C.O.W. - #119: Unicorn Hunter - Voting!

[Fozzybar]

ROUND #119 VOTING

Topic: Unicorn Hunter


Deadline for the voting: Saturday, 09 August 2008

Posting thread (closed):
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=132109


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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.

[Orion9282]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/Orion9282/COW119_Orion9282.jpg

Artist: Orion9282

Concept: Unicorn Hunter
I felt the unicorn hunter should have some mystical qualities to it since it's hunting a mystical creature. It's coloration hints at the ability to "camouflage" itself (become somewhat transparent) before striking. Its face and head have protective layers to counteract the Unicorn's supposed 'telepathic' abilities and offers protection from attacks. It's horns are utilized in place of its reduced senses underneath the head protection.

[Pixelestial]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a370/Ekhidna/hackerjack-soulweaver.jpg

Artist: Soulweaver

Concept: Hackerjack
Hackerjacks are small, hyperactive predators that hunt in packs of up to 500 members. They prey exclusively on unicorns, but there's one problem; a unicorn is nearly impossible to catch in its native forest. Unicorns personify the ancient magic of the woods, and at a moment's notice, they can disappear into the trees without a trace. The hackerjack's solution to this is to leave the unicorn without a forest to hide in. When a pack of hackerjacks catches the scent of their quarry, they fan out and form a wide circle around it. Then, they get to work.

These destructive creatures can deforest an area at an alarming rate. They hammer their axe-like heads into a tree, woodpecker-like, until it falls. Within an hour, they create a barren perimeter of stumps around the unicorn. Unicorns are strongly tied to their forests, and they are unwilling or unable to venture out into this wasteland. Once the unfortunate creature is trapped in this way, the hackerjacks are free to swarm it their leisure.

Hackerjacks have a curious way of replenishing the forests they so wantonly destroy. Since they only eat unicorns, hackerjack droppings act as a kind of "magic fertilizer". This strange stuff allows the forest to grow back within mere months.

[gnahz]

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s288/gnahzCA/unicon-hunter4.jpg

Artist: gnahz

Concept: Usui

Ancient mythical creatures which are foes to the unicorns. Hunts in packs (like wolves), its hooked tail is to hold down the unicorn whilst its struggling and to injure the unicorn during the chase.

[banhatin]

http://forum.coowow.com/noncgi/attach/2008/07/30/1217418249-userId-624-hunter.jpg
Artist: banhatin
Concept: OYLANTOS
The dark god - Tartarus, the dispatch of his monster (OYLANTOS),
to the Licorne frequented the sacred forest eradication Licorne, as Licorne have the ability to heal,
so Tartarus beast must kill them all, OYLANTOS Licorne not often appear in the preparedness of the moment,
the tragedy has started ...

[Relic]

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f370/Reliczhi/ca/119unicornhunter.jpg

Artist: Relic

Concept: SHADOW BLADE
As we know, unicorn as the purest being that live in the Fairy,usually in the forest,representing the bright side of the world.But there's no brightness without darkness,like there're always Yin and yang being all together.So along with the creating of unicorn by the divine force,in the shadow of the brightness,we got Shadow Blade.
In the fairy forest, shadow blade alway hide on top of enormous trees.They have no eyes,but they move swiftly and silently in shadow.Shadow blade hunt down unicorn not for food,they just kill them with the blade on the forehead,it's just an instinct. When a shadow blade has killed an unicorn,the hunch on its back will darken,and then explodes,the shadow blade also dies.Thereby the balance between bright side and the dark side.

[benu]

424626

Artist: benu

Concept: Keythong


A remote relative of the gryphon, the keythong is a wingless, forest-dwelling creature of the size of a wolf, and not unlike wolves, they hunt large prey in pack of three to ten individuals. Like their grander relatives, they have an immense appetite for equine flesh, and thus, are the only natural enemy of the unicorn, which they do not only hunt for it`s tender flesh - the sight of the unicorns blinding white fur, which shimmers pinkish-silver even in the darkest nights, hurts their light-sensitive eyes and makes them aggressive.

[scorge]

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k153/scorge40/UnicornHunter.jpg

Artist: Scorge

Concept: Griblam
At the dusk they come, quietly to the river that has been known to give life, and also take it away. Drawn to the glowing depths, the unicorns find peace and comfort in the calming mist that flows from the river.
But not every creature is attracted to this mysterious place for the same reasons. Some travel to kill. And this is one of them. Actually, one of hundreds.
The Griblam.
Standing fifty feet high, this the most powerful of the centaur species, comes to hunt for the truest source of power and eternal life in the great forest, the Unicorn. And only this creature knows how to kill one of these majestic beasts. In an ironic twist of fate, the horn of the Unicorn is the only substance able to penetrate their magically protected hide, and must be attached to the body of its original owner in order to work. The Griblam uses its brute strength to overwhelm and destroy. But this is not its only asset. The eyes on this foul beings legs are for more than merely looking around, they can see the into the soul of the unicorns, allowing them to find the oldest, and most powerful of their most dreaded enemy. For you see, the hide of the griblam is hard as well. Harder than a Unicorns. And there is only one thing that can penetrate it. Can you guess what it is?

[abaker]

hey all...

my first time posting on this site... a friend put me onto this thread, and thought i would give it a go. sadly didn't have time to put the creature into an environment.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7426/unicornkillerfin2ly1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7426/unicornkillerfin2ly1.f99aab3322.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=227&i=unicornkillerfin2ly1.jpg)



Artist: a.baker

Concept: dai cat
your-description

the idea behind the "dai" cat was that they were loners by nature...intelligent hunters, they'd just take the horse down with speed and strength... long saber teeth for cutting right through all the blood vessels of the unicorns throat, plates which are good against the ol horn... a bone plated head as well.
hope you likes :)

[ATAnderson]

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/5159/atandersoncow119unihxo7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Artist: ATAnderson

Concept: Lytaal
The Lytaal are a very territorial race. Even within their different troops they are known to fight and steal from one anothers dens. While any real use for the Unicorns horns, is yet to be determined they seem to have a huge significance to the Lytaal. The packs very rarely even feast upon the Unicorn, They usually waste no time in breaking off the horn and returning it to their troops den.

[Arteater]

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs31/f/2008/213/6/0/Unicorn_Hunter_by_arteaterproductions.jpg
Artist: Arteater

Concept: Birtch tiger
This creature hides in the shadows stalking unicorns. one of theses creatures can take out 2 to 3 unicorns in a sitting. Standing 8 to 14 feet tall and traveling at speeds up to 65 mph this cousin to the cat can outrun any pretty little horned horse.

[RichKid]

Artist:RICHKID

Concept:MONOHORN
a single creature born with the purpose of finding its counterpart and destroying it. this is the shadow to the unicorns light, the unicorn must stay one step ahead of the monohorn if its powers are to stay in this realm. once united the two will decide the fate of our world.

[Villa]

Artist: Villa

Concept: Unicorn hunter: Whiteback
Basic ideas:
-White Shell used as camouflage to blend in rock boulders and stone formations
-The shell covers more area in their body as they age and as they feed on unicorns. the more they feed, better the camo.
-They are born without a shell so they must rely on speed and strenght in their youth.
-They can pull back their necks just like turtles to help them blend in better.

[Spysheep]

Artist: Spysheep

Concept: Kraglemana
The Kraglemana roams the plains, devouring herds of unicorn. The Baleen filers the horns from the beasts where it then processes the magical energy into it's system. The unicorn goop from one herd can keep the Kraglemana energized for months at a time. The rest of the unicorn is then discharged from its blowhole.

[Ryn]

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/4024/unicornhunterfinaluw3.jpg

Artist: Ryn
Concept: Jellinkyr
The jellinkyr is a sea-dwelling creature that surfaces once a year to feed on unicorns. This whimsical creature floats as easily on land as it does on water, propelling it's lightweight body forward by powerfully whirling its colossal tail. It feeds only on the unicorn's horns, dissolving the horn into the creature's bloodstream through a mildly acidic sac on the jellinkyr's underside. The unicorn's horn contains the mythium, a rare mineral that provides the jellinkyr with powerful energies, allowing it to grow brightly coloured masses of horns. These hollow horns are essential in the jellinkyr's mating rituals, as they are highly attracted to vivid, shiny hues. Once the jellinkyr has successfully mated, it adsorbs the horns back into its own body, in an effort to regain energy until next mating season. The now anemic-looking jellinkyr returns to the ocean, burying it's vulnerable jelly sac in the sand to hide its bright colours from predators that lurk in the waters above. Here it waits until next year - next mating season, when the hunting will begin anew.

[Snarfevs]

Artist: Snarfevs

Concept: Quoit-Faced Absalom (Metazelus avshaloma)

The Absalom is a heavily genetically engineered species based off a large and surprisingly agile terrestrial pseudocrustacean, Metazelus woroni. The Absalom was developed by the Federal Invasive Species Countermeasures Consortium (FISCC) in hopes of controlling feral unicorn populations that have been ravaging hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of pristine wilderness throughout the Northwestern Grabens. In stark contrast to their mythical allure, unicorns represent a significant threat to biodiversity as introduced species in a number of ecosystems, especially sphagnum moss bogs and delicate native grasses which are rapidly destroyed by trampling hooves. Unicorns are also notorious for property destruction and personal injury. Unicorn culls have so far proven ineffective and uneconomical. The Absalom is a specifically engineered to attack and kill unicorns by leaping long distances and throwing its toroidal body over the horn, clamping down tightly with strong peristaltic muscles and gnashing away at the eyes, mouth and neck of the unicorn. If the Absalom is killed, it will remain attached to the horn and begin to decompose, eventually posing an infection risk to the unicorn. If, however, the Absalom successfully severs a jugular vein, it will detach and others will move in to lap up the unicorn's blood, which contains a protein the species needs to moult. This is a precaution to prevent the species from becoming viable without unicorns.

The Absalom sometimes attacks other horned species, but this behavior is relatively rare. Within the last 5 years, feral unicorn encroachment has slowed by 85%.

[Kezrek]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Kezrek/omnwjite2fincopy.png

Artist: Kezrek

Concept: Mouth Trap
It's a beautiful, glorious, sunny, meadow-y and such day. A herd of unicorns prances about a field. Unbeknownst to them, a killer lurks in the skies.
The Mouth Trap is a creature that feasts on the flesh and magic of unicorns. In order to take down its prey, the beast dives down to the ground, just in time for its 'head' - the part covered in poisonous spikes - to strike the side or butt of any unaware unicorn. Even with a horn, the prey cannot reach its side or buttocks to take a jab at the Mouth Trap. To keep the prey from kicking and screaming, the poison is a toxin that stuns muscles, preventing the unicorn from moving almost as quickly as it is stabbed by the head. In fact, the poison is so powerful that the predator uses the unicorn's magic to prevent it from suicide while eating. As the head is securely in place jammed inside the prey, the mouth of the Mouth Trap bends forward to delightfully feast on the reward. The wings' claws and the body's small stretchy feet hold the Mouth Trap in place as it eats. The unicorn is quickly torn to shreds. What cannot be ingested is promptly carried in the mouth and flown away; due to the smaller natured size of the Mouth Trap, this creature cannot fight off bigger predators and scavengers.

[3ciona]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w6/3ciona/cow119_3ciona.jpg
[*COLOR=White]3ciona[/color]
[*COLOR=White]unigator[/color]
[/b]Unigatores lure unicorns using its virginhead shaped limb. Thanks to its bamboo shaped pokes sticking out of its back the unigator can wait under water and lure its pray with "sinking virgin" limb which it mimics perfectly. the worst part is that unigator doesen't know the differencr between unicorn, horse or zebra

[Azathoth]

COW#119
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v668/SpiderofLeng/UnicrnHntr_009sm.jpg


The malicious Ringlet Beasts hunt in packs. They surround a lone young unicorn,
then precede to play almost a hideous game with the poor animal. They run to and fro confusing and disorienting the unicorn. Once the prey is exhausted
they take turns jumping up and trying to hook their ring on the unicorns horn and neck. Once hooked they swing from the horn and gouge and gorge the unicorns throat and neck until the head is severed. The pack then disembowel
the unicorn and enjoy their bloody feast.

[Freha]

Artist: Freha

Concept: Unurg Beast
Unurg beasts hunt unicorns in order to grow and maintain their exoskeletons. Unurg are solitary hunters. They don't have eyes, instead there is a deep pit in their face where heat and "mystical" energy sensors "see" in the place of eyes. Since unicorns dissipate quickly after death, Unurg beasts swallow huge chunks of their kill all at once. Their lower "jaw" rolls backward toward their chest to allow them to grip massive pieces of flesh. Unurg then pull and tear away pieces to swallow. Their large chest area is not for lungs, since they take in oxygen through their skin and have no lungs, it is instead for their huge stomach. An Unurg can carry an entire dismembered unicorn in its stomach.

The air scoop in their chest funnels air through cavities that make a flute like noise. This noise serenades the unicorns and they sometimes move towards the "music", and their doom. Unurg can run at high speeds for long periods and not tire. Their muscles always have plenty of oxygen so there is no fatigue. Unurg beats often will run their prey into exhaustion. But this doesn't always go as planed since unicorns are far more agile and can run into water to escape. If an Unurg beast enters water deeper than its boney limb ends, it will start to drown/suffocate. Most often Unurg will use their very sharp front limbs to trip up and cut off a unicorn's limbs, stopping them in their tracks. Dinner is served.

[DefiledVisions]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i158/Alandir/UnicornHunter-finalrmk.jpg

Artist: DefiledVisions

Concept: Reolith

The Reolith are carnivorous creatures that mainly feed on unicorns. The unicorn's horn possesses some vital minerals that are necessary to produce the powerful exo-skeleton covering the Reolith. The exo-skeleton is thickest on the chest and the near the thighs, because of their peculiar feeding process.

They possess powerful arms and legs, each ending with a scythe-like claw, which is used to hunt pray with. They roam the tree-tops, well camouflaged and due to the lack of fingers and toes they've evolved an extendable neck that is very flexible. Because of the four scythe-like claws they are unable to feed in the "normal" four-foot position and have to bend upside-down when feeding, thereby expose their lower regions. It is when feeding that they are in their most vulnerable state. Attacking a Reolith, even in it's vulnerable state is not wise. Their protection is very endurable and their movement speed on, and above ground excels any man. Lack of vision have led them to find other ways of adapting. Evolution has granted them powerful sensors on top of their head that sense heat emanating from nearby living entitys. They also have good hearing.

*sidenote* I was planning on having a unicorn in the picture, and some smaller black'n whites explaning how this creature feeds. But time caught up to me, the last 20 minutes I had to wipe out the unicorn, crop the image, and add a the cliff to the right. It kinda ruined the depth of the piece, but anyhow, I finnished my first cow on time! was great fun, and there's been so many great pictures made. Good luck people.

and.. Freha I didn't know our creatures were so similar. I assure you I havn't done any attempt to copy it. Sorry for any inconvenience.

[Blackthorn]

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/bpgagnon/2D%20Work/a_unicorn_hunter.jpg

Artist:Blackthorn

Concept:Unicorn Hunter

Able to disguise themselves as over sized pine cones, A colony of these creatures will hang in a tree for months awaiting the perfect opportunity for an ambush. They will remove the existing pine cones from the branches then drop down on to an unsuspecting unicorn has it passes below. Using powerful beaks underneath there main body mass, they will devour the creature and use the carcass as a breeding ground. Soon the offspring will emerge and join the adults as they set out to find a new tree.

[Michael Jaecks]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a379/neorepto/COW119UNICORNHUNTERMICHAELJAECKS.jpg

Artist: Michael Jaecks

Concept: Blight Fiends
No unicorn is safe, be they stallion, mare or even foal. Blight Fiends are their mortal enemies. The reason why these demons hate unicorns is a bit of a mystery, though some legends suggest the Blight Fiends were once unicorns themselves, ages ago. Blight Fiends, it is said, were created as foot soldiers for a long forgotten war by the corrupt and vile spell of an evil wizard. Though the bulk of them were destroyed during that battle, a few survived, to the deep chagrin of unicorns everywhere. The Blight Fiends are driven by a madness and jealousy to hunt down and destroy these beautiful creatures.

[Rizza]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b89/FarewellApollo/uk22copy.jpg

Artist: Angela Rizza Rizza

Concept: The Red Backed Forest Thistle
The Red Back Forest Thistle is a spined serpent that has been known to grow up to 30 feet in length. The creature has an enormous poison sack on the top of its head which directs a lethal toxin to whatever pierces its many sharp spikes. The creature's main prey is the unicorn and hunts it by digging shallow burrows under the ground. It then senses the unicorns hoof beats through the vibrations striking his thorns and attacks the unicorn from below. Once capturing it, the creature will quickly inject it's poison then pound the unicorn to death with his tail and drag it back underground to eat.

[longshao]

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q137/yty2000/unicornhunter2.jpg



Artist: longshao

Concept: lazumel


This creature haunts the misty, dark forests and pursues any prey it can bring down and kill. Its favorite prey is the unicorn, which is pale and easy to spot and stalk during dusk and dawn.

[artiphats]

http://www.raysartonline.com/conceptart/cow119_artiphats.jpg
[B]Artist: Artiphats

Concept: Giant Zorju Bat
The Giant Bats of the Zorju sit on the edges of cliffs overlooking the plains, swooping down on unsuspecting unicorns who come to eat. These bats have no legs, but post themselves up on their massive arms. After a successful kill, the bats use these powerful arms to pull the unicorns body back up the cliffs, aided by the equally powerful wings they have.

[corspufo]

Artist: Corspufo

Concept: Mayalka Hound The Unicorn Hunter
Unicorns are known for their elusiveness and their incredible speed. The Mayalka Hound is a close relative of the Thestral, reptilian in appearance and mannerisms. The Hound maintains the same abilities of it's cousin, invisible to all except those who have witnessed death. This sole characteristic allows the Mayalka hound to get close enough to strike down it's prey. Unicorns are creatures of such purity, that rarely are they able to see their attackers until the moment of their own death is upon them.

The Mayalka tribesmen are hunters and poachers that procure all manner of materials for the dark mages and sorcerers of the area. The Mayalka hound are mainly wild and roam in small packs, but the Tribesmen have managed to domesticate these creatures and use them to fulfill their greedy ambitions. Unicorns are valuable beyond measure, and the Hound is one of the few creatures to bring it down.

[Fozzybar]

http://www.beyce.com/ca/cow/cow_119_unicornhunter_foz.jpg

Artist: Fozzybar

Concept: Obscurnium

Good versus Evil. Light versus Shadow. White versus Black. Life versus Death.

There are many metaphors used for this encounter: Unicorn versus Obscurnium.

People tend to associate Unicorns with the good side and Obscurniums with the evil side. They judge by tradition, tales and ideals. In fact both creatures are neutral beings - yes, beings with magical abilities, but at the end still on the same level. There is no side, no ideal, no choice, when both encounter: There is only the drive to survive.

Obscurniums live in the same habitat like Unicorns. Mostly dense lush forests. They are masters of camouflage and they use confusion as their weapon. Obscurniums use the magic which they absorb from the horn of unicorns to create glowing, fog and irritating smells. They appear in front of Unicorns and start their show of confusion to have a good chance of attacking and overpowering its victim. When they are succesful they use their powerful pincers on the upper jaw to cut the horn and eat it.

While eating the Unicorns horn, the magic which is concentrated on the horn, adds up to the Obscurniums energy. The organic part of the horn is used to build up the mass of the Obscurniums sting on the back. Beside the use for generating more light and confusion it is used as a symbol of power when it comes to mating or marking territories. The longer and thicker the sting the older and stronger the Obscurnium is.

Now, is it Good versus Evil or is it only Unicorn versus Unicorn Hunter?

[Fozzybar]

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

IsrafelX, Demo, markey2d



other not accepted entries:

Lege1
As i told you already in the posting thread...no plants allowed :(

zanzan
As lovely the artwork and composition is, COW is about the creature and its design and concept, but there is too less visual appearance of your creature. Please focus on the creature next time ;)



close to rejection:

banhatin
Your creature is a character. It is about an individual and not the species in general. Still since your skills are worth any respect and the fact that the creature looks like a species you're in ;)



special notes:

Ryn
I am not sure if you shoed only a part of the creature or the whole creature itself...first case means rejection, second means acceptance...and there is a third case: uncertainty of a mod, which means poll this time ;)

[Fozzybar]

The next round will start tomorrow, too late now, have to go to bed ;)

[SirJohanna]

Aww, too bad you didn't finish your entry, indus. I would have voted for you.

Alright, will vote longshao this round, it's a neat critter. I also like corspufo's critter a lot.

[artiphats]

this was a REALLY tough round to vote in. There were a lot of entries that I wanted to vote for. Ended up voting Longshao as I could really visuallize that thing hunting down unicorn.

Other favorites : banhatin, scorge, abaker, ATAnderson, richkid, Snarfevs, Michael Jaeks, corspufo, Fozzybar.

If I have time today I will comment on all entries.

Great round everyone

-Ray
oh yeah FIRST!!

EDIT : Dammit Sirjohanna, well I got first vote in anyway :)

[Michael Jaecks]

All righty then. I voted for scorge. Anyone who's got the nuts to use salmon, purple and turquoise in the same painting plus has the nerve to stand up and tell me ten different things that are wrong with my entry in the posting thread has earned my vote...

this round. ;)

No, but seriously, I asked for it and your feedback was very helpful. Your design is very original and in general your paintings get better and better crafted each round. The colors could have really clashed, but I think they really work here. (One teeny little crit would be that I sometimes wish you wouldn't crop things so close. I know he's big and huge, but give this guy a little space to breath.) But, I also really like how fluffy his fur and the unicorns' manes are. I believe we are witnessing the softer side of scorge.

I also really liked banhatin's entry, longshao's and RichKid's ...all very nice.

And a shout out to our trusty stalwart moderator as well. You never enter anymore; it's nice to see your work again.

[Villa]

voted for longshao. The look of the creature is badass. since unicorns are often portrayed as being beautiful, their nemesis had to be something really mean, big and strong, something that i came to aknowledge when i finished my creature, saw it and didnt look so threathening. i can really see this giant tearing unicorns apart, would have liked if you showed a more unicorn specific mechanism of hunting in the creature given the theme, since it looks like it can rip to pieces literally everything in his path. nonetheless, love the anatomy you put on your creatures mr. Yan. especially their faces and heads.
other favorites are
banhatin: big and strong as well, great finish.
abaker: i like the look of that critter a lot
and snarfevs: unicorn specific, very original anatomy.

good round.

[Moai]

Sweet creature design, Fozzybar. You have my vote.

[Snarfevs]

My vote went to Soulweaver. The concept is unique and integrates really satisfyingly into a 'fantasy ecosystem'. The creature itself is wonderfully illustrated and would look right at home in a Games Workshop manual. The salient details are conveyed in a lucid but stylish way. Well done!

Other standouts:

Orion: Lovely rendering and palette.
Banhatin: Really nice rendering and rock solid anatomy. The concept feels a bit generic though.
Scorge: Crazy cool palette.
Abaker: Sublime rendering. Radiates brutality.
Villa: Cool, well-explained concept stunningly illustrated. This gets my 2nd place.
Michael Jaecks: Really solid anatomy.
Longshao: Really nice. Colours, structure, composition are all excellent.
Corpsufo: I really dig the neck and head on this. If only the pic were tightened up a bit... :)
Fozzybar: Very stylish, great structure. Good to see another creature from you.

[Blackthorn]

Right on Michael Jaecks. Your entry has something of an epic movie poster quality to me that I really like, and the idea of these crazy centaur like abominations running around savaging the unicorn population is great. Nice work!

[Relic]

My vote goes to Fozzybar.It's a really tough round to vote.I personally more like the brighter tone pieces.
my other fancy:Corspufo(great anatomy,realistic concept),
Michael Jaecks(stunning skill and color),benu(great atmosphere,and my wife loves it:)),villa(beautiful painting and interesting concept)

[Azathoth]

Great entries all. My vote goes to Banhatin amazing render. My design was a little on the lighter side. If I have time I will add more comments later.

[Gib]

Lots of great contributions.
My vote goes to Snarfevs for the concept. Most creatures in poll are more or less generic predators, but Snarfevs entry is a true Unicorn Hunter.

[ImRazil]

I voted for Soulweaver because of the simple artwork that was made. Also the background story provided a radically different approach to the way a unicorn was hunted, which I liked a lot. The other reason was: It just looks good! :).

[Pixelestial]

Thanks ImRazil and Snarfevs for the votes!

Orion9282: I like the design of your creature on its own, but I have a hard time imagining it as a unicorn hunter. It doesn't look particularly sneaky or stealthy like your description implies. Great colors and brushstrokes, though.

gnahz: It's cool to imagine a pack of usuis chasing down a unicorn and using its tail like a whip. Since the hooked tail is so important, I think it should be more pronounced. I wouldn't have noticed that was a hook without your description.

banhatin: Awesome image, but nothing about the creature really says "unicorn hunter" to me. The dark space on the left side might be a little too dark, as it keeps drawing my eye away from the creatures.

Relic: I like your concept of yin and yang. Reminds me of the Dark Crystal. :)
You have some nice textures on your shadow blade, but the image is hampered by muddy colors and a lack of definitive areas of light and shadow.

benu: I think you missed an opportunity for some nice lighting here. If you really pushed the "blinding white fur" of the unicorn to be brighter, we would be able to see the keythongs more clearly and would have some cool shadows to boot. Kudos on the background, though.

scorge: There's a good sense of scale, and that face is downright sinister. I love the green and purple, but I'm not too sure about that particular shade of red for the unicorns' manes. Great creature, but it looks too big and lumbering to fit the concept. (I think a lot of entries this round could have fit the concept better, though, so this is a nitpick.)

abaker: You critter has a lot of personality, and I like the gritty rendering. Usually pure black shadows are a big no-no, but they work here. I'm having trouble thinking of a crit for you, but there's still something lacking here... Maybe the creature is too simple?

ATAnderson: Really nicely done. It would be cool to see a step-by-step for your technique (especially for that gorgeous jungle backdrop). It might have been nice to hear more about their hunting techniques, or why they need the horn. But on the other hand, I can really imagine these guys in motion and I find myself making up stories to fill in the blanks.

Arteater: There's something really appealing about the design of your weird cat mutant. Like the Muppets meet Where the Wild Things Are. But the leg on our right could use some better definition, and the painting as a whole might be just a touch too gray.

RichKid: Really cool boar/bull/eel combination. It just oozes evil. Pink and blue is a great color scheme, and that pebbly texture on the creature's neck is fabulous. "Unicorn rival" is not really the same thing as "unicorn hunter", though...

That's enough for now, I will try to comment on everyone else's later... :)

[UCT]

I voted Longshao. What can I say its BRUTAAL & everything a unicorn isn't.

[zephyri]

Damn I wish we could have more than one vote! Some absolutely brilliant pieces here, and for me, it was a very close toss up between Fozzy and Longshao. Both are brilliant in execution, though quite different in concept. And while Fozzy's is perhaps the more original, I could just see Longshao's critter tearing up a poor innocent unicorn. He has that definite look of a predator on the first read, even without the description, so he won the vote by a whisker.

[Sapphire]

Oh my gosh, what a tough round! My vote went to Snarfevs, but it was really close between that and about four others. I loved the concept behind the genetically-engineered parasite, and a lot of thought was obviously put into it. I also like the little mouth.


Kezrek: Really, really crazy-looking beastie! This was my second choice. I love the look it has of an elaborate lure hanging below the actual mouth, though I know it's actually a stinger. It's very creepy that the mouth looks like it erupts from its back. Very inspirational, really! I only wish some bits were more carefully rendered.
Villa: Sweet critter, I love the way he camoflauges as a rock. Remind me of Dragonheart a bit. The only reason I didn't vote for this guy is because he looks like a lot of stuff I've seen around lately, except the stone casing.
ATAnderson: I really like the anatomy of your creatures, and how they're very much mammalian rather than reptilian. It seems weird that they would waste the unicorn meat, but that doesn't matter really.

[RichKid]

Snarfevs gets my vote, his one of the few that actually is designed based around its target. there are some cool ones but most of them could be designs for any topic.
and spysheep gets my love because that is just a really fun design all around. air whales are always awesome

[ye_oldskool]

Really strong round overall - some brilliant entries.
Voted for RichKid on this one. Loved the exaggerated style & proportions of the hunter. Twisted and evil... nice one!

If there was a second vote it would've gone to Longshao.

[Razorleaf]

Since it is asked by the moderator that we explain our decision, here goes...

I liked Orion9282 and gnahz and abaker. All three were very nice. They had great lines, good color, nice contrast and were creatively presented. But most of all they refrained from exhibited the level of gore that many of the others shared.

There are far to few truly wonderful art pieces that express true talent and creativity. Most artists choose to incorporate blood, gore and horror into their pieces, which is unnecessary when generating a response from the viewer, the creature itself should be enough to create an emotion.

All three of my choices depict a hunter, all three are visually appealing and all three have genuine talent. I choose abaker however because the other two felt more like pokemon (which I happend to like :) )to me whereas abaker created and painted a creature who visually supports all the criteria without the gore.

Well done abaker!

[longshao]

I voted for fozz for the original design, the concept, and the good composition.
I also enjoyed snarfevs entry very much, very unique creature.

[Kezrek]

Sapphire - Thank you for the comment! I wasn't expecting anything compared to many of the other entries, lol. Next time I'll be sure to finalize the image itself better.

[ikuru]

Hey Fonz! :P Gr8 stuff!

[Fozzybar]

First of all thank you to the guys who liked my entry, it makes me even happier to see some regular COWies popping up ;)

It was really tough to vote, but finally i decided to vote for RichKid :
I like the creature design and mood of the piece. Maybe you have overdone it with the eyes count :D But well, that's a minor thing. I would have liked to see the creature as a species, like many of them hunting Unicorns or being the natural enemies of them instead of having only one. I just don't like individual creatures for COW. Whatever i had some favs, but yours had nothing what bothered me :)





Other favs with paint overs, i hope you don't mind guys:

- banhatin
Classic color scheme and rendering as always. Great stuff and good show of your skills. One thing which catched my eye instantly was the bulky look of your creature, it has this brutal appearance but the anatomy was somehow looking juvenile, i think the head was to big compared to the rest of the body, so i gave it a try in PS:

429308

btw, didn't you won a COW star once? I can't see it in your title....


- abaker
I really like the primal look of your creature. It has something brute, like following only its killing instinct. Nice one. The problem i see is that there are too many black areas in the image. Also it seems that you've overdone the burn/dodge tool or maybe layer effects like overlay. I think with some careful handling on the shadows and general tones you could have a really appealing result:

429310


- Villa
As i saw your creature i know that it would be a candidate for my vote. I like the depth you created and everything is clean and sharp. Also great sketches showing how the attack works ;)
The downside is that the idea of a creature hiding as a rock is not the most unique ;) Well, i also have done that before, so there is no escape from this i guess :D
Another thing is the hind leg. The one in the background works well, but the other one doesn't convince me, it looks too small and not powerful. The whole creature loses the impression of being able to shoot out from its hide. I tried my hands on this point:

429312


- longshao
I really loved the overall artwork with colors, composition, atmosphere, rendering etc But something which gave me very hard times was to spot the creatures head part. I wasn't sure if i understood the shapes in the right way. I opened the image in PS and tried to give this part a better readability, but i think i failed, because i am still struggling with catching the whole thing ;)

429311

[zenichi]

Soulweaver, my vote goes to you, for a creature that uses strategies rather than its bio/ magical attributes to hunt the mystical creature unicorn that's been known to elude and evade the most vicious of hunters. the idea that they are part of a "cycle" is also nice, like they have evolved to hunt unicorns, their hunting abilities seems to have been honed for that purpose only and doesnt seems to work on any other creature, hence befitting the "unicorn hunter" description. also, i just like the menacing and yet "cute" creature!! :P

[Michael Jaecks]

Not to turn the conversation away from this round, but...

Are we taking a break this week or is there a topic on the way?

A week without COW is like a day without sunshine.

[Fozzybar]

I don't know what you're talking about...


















...sorry, totally forgot about that :perv:


There it is:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1868976

[Michael Jaecks]

LOL. Shaving. Whatever will I think of...

[Pixelestial]

Villa: I really dig the design of the head and jaw of your beastie. The leg that is furthest from us, though, looks like an arm because of its position. This confuses the image somewhat. The great little sketches help there, but I think just a touch more atmospheric perspective on that leg will help knock it back where it belongs.

Spysheep: Just hilarious. I especially love the eyeball and the little wings.

Ryn: Nice concept, colors, and textures. The only crit I have is that the image could do without the smoke plumes.

Snarfevs: I like the role reversal of the unicorns. Suits the concept perfectly, and a nice, solid rendering to boot. It gives the Absalom a creepy, alien quality. Maybe the long jumping legs are becoming a little amorphous, and they don't seem strongly connected to the body, but I'm nitpicking.

Kezrek: That's an attention-grabbing design, that's for sure. The red sky is beautiful (a filtered photograph done right?), but I wish we had some red light/green shadows on the Mouth Trap instead of the muddy white/black that's on there now.

3ciona: The lure and bamboo poles are cool, but I actually didn't notice them until I read the description. Currently, they're fading too much into the background. My eyes went straight to the red, and to the sharp black border, which I don't think is supposed to be the focus of the image.

Azathoth: You have an eye for color; the Ringlet's skin is quite appealing. Unfortunately, a lot of that is lost in that toxic green background, which is a little overpowering.

Freha: Cool, wicked-looking creature. I might've preferred more contrast in the image (darker background so the creatures stand out, and some more solid cast shadows to ground them better?), but that's a personal preference. Also, I think you have the best-looking unicorn out of the bunch. :)

DefiledVisions: It's a pity the unicorn had to go, but that color work is just... gorgeous. I'm saving this. :)

Blackthorn: Your concept is sound, but your unicorn hunter could have benefitted from some good reference photos. Octopi, squids, and stingrays would have been good reference material to really get the form and texture down.

Michael Jaecks: Your creature reminds me of something out of a child's sketchbook. This is A Good Thing! It's like something embedded in our consciousness... Guillermo del Toro said in an interview that that was his goal with the creature designs in Pan's Labyrinth, so take from that what you will.
It's a powerful image, with a great sense of composition and perspective. I think someone mentioned before that the creature's body was lacking in texture, and I'm inclined to agree. The creature's head is a bit of a let-down... that may be an effect of the noselessness and over-large, almost cartoony eyes.

Rizza: Dragons are traditionally the arch-enemies of unicorns, and yours is wonderful. There's a lot of personality in the face. Unfortunately, for the purposes of this specific COW, it's suffers from the same generic-predator syndrome that so many other entries do, so I have a hard time justifying a vote...

longshao: It's this primal, brutish thing, which would genuinely scare me if I ever saw it, and I have a pretty high tolerance for scary creatures. The mood and atmosphere here are spot-on. Fozzy's paintover has some good suggestions that I can't pin down in words.

artiphats: I like your unique version of the unicorn. But the disparity in style between the two figures is rather jarring (just to be clear, I think the unicorn is more convincingly done than the bat, even with its outlandish stripes).

corspufo: I really like the sketchy quality of this. I could see this in a game manual's bestiary. The anatomy of the hind legs could use some attention, especially in that the one on our left doesn't seem connected to the pelvis.

Fozzybar: Your work has this amazing ethereal, luminous quality that I could stare at all day. I'd buy a huge poster of this for my wall. I wish we would see more of you around these parts. :)
Great creature, too, and I really want to vote for it, but... we'll see. There's so many beautiful entries to choose from.

[Fozzybar]

Thanx for your nice comments so far...just have to add a funny thing as you mentioned the poster thingy:
I actually made this artwork in 150 dpi and 100 cm x 70 cm (39 x 27,5 inches), so that i can hang it on the wall in my office as a poster :D

That's why it has a more design orientated layout...

[scorge]

This was definitely one of the best topics for cow. So many cool solid entries.
Voted Richkid for the overall quality of concept and rendering. I'm a huge fan of moonlight. Has a great Oddworld look to it too. Excellent job man.
As for the rest of yous guys and gals:
Orion 9282: Very nice render and concept. Face seems a little too mechanical.
Soulweaver: Beautiful pose and colors, the story is pretty solid. Definitely in the top three for me.
Gnahz: Like the pose, very actiony, but the anatomy could use some work.
Banhatin: While this is one of the most amazing images I've seen in a long time here, didn't feel like there was an original idea. Beautiful work though.
Relic: You did well with the hunter topic and I'm always loving the creatures that don't require eyes to get around.
Benu: I love the classical look of this image!
Scorge: Where the hell did you find salmon color?
Abaker: Pretty evil. Great job of making me feel threatened by an image.
ATAnderson: Great, now I'm going to start having monkey nightmares again.
Arteater: The cheshire cat this aint. Good job with the mood.
Villa: Really diggin this presentation. Creature's cool too.
Spysheep: Hilarious style. I really like your technique.
Ryn: Sweet colors and detail.
Snarfevs: Overall awesome work man. Totally original and beautiful render. Top three as well.
Kezrek: I was really looking forward to this one. I think you could have done without the sketches and the huge signatures on the bottom. If anything, the creature could have used the attention put into those areas.
3ciona: Good presentation and idea. The background kind of makes it tough to read the creature.
Azathoth: A little too stiff. Like the colors though, and the concept is good.
Freha: I like everything about this one except the angle that the creature is shown.
Defiled visions: Seeing as how you know what went wrong, congrats on finishing and I would not want to see one of these swinging at me. Love the armor.
Blackthorn: Nicely rendered simple idea. Goes a long way sometimes. I'm not sure this would qualify as a hunter though. More of an ambusher.
MJ: Nice improvements. Looks friggin great. Very iconically epic. Thank you very much for the vote and the kind references to my fruit bowl of a palette.:P I'm gonna start studying your colors cause they always seem to turn out right. Thanks again man!
Rizza: Nice job! Welcome to COW!
Longshao: Welcome back to the fold man. What can I say, you've nailed every aspect of the hunter in this one and the mood is perfect. Another of the top three. Inspiring work as always.
Artiphats: I really like the scene but this is another case of a difficult angle on the creature.
Corspufo: Bang-up job man. Presentation and design of the creature are excellent.
Foz: Always love it when you get in on the action. The front right leg looks a little funny, but the originality and cleanliness of the image more than make up for it. I can actually feel the energy coming forth. Thanks for keeping us in line with your voice and artwork.(when we see it of course)
Hopefully I got everyone. See you all in the next.:D

[HareTrinity]

Not that anyone cares much I suppose, but here are my top 3 (and why)

General: Unicorns are mythical beasts associated with storms (creating thunder, mating during storms, etc), so that for me rules out the practical ability of flying predators (there are some lovely designs, I especially like Kezrek's diagram set but I'm a folklore nut). Also, unicorns are rare, so much as a creature may have unicorns as its favourite meal it makes more sense for the larger predators to be less specific.

A.Baker: My personal favourite, I haven't seen many felines around COW so far and I like the thought that went into the creature's defences, making the skull external so as to protect against the unicorn's horn. Only issue is that I'd expect the neck plates to go the other way, to avoid the horn's tip getting pushed under them in fights.

Longshao: Same as with Baker's; looks practical and vicious. I'm not sure why it glows red, but it's easy to imagine that local villages would see this demonic thing take down their local unicorn/s and associate it with that, naming it a Unicorn Hunter, even if it eats a lot of other things. Also, that unicorns carry a hint of mountain goat and this critter carries a hint of mountain camouflage adds to the effect.

Corspufo: Love the face, but the feet look a little weird (personally the hoof/foot mix doesn't appeal to me, and those foreleg toes look like they might snap easily). Still, I like the idea of a creature being used like a hunting hound getting the title of "unicorn hunter" so it's good. And I DO love that face!

Exciting stuff!

[banhatin]

Thanks fozzybar!

[Fozzybar]

wow, now that was close :)

funny note: 100 votes given, makes nice clean percentages for the entries :)

[Villa]

Cool, 1 vote.
nice round all. thnx a lot for the paintover fozz, youre completly right about the leg, and the concept. i'll try to be more active around here. see ya soon with more.