan has set the bar high for himself…and reached it! The word he chose for his entry is a challenging one, but the execution is absolutely amazing. This is a great example where the ambigram, context and other elements blend together seamlessly. Regardless of how you turn this ambigram, it is definitely a cut above the rest!

Second place – Harold kit Elvira

As the gears of a clock are precisely machined to function perfectly and in unison, so is this ambigram. The lettering is gorgeous, the background contributes to the concept but does not overpower it. Clockwork precision & beautiful work from Harold. Let’s welcome him to Ambigram.com, as this is his first submission!

Third place – John Langdon

The third entry comes to us from none other than John Langdon. It’s wonderful to see the process & development of an ambigram, which is precisely what we were lucky enough to get from John! Beautifully rendered flowing letterforms, tactfully added flourishes, and impeccable legibility show why John is one of the best!

Fourth place – Carl Mehling

Without a doubt, this is one of the most, if not the most unique mediums we have ever seen! Carl Mehling has submitted ambigrams in the past, and his other mediums included carving an ambigram on a rock. Great submission, unique medium, and we cannot wait to see what his medium of choice will be next time!

Fifth place – Sharath Kumar

Sharath is well known to experiment with different lettering styles and types of ambigrams, and that never-ending exploration contributes to his continual success as an ambigram designer. He chose a great concept for this submission, and the somewhat reserved lettering style is well complimented by his wonderful background illustrations that, once again, help the ambigram instead of hindering it. Great job!

Honorable mentions

There were several other ambigrams that, although they didn’t make it into the top five, deserve to be recognized for the creativity that the artists exhibited.

Both Elwin and Lei have been regular contributors in the past, and their submissions this time around showcase a very well-rendered and beautiful calligraphic/black-letter style. A great lettering job from both Elwin and Lei!

Nick is a first time contributor, so let’s welcome him to Ambigram.com! His linoleum-block ambigram print is one of the most unique ones in the challenge. Colin has gotten very creative with his past submissions, yet his impromptu chalk ambigram on the sidewalk ranks at the top with some of the most creative mediums we have seen.

Colin gets another honorable mention for his second submission along with Clayton, who has also been a frequent contributor. In both cases, it’s hard to imagine the submissions without their elegantly executed and artistic background. The shading and pencil work is exquisite in both entries.

A big thanks to the participants for another successful Ambigram Challenge!!!

Ambigram Challenge 15 – No Fear

Don’t be afraid…this is our Halloween Challenge!! This timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as it gives everyone about four weeks to submit their entries and will allow us to post the results on Halloween!

Here are the rules & regulations.

Rules

1. For this challenge you are allowed to create any type of ambigram. Rotational, reflective, symbiotogram, etc. As for the actual topic of the ambigram, it can be anything related to Halloween: your favorite scary movie, scary movie character, scary song, etc. If you are not sure, email us with questions to challenge@ambigram.com.

2. For this challenge, your ambigrams will be judged on legibility and readability; in addition, we would like to see the idea of Halloween reflected in other elements that aren’t the ambigram. Keep in mind that while being predictable with colors and Halloween-relevant imagery is easy & safe, you can also use lettering styles and colors that are related to the movie or movie character you are trying to portray.

3. Please submit no more than 2 entries, and make sure that they are properly sized and named before emailing them. We are getting swamped with entire collections of designs using incorrect file formats and dimensions; also, some artists make frequent revisions within the contest time frame and expect us to keep track of it all. You have several weeks for this challenge…so please take your time and send us the finalized submissions closer to the end of the contest. The ambigram(s) have to be created from scratch for this challenge. Make sure the files are in JPG format, 72dpi and AT LEAST 600×600 pixels in dimension.

4. To better track the designs, please name your submissions as follows: JohnSmith_Submissionnumber_Challengenumber.jpg. Otherwise, it can be easy to lose track of which design belongs to which artist, especially if we get a lot of submissions. Also, DO NOT embed your images in the body of the email, but send them AS ATTACHMENTS.

Deadline

All artwork will need to be submitted by midnight on Friday, October 28th, 2011 to qualify. Email your designs to challenge@ambigram.com . The contest is open to everyone, whether or not you have participated in the past, so give it a shot!

The results will be published on Halloween, and the next challenge will be announced at that time.

Old School Submissions

Nikita — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:31:41 +0000

As you may remember, the Old School Challenge was very open in terms of guidelines, and the only limitation was no computers. We thought that this stipulation would put the proverbial artistic handcuffs on our participants since most of us love working on the computer. What we didn’t realize is how much the artists would push themselves and expand their own creativity. The entries are absolutely ASTOUNDING! From the complexity of the designs to the medium choices, the entries amazed us on every level. So without further delay, let’s take a look at the submissions. Although the submissions are posted anonymously, you may recognize some of them. If the artist wants to come forward and state they created a certain piece, they are welcome to do so: for everyone else, please don’t point out the artist’s work even if you recognize it. [NOTE: All designs are copyrighted by the respective artists. We have permission to post them here, but you must get permission from the artist for any other use of their design, or to post them elsewhere.]

Old School Challenge Submissions

There were a lot of emails and questions regarding this particular challenge. If we missed an entry from anyone, email us ASAP and we’ll add it to the gallery. Apologies in advance for missing anyone!

The Ambigrammy Challenge winner is…

Nikita — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 05:51:45 +0000

After considerable analysis, discussion and downright argumentation, Ambigram.com is proud to announce that we have finally selected the Ambigrammy Award Challenge winner.

(click for larger image)

Congratulations to Sharath Kumar!!

Sharath Kumar, who is a frequent contributor and critic of the various work at Ambigram.com (including his own) has been declared the winner of the Ambigrammy Ambigram Challenge. The Ambigrammy award image challenge was a difficult one for several reasons:

- A very specific word with challenging letter combinations, which made lettering consistency problematic in certain areas.

- Room for predictability within the potential solutions: there are only so many ways you can create a certain letter combination flip.

- The aesthetic aspect of the design, which needed to be representative of an award and have a more upscale Hollywood-esque aura about it.

Although the decision was made difficult by the excellent submissions that made it to the final round, this particular design is the one we have decided to move forward with as the Ambigrammy Award for several reasons.

Sharath tackled this challenge with aplomb and confidence which has developed throughout his neverending contributions and ambigram explorations. He took this challenge on and made this submission truly his own. His design is creative and imaginative, and includes just enough embellishments to make the design both beautiful & legible.

The fact that the design is an ambigram, and yet appears similar to the human statue Oscar award brings the design together perfectly. It also leaves open the possibility that as ambigrams becomes more well known in the world, and as the Ambigrammy Award gains in importance in the years to come that an actual physical statue is a possibility. Although, with the price of Gold as high as it is, we may need to consider creating the physical statues out of bronze. Or, making them only 2 inches high.

All the ingredients within Sharath’s design have been measured out carefully, thought through to perfection and in the end came together in a fantastic design that is worthy of recognition by the ambigram community. We are as proud to have Sharath’s image as an icon for the Ambigrammy Award as any ambigram artist should be in receiving it as recognition of excellence in the ambigram field.

Congratulations Sharath!

A quick note about the Ambigrammy winners
We are still waiting for some final feedback from the judges on the actual Ambigrammy award finalists. We should be posting the article within the next week or so. The judges are well known, have a rather high standing within the design community and are incredibly busy. The staff at Ambigram.com are very thankful to them for taking the time to judge the Ambigrammy Challenge and to provide us with their insight and feedback.

Ambigrammy Ambigram Challenge, Part Two

Nikita — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:28:38 +0000

Fellow ambigram designers and ambigram community,

Great news. We have narrowed down the Ambigrammy Ambigram Challenge to three finalists.

Our three finalists have submitted amazing work to a challenge which was filled with great submissions, and all three deserve to be in the second round. As hard is it was for Ambigram.com to narrow it down to the three final selections, it was even more challenging for all the artists to submit such amazingly diverse work for a challenge which, due to the actual word, had some predictable solutions built in. The three final solutions are unique, diverse, and simply put…head turners. Let the discussions begin!

Once again, congratulations to our three finalists!

Note: The judging for the actual Ambigrammy Nominees is almost finished. Once all the judging is completed and the winner is determined, we will be posting the winner of the Ambigrammy Award as well as the winner of the Ambigrammy Ambigram Challenge. Stay tuned!

Quick Draw 13

Nikita — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:47:22 +0000

Quick Draw is back! We took a few weeks off due to several big announcements and challenges at Ambigram.com, but now we return to our regularly scheduled…ambigramming? Let’s take a look at the work of John Moore and Vasileios Stergioudis, who took the time out of their schedules to create ambigrams for this challenge. [NOTE: All designs are copyrighted by the respective artists. We have permission to post them here, but you must get permission from the artist for any other use of their design, or to post them elsewhere.]

John Moore

It is interesting to create ambigrams; you really do not know what will be the end result, multiple transformations happen to the pair of endless decisions to be taken in the march, you often insists on finding a solution, but it happens in ways often not anticipated, and in most cases, it is usually always the simplest one that you could have imagined. Create an ambigram is to enter a jungle and find the most unexpected places.

Sketches

Final

Vasileios Stergioudis

While the requirement for this Quick Draw was only one ambigram, Vasileios went above and beyond the call of duty and developed four ambigrams!

At first, I tried deliberately to do a one-by-one letter combination to form HighVoltage. The central O matched perfectly! The G-A combination was relatively easy to do, but the rest (H-E, I-G, T-H and V-L) was a challenge. I had to come up with an idea that could fit them all. So, I set that every letter would be consisted of two stems and some points for the letters H, E and A. T and L were a big problem though. In the vector format I designed a few versions and I chose a round format instead of an angled one. T exceeds top line and L is an upside down V (like a lower case L). The horizontal bar of T is now a replaced by a giant battery, expressing the meaning of the words. The colours had to be reddish and yellowish, just like a battery charging up.

Sketches

Final

I tried to draw two different mirror ambigrams, one for every word. The two Hs in High were perfect. After some sketches, the IG seemed beautiful I think. V would mirror as an E, G as an O and LT as a lowercase A. I used an element, a little dot, in every letter so as to achieve it.”Sketch”Here is the final version. The stem of G in “High” forms a battery. These things (grey in coloured version) are outcome of my handling to IG and the oblique angle of T which left an empty space that I had to fill. As for the star, I don’t know why I drew it, it just came to my mind it had to be there.

Sketches

Final in black & white

Final in color

I decided to do a two-words ambigram, that is both “high” and “voltage” would return to themselves. “High” was pretty easy and would put as a background. Time for voltage: V would turn as an lower case E. O would form the bowl of G. L and T would form an lower case A. The tail of G would also form the horizontal part of T. Moreover, the tops of L and T would form the shape of a battery, idea that I didn’t eventually follow. I wasn’t pleased with “High”, so I’d prefer to try something different. Then I thought of Origami… what if I would fold the paper and read “High”? Therefore, I designed some lightnings as a background. The four corners (between little lines) now form “High”. The top and bottom two vertical lines must touch each other and the horizontal as well.

Sketches

Final 1

Final 2

The Ambigrammy Award Challenge

Nikita — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:41:22 +0000

We can barely contain our excitement since so much has happened in the last year or so at Ambigram.com. The best and most rewarding part since late 2009 has been helping to build the ambigram community and bringing together ambigrammists from all over the world. We’ve made some great connections, formed some new friendships and met some amazingly talented artists & designers.

The second part, which is no less rewarding, has been seeing all the great work submitted for the Ambigram Challenges and Quick Draws. These challenges have drawn (no pun intended) everyone to this community ranging from expert ambigram designers to novices who have been introduced to the world of the ambigrams by a friend, fellow artist or coworker.

Some of these creations are very, very impressive, and have clearly taken some significant time and creative energy to develop. They really deserve to be properly recognized. So, the editors at Ambigram.com put their heads together on how to give recognition for outstanding achievement. We decided that the best way would be to organize an actual award ceremony to recognize the wonderful ambigram artwork that is consistently being submitted. We’ve been working out the details, and we’re finally ready to share with you the results.

Without further adieu, we present to you…The Ambigrammy!

What is the Ambigrammy?

Every industry has an award ceremony which recognizes the best of the best in their respective field. The music industry has The Grammy Award. Television has the Emmy. Live Theater has the Tony. Even the Internet has the Webby Award.

Why should the ambigram community be any different? There are many phenomenally talented & passionate artists that deserve to be recognized for their abilities, and we are proud to be launching our very own annual award ceremony.

The Rules of the Ambigrammy

1. The Ambigrammy Award shall be the premier award from Ambigram.com, to recognize exceptional talent within the ambigram community. It will be run once a year (approximately every 10 Ambigram Challenges).

2. The winner from each of the previous ambigram challenges will be eligible for the Ambigrammy.

3. The top 3 ambigrams from that list (first, second and third place) will receive Ambigrammy Awards for that calendar year. Someday, we hope that all three top finishers will receive fabulous prizes, coveted product samples and bags of designer clothes. However, until we can afford to buy first-class seats to fly all of you talented ambigram artists to our Red Carpet Ambigrammy Award ceremony in Hollywood, the prize for the first Ambigrammy Award will need to be rather modest. In addition to the peer recognition and honor that come with receiving the Ambigrammy Award, the 3 winners will also each be receiving a T-Shirt with their own winning ambigram design printed on both the front and back of the shirt. Shipping is included and we will ask the Ambigrammy Award winners for their shipping address.

At this point, you are probably asking yourselves why we are combining the Ambigrammy announcement with this Ambigram Challenge?

Well, we did that out of necessity. Here is why.

Ambigrammy Ambigram Challenge

The 13th Ambigram Challenge isn’t just any challenge. It is a challenge to design the actual graphic that Ambigram.com will be using as the Ambigrammy Award itself! The Ambigrammy logo seen earlier is the design developed internally by Ambigram.com and will be included as one of the submissions. Since we already have one entry in the contest, it basically becomes the one you’ll need to beat. Yes, we set the bar high on this challenge.

The Ambigrammy Rules

1. General Guidelines. The Ambigrammy logo should consist of two parts. The first part is the word “Ambigrammy”, which MUST be an ambigram! The second part should be the tag line “For Making Heads Turn”, or “The Award For Making Heads Turn” or something similar, which does not need to be an ambigram. If you need additional text to “fill out” your design, you could also add the site name (“Ambigram.com”), but this is not necessary. Remember that all of these are just guidelines, and if you do something creative that means breaking any (or all) of these rules, don’t worry too much about it. We reserve the right to relax the guidelines when it makes sense.

2. Visual Treatment. You are allowed (but not required) to include various images that portray the idea of the Ambigrammy being a prestigious award. The design could be purely typographic or it could include additional objects or visuals. One idea would be an “Ambigrammy” totem style ambigram that resembles a trophy (perhaps even a human with typographic ‘arms’ and body). If you are talented with Photoshop, perhaps you could make it look like gold. Another idea would be to create a gold bar which has been stamped with an “Ambigrammy” rotational ambigram. Hint: Since this is an “award”, the more it looks like an award, the better!

3. Editors Discretion. Unlike most of our other challenges, it is possible that the editors at Ambigram.com may ask any artist who is participating to make suggested changes to their design to better their chances of winning. Yes, if your design is being considered to become the Ambigrammy Award graphic, it is possible that we may actually help you win. We don’t expect this to happen, but we did want to make you aware of the possibility.

4. Each artist is allowed 2 submissions maximum. When you email your submissions, please make sure of the following:

a. Each file is in JPG format, 72dpi and AT LEAST 600×600 pixels in dimension.
b. Each file should be labeled as follows: artistname_(either 1 or 2)_acac13.jpg

5. The winning design will NOT be announced in a separate article. Instead, the winning design will actually be used for the first Ambigrammy Award results article that will be posted right after the ambigrammy challenge! That way, the ambigram community will get two gems for the price of one: the winning Ambigrammy Award logo AND the overall Ambigrammy Awards winner!

So, if your design wins, it will become a symbol that is given to OTHER great artists in recognition of their ambigram talent. That is an honor in itself!

6. The Winning artist is eligible for a 2012 Ambigrammy Award. As with all of the Ambigram Challenges, the winner of this challenge will automatically be entered as a nominee to win a 2012 Ambigrammy Award. The winning design will appear again next year during the 2012 Ambigrammy Award ceremony, and may become an Award winner itself!

Time line

- The final submissions will be due by the end of the day on Sunday, May 22nd.

- We know how much work you guys put into your submissions here, so we’re going to give some payback by putting out a lot of awesome content coming up. Here is what we’re going to do. Ambigram.com will be publishing 4 articles on 4 topics in 4 consecutive weeks (so you’ll need to come back at least once a week in order to catch the latest news, since it’s going to be changing quickly!)

- On the week of May 29th, we will post all of the winning designs from the previous Ambigram Challenges that are eligible to receive an Ambigrammy Award (the top design in each challenge). This is going to be a list of all of the best designs we’ve seen so far, so it’s going to be a lot of impressive work, all of which are worth a second look.

- On the week of June 5th, we will post all the submissions that we received for the Ambigrammy Ambigram Challenge (this challenge) so that the community has a chance to review and discuss the field of choices. We expect that this challenge is going to produce some amazing designs as well, so this article should be another feast for the eyes.

- On the week of June 12th, the Ambigrammy Ambigram Challenge and Ambigrammy Award winners will be announced. The entire series of articles culminates with the actual Ambigram Award presentations to the top designers in this unique field for 2011. The 2012 Ambigrammy Award Ceremony will be at approximately the same time next year.

- On the week of June 19th, we will be publishing the next Ambigram Challenge, and we will also resume with our regularly scheduled Quick Draw challenges, news, and interviews.

Good luck! Any questions? Email us at challenge@ambigram.com.

The winner of “Say No To Simple Ambigrams” is…

Nikita — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 06:07:17 +0000

There is no winner for this challenge…at least not yet. After putting our heads together, we decided that because of the unique nature & diverse content of this challenge, we would let the ambigram community determine the winner! YOU…the reader of this article…get to decide the winner of this challenge! So without further adieu, we present the submissions for the “Say No To Simple Ambigrams” Ambigram Challenge! Take a look at the submissions, then scroll down to cast your vote(s)!

[NOTE: All designs are copyrighted by the respective artists. We have permission to post them here, but you must get permission from the artist for any other use of their design, or to post them elsewhere.]

“Say No To Simple Ambigrams” Submissions

“Say No To Simple Ambigrams” Poll

As this is the first time we are introducing audience voting, we would like to clarify a few details about the process. So, please read below, and then proceed to the poll to vote!

1. This is the first time we are trying to implement a poll for the challenges. Please understand that we may run into some difficulties, software related or otherwise. Should that be the case, give us some time to work out the kinks. It will be worth it, we promise!

2. Audience voting will not automatically be used for every ambigram challenge. As stated above, we are trying this out for the first time, and we’ll see how it all works out. Then and only then we’ll decide if the audience voting is going to be a permanent fixture or not.

3. The poll will be open for two weeks. After two weeks, it will be closed and the final winner will be ‘announced’, although since everyone will be able to see the poll, not much announcing will be necessary!

4. You are allowed to vote for the top 3 ambigrams, so use your 3 votes wisely.

Please place your votes below.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Oh, before we forget…a big announcement will happen in the next day or two. Keep an eye out for it, for when it does happen, the “Say No To Simple Ambigrams” results will move to the news section and the new announcement will become the feature article.

“Symmetry, Art & Illusion” with Scott Kim

Editor — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:57:39 +0000

In April 2011, Scott Kim gave a presentation called “Symmetry, Art & Illusion” in New York City. Here is the link to the video of Scott’s presentation.

Math Encounters — Symmetry, Art, & Illusion — Scott Kim

Also take a look at the ambigram in the background of the poster.

Scott Kim - "Symmetry, Art & Illusion"

The proceeds benefit the “Museum of Mathematics”, opening in Manhattan in 2012. For more information, visit mathencounters.org.

Something is a’ brewin!

Nikita — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:42:36 +0000

There is something on the horizon at Ambigram.com. Something good is coming…something exciting…something sensational! Care to guess what it is? Post your guesses here…and the closest guess may win something!