Haunting images.(Portfolio)

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The term "digital art" means many things to many people. For some, it invokes visions of an old master painting. For others, it can mean fractals, abstracts, algorithmic stills, and more. For those competing in the Renderosity Dinner With The Dead Halloween art contest, it conjured up images of ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and other assorted monsters and creatures.

Every month, the online art community hosts several challenges with small prizes, as well as four larger seasonal contests, including the fall Halloween event. This year marks the eighth year for this particular competition, which is the group's longest standing contest. "The focus of this year's Dinner With The Dead theme is about doing something fun, creative, and different, since everyone--except the dead--have to eat," says Renderosity's Jenifer Carey.

Renderosity received 274 submissions, ranging in subject matter from horror and gore to jokingly playful. Similarly, the artists themselves ran the gamut from professionals to hobbyists. Moreover, nearly 40 percent of the entries came from abroad--the UK, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Romania, and other countries around the world.

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In all, Renderosity handed out 22 awards: five big winners, four honorable mentions, and 13 random selections. The winners also are showcased on the Renderosity Web site (www.renderosity.com). "We always enjoy seeing the quality of work and creativeness of the artists who enter our contest," says Carey. "Every year, we ...