Chow 123 :: VOTING :: The Blood Moon Monk

[daestwen]

FINALS ONLY
-=ROUND 123=-
-=BLOOD MOON MONK=-

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http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii293/chowarchive/CHOW-LINES/CHOW-LINES-MEDUSA.jpg
NOT SURE ABOUT THE GUIDELINES? CLICK HERE! (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=117390)
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DESCRIPTION
The Blood Moon Monk:

A strange figure with no particular religion or philosophy tied directly to him. He travels the world in search of knowledge - both of himself, and of the universe. To him, to be is to know, and only in knowing there is being.

He seems to only wander into populated areas just when there is someone who needs to be 'taken care' of. This be a young man who needs only to be set back on the right path, or someone - something - much more dangerous, for which only lethal force can be used. Somehow, this strange monk just seems to always be in the right place at the right time...

Notes:

- He is almost a vigilante, but he has his own set of rigid rules and morals that he abides by - he is first and foremost a monk, second a man.

- We're looking for a more eastern/Asian feel on this one, but don't let this limit you.

- The Blood Moon is his emblem. You aren't required to use it, but keep it in mind.

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ACCEPTANCE TO POLL WILL BE BASED ON THREE CRITERIA:
1: DID THE ARTIST FOLLOW THE BRIEF? (allowance for creative takes will be made).
2: IS THE PIECE ARTISTICALLY SOUND? (Is the illustration "finished?" - did the artist pay attention to anatomy, perspective, other fundamentals?).
3: IS THIS ILLUSTRATION THE BEST ONE? (reserved for rounds with a large amount of entries).

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SUBMITTING YOUR ENTRY:
1: You must submit ONE full sized image.
2: Make sure your name and CHOW # are EASILY READABLE on your entry.
3: Use the Standard format (Below);

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i222/ChowPics/frame.jpg
:right: PLACE THE IMAGE IN A FRAME WITH YOUR NAME/TOPIC
:right: SAVE YOUR FILE IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT:
Chow##_Nickname
example: "CHOW#100_Oregano.jpg"

THE REST IS EASY:
1: No comments before poll is set. They WILL be deleted with utmost malice and petty grumbling.
2: Sit back and enjoy the show. BYOPC (Bring your own popcorn)
3: Good luck to all.

[S.C. Watson]

-->A few notes on getting in the Poll. (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1891823&postcount=15)

Read it, please.

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[Saleem]

im working all weekend and wont have time to draw so ill post it now
oh and its my first CHOW
alright lol....thank you

[septomin]

Well, can't think of anything else to do with this, so here it is.

[kiwigarbage]

I really pushed myself on this one, I think I improved marginally with ps working on it.

Blood Moon screamed a bit of occult to me...

Hope you enjoy!

[Howie]

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/606/chow123howieie8.jpg

[marioucci]

one day of work only. This is addictive!

[Hideyoshi]

blah.

[D.Labruyere]

446018

[Carnifex]

http://fitzinger.net/chow123_carnifex.jpg

[InFlame]

Here we go...!

445400

[Skolld]

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k102/skolld/Chow123skolld.jpg

[CeeJay]

Here's what I got finished.

[mimer]

first chow, heck, first anything on CA that ive managed to stick to the finish :)

[timothee]

Nice entries so far. Here's what I have. The pole the monk is holding has two functions , it can be used for battle, and then you can retract the top part to use as a cane for walking long distances.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r146/timdeplace/Timothee_CHOW123.jpg

[Johann de Venecia]

I was going for a post-apocalyptic themed militaristic monk. Really enjoyed myself with this one. Cheers everyone, keep it coming.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l69/deceptant10/chow123_lukavi2.jpg

[mr. m]

changed and added some details at the end...
congrats for the final pieces for everyone! it was a great round!

[Timmy the Turtle]

The flower child of a martian man and an human woman, 300 year old Kataki is the sole survivor of his species, the last of the martians. (I'll write some more later)

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/3430/chow123timmytheturtlerh6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Rezeroth]

My entry... :D Good Luck to everyone!!

[Martheart]

Here's my final, the mysterious Blood Moon monk.... Good luck everyone, looking forward to seeing all entries!!

[Saturns Gate]

Well, black and white will have to do. :) Yes he does not look young, years of cutting himself to appease his God have took there toll. Great work everyone!

[Proteus]

445703

[crimson_shape]

... well thats my bm monk, got nothing but a backpack and a katana ... because he travels a lot, so ... no job, no money ^^

[flatliner]

cheers guys!

[tomwaits4noman]

great work everyone i thought of the figures in stain glass windows for some reason hence the pose and symmetry

I had the idea that he purifies sinner with flames that he conjures from his hand

= I guess its years of catholic guilt coming to surface with this chow.. anyway was fun

[/ev]

edit_

[Jefita]

As my first time to actually participate here, this was a lot of fun.

My monk isn't quite as showy. He is off in solitude, in between "taking care" of things.

[Jockemon]

Cool stuff everyone!

[Dan!]

good luck everyone

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q81/DECYPL/chow123_decypl.jpg

[Thujon]

Hi everyone!

This is my entry...I am absolutely unhappy with the BG...but I thought..hey this is CHOW and not EOW...so I left it... :-(

Pretty happy with the rendering...its mostly watercolors.... and some tweaks with PS...

Regards

[Eric Young]

Great stuff so far guys.

[c@s]

My final

445925

[indus]

http://in2thepaper.cdn2.cafe24.com/chow/chow123_indus.jpg
my monk is smoking and driking and riding on a cloud...

[Decepticon217]

here is mine, ran outta time... great work by everyone!

[Villa]

heres mine.
Went just a bit more hindu monk on the head robe.

[daveneale]

Had fun with this

445965

[MJ_Alcazar]

My final. I hope I chose correctly with the color instead of black and white. Well, you'll never learn if you don't put yourself out there. sooo, here it is.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk153/Seloh_Eft/chow123_MJ_Alcazar.jpg

[D@niel]

Great work guys. Mine...

[Larriva Art]

The Yogi in the city...carefully observing, feeling out the crowded streets. The people of this city seem to walk through a fog.
446045

[skorpi]

Great round

My final: He was searching for knowledge all his live, now it's all in his head and nobody should get it as easy as read it in his diary.

[agnostes]

Going with the vigilante theme, and a demonic bhutan mask.

http://www.agnostes.myzen.co.uk/Chow123_agnostes.png

[Wbbatgwia]

446166

Here is my first ever CHOW.

[JIVA*SOUL]

great job everyone...amazing work...

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/jivasoul/jivasoul_chow123_bmmonk.jpg

[Orion9282]

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e16/Orion9282/CHOW123_Orion9282.jpg

[JL.Alfaro]

oh man, great entries

[dlgothv]

Blood Moon Monk! vs. Ninjas!!!! Yeah baby...:)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a212/dlgoth/fantasy%20wantasy/chow123-dlgothv-monk.jpg

[James Wolf]

:D great work everyone, suppose I'll submit one this round,

[Illysian]

Here it is enjoy!

[feifeicreate]

Here's Mine :)

[Dished]

fun topic! awesome entries guys!

[snootchy]

Hope i made in time!

[dabble]

Nice work once again everyone. I'm glad I made this far with some colors for the deadline. Here's my monk using meditation to draw on celestial knowledge to help others. Good luck everyone.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x18/dabble21/ConceptArt/CHOW/BloodMonk_F.jpg

[Vorace]

.....

[haste]

awesome entries everyone! had fun with this

[bumskee]

nice entries all..
http://www.minart.net/temp/chow123_bumskee.jpg

[Djinn]

Final.

[Beelow]

Mines for now. Next topic and nice entries.

[jpedro]

wow, great stuff people!

my entry:

[RevoLverZ]

My final entry. The Blood Moon Monk cleaning the Gobi Desert.

[Vargo]

Here's my "Blood Moon Monk". What good is a Blood Moon Monk without a Blood Moon Sword.

[Antne]

Some good stuff here. I hope I'm in time.

[Blue Severin]

bloodmoon monk

[Giorge]

446391

[Rodimus25]

Bleh:)

[strybjorn]

nice entries everyone...

something thats a bit of a different style for me - interesting to do tho...

[cowboy surfer]

Here he is then:

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l319/cowboy-surfer/chow123cowboysurfer.jpg

Loads of good entries by the way!

[CarolineBradley]

Great entries this round!!!
Unfortunately I can no longer work on this and its probably too rought to make the poll but criticism is always welcomed (and desperately needed)!

Graphite with highlights in photoshop. I will go back and refine this and maybe get some colour on it in photoshop.

The redmoon monk walks the earth restoring order to chaos. Sometimes blood stains his sword, when it does, the guilt he has, drives him to lash himself in punishment...leaving his back scarred forever.

[chippie]

damn you guys are good! This took 2 hours from sketch to colour as you could probably tell its my first chow - and first completed digital piece ever - crits extremely welcome - i really need help on colour blending if anyone can give me some tips please??

The blood moon monk prays for his deceased adversary, in the hope that their troubled soul finds its way to nirvana...

[zenichi]

ikuruthanks for the advice, took away the distracting characters, resized the chanting text, hopefully will land more focus on the main character.

some mouth watering pieces, hope i the piece is considered "finished" enough to make the cut :P

blood moon master monk, visually impaired by their training (blood vessels filled eyes with white iris), once attained enlightenment and granted with a unique vision of the world where emotional emanation of the soul is more apparent to them. with their chanting, restoring imbalance and soothing scared soul as they are compelled and drawn by the human outcry laying before them. not so sure if the tiny bamboo walking stick wielded by a master can also function as weapon of punishment for those who are beyond redemption.

446756

[S.C. Watson]

No Entries past this mark.

[S.C. Watson]

POLL IS UP!

Off Topic/Brief
dabble
daveneale
InFlame
rezeroth
Timmy The Turtle
Jivasoul (female)

Failed quality check (sloppy/rushed/unfinished artwork and/or insufficient artistic quality)
haste
mimer
uccimaru
crimson shape
the original [e]
dlgothv
Chippie
Agnostes
snoochy
djinn
MJ Alcazar
saleem
Wbbatgwai
Cowboy Surfer
Decepticon217
Illysian
thujon
kiwigarbage

Good, but just not quite good enough.
Tomwaitsfornoman
Blue Severin
pod.art
dished
revolverz
saturn'sgate
skorpi
Caronline Bradley
Orion9282
skolld
feifei

Almost made it, but...
jpedro

Serious Anatomy Issues
flatliner

special notes:
none.

*PS - thank you to Fozzy for coming up with this idea for COW originally.

[Decepticon217]

wow really? i thought mine looked decent.

[Rezeroth]

Oh well, guess i did not make it. I'm just wondering what went wrong btw with my piece just so that i do not make the same mistake again :D. Thanks

[Decepticon217]

Not being negative or anything, but it seems odd to have a open "contest" to practice their art but choose who get to put up their finals in the poll.
why not remove the poll and just have a finals thread.

I mean its more about showcasing your art and creative ideas in a community that's based around improving and sharing critiques and ideas. Or did I get the wrong impression?
Alot of us are not as fast as some of the regulars, nor have the allotted spare time.
Just my 2 cents

[haste]

dang didn't make the poll

great pieces this round, absolutely love Indus'

[cmalidore]

Not being negative or anything, but it seems odd to have a open "contest" to practice their art but choose who get to put up their finals in the poll.
why not remove the poll and just have a finals thread.

I mean its more about showcasing your art and creative ideas in a community that's based around improving and sharing critiques and ideas. Or did I get the wrong impression?
Alot of us are not as fast as some of the regulars, nor have the allotted spare time.
Just my 2 cents

The way I would approach it is that if your goal is to showcase and learn, then the poll shouldn't mean much to you. I tend to see it as an end cap to the challenge personally - instead of a major goal. But technically what you strive for is whatever you make it, whether a poll is there or not.

I personally don't care about the poll - but I like watching people push their boundaries to get into it. Because of that poll I see people taking chances that they may not otherwise take, and they're learning because of it.

That's my take on it *shrug*.


None the less, lot of snazzy entries this round. I was disappointed that my file corrupted out on me twice in a row until it wasn't worth salvaging >_<

[Blue Severin]

decepticon- cool tattoos. I think yours didn't make the poll because the background was pretty much all default leaf brush, with random brushmarks in the sky, and iffy foreshortening on the arm. check out some ref for faces, ear and nose look small. Not sure what the white pegs sticking out of his knees are.

[Blue Severin]

voted Indus and EV, as many other pieces were badass, but looked more like ninja assassins or mystic wizards than monks that would help a young man or kill a villain

[Decepticon217]

hrm, I guess I misjudged what could be your personal style and what is considered art.
Do entries have to have a background? or is it based on creativity?
Meh its a matter of opinion... really i can see everyone using a lot of default brushes,
I guess I will have to try harder or, just not put a background in.

[Decepticon217]

Oh well, guess i did not make it. I'm just wondering what went wrong btw with my piece just so that i do not make the same mistake again :D. Thanks

if it means anything I wanted to vote for yours. Loved the design. Your work is amazing.

[Carnifex]

omigod i'm in? bliss!
comments and votes'll be added later - general note: conceptually many entries are nice,but fall short on the character. if i were to meet these monks on the street,many of them i would not recognize again later. in short,generic faces. (i think i'm borderlining with mine).

[Rezeroth]

if it means anything I wanted to vote for yours. Loved the design. Your work is amazing.

LOL thanks Decepticon217 appreciate that. Im not here for any trouble or such though, just curious about how things go around here since im new and its only my second entry in CHOW. Thought i made a mistake during submission but its all good , and im glad i had my chance to share. Lots of good entries this round so i guess i just have to try harder the next time around :D..

[Nightblue]

Antne: Your character design is extremely fresh. The colors are nice too.

Great round again. Wish I had time to finish - would probably fail to make it in anyways, but wouldn't have mattered... school deadlines, grumble grumble...

[zenichi]

Saleem: not sure if its flare or energy emanating frm the character.

septomin: my interpretation of your concept, thou he's blind and old, but his training/ insight gave him the confidence and stature to stand proudly with a pipe in mouth.

kiwigarbage: the sketches were great. the spike/ bolt not apparent and easily confused with shawls

Howie: unique ambiance, look very composed too but couldnt pick up any hint on the blood moon thing?

marioucci: his killer move draws out blood in a crescents like shape. more defined edges and also explore other more dramatic pose to present the blood crescent? at the moment he's lacking in composure, looks like a blood hungry kungfu villain?

Hideyoshi: vigilante theme is there, cant imagine him being a more spiritual person, maybe would help if he would just take out his mask (kidding) wouldnt harm showing his face? :P

D.Labruyere: nice composed character, with all that energy manifested, would expect the stick to be half floating and with energy snaking along it too.

Carnifex: textile of the robe seems a bit stiff... and the lotus fingers looks more like gangster signs (just kidding), i'm guessing, but a lower angle looking up at the same pose would make some difference. and a more recoiled hands compare to extended hands?

InFlame: the arabic monk theme came thru quite strong for me. if put character in a setting, more care on light source?

Skolld: the hand and face doesnt seems to belong to the same age group, also the hand sign is very questionable if not provocative :P

CeeJay: hehe, like the little urban hints, wish the blood moon sect differentiation with other sect were stronger

mimer: watched you pushed as far as you can, appreciate the effort. the scroll and weapon turn out ok. you really need a reference for such "abnormal" pose, maybe trying the lotus seat yourself and you'll notice how the balancing shifted and the rest of the body adapting to it, or simply google it :P

timothee: nice alternative take on the brief. the walking stick/ weapon is fine as a single intact element? unless separating it gives it 2 weapons that would work better than one?

lukavi: always enjoyed your lavish costume design, voted for you in the red sonja round. the orange coat look so comfortable, i dont mind getting one myself! also like the light bursting just above the head, maybe some highlight on the well polished head? LOL

mr. m: the feet is delicious, which made the rest of the body looks less impressive :P. but great lighting!

Timmy the Turtle: was waiting for more write up... i'm guessing that it could easily have work for a less alien being walking the earth for thousand of years? maybe a mutated one.....

Rezeroth: dont know why yours is out of topic... am guessing that the left hand arm piece is over empowering in-terms of character design as well as composition??? i'm sure it must have been great fun doing this character! if the right hand armour/ weapon almost like a male witchblade monk (blood moon blade?). :P

Arthemis: nice character design,your image tickle my imagination to visualise this monk walking silently in a wind blowing bamboo forest with 10feet high bamboo swaying in the winds and letting the occasional beam of moonlight to shine thru!

Gate: this is a scary character, cuts himself to appease whoever he worshiped! the blood drench moon in the back is looking like some dessert...

Proteus: its a blood moon monk performing his thingy!

crimson_shape: actually reminds me of a traditional deity in chinese folklore (the living buddha- ji gung), like a vagabond monk, doesnt take shower and dont care about grooming etc, just short of some flies flying around! great ambiance!

flatliner: the character design and the mask are good, only execution and choice of pose that couldnt establish the character's mood or purpose.

tomwaits4noman: like the concept, need to leave a burning scare on you to purify your soul! much like the moon in the back ground that could have been larger, bright shiny surface hides the craters, but on the shadow side some red light pick out the scared, charred and crater filled surface o further symbolise and reinforce the idea?


/ev: nothing to say (short of speechless hahah), but for someone of your caliber, nit picking is the only way round. the lift arms seems to be a bit off? the twisting doesnt seems to compute anatomically? not sure here, just seems so to me eyes :P one of my 3 2nd favourites


Jefita: i think if he's meditating on the forest ground would convey your concept stronger? or maybe he is.... just in a standing pose... my bad.

Jockemon: the upper body seems too much like a shaolin monk, then i saw the wooden tongs!!! nit picking would be the left palm, lowering it would make it harder to bend at 90 degrees and the monk able to do it with ease suggest years of training?

DECYPL: powerful imagery with the "invisible hand"!!!

Thujon: jumping out to a crowd is not very monk like :P my interpretation of the brief calling for a monk suggest a certain level of composure.

that was page one.... took me 1 hour, the mods are superhuman.... maybe we should do a CHOW on CA's mods....

The Original [E]: lack establishing mood, facial expression would have help, a composed or determined or vigilante person that has been trained or come out of the blood moon sect

indus: one of my 3 votes!!! just a cool monk that is streetwise!!!! fitted the brief like a glove and much more! and my clear favourite of all my 3 votes!!!

Decepticon217: easier to show a different angle with less perspective issue to deal with if not certain or the angle is not critical in conveying information about the character. is training his stands on tree top or inside a bush telling us more about the character or specialty of his training? maybe in a dojo or modern day garden would better convey the eccentricity of the blood moon sect in days of modernisation and urban settings?

Villa: nice pose! like both the hands, the stands and the gaze!!

daveneale: i immediately think of yoda! maybe he is the yoda of blood moon sect!!!

MJ_Alcazar: respect for the amount of effort!

D@niel: the story behind?

VampireHungerStrike: one of my 3 second favourites!!! the cityscapes and people enhances the eccentric character

skorpi: is he burning his diary? maybe not to conceal knowledge but attain a higher level of awareness and deems those pass experience part of him and understood that those knowledge could only be pass on thru experience and not written text? maybe a less lavish costume, he looks like someone who is retired with a good pension rather than someone who's battle worn and see beyond material needs?


agnostes: the mask is fine, but a more human anatomy would contrast well with the demonic mask!

Wbbatgwia: no offense, he look like another character from another religion.... just with a blindfold on :P

JIVA*SOUL: i almost see him (her...) as a result of their sect's secret training attain youthful appearance and almost feminine features.... but the shoulder, stands made me think otherwise...

Orion9282: that "hat" hanging frm his neck promises something greater. if only one get to see it!

JL.Alfaro: great pose!!! just thinking of alternative, maybe if the strain of energy is traveling thru his meridian points, would make it look less "magical"

dlgothv: ok mate... spandex is fine, but if the setting is set in a modern city, that would lend the image more impact? no?

James Wolf: one of my 3 votes, i know it looks ninjaish, but i just couldnt get over the batman standing on roof top thing!! plus his fist reeks of energy from his blood moon training! :P

Illysian: a character that needs a lot from its costume, which didnt came thru clear enough!

feifeicreate: the scroll could be more expressive and more dominant, maybe writing on urban walls (like graffiti ) to influence the city's denizen subconsciously the teachings of blood moon? note: feifei has got the correct mandarin translation of the blood moon monk! mine actually read blood moon master

Dished: looks like post apocalypse eastern european youngster with mal vitamin d, the samurai/ sumo hair style is great, so is the boxing gloves! very refreshing idea for a urban monk in a more temperate climate, with minimal robe as resisting the cold climate is part of the training! wish you would have push it further!

snootchy: the perspective doesnt lend anything to the character design. maybe not correct, trying to look up the sky for the moon i guess... the beer belly is off.

dabble: great lighting, but maybe show the monk a few hundred year ahead before he becomes a god or deity?

Vorace: the pose and energy flow is very monk like... the futuristic/ fantasy theme armour does not?

haste: the hair and armour pieces promises a lot more, if you only push it further to resolve how the armour pieces are constructed together or they are not armour but like a self mutilating structure that hindu monks/ devotee do to apiece their gods during thaipusam.

bumskee: resisted in voting for you, cos you live in a different universe where this is not acceptable :P

Djinn: anatomy, should have use reference if you're not certain! plenty of this stance, just google it :P

Beelow: a well worked piece! the facial expression and costume colour are great designs! the stuff is telling something more about the character when completed?

jpedro: the blood drenched feet is mouth watering!! makes me wonder how this image would rock and still fit the brief if the whole of the monk is covered in the same goo and rendered under the same lighting condition!!!!

RevoLverZ: the tough gobi dessert climate would mean he would have less body fat and covered up more to prevent body moisture from evaporising? careful when placing character in settings.

Vargo: looks more like a guardian monk that guards the temple, i think he's just not very travel worn, but then again he could have check-in and showered first... hmmm, maybe the costume is too "well designed"?? not sure if this make sense, but looks like a hollywood movie costume?

finally page two... after 2 hours, even more respect to Oregano and Daestwen.

Antne: one of my 3 votes!!!!

Blue Severin: great natural pose and facial expression while drinking!! maybe he's giving nasty stare to the enemy of the people he's trying to protect?

flamable: hands and hats are weird, perspective wise doesnt compute, nice symbol design, maybe the character could reinforce the idea of as light as a dragonfly, touches the lives of other and wonder off and doesnt linger a moment to long to leave a ripple.....

Pod.Art: if face is conceal, at least other things should tell a distinct character?

strybjorn: haha, japanese etching stylistic take, curious how he got the blood wound? self afflicted to draw power or ?

Cowboy surfer: maybe his musical flute can also be a powerful instrument of mass destruction! enemy had to flee while covering their bleeding ears... hence blood moon?!! :P

CarolineBradley:
hmmm driven by guilt, maybe the red tumor/ mold would just grow whenever he kills which he resist until absolutely cos once the red moon grows to a certain size, it would mean his passing to another world... that would safe him a lot of lashing :P

chippie: execution didn't jive with idea.

seem to have miss out c@s: yours is one of my 3 second favourites!
intend to c&c on everyone... but after 2 and half hours... might have made some mistakes and miss some entries...

unable to give c&c on artistic point, but really like to explore the multitude of ideas coming out from everybody in every weekly activities! so much stimulus!!! thanks to everyone for sharing!

[Martheart]

Really happy I made it in the poll! I voted for:

Antne: The style and the design are both very original, makes your drawing stand out. I like his expression.

James Wolf: My favourite! Your drawing reminds me of Assassins Creed. It has a beautiful and mysterious atmosphere, the colors are great as well as the composition. Well done!!

Strybjorn: Orignal approach, really looks Japanese style and the colors are very nice.

EV: This illustration has a lot going on, it's not only a character but a whole story. It's beautifully drawn.

Most drawings in this poll were very good. The only criticism I can think of is that sometimes they could be a little bit more original, more different designs, compositions or colours. But still, very impressive works!

[daveneale]

well of all the reasons to be kept out of the poll off topic/brief would be my 1st choice:P.... I went Antne....your guy has real personality and I dig the style!

Zenichi..wow good effort on all those crits, I can see where your comming from:P

[chippie]

thanks guys great topic

[agnostes]

Antne, /ev and hideyoshi get my votes - very impressive work.
Mine didn't make it to the poll on the basis of artistic quality, so any comments are appreciated, though I've a good idea where I went wrong. All good fun nonetheless.

[crimson_shape]

lol ... i didnt see that one coming ... guess i underestimated the standard here :\
next time im definetly gonna put more time and effort into it ...
congratulations to everybody who made it into the poll, really hard to choose the best one ^^

[Saturns Gate]

Great work overall as I have said before :) Really proud of this round, I mean, it must be one of the busiest Chows recently? I could see a few problems with mine so werent too sure on getting in anyway, but still, was a cool char to make. Cheers!

Sean

[Chate Noire]

Voted for bumskee for a beautiful illustration and a very realistic character, and for Beelow for a cool, somewhar Blizzard-like design.

Also kudos to D@niel and Jockemon for really nice pieces.

Impressive round, and personally I think it's a good thing the poll is more strict; it motivates us to improve, which I believe is the purpose of this challenge and this website.

[CarolineBradley]

CarolineBradley:
hmmm driven by guilt, maybe the red tumor/ mold would just grow whenever he kills which he resist until absolutely cos once the red moon grows to a ceratain size, it would mean his passing to another world... that would safe him a lot of lashing :P


Err.. pardon? I thought I deciphered the crit for a min, but not quite sure.... I'm not sure if your making fun of my little description I concocted or the bad shading trying to imitate a tattoo? ... or both?

[The Whistler]

Unfortunately I didn't finish this one because I started disliking it half the way to the finish, didn't really get into it. Luckily, the rest of you did ;) which resulted in a really awesome round!

Voting for Villa, C.Crawford, and James Wolf

[zenichi]

Err.. pardon? I thought I deciphered the crit for a min, but not quite sure.... I'm not sure if your making fun of my little description I concocted or the bad shading trying to imitate a tattoo? ... or both?


maybe it was bad humour, sorry, but definitely wasnt trying to make fun, was just exploring your ideas behind. my thought process goes something like this: was there a reason the tattoo needs to be on the back? maybe its hidden for a reason? which led me to think that it could be something that relates to the training that the monk had undergone, which led me to think maybe its not a tattoo, but something more biological, like a side effect of its training. the training is what makes him an ultimate killing machine, but the religion part and lethal growth act as a check and balance thing. the guilt after killing is so strong and contradictory to his religious believes that he takes time to channel that grief/ guilt to the meridian point that manifest itself as a tumour/ mold thing?

[Jefita]

Wow, I can't believe I made the poll. Didn't really intend to, I just wanted to play with everyone.

Voting was terribly hard, so I limited myself to three and tried to pick the ones I thought best fit my idea of the monk and my own visual bias:

Arthemis for the great sense of mystery and color.
Indus, for the excellent sense of personality and character.
Crawford because it fits my idea of a monk whose quest has led him to a different sense of reality. (plus I'm just biased and it tickled my fancy)

There were several other pieces that I really liked and I thought were excellent eye candy, but I didn't think fit close enough to the whole description. Actually there were parts I liked of everyone's pieces. I love seeing the varied interpretations and ideas.

Oh, and thank you zenichi for the feedback. I am often guilty of rather static poses. I really need to work on that.

[RevoLverZ]

We make mistakes. We leave people out, we put people in who probably should not be in. We do our best, but at the end of the day, we're human. Deal with with it.

Oh , yeah ! Hope next time you`ll try not to read the names on the entries. I can`t find another reason for some average or under average entries that made the poll, and other that were over average not made it.
In the end , at least , I`m happy because all of the best entries made it into the poll.
Sorry for the bad english.

[MJ_Alcazar]

Thanks zenichi, I tried really hard. Right now, I'm just looking for an improvement each round based on me. So, I'm happy. :)

Wow, such wonderful entries. It was really hard to vote.

[S.C. Watson]

We make mistakes. We leave people out, we put people in who probably should not be in. We do our best, but at the end of the day, we're human. Deal with with it.

Oh , yeah ! Hope next time you`ll try not to read the names on the entries. I can`t find another reason for some average or under average entries that made the poll, and other that were over average not made it.
In the end , at least , I`m happy because all of the best entries made it into the poll.
Sorry for the bad english.

RevoLverZ, here's the rest of that post so you can read it again. I added some emphasis on key points. For those that have not read this, it is located in the Discussions thread - there's also a link to in the second post of this round. Further discussion on Polls can be directed there. Thank you.

Starting this week, we're tightening the reigns on the CHOW Poll. What this means in practical terms is that not everyone is going to get a cookie anymore.

Admission to poll will be based on the artists' skill and their ability to handle their subject matter: meaning we will keep a wide spread of work from beginners to professionals in the poll based on that particular week's submissions, but we will be far more picky on who actually ends up in poll.

EXPECT TO GET CUT. If you come into this with guns blazing expecting to get to poll and win, you're coming at it backwards.

There will be generalized reasons on why an entry has been eliminated from poll. When we're dealing with the numbers that we often do in CHOW, it's the best we can do and still hope to have a life for ourselves, not to mention hold down day jobs (no, we don't get paid for this, what were you thinking?).

Other points to keep in mind:

The poll is subjective. Surprise. The entries that go to poll are the ones that either I like, or Deastwen likes, or that we both like. We did not ask your opinion.
Poll is not the end all be all of CHOW, CA, my life or yours, so get over it. Enjoy the entries, and the process and keep in mind that we bust our butts for you so you can have an enjoyable experience, but ultimately in the great lay of things, it's meaningless.
We make mistakes. We leave people out, we put people in who probably should not be in. We do our best, but at the end of the day, we're human. Deal with with it.
We also on occasion take someone to poll who otherwise wouldn't be there. This is done purposefully to help someone get some extra attention for their work and to get them some decent crits. It's not done so you can have a hissy fit about it. Get with the program and help people instead of bitching about the poll.


More as I think about it.

All the best,
~Oreg.

RevoLverZ - your piece is suffering from edge issues - too soft in most of the places, along with anatomical issues, especially around the hands and feet. The colouring is way off and has a chalky look to it, a by product of using too much white instead of a natural lighting colour. Add to that some forced perspective/distancing issues. To be honest, I could not identify what he was carrying at first and really had to look - you need to CLEAR with your illustration on what's going on. Regardless of whether it is just a character study or a full blown illustration. If there is ANY ambiguity, it will get passed for one that works.

Decepticon - your piece was suffering from a little too much style, and not enough finish. It looked very rushed in most places, especially in the lower portion. Plus the background stamp tool usage was a more than a bit distracting.

All the best,
~Oreg.

[timothee]

I didn't think there would be much of a turnout this round, but man was I wrong. Really great work by everyone. Unfortunately I had to narrow my votes to three that really exemplified the idea of Blood Moon Monk.
Indus- Rock n' Roll monk, i'm digging the idea. Really nice pose and I love the mood in your piece.
Bumskee- Sweet render and I like how you portrayed your character's character. He just seems like he can take names, and find time to help the less fortunate.
/EV- You kill it everytime man. I love your style, it's like controlled looseness, but it conveys so much. Great setup in the scene, and nice take on the Monk.

[Illysian]

I didn't make it XP but next CHOW i participate in I'll be much better--I put a lot of effort, but I forgot about the basics, trying to make it clean and the outfit readable. Looking for help now in the education section for perhaps a few pointers--and I'm not discouraged from this so Thank You Ore and Dae! Challenges are meant to be just that, and I underestimated this CHOW unfortunately.

[Daray]

I voted for: James Wolf , bumskee and Vargo.

To me, these three characters look as if they are capable of 'taking care' of somebody when needed. I think that was the one thing that stuck out for me in the brief apart from the general idea's of a monk. Good work all round though! :)

I slacked on this round. Sketched but didn't have time to take it any futher!

[RevoLverZ]

I didn`t ask why I`m not into the poll but Ok... I see , I should retire now. Drawing is not for me. Colouring neither.

Sorry for not reading the final of that post. I do not agree with that but it`s my fault I didn`t read it all.

[Johann de Venecia]

Revolverz, you need to have tougher skin to navigate CA.org waters. People on this site, especially in this thread, are not out to get you or your art. Its ok to get butt hurt when it comes to your work, but don’t have a public hissy fit about it everytime. This goes out to everybody concerned.

I’ve never been out-spoken on this site, I do not like to dip my toes in drama. But I feel like I need to step in now. This is getting ridiculous. Have some more appreciation for Oregano and Daestwen for busting their asses every week for this activity which we don’t have to pay for. How long do you think it takes to make those tinee tiny thumbs just so we can have that poll up? No one is forcing anybody to join this activity. This is a free activity we are lucky enough to enjoy. The recent rule posted by Oregano is sound and fair and MUCH NEEDED if you ask me.

A lot of the people here are really getting on my shit list. This is not what ChoW is about. Its all about fun, and learning along the way. Sorta like Sesame Street, but prettier. This is not the a courtroom.

I don’t mean to single you out, but the recent juvenile attitude pervading this section is too much. You got cut. Big deal? Get over it and learn from it. Don’t sulk in a corner and sob. This is all I'm going to say about the matter. Before I go, I will leave you with the age old saying in this site, and I say this with much love believe it or not:

SHUT UP AND DRAW.

[daestwen]

I didn`t ask why I`m not into the poll but Ok... I see , I should retire now. Drawing is not for me. Colouring neither.

Sorry for not reading the final of that post. I do not agree with that but it`s my fault I didn`t read it all.

Okay, hun, you need to check your attitude. Oregano giving you a crit is no reason to throw it back in his face. You may not have directly asked for it, but I assumed (as he probably did) that you were asking, hence your questioning.

Sarcasm doesn't work in text, so I really wouldn't bother.

As for your comment about us reading people's names...

Yeah, we keep track of people. We keep track of everybody. Well, I do. I can't speak for Oreg. Sometimes people get into poll because we see they've been working hard, that this is a step up for them, or that we feel they need a little push to encourage them. There are some that pretty much always make it into poll, but take a look at those people's work and you'll see there is a very good reason for that! They are total pros!

Chow isn't a democracy. It just ain't. I know people have issues with this, but to be honest it's enough work as a dictatorship, let alone a democracy. You don't HAVE to participate. You aren't FORCED to come here. If you want to come, play, and then get mad when you don't get in and start bitching about the rules, why did you come in the first place? We've never claimed this to be a totally impartial, stone-fisted contest. Anything being judged by humans can't be. We obviously try our best to make this as fair as possible, but all humans are flawed when it comes to bias.

So please think twice before bringing attitude here. It isn't the place for it.

(And, um, what Lukavi said.)

[RevoLverZ]

Ok , sorry for being so direct. Daestwen the reply was not sarcastic.
I see why people avoid to say what they think. It`s like communism, I don`t know. Everybody said "Aw, ok , I`m not in the poll , It`s my fault, I must draw like Stahanov."
But we all know that disappointment. I bet that if somebody had no votes or not so many he could understand better that the artwork is not that good... But okay , maybe I`m too direct. Maybe "self-censoring" is the key of succes.

Lukavi , if Oregano or Daestwen didn`t know you , if you were a newbie and they say your character for this chow is out of proportion , the head is way too small and the distance from the hips to the neck is way too long what would you say about that ?

If you want to bann me , go for it... If you don`t want that you can send me a pm and say where I`m wrong.

[cmalidore]

I was under the impression that by calling it a challenge it was supposed to be a challenge, y'know, with an end goal and everything. Is that no longer public opinion? Cause to me these rules are enhancing the challenge while many people seem to expect a hug and automatic showcasing..... this isn't the finally finished section... this is a challenge topic.

There is no ribbon for participation boys and girls. You compete to improve or you compete to make the poll. Didn't work? Try again.

This is some of the best industry training around and a good portion of you miss that understanding. Here you can see EXACTLY how an art director is going to act (without the whole paying you thang.....). It is never like a well oiled machine, even in the real world of illustration or conceptual design - you will be asked to perform. If you do not rise to the occasion, they aren't going to take your piece just because you fuss a bit.

[Aly Fell]

There is much to love here, however... Cas, Antne and Indus. Limited myself to three this time, as I was feeling magnanimous and wanted to dish out votes like carrots at a convention of hungry bunnies. Ran out of carrots though...

I don't see ChOW as a dictatorship, more as a benevolent oligarchy...

[S.C. Watson]

If you want to bann me , go for it... If you don`t want that you can send me a pm and say where I`m wrong.

No, I can't send you a pm, because you've drug this into the public arena here, instead of pm-ing from the the begining., and now we have yet more drama.

I appreciate your opinions, and take them into account. One of the things that makes CHOW what it is, is that we listen to what people say, even those that disagree with us the most vocally. Especially them.

If you don't like the way CHOW is run, there are several other weekly activities in my signature that you are more than welcome to try your hand at.

Since you appreciate directness, I will be very direct with you:
You are not good enough to go to poll right now. Further, I didn't care for you piece. I explained why in my last post, which, by the way, is a lot more than an art director will give you.

I suggest that you work a bit harder and complain less. You have talent, you just need refinement. Pay attention to the notes I have given you, and if anyone else has critted your piece, listen to them as well. I'll aslo say that you need to work on your composition as well. If you're doing a full illustrative piece, which is what you've submitted, you need to pay attention to your anatomy, composition, perspective and lighting - all four of which are off in your image. Get better. If I think your image warrants it, I'll take it to poll so you can see how you stand against those who have earned it. But for right now, I really, really would recommend forgetting the whole poll thing because you are not doing yourself any favors focusing on that instead of your work.

As for being rejected, we ALL have been, and not just for poll. It is part of the industry, and therefore by default, part of CHOW. Every single artist on this site that makes their living through their art, or supplements it, has been rejected for a gig at one point or another, MANY times. So please do not lecture me about how we don't understand. I do understand. Far better than you do.

Incidently:
Lukavi pushes his anatomy, it's true. But he KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING. He's doing it intentionally, with full awareness. It isn't a happy accident.

Now, if you have any further comments, direct them to the CHOW discussion thread, located here (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=123393). I'm tired of the round threads getting hijacked.

[S.C. Watson]

I don't see ChOW as a dictatorship, more as a benevolent oligarchy...

damn. have to try harder then ...

[mimer]

Thanks for taking the time to crit zenichi, any and all crits on my piece is very welcome :)

first chow ive ever felt i actually got to a decent finish on, so happy just to be able to post in the final burning thread, will make every effort to present something more polished and finished next time around. had a lot of fun learning to use my wacom in photoshop with this one.

voted for bumskee, for the seriously badass vibe and solid artwork, zenichi for the cool blending of techniques, and /ev for a very solid piece with lots of mood and heart.

for an amateur artist, finding a place like this is so frikking inspiring, i cant even tell you :)

Regards, Mimer.

[ikuru]

voted c@s, indus, zenichi and crawford.

as for everyone who haggles over the politics of chow, all I can say is, focus on your art.

put the energy there, then your art will grow and repay you.

[CarolineBradley]

maybe it was bad humour, sorry, but definitely wasnt trying to make fun, was just exploring your ideas behind. my thought process goes something like this: was there a reason the tattoo needs to be on the back? maybe its hidden for a reason? which led me to think that it could be something that relates to the training that the monk had undergone, which led me to think maybe its not a tattoo, but something more biological, like a side effect of its training. the training is what makes him an ultimate killing machine, but the religion part and lethal growth act as a check and balance thing. the guilt after killing is so strong and contradictory to his religious believes that he takes time to channel that grief/ guilt to the meridian point that manifest itself as a tumour/ mold thing?

LOL don't worry, sometimes I can get a little confuzzled ;) I love crits, just thought I couldn't figure your one out lol!

Wow mate you thought wayy too deep on this ;), although that would be interesting.... maybe he could make himself a marvel superhero after a while.. "Mould man" :D

[kiwigarbage]

Thanks to zenichi for taking the time to give me some helpful crits! I really appreciate your complement on my sketches, I can at least take that as a consolation prize! But I'm realizing as I push myself for these intense, challenging weekly performances (as I like to think of it, it's rather a circus of talent ^_^), that I have a hard time moving from concept to finished piece.

Unfortunately, while I have a habit of being sloppy, this piece was actually one of my most refined works...therefore I obviously have a long way to go yet.

And first, before I even consider requesting, I want to say to Oregano and Daestwen that I appreciate the time you spend setting this up for everyone, and then the additional time spent addressing individual's opinions and questions. That said, I would be extremely grateful if you were to give me a personal critique on that piece, and something to really work on in the future. I'm very new to the tablet, and I don't know if it was the grainy quality of the piece (which, I'm not sure why that happened) that really pushed your decision to the edge. I really want to improve!

Thank you so much for considering :)

[Saturns Gate]

Its not about the poll, its about your portfolio.

[D.Labruyere]

woah, I'm in, and even got votes!!! :yayca:

thank you all!!

[S.C. Watson]

That said, I would be extremely grateful if you were to give me a personal critique on that piece, and something to really work on in the future. I'm very new to the tablet, and I don't know if it was the grainy quality of the piece (which, I'm not sure why that happened) that really pushed your decision to the edge. I really want to improve!

Let's start by taking a look at your piece:

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii293/chowarchive/123-135/123/The-Blood-Moon-Monk-border.jpg

This is a reduced version of it, the same size as if it would have gone to poll.

At this resolution, certain things start to jump out that are not always immediately apparent when you are in the thick of working on your image. Reducing it down is in effect stepping back from the canvas so that you can see your painting and you can tell what areas are starting to fall apart and which ones hold together.

So. Your basic proportions hold together, which is good, but there's some anatomy issues, not the least of which is the arm and the hands. The arm looks like it is broken right before it hits the sleeve, and the shoulder looks dislocated. The face structure also has some issues, and the skin looks really really rough. Also, where is the right arm?

Colours are a tad over saturated on my monitor - that's always a hard one for me to call because monitors vary from computer to computer, and mine is being particularly fussy today ... However the red needs to have other colours in it besides black and white, which end up giving the painting an amateurish look right off.

I don't know if you're using photoshop or painter, but next time, lay down a base coat of colour first, just like you would do with a real painting. Overlay your linework, and then proceed to paint. The base coat, commonly a sepia, though it can really be any colour, will work to tie you image together colour wise. It will also help give you a base for your shadows. Select a colour complimentary to your shadow colour for your light source (not white unless you're dealing with vary stark lighting - your shadows will be complimentary to that colour). I should point out this can be vice versa as well - lighting and shadows compliment each other). If you've ever been anywhere there's wild fires, you'll know what I mean - it is the strangest thing to see light blue shadows with orange hazy light.

Further, your image looks rather flat - you don't have a clear light source - you have a big red orb in a dark sky, presumably the blood moon, which would have worked great as the light source with reflected light on your character, but the lighting you choose was white - see above :)

To avoid flat images, move your highlights from the edge of an object to somewhere near the center (go look this up - we've got tons of sources here on CA) - but keep it consistent. Keep it in the same place on each object you highlight.

Back to colours for a moment: move away from the full saturation - tone it down some and it you'll end up with more natural colours. Stay away from white or black unless you are using a very stark light source. And if you are, don't. Keep your lighting a little softer for a while until you've got this down. Use contrast and tone to set your shapes apart.

Finally from a compositional stand point, you've got a lot there that's not doing your image any favors. The top of the staff and the blood moon are on the same level, creating an indirect focal as they fight for attention. One or the other needs to be lower.

The white ribbon is absolutely distracting and needs to be either reworked to lead the eye to the focal point (presumably the character's face) or lose it altogether.

the flowers or whatever those white things are in the back ground are fighting with the ribbon and again tear the focus away from where it needs to be.

Each element in the picture should be there to serve a purpose. It's either telling part of the story, or directing the eye, and if done will, both. This is a lot harder than it sounds, but when you are composing an image, this is what it's about. It's like music - every note (image, line or stroke) should compliment all the rest. If it doesn't, you have a visual cacophony, and an image that falls apart.

I hope that helps.
all the best,
~Oreg.

[kiwigarbage]

Wow, thank you for being so thorough, that helps immensely! I'll definitely look up those articles on lighting...

By the skin looking rough- do you mean that it looks rough texturally, or that it looks unfinished? And I see what you're saying about the dislocated arm...poor guy.


As to the oversaturation; I agree, it's very distracting and doesn't leave room for a lot of interest points...

Also, when you say to overlay the linework, do you simply mean to paint opaquely over it on a new layer? I'm not sure what you mean. :| Thank you for the tip on using complements in the lighting, I'd never learned that.

I believe my composition suffered because I didn't adjust the lineart to be smaller than the scanned version in the final. Therefore I squished all of the elements into a too-small workspace. I'll definitely keep this in mind.

The white ribbon was an attempt at an attention grabber. I guess that it worked! Not exactly what I had in mind, however. I notice the competition between the two stark whites now..

I will definitely try to be aware of all of my elements as a whole in the future.

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to give me such an extensive critique! It's not the last of me yet :)

[mr. m]

voted for antne about the awesome unique character and for bumskee and ev about their cool painterly style, but hey! it was really hard! great job everyone!

(btw i didnt really get this whole poll bs thing... all weekly activities are about having fun and develop our skills further with working together on the same topic... art is not a race!)

[Daray]

I don't see ChOW as a dictatorship, more as a benevolent oligarchy...

damn. You made me get the dictionary out, thanks a lot, there was me thinking I was brainy...ish... ok so not at all. *cough*

[Lege1]

Lovin the Painterly styles in here...

[zenichi]

I am often guilty of rather static poses. I really need to work on that.

on second look, actually the pose is ok, for me anyway, cos realized that the perspective enhances the mood and follows the gaze upwards to the canopies! but notice a slight (very slight) anatomy issue, the chest seems to be a bit low? if sagged man-breast would see a clearer edge between the torso and the breast plus nipple will be pointing downwards, or maybe pressed by the robe? just thinking out load. :lounge: cheers

[Carnifex]

not a single vote? ouch.

anyways,my votes went to jockemon,lukavi and vampirehungerstrike.
my criteria were mainly how "monk-ish" the characters looked,how unique they are as characters (not designs) and abit of rendering quality aswell.

in this,jockemon got it mainly for rendering. i dunno,it just strikes me in the right way. as a character,there could me more to his face,some striking characteristics. he does look more like an arrogant student than a guy who has travelled the world.
lukavi's falls abit into the same cathegory,though he looks more dignified. also,this one's really the most unique design in this whole round,from the timesetting alone.
vampirehungerstrike is probably the second most unique,as it completely stays away from the "bald bhuddist" theme. he's not quite what i picture when i hear "Blood moon monk" (atleast on first thought),but on the other hand he really seems like someone with great wisdom,who has come around quite a lot,and who would help old an young alike. the inclusion of his "clients" in the background puts a nice emphasis on that. well done.

other notes:
most of the others simply missed the "vibe" for me,stupid as it sounds.
those looked more like
soldiers(beelow,hideyoshi,d@niel,vargo,mr.m)
bandits(ev,james wolf,bumskee,indus,descypl) or
village elders(strybjorn,septomin,c.crawford,villa,jeffita ,antne,c@s). (edit: antne's a good design,but personally,i don't like the headdress. the spikes make it all too agressive)
the rest i had trouble putting any character to,they looked like they could fill any function and didn't have very distinctive characteristics (faces,mostly).

hope i'm not offending anyone,feel free to disagree.
good round despite this,i'm probably sounding harsher than i mean to.
cheers

[Timmy the Turtle]

Damn.. oh, well, i guess I streched it too far.. ChOW's militaristicaly strict on the topic.. I voted for bumskee. I love how his concept is so believable. Nothing fancypants about him, he's just a man. Also enjoyed Antne's and Villa's!

[braidens]

"DAMN IT I DIDNT MAKE THE POLL" ... well thats because i didnt submit anything... "SERVES YOU RIGHT YOU LOSER!!!"....okay okay i'lll do the next chow ..."YOU BETTER HOW THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO IMPROVE??"...ya ya your right ...

loving the new programming here "The BOLD & the CHOW"... neva guess making it harder to get onto the poll would cause such drama ...

[UCT]

c.crawford
bumskee
villa
antne

all excellent!!!

properly good round this one.

[Jefita]

on second look, actually the pose is ok, for me anyway, cos realized that the perspective enhances the mood and follows the gaze upwards to the canopies! but notice a slight (very slight) anatomy issue, the chest seems to be a bit low? if sagged man-breast would see a clearer edge between the torso and the breast plus nipple will be pointing downwards, or maybe pressed by the robe? just thinking out load. :lounge: cheers

I think you're right, now that I look at it. It is a bit low. My grasp of male anatomy is tenuous at best. And actually as far as saggy man boobs go, I referenced an older man for the picture and he was surprisingly fit. Perhaps I should have gone with what you expect to see. Thanks again for the crits!

[S.C. Watson]

By the skin looking rough- do you mean that it looks rough texturally, or that it looks unfinished? And I see what you're saying about the dislocated arm...poor guy.

It looked like you were using too small of a brush to blend the skin, and so ended up looking diseased/rough/not blended well. When you're painting, start with larger swatches of color, and then refine it down - think of it as sort of like sculpting. Start rough and bold, and then refine after you get your shapes in.

Also, when you say to overlay the linework, do you simply mean to paint opaquely over it on a new layer? I'm not sure what you mean. :| Thank you for the tip on using complements in the lighting, I'd never learned that.

Poor word choice on my part. My apologies. Here:

http://www.oreganoproductions.com/notes/08_6_pop_workshop.jpg

A visual step by step from a Master Painter will be much better than anything I can tell you. What I'm talking about with the base coat is the wash he uses - it can be any colour - but whatever colour you choose will dictate the mood of your piece. Also note, he uses more than one wash through the piece - but everything is still influenced by the ultramarine and cadmium orange wash he put down initially.

Hope that helps.
All the best,
~Oreg.

[jpedro]

gotta say, i'm disappointed my entry didnt make it. hard to see atm...but.... anyway, my votes go to:

Antne, C@s, D@niel, Artemis and Beelow. well done to all of you!

[S.C. Watson]

jpedro There are two entries specifically that come to mind that in retrospect probably should have been included. Your's is one of them. You're not being included in the poll is by no way a reflection of your skill in this case (hence the separate category there ... ) - however at the time poll was being put together, there was something ambiguous about it that just didn't sit quite right with us on the piece.

One of the things that we look for, or at least I do, is the instant gut-grab of a piece working with the brief. The "THAT WORKS" impulse, even if it's slightly off beat. But if there's any sort of hesitation, then ... it's a toss up. I know that's probably not the best explanation, but it's the best I can offer.

Poll aside, the image was good.

All the best,
~Oreg.

[jpedro]

hey man, i really appreciate you trying to explain. fair enough i guess. also, thanks for posting this last master process, really interesting.

best,
Jan

[Splittingadams]

Excellent! HA!

[CeeJay]

Great chow congrats all! Digin bumskees use of that bold rim colour! I must learn !! Btw what happened to Timmy's? I liked that image

[Blue Severin]

Cool round everyone. I guess I'll be a bit flashier next time ( I has the no poll blues) ;)

[Sequential76]

Vorace or anyone! How did you/he get those cool fx patterns around the hands??? I like it alot!
I like the Master painter sample.