One of those things that you’d think I’d be able to find . . . there’s gotta be some kind of process for the Blender Splash Screens. Some place where they’re submitted, some info on what the org is looking for, that kind of stuff. I’ve found a couple of old topics, nothing current. I’m sure it’s incredibly obvious and I’m gonna be embarrassed I asked, but? I’m asking.
I’m not convinced they are submitted- I think the foundation just keeps an eye out on ArtStation and social media for impressive Blender works and contacts the author directly
4 Likes
Wouldn’t surprise me, but if so this info should be publicly available, not just speculation. Is it? Anybody know?
Since 2.8, it has been the person who has contributed a splash screen for a release, nominates a fellow artist for the next release. If an artist fails to nominate Blender Foundation chooses an artist from socials. Except for releases that coincide with an open movie release where the splash is from it.
Pablo has mentioned this in different episodes of Blender Today
7 Likes
I remember back when the BF allowed people to submit their proposals for the next release’s splash screen and one would be picked right before release. There were some pretty good entries, so it is unfortunate the process has followed the Open Movies in being more corporate and closed off from community involvement.
2 Likes
I always wonder why people want to have everything to be “public” and want people who work for a free and open source project spent their time more in user discussion than actually improving the tool…
Especially when something like the splash screen changes every now and then and even is disable-able ( Blender → Preferences → Interface → Display → Splash Screen )
Or using you own splash screen image via the App Template feature :docs.blender manual advanced app_templates.
3 Likes
A few times somewhere in a couple hundred livestreams each running two-ish hours? No wonder I couldn’t find it. Thanks for the info!
With each new splash screen there’s a free blender file download of it – regardless of if a given person likes the splash or not, the blend file is insight into the techniques used, and often a useful resource. There’s been significant interest.
However, it’s not always immediately available. It seems like sometimes there’s miscommunication on what the intent and requirements (all CC0, nothing that can’t be freely distributed, etc) are. The topic linked at the beginning of this paragraph was started because of one such delay a few years ago re the 2.83 splash blend file, a highly-anticipated Ian Hubert work.
The upcoming splash screen is a beautiful arch-viz showing some textures that don’t look redistributable (yeah, there are free sites where artworks similiar to what’s shown on the walls can be downloaded, and those may be from one). I’m looking forward to this blend – I don’t wanna find out on the 19th that it’s gonna be delayed, or worse. So I’m curious about what’s being communicated to the splash artists. I didn’t realize this was happening privately, I thought the info was up somewhere.
Not only is Blender free/open source software the development and maintenance of which is supported in part by donations, the Blender Foundation (2002) is an independent public benefit organization – there are legal and ethical concerns that, even when it’s not required, encourage transparency. Frustrating as it can get, communicating what’s going on is part of the work.
It’s easier to talk about the responsibility of other people than actually doing something like that. And it’s open source… so the source is open. Not open work… or somekind of open process… nobody can sue the Blender Foundation (BF) about “opening” their decision process or force them to include anything they think do not belong into blender.
But… anybody is free to fork and using another name (because especially the logo registered property of the BF)… and some has done this… like Blender4Artists and the newer blender based game engines including all the editing abilities of blender itself.
I think there are other subjects by far more worth to discuss… especially here on BA… which is not directly associated with the BF… more for users mainly (or partly) using blender.
Anyway: You may just ask this on blender devtalk ? Because this place just might be the wrong adress ?
Oh… and by the way… most of this… i have never seen:
1 Like
So you’ve no interest in the splash blends – fair enough. There seem to be plenty of people who are interested in them, here on this forum. I hope you weren’t saying that we shouldn’t be. Also the splash art is done by blender artists, I’d expect that somebody around here would know where the submission guidelines were posted (back when I thought there were some posted), not a question for devtalk.
If I wanted to argue that there should be more community involvement in the splash art instead of the elite closed loop it seems to be? There’s a whole lot to be said there, and maybe it should be said on devtalk 
, but it’s not what I made this topic for. I was trying to find out what’s being communicated to the splash artists about the purposes of and criteria for the splash blends. If that’s private info I can’t say I’m happy about it, but I don’t have the spoons right now to dig deep.
Edited to add: Just reviewed their forum rules – nope, doesn’t belong on devtalk
…did not said anything like that.
And it was discussed before on devtalk or its predecessor (?) …
But it may be the wrong adress… this in done in the Blender Foundation.
Your attempt is like talking about the town politics but i a bar in the next city…
any discusssion there will not change anything in your town.
Except I’m not – I’m trying to get some specific information, that’s it. Once I have that info then maybe I’ll see the need to advocate for some change, but I’ve no idea what, where, or even if, until I see the info. Since I’ve gotten some useful replies in this topic? Looks like this was a good spot to ask.
But you could be right, so I’ve now also posted a request on devtalk - thanks for suggesting it.
Edited to add: Nope.
YES! Not quite what I was hoping for (not getting to see what the splash artists are given), but still: the artists are told the artwork must be commercially usable, that the splash’s blend file (and all assets in the blend) must be freely shareable, and that it’s recommended (not required) that all assets in the blend file be public domain / CC0.
Thanks Okidoki, thanks again Shwaky, joseph, and Ace_Dragon.
Just FYI: the 4.1 planned release schedule now shows March 26th as the release date, not the 19th. 
1 Like
