RE: Splinterlands Art Contest! // Week 163 // 10 Booster Pack Prize!

I completely agree with you.
It's something that I have been considering myself too - I want to continue to create fanart, but not for the contest. Just as you said here, often times, lower places seem to be more professionally done than the main winners.
And as I brought up in my other comment, there's even a fanart of another game (Deltarune) in this week's selection.