In this event, every participant will be randomly assigned to give a gift to another participant.
Everything is done in secret until the end, when the gifts and names are revealed!
Since this is an art exchange, the gift you are giving will be an art piece made according to the recipient's request.
Everyone is welcome to join, regardless of medium/style/experience/etc! There’s also cool prizes for participating (see below)!
If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, you can post them in the thread or DM me.
Please read all of the rules. They are essential for this event to run smoothly.
❄ If you sign up to participate in this exchange, you must complete your artwork.
Please finish your artwork on time. If you foresee any difficulties during the holidays, try to start as early as possible.
❄ If you cannot finish your artwork, you must notify me ASAP.
❄ The artwork that you make must be a good effort from you.
❄ Do not plagiarize, trace, or steal another artist’s work. Violation of this rule will result in removal from the exchange.
I will allow the use of bases in accordance with Voltra’s rules (under “Images | Media”). You must have permission to use the base, and you must provide a link to the original creator.
❄ You cannot request for (or draw as a gift) anything that is NSFW or that violates Voltra's ToS.
❄ If you are requesting avatar art, you must provide an image of your avatar(s) that has been uploaded to a hosting site (ex. imgur).
Saying “my current avatar” or providing links to your avatar on site are not acceptable.
❄ If you are requesting fan art, you must provide an image reference of the character(s).
Your own fan art or an image found on Google will suffice.
❄ If you do not want to be paired with a specific user, you need to let me know via DM by the sign-up deadline.
I will only honor these requests if you have a special reason (eg. you blocked them, you live with them, etc.).
❄ Try not to tell anyone who your assignment is.
It's meant to be secret, yeah?
All deadlines are 11:59pm Voltra Time (CST).
Please be aware that the dates are slightly different this year.
November 20 - December 3: Sign-ups. ❄ During this period, you can sign-up to participate in the exchange and make any necessary revisions to your sign-up form.
December 4: Pairings sent. ❄ Your assignment will be sent to you in a message from me by the end of the day.
December 13 - December 19: Check-in. ❄ You will be pinged and asked to fill out a Google Form to confirm your participation in the event. ❄ You do not have to show any WIPs. It's okay if you haven't started by this point. ❄ If you do not fill out the form by December 19, I will DM you personally.
January 4: DEADLINE FOR GIFTS. ❄ Please send your completed artwork in a message to me, NOT to your assigned person. (It's fine if you send it earlier.) ❄ If I do not hear from you by January 4, I will assume that you have dropped out.
January 5 - January 7: Pinch hitting. ❄ This is when the pinch hitters will be working to complete art for anyone who is missing a gift. ❄ If you are a pinch hitter, please check your messages during this time.
January 8: Gifts posted. ❄ Gifts will be posted in this thread and names will be revealed.
To encourage you to sign-up and participate in the art exchange, I’m giving away some FREE STUFF…
Sign-up Bonus ❄ Everyone who signs up for the exchange will receive 1,000 volts.
Sign-up Gift[courtesy of Amber Lynne] ❄ Everyone who signs up for the exchange will receive 1 free item from Amber Lynne! ❄ To claim your item, list at least 3 (non-common) items in the appropriate field of the Google Form. ❄ You will only receive 1 item based on availability.
Participation Raffle ❄ If you complete your artwork by the deadline, you will be entered into a raffle for a Draconic Dream. ❄ This does not apply to people who are pinch hitters only, unless you are actually asked to draw something.
Publicity Raffle ❄ If you keep this button in your signature or post style for the duration of the sign-up period, you will be entered into a raffle for 250 ohms. ❄ There will be 2 winners. ❄ You do not have to participate in the event to be eligible for this raffle. ❄If you want to be part of this raffle, you must ping me to let me know that you are using the button. Otherwise I’ll miss it!
You'll be giving art that you've made yourself. Your recipient will have a request, and you'll be expected to draw something from it. The size, medium, style, etc. is up to you.
I can't decide what I want drawn. Can I put multiple things in my request?
Yes! I encourage you to put multiple things in your request; that way, your assigned person will be able to choose what they feel most comfortable drawing.
Why do forms need to be approved? What would be your reasons for rejecting a form?
I only check forms to ensure that they align with the rules, and that they are clear enough for me to be able to assign pairings. I’ll never disapprove of a form on the basis of art skill or personal bias.
Some common reasons for non-approval:
Broken URLs
Not providing an off-site image when requesting avatar art
Ambiguous wording (eg. “I will not draw some animals”)
In general, I don’t reject forms at all. I only ask that you make the necessary edits, and I’ll give you however many chances it takes (until the sign-up deadline).
I made a mistake in my sign-up form. Can I fix it?
Of course. Just ping me in this thread and let me know what you’d like to change. You have until the sign-up deadline to make changes to your form.
How are the assignments decided?
Via random number generator. I'm not participating in the exchange, so I have no reason to pair people with bias. But if you are concerned, feel free to send me a message and I will show you a screenshot of the generator page.
What if I'm assigned a person with a request that I don't feel comfortable doing?
Hopefully you won't be! After the assignments are generated, I will check each person's “will not do” lists and make sure that no one is assigned something that they aren't comfortable drawing. If this does happen, I will regenerate the list.
That being said, you must put everything that you won't draw in your sign-up form.
If you have an issue after you've been assigned, message me ASAP and I'll work something out. The later you message me, the less likely I will be able to fix things for you.
What if I can't finish my assignment in time?
You need to let me know ASAP via message. I don't hold grudges, I understand that things happen. Please just communicate.
What if I only have a WIP by the deadline?
You can send the WIP to me by the submission deadline, and I will post it alongside the completed gifts. However, your assigned person will still be given a pinch hitter, so that they receive a completed artwork on reveal day, like everyone else. You can then finish the WIP on your own time (or not).
Alternatively, you can choose not to send me the WIP at all (the equivalent of dropping out of the event).
What is a pinch hitter?
If a participant is unable to finish their artwork, a “pinch hitter” will be assigned to draw art for the person who is missing a gift. This is to ensure that everyone who participates receives a gift.
You can indicate in your sign-up form if you'd like to be a pinch hitter.
Depending on the numbers, pinch hitters may be asked to complete multiple drawings or none at all. Historically, 1-2 pinch hitters are needed each year.
Pinch hitters will only be given 3 days to complete the needed artwork. This is a strict deadline. If you can’t finish something in 3 days, please don’t sign up to be a pinch hitter. Since these drawings are last-minute, I’m only expecting something like a headshot or refined sketch.
Can I be a pinch hitter but not a participant?
Absolutely. Just indicate it in your sign-up form, and write “N/A” for the wishlist question.
How will pinch hitters be assigned?
Via random number generator. If there are more pinch hitters than we need, then some pinch hitters will not be assigned.
However, if you are a pinch hitter but not a participant, you will be assigned first.
Please let me know ASAP if you want to drop out of pinch hitting.
Did you receive my message?
As a general rule of thumb, if I receive a message from you, I will reply back just to let you know that I got it. If you don’t receive a reply from me, it’s either because your message got lost or I haven’t read it yet. If I haven’t responded to you in a couple of days, feel free to resend the message.
I have a question about my assignment // I’d like an opinion on my art piece.
If you have a question regarding your assignment (eg. you want clarification on a detail, etc.) then you can message me and I’ll relay your question to your recipient and their answer back to you.
If you’d like an opinion on your artwork but don’t want to give yourself away, feel free to message me about it. I’m not an expert but I’ll try my best to help.
= pinch hitter only
I have been WAITING for this. 
