C.O.W. - #112: Stilt Stalker - Voting!

[Fozzybar]

ROUND #112 VOTING

Topic: Stilt Stalker

Deadline for the voting: Wednesday, 02nd April 2008

Posting thread (closed):
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=121061


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OK - before voting/posting read this!!!

1. Please give c&c or a reason why you voted for the image!

2. Feel free to comment on any or all entries, the artists will appreciate it!

3. No voting for your own entry!!! If a participants votes for his own entry, every member has the right to call him a stupid lame moron in this thread! And i will delete his/her vote anyway...

4. The poll is public. Your vote will be seen.

[latimer]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/ltlatimer/cow_12.jpg

Artist: Latimer

Concept: Stilt-Stalker
The stilt-stalker is a peaceful creature, despite the horrendous look of its beak & its stark name. They live in flat areas with only the lightest grass - it feels good on their feet.
Their feet absorb nutrients from the earth, whilst they feed on plant material & the occasional bird with their beak.
The stilt-stalker has never been known to attack a human despite actually 'stalking' them, hence the name. Scientists believe the creature is just curious, & wants to learn more about man-kind.

[peterhurman]

am i too late

heres my entry anyway

artist: oven g love

description:

remaining motionless for hours the stilt stalker is an ambush predator. as tall as the planets trees, its legs resemble the local vegetation. when its prey comes close enough its long neck allows it too snatch the prey before it is aware of its presence.

[Kmadden2004]

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii302/Kmadden2004/stilt-stalkercolor.jpg

Artist: Kmadden

Concept: Stilt-Stalker

There are many variations of this creature, each one adapted to its own particular environment. This particular example has evolved to survive in a forest setting. Its stilts and head, both cracked and hardened, have the look and texture of tree bark, allowing it to hide amongst the undergrowth, it's underbelly and tail buried under the earth, waiting for an unsuspecting mammal to walk past. To protect it from hunters and fellow stilt-stalkers, these creatures have evolved a hardened exo-skeleton on its underbelly preventing any sharp spears from penetrating into its internal organs...

[Tommoy]

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t19/Tommoy/COW112D2k.jpg

Artist: Tommoy

Concept: Sidem
The Sidem is capable of stalking his prey for days till it finds the perfect setting to strike. Its a vicious creature, once he decides to stalk something, his victim can say goodbye with his little hand.

[Paul Kang]

http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs27/i/2008/080/5/f/stilt_stalker_by_warmll.jpg

Artist: Warmll

Concept: The Stilt Stalker
The stilt stalker is a vicious creature. Standing at 25 feet tall, it hunts its prey with great speed and terrifying vigor. When it catches up to its prey, it quickly tramples it to death with its overdeveloped claws. It then uses its long tongue to pick up the carcass to eat it, much like an elephant uses its trunk. However, this unique species is endangered. Man has come to value its stilt like claws for its crystal like beauty and its medicinal qualities. They are slowly being hunted toward extinction...

[Mike Corriero]

http://pratt.edu/~mcorrier/Art/Stilt-Stalker-Web.jpg

Artist: Mike Corriero
Concept: Wavering Stiffle Stump
The Giants though slow and seemingly docile are quick to snatch smaller unsuspecting prey. They stalk in a wavering and swaying like motion, letting the breeze of the wind and the bow of the surrounding forrest keep its true form hidden in nature. Above the tree tops covered by the thick forests it lurks through, these giants distinguishing features are concealed. They often move hundreds of feet before anything realizes they're alive unless they pass through an opening break in the dense leaf covered canopy making their upper body visible to the little creatures below.
Their bodies are stiff and firm and coated in moss, mushrooms and vegetation. They contain no toes, only stump-like feet and strong long legs that mimic the tree trunks it walks among. It's a patient hunter like most predators and can often sit around for days before it will strike or find the right meal. Their eye socket is quite complex, leading to the back of the head through a canal of bone that gives off a type of higher 360 extra sensory visual perception. This allows the giants to see in front, side and back of them (with the minds eye) without the need to move their necks and head much.
When food is targeted the Stiffle Stump will ease its way within reach to quickly grasp what it can in its branch mangled fingers trapping the prey in a cage of limbs. Now the giant can indulge and reach down with its long neck to feast on its catch for the day. They can go weeks surviving on a single kill and when food is scarce or their in need of nourishment they draw energy from nutrients in the earths soil like any "true" tree. The soles of their feet are soft and moist allowing the Wavering Stiffle Stump to repeatedly stamp its legs until it buries them into the soil to suck up whatever water and food it can. Elder Siffle Stumps are found lying still, rooted deep in the earths surface slowing dying off as they live their remaining months off of the water and nutrients in the surrounding soil, until it runs dry. They die a slow but peaceful death and the once brilliant greens and color fade from their bodies leaving a dried up faint memory of their existence as they become a part of the vast growing forest they once roamed.

[Joey-b]

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y260/b-yeoj/COW112_joey-b.jpg

Artist: Joey-b

Concept: Laelm


This Creature Lives in the desert, The tentacles attached to his face are sensors to detect living creatures, also they have to ability to stun like a jellyfish does. These are very important since it has no eye sight. Also he doesnt really need the eye sight because there arent many obstacles in the sandy dunes of the desert. Most of the time it eats small insects wich live in the desert sand.
the creatures just whirls its tentacles around the victim, it gets stunned so it wont get away, and then he'll slowly consume it

The first time this creature was discovered it kept following the humans around every where they go, the cause of this is that the sensor like tentacles detected life (the humans around him), luckely this creature is very slow so people can get away easily

[zyphryus]

http://zyphryus.ubermutant.net/art/stilt-stalker-color-cow112.jpg

Artist: Zyphryus

Concept: Dreamtime Stilt-Stalker
Much like a totem animal, this creature visits in dreams, to bring along an important message. The message is only known by the one who dreams it. Perhaps it is a warning of hard times ahead, or a great victory, or both. Whatever the sign/message is, its profound and life-changeing.

[merl1n]

http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/6281/stilltstalkerqg3.jpg

Artist: merl1n

Concept: Stilt Stalker
These big creatures originaly living in swamps on the planet S-36X. Natives domesticated them thousands years ago and used them to hunt in the deadly swamps. Nothing has changed since that time, but technical upgrades, which allow the "pilot" to control stalker at all.

[Chuck,mate.]

http://img01.picoodle.com/img/img01/4/3/24/f_stiltstalkem_8ddf5e4.jpg

Artist: Chuck,Mate.

Concept: The Stilt Stalker

You will not go to sleep tonight.

our Moon of Blood is rising at the west, and not everything is peaceful and at rest,
hush all children, quite dear infant, still
you will not go to sleep tonight.
Up on high amidst clouds daubing, this nightmare goliath`s head is bobbing,
Long legs unseen, just shrieking silent, and
You will not go to sleep tonight.
Thin hollow eyes all six a glow, the smothered air moves all too slow,
This moon at west, we`ll never rest, and
Never go to sleep tonight.

( Taken from “Stilt-Stalkers, and other HearSay” by Norman John Miller.)

[Ramitxon]

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n17/Ramitxon/Stalker04.jpg

Artist: Ramitxon

Concept: Giant Crocodile Muncher

In the deep forests of Congo, they say there lives a gigantic creature that walks on long legs almost as stilts. This creature is the giant Forest Wildbeest, one of the few cases on nature where a known herbivore has turned fully a meat eater. Evolution has turned this once peaceful ungulate to use its sharp as knives hooves to slay his favourite prey, giant nile crocodiles, which are unable to escape due to their short legs. It's difficult to see because being so tall a creature, usually overtops the trees, hiding its great bulk over the forest canopy.

[Phade01]

My first post here on CA.org, been lurking here for a long time

Artist: Phade

Concept: Stilt Stalker

The Stilt Stalker is a large creature that lives on open planes. It searches the fields with its huge eyes and when the stilt stalker localizes his prey, he can keep stalking them for hours until they finally jump up to the prey to devour it.

[Mae_Haftahurcha]

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c148/dreamer286/cow112_stiltstalker.jpg
Artist: Mae Haftahurcha

Concept: Muck Stalker
Living in swampy marsh-like wastelands that often have mud pits reaching depths of several feet, the muck stalker has developed long, stilt-like legs that let stand in even the deepest areas without issue. Its long neck and beak let it root around through the mud for its favorite meal and one of the only meals to be found in this barren environment, the worms that live there.

[Lucid_Concepts]

Artist: Lucid_Concepts

Concept: Stilt Stalker
By far the largest species on the planet Hex, the Stilt Stalkers are gigantic ancient bugs which roam free looking for food. They will consume any other species which crosses their path, using three long appendages on the bottom of their torso to suck creatures off the ground. They then pass their food to the tentacles coming out of their mouth, where the victim is leeched by millions of tiny barbs of all their blood before being eaten and slowly digested over time. They were the greatest predator on Hex until the arrival of the human colonists. Sadly, these great beasts have nearly been hunted to extinction for their meat and the strong material of their shells.

[UCT]

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/4092/stiltstalkerjpgtf1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Stilt Stalker: Crab of the Sky

The Crab of the Sky stalks the white sands of the gumba desert to find still/disorientated animals, large or small, to eat. They slowly put their prey into shadow by moving in the way of the blistering hot sun which usually claims the prey into a false sence of wellbeing. It then takes its time to adjust its possition over the animal. Then once in position it can lengthen its bendy stilts to lower themselves toward the animal in complete silence. Taking the tangable aspects of sun,wind,animal condistion it prepares itself for an attack. For the Crab to be successful it needs to bend and shorten their stilts simultaneously to get a good angle to stab the animal with its tail spike. As soon as the spike makes contact the crab stands tall agin at the maximum height possible. The spike has a hook that stops prey from falling off once stabbed, however if the prey do get loose, its common that the bone crushing drop from 40/50 ft will kill the animal outright leaving it nothing more than food for the Crab.

[ATAnderson]

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5349/atanderoncow112stiltstkcx9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Artist: ATAnderson

Concept: Cambou
Believed to be remnants of The Great War, genetically modified to suit harsher conditions and combat situations. The Cambou were hunted in many systems for their protective shell, processed & sold as a luxury item in high class boutiques throughout. Few planets still house this dying race, mostly desolate undesireable planets. In many of which The Cambou have been tamed and used as means of travel & transport by certain nomadic tribes.

[Tyrus]

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj45/TydarDude/COW112.jpg

Artist: Tyrus

Concept: Dalian Carnicus aka Stilt Stalker
Its hoofed feet are muffled by the soft snow,
its coarse fur blends in with the arctic blizzards,
its slow stealth is unmatchable.
They never see it coming.

[eraserfoot]

Artist: eraserfoot

Concept: Stilt Stalker

"Once the Stilt Stalker arrived people just stopped trying to run. They knew they were already caught."

http://eraserfoot.blogspot.com/

[Johann de Venecia]

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l69/deceptant10/cow112_lukavi.jpg

Artist: Lukavi
Concept: Stilt-Shank Hummingbird

Being the biggest member of the hummigbird family, the Stilt-Shank Hummingbird feeds primarily on the fresh water fish that inhabit lakes, swamps and marshes. Instead of nectar, this Marsh Stalker uses its spindle-like beak to suck the blood dry off of its catch. It has been known to stalk its prey, follwing it patiently on its stilt-legs that conveniently camouflage it among the reeds and swamp grass.

[electric goat]

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s116/egoat/stiltstalkerpaint4low.jpg
Artist: electric goat

Concept: stilt stalker
the stilt stalker can hear it's prey migrating from one area to the next. it retracts it's ocular foreskin to reveal it's entire eye and sensitive nerves below it (upper left). this organ is capable of seeing at great distances and can hear prey from miles away. once the route of the best meal is determined it will find a spot along the way to root itself into the earth. the bottom of their feet have fleshing roots that absorb moisture and provide stability while hunting. if it finds a nice shaded spot, mushroom like growths will form on it's feet (lower left) and spread to the earth. this is how the stilt stalker perspires, but it also serves as psycoactive tool that can paralyze a meal. herd comes up, eats the mushrooms, falls over in a happy puddle of own drool. stilt stalker picks them up and eats the prey like a shiskabob.

[Sellis]

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3549/stiltstalkerot2.jpg

Artist: Sellis

Concept Lesser spotted Bog Snatch

No Larger than a Rabbit in size the Bogsnatch in relation to its weight is classed as one of the planets fastest animals. It uses its lightweight body frame and speed to traverse waterways and marshes, silently breaking the waters surface with its stilted legs it is able to approach its prey unheard and without being sensed.

Stu.

[Penumbra]

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s136/penumbra_photo/Penumbra_Chow112.jpg

Artist: Penumbra

Concept: Vertiginous Non-Venomous Bantam Scrimp
Originally diminutive in size, The bantam Scrimp mutated into a slightly larger creature(Though this went relatively unnoticed, because it occured incrementally over 8,300 years). This particular mutation had a disastrous effect upon the species. When threatened the Scrimp would rise up on its rear spikes and frighten away its predators, but tragically the increase in size left the creature in a perpetual state of vertigo, causing it to topple over backwards and leaving it defenseless. The Scrimp pictured here is the last recorded of its kind. The species became extict when this last survivor was eaten by the observing scientist's cat(Mr.Scribbles).

[ImRazil]

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/5297/stiltstalkercompletevy8.jpg

Stilt Stalker:
Often seen following boats and other objects dwelling the surface of great waters - like oceans -, the Crustasio Pisces is a scavenging species. This species of creature that can reach heights of above 50 meters seems to be a far of cousin of the creature we know as the crab, though in reality the creature was discovered at Colony Pios 3, located at planet Eclo. Planet Eclo is noted often for its abundance of water and this creature has adapted perfectly to that surrounding. Originally it used it large hooked pincers to scrape dead carcasses of creatures out of the lake and it used its size to chase of any competitors and also to reach for the carcasses that were floating on top of the water. Spiking its pincers into the carcas, it could easily draw away even the largest of creatures.
After humans arrived at Planet Eclo this creature seemed to have developed a taste for human waste, following waste-barges half-way across Eclo. This has a positive side: they eat all the waste that falls of the barges, but also a negative side: if the barge isn't fast enough, the species will try to pull in underneath as it would do with a carcass.
This nature of stalking these boats has made sailors name this creature the Stilt stalker, the creature with the abnormal long legs for traveling through deep water that and during this walking stalks the boats to draw them underwater and feast on the waste - and unfortunate humans - that gets within its grasp.

[Michael Jaecks]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a379/neorepto/michaeljaecksstiltstalkercow.jpg

Artist: Michael Jaecks

Concept: Uugumoo
The Uugumoo is a curious creature, almost bird like aside from its six long stilt like legs that thunder through the jungle with surprising speed. The Uugumoo gets its name from the call it makes.

[hodoca]

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/hodoca/finalcopy.jpg




Artist: hodoca

Concept: Kneshet's Greater Forest Stilt
The greater forest stilt is an ambush hunter in the low, dense, southern forests of kashl. It stalks slowly and deliberately, until it moves within range of its prey. It then uncoils, and swiftly strikes.

[Sebastian Gromann]

Artist: SnobbyOo

Concept: Stilt Stalker
An unkwon species, who is near to the perfekt killer. They r able to run very fast and also to jump to the highest places. Their skills are so great that they could kill every life they find. they just have two weak spots; the dont live for many ages and their number of births are very limeted. So, be careful, dudes.

[jhagen22]

Artist: jhagen22

Concept: Stilt Stalker

The Stilt Stalkers are a rare creature found only in old tall-growth forests, mainly in the western United States. They have evolved to mimic the tall trees in order to survive. Their legs look like the trunks of the mighty sequoias. They are also a very hairy creature, but their fur has the look of a forest canopy when they hunch over to hide or ambush their prey. Over the centuries their diet has adapted from the abundant wildlife that once roamed their territories to the far easier prey of the camper, logger, or the occasional high school student.

[agnostes]

http://www.agnostes.myzen.co.uk/cow%23112_final.png

Artist: agnostes

Concept: Arachne Acanthus Grallator
A hybrid of insect and plant, the Arachne Acanthus Grallator (nick-named 'spiderplant') dwell in the tallest of earth's forests. Their thick limbs are indistinguishable from the trunks of the surrounding trees, making then almost invisible from ground level. When prey passes beneath them, their bulb-like petals open to reveal a mass of squirming tendrils which grasp their unfortunate victim, pulling them up into the flower, where they're digested alive for anywhere up to three earth weeks

[Fozzybar]

Failed quality check (sloppy/rushed/unfinished artwork and/or insufficient artistic quality)

defunctdiety, illuSion 3600



other not accepted entries:

none



close to rejection:

Luci_Concepts



special notes:

all
Didn't read the concepts, lack of time...

[Fozzybar]

Awesome new topic is online:

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=121714

[jhagen22]

My vote went for Penumbra. I really dug the realism and the style of the creature.

[Tyrus]

It was close between Mike and Ramitxon, but Mike gets it this time around.

[UCT]

Penumbra, great concept well within the brief.

[Ramitxon]

My vote goes for Mike. His is the best rendering and concept in my opinion, but the rest of the works this week are simply awesome, AtAnderson and Penumbra are fantastic too.

[Michael Jaecks]

I had to go with Mike as well. AT and Penumbra both did great entries, but the wood - stilt -tree - creature sort of idea in Mike's entry made the most sense concept-wise. Plus he's just a lovely, humble lovely person to talk to when he offers a crit. ... ;) Luv ya buddy and thanks for the help.

[Atastrophea]

Lukavi - because it seems quite unusual to have such a naturalistic creature on here, the designs are usually more alien/monster animal so its nice to see a wildlife illustration style entry :) and I like the colour scheme and execution too of course.

[Taere Flarion]

Instead of just lurking I might as well give some justifications for what I'm voting for.

As much as Mike and Anderson's concepts were really excellent-looking, they weren't really "stalker"-like enough to me. If this were just based on coolness, Anderson would have definitely gotten my vote - those Cambou are just awesome. Mike's is also impressive, but both of them give the impression of a big lumbering thing with long legs. Ramixtron's is the only one out of those three that made me really think that this giant warthog thing was stalking its prey, as opposed to grabbing whatever's convenient in Mike's case, or carrying people around in Anderson's piece.

That said, both of them look damn impressive, but I had to give it to Ramixtron on the concept itself.

[ImRazil]

Latimer, for his simple, yet very appealing creature. The simplicity of the creature is something I just like :).

[agnostes]

Mike C, for clearly being a pro and making us all try harder ;)

[Ramitxon]

Instead of just lurking I might as well give some justifications for what I'm voting for.

As much as Mike and Anderson's concepts were really excellent-looking, they weren't really "stalker"-like enough to me. If this were just based on coolness, Anderson would have definitely gotten my vote - those Cambou are just awesome. Mike's is also impressive, but both of them give the impression of a big lumbering thing with long legs. Ramixtron's is the only one out of those three that made me really think that this giant warthog thing was stalking its prey, as opposed to grabbing whatever's convenient in Mike's case, or carrying people around in Anderson's piece.

That said, both of them look damn impressive, but I had to give it to Ramixtron on the concept itself.

Thank you my friend, I'm flattered that you voted my entry over those impressive ones

[Niva.]

Only vote for one? Grrr!

I liked Lukavi's too for the fact it was so different. Merlin got my vote though, good work!

[Mike Corriero]

Thanks for the votes and compliments that those of you left so far, I appreciate it.

Mike C -

[Moai]

Holy shit there are some strong entries in this round. Ay carumba!
Despite the number of strong pieces, though, there was no doubt in my mind who won this round. Penumbra. This image is so good that I had to PM the artist and tell him; simply posting my praise here was not enough. It is simply the best image to be produced for CoW in a long, long time. Look at those colors. Look at that rendering. Gadzooks man sakes alive!
No offense to the other artists and voters, but it's a crime that this is not in first place. It really is. This is the superior image of the round, and it needs to win.

Others:
Phade01- Welcome to CA:yayca:. The rendering on this image isn't so strong, but I like the creature design. The shapes of its hanging arms are especially nice.
Lukavi- This is another great image. Like others, I love how natural it is. A calm and aesthetically pleasing image.
Electric Goat- You've been doing some really wild and well-painted creatures lately. It's not traditional media, is it? If so: :jawdrop:. If not, then great job getting so much texture into this piece. Very well done border, as well. Anyways, my only crit is that the creature's heavy, pillar like legs don't really go with the rest of the creature. It's sinuous, with a lot of great, curvy movements, but the legs just feel...heavy. Like something the creature is stuck to, not a part of.
Sellis- Best design of the round. The creature is very original and full of character. Its large head and flat face and its strange forelimbs really "make" the design. The environment is neglected badly, though. Which is a darn shame, since it's a good little environment. I took a glance through your sketchbook and saw that neglecting the characters' surroundings is a problem in nearly every one of your images. That is a problem you need to fix. Loose is one thing, unfinished is another.

[corspufo]

Voted for ATAnderson, damn that's cool. Damn damn damn. Awesome work.

Mike C, good work as always, but then again, I'm sure you're aware of your coolness.

Penumbra, you were my second place. It was tough but the composition for AT's gave it a better sense of scale and relevance.

Michael Jaecks: your skills are improving and it's great that you can see you pushing yourself. This is some of your best CHOW work

ChuckMate: cool idea and a out of the box illustration.

[SirJohanna]

Voted Mike Corriero. lukavi and ATAnderson also had entries I liked a lot. Great job everyone. :)

[ATAnderson]

Voted lukavi, the subtle mood and design is something I find very hard to achieve, hat off to you Sir!

Thanks for the comments and votes people, very kind.

ATA

[D THE CHEMIST]

wow fellaz GReat great work..crazy talent here as usual

[chaosrocks]

voted Mike ... stilty and treeish...
had I had another vote Ida voted for electric Goat as well

[REEF]

mmm surprised

Penumbra gets my vote easily.

Loved the design sense, great sense of color. Concept cool walking shrimp.

[Artifex33]

Voted for Penumbra's excellent piece.

I liked lukavi's quite a bit, and nearly voted for it instead--i swear it looks like an otherworldly hallmark card painting!

Michael Jaecks was also good, but I found my eye confused as to where the light was coming from. The detail and color in the shadow areas was nearly identical to that in the light mass. It looks like you were going from diffuse light, but then there was too much light on the underside. I liked the design though.

[Lander]

Mike: you got my vote. Rendering is top as always. And your concept kicks.

[electric goat]

im such a douche! forgot to vote but it would have went to penumbra.

thank you to everyone for your kind words and crits. they've been encouraging and helpful. i've just been so damn busy lately! ill try to be more vocal when im not so swamped.

moai-thanks man!, and yes, legs are messed up. no natural media used, just ps. i paint with the chalk brush and will toss and old paper texture over everything and adjust accordingly.

proud to be throwing down some creature weirdness with y'all!