C.O.W. - #130: Household Pest

[yoitisi]

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/images/cow/cow.jpg

For more infos and details about the rules go here:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=110879


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Round #130

Topic:
Household Pest

Deadline:
Saturday, 24 January 2009



note: The deadline won't be EXACTLY after a week...it can last up to 24 hours more, i am human and have to work also, you know ;)
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How to post

In this thread you can post all wips, questions, comments etc
However if you are done with your entry, post the final image in the following thread.

THREAD FOR FINAL ENTRIES (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=147716)

READ THE INFO IN THE 1ST POST OF THE FINALS THREAD TO SEE HOW TO POST YOUR FINAL IMAGE!!!

567910

[yoitisi]

ADDITIONAL INFO

1. Design a creature that lives inside people's houses and messes in some way with their household.

2. No individual/character!!! Make a concept of a species!

[Lanista]

pretty neat topic, maybe i'll try this one.

[Atastrophea]

Love it :) I'll add my hat to the ring for this one for sure, great topic :)

[MoHog]

Me too, minds a whirring already. This time I will post a final.
Atastrophea ; I think I should adopt the same new years resolution as you

[Seabreeze]

I'm in as well, and it'll be my first COW! Moo!! I'll probably not reach the poll, but what do I care... I just wanna practice. To the paintmobile!

[zimfin]

This looks like fun. This time, I am focusing on the Creature and not the BG like last week, which almost got me disqualified!
This is my idea so far.
I don't have a name for the species yet but I can tell you they are voracious eaters. Mostly, they dine on fabrics, both synthetic and natural.There colonies can be enormous, numbering up to 500,000. They are very fast movers and very sensitive to vibration thanks to the feeler threads on the legs. They are protected by a strong exoskeleton and if speed can't get them out of danger, they will roll into a ball shape and wait out trouble. When rolling into a ball, their armour backed eyes fit snugly into their shell protecting them from harm.
I am just blocking in basic colours at the moment.
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/zimfin/household_pest.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/zimfin/household_pest2.jpg

[Janos]

Hi guys,

Just to start things of a first sketch of what I'm planning to do. Those little critters can be found in every drawer, cupboard, or other dark, secluded spaces containing wool or other clothing. They live of the moths attracted to the wool and enjoy biting into sweaters, socks and other materials. With their scissor like front paws they cut of woolen strings and chew them like gum.
If threatened they curl up in a small ball resembling the little sacks filled with lavender and are often mistaken to be exactly that, as their own smell resembles that of lavender drastically.

I'm thinking about changing the critter up a bit and make it a little more foreign.

Edit: I decided to zoom in and to show you what I am planning. The textures are from [CGTextures] and are going to be redone properly. The light is supposed to show that they have been found.

Edit2: So I got rid of the baby motheater and redesigned the momma a little. Added ears, antennas and an extra pair of legs to shuffle along better. I also decided to start in pencil and colour it from here on. The shadows are all wrong atm. I'll change them up, don't worry.

[Janos]

Woah

I guess we had the same idea, thank god they differ quite a bit in their design. Mine are actually mammals and they live of moths, but nontheless both eat fabric and roll up.
Funny coincidence. :^^:
I am eager to see what you come up with.

Cheers

[EdenGotterrCyan]

This is my Wip what do u think ???

http://i730.photobucket.com/albums/ww301/edenschildren/HouseholdPestEdenGotterrCyan2.jpg

[Lionese]

Im soo in, couldnt wait till this weeks COW started.
Ive been going throug a series of ideas, and from all of them this was the one that got stuck in my head.
It's a very rough sketch, next step will be to make a better defenition of the creatures shapes, then ill transport it to digital media and plan on the color.

The first sketch(full body) isnt quite decided yet, im thinking of taking out those big wings to add some harmony to the bug and replace them with the arms that ive sketched, or maybe incorporate some membrane on its "armpits".
But the basic ideas are all in.
Good luck everyone, onto work now.

[zimfin]

Woah

I guess we had the same idea, thank god they differ quite a bit in their design. Mine are actually mammals and they live of moths, but nontheless both eat fabric and roll up.
Funny coincidence. :^^:
I am eager to see what you come up with.

Cheers
Lol! You are right, they are very similar in behaviour and as you say, lucky they look different. I am likely to add bits to mine or possibly completely alter it as I go though. We'll see.

[MoHog]

awww, already creatures that eat socks (new I shoulda shotgunned it).

Zimfin: Some gud first sketches, atm I would say look at the mouth as its not particularly insect-like

Janos: worried my idea's too much like yours, we'll see. Lookin forward to a more detailed wip - especially like the face of the dude in the foreground

Eden: Personally i think they're too metallic, but as thumbs they're pretty cool

[EdenGotterrCyan]

Thanks MoHog
But which 1 i shall Do any Coment ??

[Atastrophea]

Wow, it seems we all dread household pests that attack our all important wardrobes ;)

Here are my first quick doodles...

My creature is hermit-crab-like in that it has a soft squishy body which it protects by adopting a favourite slipper or shoe and crawling inside, it then creates a hole in the sole of said footwear for its own legs to poke out through, lifts the item with its spindly forelimbs and scuttles off to a dark and distant corner where it feels marginally safer.

If no shoes/slippers are available it will resort to using a sock although this is a desperate measure and missing socks may more commonly be attributed to its aquatic relative (which lives in washing machine pipes and requires less robust protection....)

If a PAIR of shoes ever goes missing this will be due to the creature performing its mating ritual in which the male displays its great strength to the female by dragging the second shoe as far as possible and leaving it in a desirable spot for the female to move into and lay its eggs.

Other than hole chewing and footwear theft, their most irritating habit is that of leaving their small gritty droppings in any shoe they have not appropriated, causing the wearer great discomfort and requiring much cursing and hopping on one leg to rectify.

569040

~^-^~

[MoHog]

I'd say either of the two right ones - most intriguing designs

[Lege1]

Been wanting to get back on my COWs for a minute...Been real busy and over productive with work and school...Burning the oil to put that work for the creative minds of the world. This is an hour and 4 minutes and photoshop to get back in the groove of things again...:carnifex:

-=FusiXpede=-
The FusiXpede is a household pest hated by many because of it's terrible habits of turning out the lights and entire parts of the home. The FusiXpede does this by intelligently tampering with high voltage areas such as fuse boxes, thus hinting where it's name has been derived. The tampering usually leads to unexpected power outtages through out the home and fried circuit breakers. The FusiXpede is indeed a carnivore related to the family of centipede and will feed on anything from small rodents to cockroaches. The FusiXpede is highly intelligent and knows that hunting in the dark reaps a better catch therefore explaining why it locates the power sources that power the lights. =]

[zimfin]

MoHog: Thanks. Yeah, I know the mouth is off. Not sure what to do about it yet. At first I avoided making one that looks like that of any common insect but I have to try something else.

Lege1: Cool image. My first idea was to do something that fed on electricity, or effected it similar to yours. Looks like a horror of a creature too, if you spotted one you'd freak out!

*edit* I have altered the mouth and added an acidic secretion duct to aid in breaking down tough fabrics and materials.
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/zimfin/household_pest21.jpg

I have decided on the name and more of the story now.
My creature was named the "Golden Flake Bug" after entomologists discovered there species on a secluded island near Indonesia. The entomologists, first discovering the fallen flakes and thinking they were gold, tracked them to the source, the bugs. They brought them back to Europe for studies but were unable to contain them. Upon escape the bugs spread, everywhere, and can now be found all over the world.
Studies have since shown that these "Gold" flakes are dropped by the male of the species after mating. The female then eats them, for the special chemicals they contain are necessary for reproduction. They have short life spans, (around 3 Months) but in that time the females can produce up to 6 times, each with eggs numbering in the Hundreds. At their largest, they grow to 2 Inches in length.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/zimfin/household_pest4.jpg

[Capella]

Here are my couple of sketches so far. Not quite sure which direction to take the creature, right now it's not all that exciting.
It's a small reptilian creature that feeds on dish soap, and other soap-like substances. Apparently it's body converts the chemicals in soap to make sticky, plaster-like substance, which they use to build their nests (mostly under the sinks and in the broom closets).

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/kalseth/art/pest_draft2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/kalseth/art/pest_draft.jpg

[Janos]

Wow great work all of you.

@ Capella: I reall ylike your creatures anatomy. Actually the design is quite nice and certainly not boring... maybe too many elements? But I thiink it works just fine.

@ Zimfin: Wow, nice colouring there. Are you going to do any background?

@ Lege1: Nice job on the colours. Is it ready? Perhaps consider cleaning it up a little if it isn't. It also seems really large to me. Just some thoughts and btw how on earth are you so quick?

@ Atastrophea: My favourite idea. :)

[MoHog]

Here's my wip ladies an gents...

http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q429/LouAy/Kritterwip1.jpg

Back-story: These cuddly critters are examples of Darwin's lesser known 'survival of the cutest' by which a species is preserved from harm from the top species by its 'lovability'. These creatures are nocturnal and feed on the salty goodness of socks! Using their huge ears to fly around your room at night they are also responsible for 'bumps in the night' as they glide into walls and furniture.

still need a name, may add one flying in the background

Zimfin Its lookin' awesome, the detail is great.

Lege1 nice original idea - I agree with Janos that it needs a bit of finishing, but it'll be schweet

Janos likin' the latest wip, just coolness

[zimfin]

@ Zimfin: Wow, nice colouring there. Are you going to do any background?


I am not planning to. For last weeks COW I did a BG and it nearly got me disqualified for taking too much attention away from the creature. Since, they aren't compulsory I might skip the BG this time and focus on the bug. We'll see.

[Lege1]

Zimfin: Mosdef man and thanks for the support and liking of my image. I try my best just like the majority of you all on here. I couldn't resist doing something related with electricity because it plays such a vital role on people's comfort. I live in Florida where we have hurricanes and when we do and the power goes out it seems like it's the end of the world man, especially those without generators. Thanks again...Your creature is looking good too, I like the 3D quality of it alot.

Janos: Is it ready? I don't know, I guess, I really don't think it's ever ready if you want my honest truth. I kinda wanted a loose painterly approach on this one, not something super tight and refined. The image is large to show my hard work, and then I broke down the process I was exploring. How do I get done so fast? lol I am a tortured soul who doesn't get as much sleep as he'd like. I am forcefully excepting the fact that I'll just sleep when I die =] Thanks for the compliments and I look forward to seeing your image progress.


Mohog: Thanks for the compliments on the idea no doubt. I may tighten it up a little if I get some time to burn up but other than that it is what it is. Your creature looks really cool, it kinda reminds me of some type of creature prankster.

[Seabreeze]

Nice stuff, folks! Here's my WIP of a miniature sloth that eats people's indoor plants. I spent yesterday depressed about not knowing what to draw, and then it came to me right before I'd sleep. Lol.
Still working on symmetry and so on, but I thought I'd give you a glimpse. Crit?

[Seabreeze]

Stage 2!!! Next one will probably be final. Gotta work on chow now... Comment plz!

[Seabreeze]

God fucking dammit. Just realized that I didn't draw a creature, but a slightly altererd animal. *Insert coin and try aigain* :dead:

[Bralt Hannicart]

'ere is mine:

Steps:
http://www.bralt.Be/HouseholdPest_steps.jpg
Final Result:
http://www.bralt.Be/HouseholdPest_web.jpg
Need sleep now.

[riotorange]

oooo *insert wide eyed stare here* Bralt whats its name?

Are they kitchen/dining room dwellers? If so, i swear there is at least one of these in my home because i have had 3 lights blow out in the kitchen just this week.

[zimfin]

Bralt: Damn, that is one cool looking pest. Nice one!

[Lege1]

Bralt Hannicart: Excellent work man! I love the concept and the artwork. I notice you stay working in the black and gray process a good set of the way and just don't quickly set the value and run with the color. Alot of other artist I've talked with disagree about staying in the black and white value process so long. What do you have to say about this cause it's obvious you're doing something right?

[Bralt Hannicart]

Thx guys. Phew, after a short sleep I notice I forgot to turn a texture layer back on in the .psd file. I'll fix that right away. (edit: done)

Riotorange, it's name is "Bulbeater". Not very cool sounding but I was all out of inspiration while creating the detailed story behind it. Sure hope you don't have one of these around! ;)

Zimfin, thx! I really enjoy the COW activity and hope to spark my imagination a bit once a week.

Lege1, I have no clue if I do things "right" or "wrong". I know I'm not the best painter around and I'm certainly not good with color. I learned the basics of this technique from a tutorial by Adi Granov. I feel very confident in greyscales but when it comes to colordepth, I kind of panic so working on color/overlay and color burn layers is a safe way to try things out. Thx for the kind words!

[Seabreeze]

Okay, now I've come up with something more creative: The tiolet beast!!! Behold, it waits, then strikes with its sharp tounge.

[MoHog]

Great tutorial Bralt, thanks for mentioning it, very well written indeed. Your creature is awesome, truly original and creative.

[Seabreeze]

Update. Problem: looks flat. How solve? Hmm... tips?

[Lege1]

Bralt Haniicart: I remember that tutorial from Adi Granov from England, unfortunately he took it down. He has a new one that came out in IFX though. Some of the digital art I was doing in recent times here I was working up high in the details with the greyscale but one of my good friends was assuring me that I was doing things all wrong so I decided I would go ahead and try the full color approaches only using the greyscale to lock up the values and then ambush the image with color from there. I've had my fair share of issues using color as well. None the less, cause it's obvious all us artists on here have different painting processes and techniques I really like how your creature came out and how you worked your color over the greyscale. Definitely probable cause for me to delve back in to some old ways combined with new ideas so thanks also for the re-inspiration and prompt response to my questions =] Best...

-=Lege

[MoHog]

ok Im throwing in the towel on this one as I metaphorically 'murdered' my creature. I will retreat to a hermitage (also metaphoric) to get better.
good luck all, look forward to the finals.

[Lege1]

Mohog: Don't throw in the towel man. Just re-evaluate and re-configure. If you really feel you want to retreat to hone skills that's one thing but I would urge you to have at it on here. It will only make you better man and you can always conduct personal studies up off the side. If you have any questions that you feel I might be able to help you with definitely hit me up and I'll help where I can. I am sure a hand full of others on here wouldn't mind helping either you just gotta really look out for the cool folks. Keep it going bro, don't give up! We're all here to practice and learn more. Everybody wants to burn a COW and come in top dawg in the votes but that all comes with time and practice. Stay awhile and FIGHT!...to get better and learn..

[Janos]

Hi Guys

So I guess I'm all finished up now with my critter. Just wanna say it was fun making this one, although I really wanted to give up MANY times. I just went with it, and although it is not my very best, I am satisfied with the outcome considering me really not having a lot of time during the week.

Any last minute suggestions on this one?

You guys keep it up and get ready for saturday. I want to see a hell of a lot of creatures in the finished thread by then and check out my competition.

So now keep :lifedrawing: !!

[riotorange]

Janos--looking good! i am glad you didnt give up--look what turned out! i think you did a great job giving it a sleepy,annoyed expression with how you've drawn the eyes drooping a little and the sneer/groggy growl the mouth has. i like it.
As for last minute things-- i think you need to work on the fabric-y pillow/blanket thing that the front claws are resting on how you did with the back claw--this would help them look less like they are floating above and more like they are resting on, the said fabric-pillow blanket thing.
Also, and this is just minor nitpicking,really-- the little string he/she is eating, doesn't successfully look like it is held between the claws because there is the slightest little bit of black protruding onto the red.
That's all.
Be proud for not giving up and for your accomplishment :)

Bralt- its ok you called it a Bulbeater. ( i'll call it a lumivorous magnifibralticus)

[fury03]

Lol, well just noticed my sketch idea sounds pretty similar (identical) to MoHog. Good ole' Sock Munchers... couldn't believe someone else had that idea... Probably not that outside the box as it should be.

572329

[zimfin]

MoHog: I am in agreement with Lege1. Don't give up dude. There is more chance of learning and improving by sticking at it and getting what help you can around the forums.

[Tommoy]

A quickie for the Household pest, the wallpaper chameleon.

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

[Janos]

haha nice one tommoy. I like the pastel tones.

@ Riotorange: Wow some really good observations, I'll fix those up as sonn as possible. Thanks a lot!

Edit: So my final piece and wips. I'll post it in the finals thread as soon as I'm done with the description.

[MoHog]

Unfortunately I wont be able to sort out my entry in time, and I know its like blasphemy to give up. I just need to get a style that works for me.

anyway...

Janos: Awesome, its got a great 'fantasy-feel'. Definitely my favorite. The golden light is what makes it, along with the sense of weight the creature carries.

Tommoy: Yours made me smile - difficult to judge considering the creature is largely invisible - but its a cool idea

[Nadiamoon]

Crocosaurus - household pest that eats not just crops, food, etc. but also other household pets.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2h39yxk.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2prv1j8.jpg

[zimfin]

Jack Nugget:
I don't know if you will see this message as you have no wips here but you haven't put a description with your creature in the finals thread! If you don't, I doubt you will make it to poll.

[IVIATT]

Allright I decided to go for a sort of plug-like creature which would live in drains and plumbing and such.

[IVIATT]

I have a question for anyone who knows the answer. I find that everytime I try and upload artwork to the web, whether it be CA or Facebook or whatever, there is a severe drop in image quality. Contrast, color, everything. So my question it: What is the best/most effective way to save artwork in photoshop so that it doesn't loose its quality once uploaded? Thanks for the help.

[Anthis]

I've been having the same kind of problems lately. Somewhere between the Photoshop PSD file and the JPEG (or whichever format), there's a shift in colour.

It could have something to do with using the wrong colour profiles:

Photoshop works with Colour profiles. These different modes have their own uses (printing, web publishing). It could be that you're using the wrong mode or saving it in the wrong mode. This can cause colour distortions.

"Edit->Colour Settings" allows you to choose a mode, and "Image->Mode->Convert to profile" allows you to switch, it seems. When you "Save as", you can also choose a mode. Now I'm no expert on this thing, but I believe you need the sRGB setting for web browsers.

I solved my problem messing around with these settings until eventually I got the correct setting. More people are having similar problems, so there's enough to find on internet. Try searching for things like: RGB SRGB colour shift photoshop colour profile colorspace (and such)

some links (quick ones, not the best)

link1 (http://www.gballard.net/psd/saveforwebshift.html)
link2 (http://www.viget.com/inspire/the-mysterious-save-for-web-color-shift)

[yoitisi]

For all those who're still working on something, post them as soon as you can. I'll close this thread in about an hour or so.

[IVIATT]

Thanks so much Anthis! The second link really helped. Apparently I needed to change the color settings to monitor rgb, then there was a whole ton of other settings to change (no idea what dot grain is!) But now my COW submission looks great and not drained of color. Thanks again :D

[yoitisi]

Okay high time to close this round and post the new round. Sorry for the delay :)

Poll will be up in a bit too...