C.O.W. #136 Beatific Dragon with Breath Weapon! --VOTING

[Michael Jaecks]

ROUND #136 VOTING

Topic: Beatific Dragon with Breath Weapon!!


Deadline for the voting: Wednesday 25 March 2009

Posting thread (closed): C.O.W. - #136 Beatific Dragon with Breath Weapon! (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=152419)


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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 and everyone will be able to see who votes for whom. No self-votes.

[xgabo]

Artist: XGABO

Concept: Pope Dragon

The year of our Lord 1520 was one of great change for the Catholic Church. As a response to threats of reformation and break-up of the Church, the High of Council of the Vatican devised several counter-attacks to maintain their power over the faith. Some of them are widely known by history: excommunications, arrests and religious conflicts broke out all over Europe. But the Church also created darker solutions to resolve the power struggle.

Considered to be the most polemic of the plans created by the Vatican was the so-called "Holy Dragon Initiative". Spearheaded by Cardinal Vespucius of Tiber, the plan made use of ancient Vatican documents, from a time the Church flirted with the occult as a way of converting the masses of Pagans still unconvinced about the power of the One God.

The documents described how the power of pure faith (combined with a potent alchemic cocktail), could transform a Holy Man into a creature of awesome and righteous power, a Dragon that would carry the Holy Cross into the enemy's territory and purify it using a spray of the "Blood of Christ", a powerful venom able to penetrate the minds of people, making them susceptible to forced conversion. the Dragon would be entirely obedient to the keepers of the true church, and practically indestructible.

The documents stated that the higher the ranking of the transformed Holy Man, more powerful the Dragon would be, so to maximize the effect, an edict was created to make Thales, a lowly monk from the north of Italy, Pope for 24 hours. During that period he was infused with the alchemic solution and induced to repeat a mystical chant six hundred times. He was then walled in the depths of the Vatican Prison, in total darkness.

The next day they opened the cell, and from it emerged the terrible creature, fuming and dripping holy blood. The Cardinals were in awe. But the plan backfired: The Dragon was bound to obey only to the true heirs of Christ's Church, but at this point the Church had changed so much that the Dragon would not recognize it as the same faith from ancient times. It immediately killed the cardinals, and for three days and nights it trashed the labyrinthine corridors of the Vatican Underground Complex, his glowing bleeding heart producing hot venom capable of burning the walls, and devouring the "holy men" that now dominated the Vatican.

The legend tells that the Dragon was only a few doors from emerging to the outside world when it met its Nemesis: a vatican housekeeper who himself carried the true christian faith in his heart. The Dragon kneeled before the poor man, waiting for orders like a dog. The man, upset with all the destruction the Dragon had caused to the place he cared for so many years, ordered the creature to disappear, thus saving the Vatican from completed obliteration.

The Vatican leaders, afraid of uncontrollable destruction among their own ranks, realized they didn't want a defender of the true faith, but rather of the faith they could lord over. The ancient documents were destroyed, and the janitor was executed to keep the secret of their shame from spreading. His name was never known.

[Mr--Jack]

Artist: Mr--Jack

Concept: Lux Coma

Rarely seen and even less often encountered, Lux Coma are called in in service of light only when the forces of darkness are nearing the verges of heaven itself, where they live out their otherwise extroardinarily long lives; streaming brilliant white feathers and able to call upon a living incarnation of divine light, these majestic creatures are wondrous and immutable defenders of their domain.

[benu]

Artist: benu

Concept: Make love, not war

The Dragons of Hyperborea had a terrible reputation. Many noble knights and dragonslayers from all over the world traveled there to challenge the mighty beast, but few ever returned. No one knew what made these dragons so invincible, as none of the homecomers talked much about the experience, at least nothing coherent.
Until the orcish army tried to overrun the country. It was stopped at the borders by the hyperborean dragons without a fight. They circled over the battlefield spitting clouds of vapor on the combat-ready warriors. Whoever inhaled the dragon's breath was overwhelmed with love and joy. This turned the battlefield into a mass orgy, while the evil wizards who led the orcish forces contemplated the beauty of creation or giggled at their ridiculous robes.
The army dispersed. Parts of it retreated to their homeland, where the wizards were put to the torture to tell what really happened at the borders of Hyperborea. Some warriors even killed themself to save their honor. But others stayed in Hyperborea to live there with their true love happily ever after.

619875

[kovah]

Artist: kovah

Concept: Calm Bringer
Time was that dragons were harbingers of destruction and evil, creating chaos and wanton destruction. Brave knights were sent out to slay these beasts again and again many fell but some succeeded and slowly the dragons numbers dwindled. For creatures that only bred every five hundred years or so this was terrible. It was when a young monk discovered a dragon egg abandoned when its mother had been killed, the dragons cave had been looted but the egg had been overlooked as just a rock.

He took the egg back to the monastery and started to say prayers over the egg for the next fifty years of his life until it hatched. The white tiny creature crawled out the darkened egg and immediately the monk knew his prayers had worked. This dragon was brilliant white, with feathered wings and tiny halo's round its gold spikes. As the dragon grew it of course attracted the interest of the local knights and more than once the dragons elderly carer wringed his hands in fear. But not once did the knights ever get close to the dragon let alone injure it, its breath was a thick pink smoke that smelled strongly of strawberries and spring days and when it dissipated the knights no longer had an urge to fight and dropped thier sword and shield and trotted off into the sunset. In due course the monk died and the white dragon took off into the sky and undoubtedly spawned tales of angels as well as a fair few baby dragons who blessed by good continued their parents legacy.
619992

[dwinbotp]

Artist: dwinbotp
Concept: Omnidracum
When the war between Heaven and Hell is unleashed upon Man's land; wherein demons and blackened souls rush over to engulf the world with evil and malice, the last remaining guardians and beacons of hope to defend the righteous and the weak will come in the form of spectacular beasts long thought to be forgotten in myth and lore. They are the the Omnidracum, loyal winged chariots of the Archangels. They are revered by the faithful and feared by the Godless. They have wisdom that spans eons, their ferocity in battle matched only by their guile and sheer force of will and they are the penultimate embodiments of the destructive power and beauty of nature.

[Pierropod]

Artist: Pierropod

Concept: Snafeadragus
The Snafeadragus is a "life-keeper". In 2124, the few survivor on the planet earth waited for him. Because they heard that a big dragon will be able to restore and boost the "Tree of Life". because this tree keep hope in the living people on earth and it will be able to give a second chance to the world. But only if they deserved it. They're still waiting and the tree is dying...
621211

[SPipes]

622487

Artist: SPipes

Concept: Gleaming Dragon
The Gleaming Dragons were bred by the forces of good to serve as watchdogs against the forces of death and decay. They shun peaceful lands, making their lairs in the darkest, most evil places, seeking out and vanquishing the twisted things that dwell there. When the land is clean and growing again, they grow restless and move on.

[Tomorrow-man]

Artisit: Tomorrow-man
Concept:Golden Drake of the Sun

When I was a boy, my father would sometimes take me out before dusk to the far parts of the valley. He'd share facts and tell stories of when he was young, the things he'd learned, lessons I should know. He taught me everything.

The sun would be setting gently, and we'd whisper to be silent, unheard. Better to not wake the spirits, he'd always say. When the wind was calm and the sky clear we'd climb atop Graeth's ledge, the catch in our bags, kindle for a fire, a knife and a blade, a boy and his father. We were onlookers to a dying day, awe and wonder binding us in a single moment.

It was on just such a night, as the sun hung it's weary head and began to sleep, that I looked at my father, craving his explanation.

"Father," I said, "where does the day come from?"

His brow crinkled with thought; he let out the strongest sigh. "The great golden drake." He said. "Long ago, long before you were born, even before I was born, before there were even people, the world was a barren and desolate waste. Barren but for the evil that dwelled here. No birds soared in the sky, no ocean for fish to fill, no krad for man to hunt. Darkness had won the earth, and D'dagon reveled in the empty dereliction of his kingdom."

"Ada the golden drake and father to life, saw the earth and wished to bring it light from the darkness that held it.The beast was brilliant and pure, void of any evil, holiness personified. His wings were made of stars and his breath was a beam of light, and with his mighty claws he sank deep into the earth, challenging D'dagon. They fought, clashing over and over, light against darkness, good versus evil."

"Knowing he could never defeat Ada, D'dagon beseeched him, wishing to reach an agreement. Together they would divide the world, half and half, night and day, each for their reign. Now, each morning we see Ada soar in the sky and bring us day and life, while D'dagon lurks in night and the afterlight."


620202

[meganite]

Artist: Meganite

Concept: Bringer of Light
Holy creatures are known to inspire both awe and fear. People have fallen flat on their faces from encounters with mere angels, yet among the ranks of the angels there exist dragons of unearthly might. These Powers, which cause all evildoers to tremble at their very sight, are said to only be unleashed when the forces of evil grow too great, and their appearance is said to herald the end of the world.

All evil dragons are said to have once been good, and it is from these angelic ranks that they fell from grace, to walk beast-like on the earth. When a holy dragon encounters an evil one, he will use his beacon-like breath weapon in an attempt to turn his foe back to the ways of good, burning out all impurities. However, their fallen brethren are often so entrenched in their evil ways that there is no good left, and the burning light of righteousness will destroy them forever.

620320

[Jakers]

Artist: Jakers

Concept: White Dragon
When the shadows of hell managed to take hold of the earth, the powers of man were futile in fighting the beasts. Only the rare White Dragon had light energy powerful enough for battle against the ever massing power. With immense bravery and speed, the holy dragons were able to restore life.

[skullbeast]

Artist: skullbeast

Concept: Stilver
Stilver _ eater of embers. Placed to guard the rift between light and darkness. Stilver cleanses flame and darkness from its path with scalding vaporous light.

[Freha]

Artist: Freha

Concept: Angelo Purificus
The Angelo Purificus is a species of "light" aligned dragons. They are called upon by forces of good during epic battles. Purificus' breath of Purity is a combination of light and flame. When it breathes its flame upon the battlefield it does not worry about friend or foe. The "light" part of its breath protects those aligned with the side of good. Those who are evil are not protected by the light and are thusly incinerated by the "fire" aspect of the Purificus' breath.

[Chuck,mate.]

Artist: Chuck,Mate.

Concept: Awe-Dragon

Forever sung as a savior, fighting for the pure at heart, this little known creature is but an ancient myth. Born of legends and nurtured in hope, the Dragon of Awe was the always faithful champion of the oppressed.
Passed on from fathers to sons, through generations, the story of the battle of Orth-Mu`jar kept this Awe-Dragon alive in the culture and imagination. Enormous and golden, shining through summer skies, it kept the natural order of thing at balance, never turning on its masters. Us, humans.
Its powerful breath enhanced its presence, ruling both heaven and earth, destroying all that`s obscene, venomous, fiendish and unsightly, vanquishing all evil in us, of us, within us.

622274

[Wacky Wackowski]

Artist: Wacky Wackowski

Concept: Holy Emperor Dragon

In times of darkness, the warriors of Heshrem journey eastward to the holy ruins out in the desert. They seek the Holy Emperor Dragons, whose breath is said to grant divine power against the powers of darkness. These holy beasts are to be feared as much as awed for they do not grant their blessing lightly. The breath of divine power is only for those of noble heart and purity of purpose. To come to the beasts with anything else would be to invite certain death at their hands.

[parascytheJack]

Artist: parascythe
Concept: CHELYDRA

According to legends, a giant winged turtle like dragon once fought the army of darkness with its blinding and powerfull breath of light. After two thousand years the battle isnt over yet, a new marching forces of evil assembles to take over human race. When things started to fall for all mankind, Chelydra, the dragon lord of light heard the plea of these people. And from the mountains of the north Chelydra rises to protect once more the inhabitants of the earth.

[scorge]

Artist: Scorge

Concept: Life Dragon
For centuries the denizens of Hell have roamed the earth wreaking havoc and destruction leaving scarred barren wastelands in their wake. Humanity has long been extinguished by these hoards transformed into hellish creatures by Kraxuntepus the most diabolical of souls the world has ever seen, whose sole purpose is to eradicate all signs of life.
Trapped and captured long ago by Kraxuntepus, the Life Dragons have managed to escape their bonds, made stronger by their incarceration and torture at the hands of the foul lord. They now begin their quest to restore life and order to the world using their powers of life and rejuvenation to reconstruct the beauty and essence of good that the world once claimed.

[KevinR]

Artist: KevinR

Concept: Keeper of the Land!


Keeps peace and calm to the lands of free, happy people, these creatures channel the spirits of the ancients and expel their wisdom via the vaporous breath of life and healing.

[ironchicken]

Artist: Ironchicken

Concept: Soul Searcher
In times of turmoil and challenge, defenders and champions would make themselves known or be chosen. Their worthiness would be tested by seeking and facing the dragon Soul Searcher. The dragon would test bravery and then sample the darkness of the champions soul.

[carakhan]

Artist: ThinMint

Concept: Breath of Life Dragon


The Breath of Life Dragon's sole purpose is to keep Chaos at bay. While Chaos destroys the world, the Dragon breathes life into the earth from the jewel seeds embedded in his chest. Though the darkness draws ever nearer, the Breath of Life dragon fights for the pureness and simplicity of being.

[Bohnded]

Artist: Bohnded

Concept: Ieb (Pronounced as if saying each letter individually)
Mention of the Ieb is found only in the Apocryphal texts. Descending upon the Earth only during the rapture, the Ieb will spout bubbles from their mouths to capture the innocent within them to protect and remove them from the fight. This weapon deprives the demon hordes of their long sought after revenge upon mankind.

[Labrynthine]

Artist: Labrynthine

Concept: Draco Paradiso

Long before the first man was created by God, dragons walked the earth. They existed among the animals, communing with their great Creator. Man entered the world afterward; they were overjoyed to meet a being as enlightened as they were. In fact, the dragons cared for man more than any other creature they met. However, their joy turned to terror as Satan brought sin into the world. They foresaw death and destruction, conflict and hatred. Fearing the great evil, the dragons fled across the fields of existence. However, only a few dragons remained. They saw hope in spite of disaster. Inspired to fight back, they pledged to protect man and forever be in God's service. In returned, they were granted the name Draco Paradiso by Adam himself and guaranteed a spot in heaven.

Whenever evil breaks out across the land, whether it be small bands of demons or the Apocalypse itself, these dragons open the gates of heaven to usher in the angels. Their very breath tears open the fabric of space and time, essentially opening a "gate of heaven", allowing the angels to enter the mortal realm. Any fiend caught in the blast are thrust into heaven, disentigrating in the holy light.

[Raydiant]

Artist: Raydiant

Concept: Trinity Dragons


The Trinity Dragons have only been seen soaring through the heavens with a glowing golden form. They watch over the inhabitants below and protect them from forces that seek to harm them. With their breath, they create a compressed sphere of lightning which homes in on its foe. They are always in groups of three.

[Edward B]

Artist: Edward B

Concept: Holy Dragon

The holy dragon protects the weak and defenceless from evil forces by an exorcising chime, similar to that imitated by chuchbells. The secret tones sends demons fleeing and withers reanimated bones to dust.

[rWDrk]

Beatific Dragon with Breath Weapon.

[Michael Jaecks]

Ironchicken and ImmortalX, I'm sorry but I couldn't take your entries to the poll due to quality. COW is a weekly activity and I would like folks to put forth their strongest, best possible effort in every round. These entries looked pretty rushed. Keep working in your sketchbooks, look at reference, check around the site for crits from your fellow artists, and please come back to COW in the future. I know anyone and everyone can learn from this activity and grow. You'll always be welcome in the future.

I think a lot of the entries this week are interesting takes on the 'Beatific' theme. At first I thought about pulling entries that were playing off irony a little too much, but, to each his own. The poll will sort out the concept art that took the theme and really ran with it.

[Michael Jaecks]

And the new round is on:

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=153096

[kovah]

Tried to praise and crit all of them, many were better than mine so i dunno i'm bad at criting things i think are better than mine...

XGABO: You got my vote! Awesome picture and awesome story to explain it. Would have maybe liked to see it in the catacombs though maybe sorta in situe.

Mr--Jack: Love the pose and the over all design, bits of it look a little unfinnished to me and the back foot doesn't quite make sense to me.

benu: The colours in this piece are beautiful, i find that splotch of green at the bottom a little distracting though.

dwinbotp: The back legs bother me a little as the anatomy doesnt seem quite right but the front half of the dragon is great, the angel on its head is a nice touch.

Pierrpod: Nice image, is very blue though. Putting some more colour into the image even if its just in the shadows really makes it pop a little more. Also the green from the breath would reflect on the dragon itself.

SPipies: Good pose, is very graceful. Again some other colours in the shadows would bring it out again and the wings look more unfinished than the skeleton which is great.

Tomorrow-Man: Great result in the end, Just need a bit more work on the wing anatomy. The wing 'arms' seem a little too thick to be attached to the body and there isn't the muscle mass on its torso to quite support the flight muscles.

Meganite: Love the pose and the idea but it seems a little rushed in the end, you spent all that time on the scale detail then seemed to just paint over it with a big airbrush to put the highlights on.

Jakers: Great image, some of the dragon seems a little unfinished but is still nice.

skullbeast: There is a lot going on in this image and in a sense its distracting because of it. You dont seem to have a focal point for it rather several and while you have a lot of detail in some parts it seems to get lost. Also some anatomy issues around the neck but overall nice effort.

Freha: I like this one,though it doesn't pop quite as much and kind of blends into the background a little which is a shame.

Chuck, Mate: Great image, wings seem to be a little of a last minute edition lacking in detail compared to the rest of the picture.

Wacky Wackowski: I love the pose and lighting of this one though the forlegs look a little disloacated to me. I love his tail though.

parascythe: The head is lovely and detailed bit the rest of the body doesn't seem to follow it, the anatomy too is a little off in some places.

Scorge: Love the colours on this one, its a little confusing on the eye though, lacking a focus point a little in order to draw the eye. Good effort though.

KevinR: Nicely stylised, though the wings dont quite seem to fit.

ThinMint: Love the iridesentness of the scales and the over all design of the dragon. There is a lot going on in the background though and as its all a similar colour palette it causes the dragon to get a little lost in it.

Bohnded: Good effort, some anatomy issues though and stained glass photoshop filter isnt the best thing to use.

Labrynthine: Awesome image, I love the webbed feet and pattern on the wings. If i had two votes you would get my other one :)

Raydiant: Nice start, would like to see it more finished though its abit sorta vauge if that makes sense.

Edward B: Love this idea and the design of the dragon. Little more work ont he foreground mayhaps?

rWDrk: Nice dragon, not sure what is beatific about it really, love the green on it though.

[Bohnded]

Following the example...

xgabo: Nice pic, though too evil looking for me.
Mr--Jack: I like it, especially the face.
benu: Well executed, but nothing about it grabs me.
kovah: Interesting, but the halos look like an afterthought.
dwinbotp: Same crit as for xgabo "Nice pic, though too evil looking for me."
Pierropod: The thing that got you my vote was the execution of the breath weapon. I really enjoyed that effect.
SPipes: Another nice piece that does't follow the brief for me. Even the desciption seems to support that these are shady creatures.
Tomorrow-man: Beautiful piece, but I can't see the head as anything but a T-Rex.
meganite: I love the way this glows. If you were allowed to post your WIP, you would have had my vote.
Jakers: Nice composistion, but I don't see much detail. (Could be this monitor.)
skullbeast: You too get my "too evil" critique. I still like the picture, though it reminds me of an Iguana.
Freha: I like this one a lot. It was in my top 3. I especially like the anatomy.
Chuck,mate: I like this one. I'm not sure what planet it is on with the two moons.
Wacky Wackowski: Aarrg! Another one that seems more evil than good. I like the execution of the wings.
parascytheJack: This made me think of a Godzilla movie. Maybe it is because of the turtle head. The head is so much more fully rendered than the rest, otherwise it would have ranked very high for me.
scorge: I like this, especially whatever is going on at the back of the tail.
KevinR: I like the little guy with the mace.
ThinMint: Great breath weapon, great design.
Labrythine: Nice all around. I think the breath weapon part is the best.
Raydiant: Another beautiful piece.
Edward B: The dragon looks great, but the picture leaves me wanting more.
rWDk: Despite beautiful pose, it seems a bit plain.

[skullbeast]

Most of the entries are just fantastic. Labrynthine - simply stunning. you got my vote.

[blobs]

Here we gooooo! Only a short lot this week!

XGABO Now, if the subject was an evil religious dragon you would've got my vote. It's an incredible painting, I just can't sit on the fence that it might or might not be 'beatific'. So because of that and only that you didn't get my vote. :)

Mr-Jack You got my vote, I love the breath weapon, the lighting, the composition, everything screams goodly to me. The head is an excellent design in particular I reckon, well done matey :)

Benu Kudos to you for picking up the traditional paints! Excellent work :)

Chuck,Mate As always, bloody good! :)

Well done to everyone else, it is a difficult subject and I think you all did great :)

[Tyrus]

Labrynthine- you get my vote, your dark/light use in the artwork is stunning.

[luness]

So,

xgabo – the backstory (“…using a spray of the Blood of Christ,” sheeeyit man!) the illustration technique, the design itself (although for personal taste, the fin-like appendixes on its tail interrupts the hard/thick-skin look -found on the rest of the dragon- a bit too much)…I lllllllove it! You got my vote, it’s a beautiful piece, and follows the brief but with a final twist, which is very cool.

Mr—Jack – it was my favorite WIP but its left wing in the colored version looks unfinished to me, and it takes such space in the canvas that it’s hard not to get distracted by it. It’s a beautiful dragon, a great design, so congrats for that!

benu – the background is very confusing and for me the overall design is just ok, not great as your last piece.

kovah – the anatomy of the upper part is a bit messed up, the neck and the left front leg seem to be one element, like attached to the other. The horns and the halos don’t work that well either, but I do like the color choice for the skin and the work you put on it. Keep it up!

dwinbotp – another favorite. Its tail and wings are quite fantastic on their own, but the front legs or arms bother me for some reason. I’m still trying to figure out why. Too long? too human? Not sure yet, but it affected my final choice.

Pierropod – some issues with anatomy. Even though the dragon has a snake-like body, it still looks as an uncomfortable pose. I like the crest though, it’s very organic and original.

SPipes – I really like this design, although the rear legs and a good part of the tail disappear in the background. You could have use a secondary light source or gentle passes of lighter tones on the background to show a bit more of these elements. Even a silhouette of them would have worked better.

Tomorrow-man – Nice work with the skin textures. I also like the shiny sparkling wings, that detail adds a magical and holy touch to your design, although the dragon design itself doesn’t add too much to what I have seen about dragons.

meganite – it’s a golden dragon and I don’t see further than that, I mean, just like with Tomorrow-man, the design is quite similar to what I’ve seen before. Looking at references (for example, reptiles, mammals, insects) and mixing, and twisting them could have helped you to get an original design. Look at yoitisi’s design studies on the dragon’s WIP thread, for example. That’s an awesome design approach. In a different note, I would suggest thickness variation on the gesture lines, maybe using a pen brush with pressure sensitivity, if done digitally. They help to visualize depth, weight, and volume.

Jakers - it’s a shame that the demon’s design (and also its size on the canvas) overpowers the dragon’s. Look at the dragon’s pose as well. It looks more as a defense pose rather than an attack pose, which makes it weaker somehow.

skullbeast – perhaps you were looking for a painterly look, but it rather seems like an unfinished piece. Too many undefined elements, like the rest of the body, which although it’s ok to see it blurry it should have a better definition, contour, or silhouette.

Freha – design-wise, this is gorgeous. Although not a big fan of the stomach area, I love the elongated body, the looong mane flowing with the wind, and the graceful pose (I would change the gesture of any of the front legs though, so both wouldn’t be facing southwest, if you know what I mean). I would work a bit more on the cast shadows too, but overall, I like what I see. Another fav.

Chuck,mate. – I was scrolling down, I liked the vaporized evil things, the dragon’s pose, and then pum! the wings look unfinished or just not related with the overall design. I don’t know, they just don’t work for me. Also, I think more tonal variation or cast shadows could have improved the quality of this piece.

Wacky Wackowski – I love it! but the rear legs are hard to locate, specially its right one. Also, the holy breath needs more work, it looks like a long wide-tip tongue, in my humble opinion ;) but wow, the tail and wings are beatific indeed.

parascytheJack – agree with Bohnded. Very Godzilla-like, or even Ultraman kinda monster, but hey, that’s ok. The weakest point on your dragon is the render, which is not balanced. Some parts are very detailed and properly worked out, some not.

scorge – your armadillo/rhino-inspired dragon is something to admire. Your brain must be an interesting place to dig in ;) but the tilted canvas is not that interesting, and in my opinion, affects the final piece negatively, because it pushes everything to the lower right, like an invisible massive force or something.

KevinR – interesting style, I like it a lot. Very childrens-book oriented, which is not bad at all, but actually precious.

ThinMint – nice texture for the skin, but the color choices don’t work too well here. Very saturated and complementary, which looks nice sometimes but not that much here. The breath weapon is pretty cool though. Looks quite powerful.

Bohnded – interesting approach but some anatomy issues as well.

Labrynthine – great idea but the execution is a different story. The sky looks great, so does the dragon’s head and breath weapon, but the pose is hard to read and you should have showed a bit more of the dragon, specially the wings, since tend to be one of the most interesting features on dragon designs.

Raydiant – another piece that seems unfinished or rushed in, which is a shame. It’s a nice and original design.

Edward B – to be honest, I reaaaally like the upper part of its body, but I don’t like the rest. It’s monotonous, it’s just a tail. But hey, I really enjoy the rendering style you used.

rWDrk – the wings’ texture is fantastic but when you scroll down, the rear legs and the tail with those spears look out of place, lower quality; but it’s a cool design for a dragon, good work!

Congrats to everybody!

[TomCardin]

My vote goes to Mr--Jack. You got the beatific part down and a great dragon design. Some is unfinished, true, but it works overall better than the rest.

You guys....sheesh so many of you really missed the beatific part -that was half the requirement. You can show a stong powerfull being without claws and spikes and carnage can't you? And if you insist that your dragon must have sharp implements of destruction all over his body...take another look at the house cat. pound for pound you won't find another well armed engine of destruction to match it. You can draw a cat mean, or you can draw a cat sweet..we all know its got claws and teeth, but they can be cuddly and cute too - thats not beatific but you should be able to get the drift.

hats off to all of you who worked the whole topic into your image. Otherwise lots of great dragon designs.

[parascytheJack]

Mr.Jack got my vote, he's the only one who made the butterflies as breath weapon...

and to those who commented on my piece, thanks guys! i really appreciate your time to evaluate mine...i really have to practice more since its my first time to use a tablet and be ambitious enough to join COW...hehehe...got also sick that week so i havent rendered it well but anyway..i'll try to see you guys on the next COW, hope i could show more improvement this time

i'll try to improve more on speed and balance....as you guys commented!!!

great work everybody!!!!

[Edward B]

Thanks alot for the comments and crits guys! Highly appriciated.

I voted Mr Jack, another piece of lovely artwork and I think you nailed the brief.

Another favourite was Xgabo of course. I always enjoy reading your concepts and this one was very cool indeed.

[xgabo]

TomCardin - I understand what you're saying, I really do. But we do have to allow for different interpretations of the brief, even open challenges to it. I for once enjoy twisting whatever briefs I get, both in these exercises and in my professional life, and this theme was too dubious (in the whole Good vs. Beatific thing) to resist the irony. I don't know about other people, but that's my point of view.

[scorge]

:hatsoff:Mr.Jack, my hat's off to you sir. Another killer entry into the realm of COW and a great concept to match. Beautiful render. I hope someday to be as good as you.

Xgabo: As always it's an honor to see your talent and creativity splashed up on the canvas as if it was nothing.
Benu: My god what a palette! Your classical style and sense of drama never ceases to amaze me. And although these two look a little too typical, it's a great image.
Kovah: I like your colors, shading, textures and idea, but the attention to detail concerning the anatomy, stance and attachments of horns, rings, etc. could use some work.
dwinbotp: Another powerful image. Your sense of drama and nobility in this guy is awesomely represented.
Pierropod: Nicely rendered and killer idea. Some issues with the lighting and composition. The dragon doesn't look like it's in the environment.
SPipes: Some elements of yours really grab my eye(the flowers sprouting from feet and the breath especially)Stance is awkward, and the values might be a little overdone.
Tomorrowman: Looks like all your hard work paid off. Dragon looks great and the bad guys are getting what they deserve. Looks a somewhat staged though, almost as if they are posing for a photo. I would suggest some dynamic studies to give more of a living, breathing feeling.
Meganite:I think that if you tightened this one up a bit this could be one of the coolest dragon pics. It does feel as if he/she is a little cramped in the frame and I think you could include a little something (color)to compliment all that shiny gold.
Jakers: I love how we get the feeling that this guy is really up against unbeatable odds. Very small though. Perhaps another angle would have worked better.
Skullbeast: Diggin' the name and the fight against evil here, but it appears as if you got too caught up in the details and ended up covering most of the dragon with foreground and other unnecessary strokes.
Freha: Very elegant beast and beautiful colors. Would've liked to see more work on the breath.
Chuck,Mate: What can I say, your work stinks. Oh, wait a minute, I mean your work makes MINE stink. I 'm learning a lot just by seeing what you do that you do so well. It's great to have you playing with us every once in a while. Always ups the ante a thousand-fold.:bow:
Wacky Wackowski: Love the lighting and the struggle. Position of the wings and the front legs looks off though.
ParascytheJack: Great concept and awesome portrayal of raw power and might. And even though I'm probably not the one to be saying this for this round, really needs a focal point and some refinement.
KevinR: You do have a very unique style and the image is hilarious. Could use a lot more focus on creature design.
Thinmint: Crazy creature! Very cool. A little too busy and the dragon could have been more the focus.
Bohnded: Very small image, hard to see the dude. I do like the stance and the beatific look on his face though. The glass looks pretty nice too.
Labrynthine: One of my favorites. Design of the dragon and the mood are perfect, but not for this topic IMHO. I love the touches of color.
Raydiant: Very cool dragon, but really gets lost in the background. Could have used some refinement in the details as well.
EdwardB(formerly Peg): Very different for you and I really like it. The green looks great and the head is badass. Like the exorcism chime.
rwDrk: Great sense of scale. I think the smoke could be offset some, or at least a little more random. Texture in the wings is very nice.

Special not to Luness: I know you didn't contribute this round which of course is a shame because I enjoyed the trouncing you gave me with the dead heads so much.:wink: Thanks for your honesty and taking the time to comment. As for what goes on in my head, yes it can be a mess and sometimes twisted, but all you have to do is look at your own beautiful work and I'm sure you'll understand completely.:thinking:

@ Ironchicken and ImmortalX: Welcome to COW. Stick around for a while and you'll get all the education you need to get really good at this. Nice to have you.:teeth:

And of course a big sloppy thanks to MJ for keeping the COW alive and strong and for not participating anymore making it easier for the rest of us.:P :yayca:

[skullbeast]

Thanks guys! A little about me.. my background is that of a motion picture and TV sculptor and painter (13 years), so I am more use to painting 3D like the " Spinosaurus (JP3 style painting)" or monster suits like "Doom" or the "Iron monger" from Ironman I painted. my 2d is lacking, so I thought I would use these challenges to sharpen up!!! thanks for all the c&c. John Cherevka

http://skullbeast.deviantart.com/

[Viridis]

My vote goes to Mr--Jack. You got the beatific part down and a great dragon design. Some is unfinished, true, but it works overall better than the rest.

You guys....sheesh so many of you really missed the beatific part -that was half the requirement. You can show a stong powerfull being without claws and spikes and carnage can't you? And if you insist that your dragon must have sharp implements of destruction all over his body...take another look at the house cat. pound for pound you won't find another well armed engine of destruction to match it. You can draw a cat mean, or you can draw a cat sweet..we all know its got claws and teeth, but they can be cuddly and cute too - thats not beatific but you should be able to get the drift.



I agree wholeheartedly. I was really considering doing this topic (but was too busy with CHOW's 'Puss in Boots' to have time for it) but I have to say I'm a little disappointed that there seem to be only one or two really "beatific" dragons in here. Why are they all slavering monsters? The topic seemed to me to create a creature that was awesome and inspiring while still being beautiful; indeed, that they were more terrible because they were so beautiful and good. It's much the same idea as the house cat above: a sleek and mighty hunter for all its cuteness, or something like Everest or the Grand Canyon. Huge, dangerous, and breathtakingly beautiful all at once.

Instead I just see the D&D school of bulky, destroying monsters. D: This was supposed to be a non-evil dragon, and I feel like very few people paid enough attention to this prompt to capture it. The Pope-Dragon by Xgabo (?) sums this up nicely. It might technically be "good", but I can't see that at all from the illustration.

Needless to say, I voted for Mr--Jack, whose illustration seemed to follow the prompt well, although the shiny golden light dragon by meganite was a close second. (Freha and Raydient also seemed to follow the prompt quite well, although your designs were a bit more unfinished.)

[meganite]

Thanks everyone for all your feedback. =) A brief response, if I may: To me the "beatific" part to me meant that the dragon had to be perfect, everything a "dragon" should be, no deformity, no blemish. A perfect dragon. Needless to say, I used the classical understanding of "dragon" and didn't try to redesign it. To address your feedback, Luness, I know pretty well how to make a composite of different creatures, but I felt like this was one of the cases I wasn't designing something new, I was designing a perfect form of something (a dragon). Sorry it's a plain ol' dragon, but I hoped to make it shiny and perfect :)

About the execution, I think at the end I got a bit sloppy (yeah, Kovah you are right). I think maybe I was planning to make the shiny layer on a different blending mode so I could keep the detail, but I thought it looked so good shiny and blown out that I didn't bother changing it. But now I look at it and it just looks blurry... heh. I was indeed rushed, and if my plans hadn't changed I would have been able to work on it the morning of the deadline, but that's the way it happened. I'm still trying to figure out how to integrate a painterly style with color into my highly detailed drawing style. Clearly I have some work left to do, but this was a great exercise in pushing my boundaries even further. And even some of the crits I'm giving below point out some flaws in my own pic... hopefully I can take my own advice too!

Thanks again everyone for all your feedback! Now it's time for me to give some of my own =) I hope this is not too harsh. Gah, I have to crit all of these? x_x I will try to do it well.

xgabo - Super freaking amazing. Great execution, what a fearful beast. I think it went too far from the theme, which is why I couldn't vote for it
Mr--Jack - pretty cool design. I feel like it's pretty blurry though for some reason. Maybe it's that I can see the paint strokes. Maybe it's because the face is a little hard to make out with all that light around it. Or maybe just the eyes aren't where I expect them to be, so it's a little hard to read. The spikes on the horns look a little out of place for such a feathery dragon, I would expect them to be a little more curvy less blocky from the way the rest of the dragon is.
benu - I especially like all the color, though it's a little unclear what they're doing in the picture. Going around using their breath weapons on random things? Cool concept though.
kovah - I like all the scale detail, though like one of my friends remarked, it's kind of a "Lisa Frank Dragon" XD. It's a little unclear which direction the lighting is coming from. The shadows and tones are not very consistent with sunlight. But it's a very pretty dragon, for sure, definitely goes with the Beatific theme.
dwinbotp - Amazing, apocalyptic dragon. Kind of ugly though. Reminds me of a lot of the apocalyptic paintings of the 19th century, Thomas Cole and all those guys. I love the colors, and the form looks great, the pose is very tense.
Pierropod - cool design, though the rendering of the dragon looks a bit claylike. Interesting that you chose blue... why? It's a very cold color. I really like your green life effect as it's wrapped in a sphere around that tree. The dragon looks very wise and old.
SPipes - Pretty cool. He looks more like a bronze dragon though, and the horns remind me of evil devil horns more than something beautiful and good. Without context, I couldn't tell whether he's giving life to those old bones or destroying an undead minion.
Tomorrow-man - Beautiful, though somehow I liked your WIP better. What happened to that wonderful beam you had before for his breath? Well, he just looks a little bit dirty or something, especially down by his feet and underside. There's not a single great focal point in the picture, other than that evil green skeleton stuff (greatest dark-light contrast). Wonderful detail on the skin. I wish I could do stuff that good. =) I don't know if I have the patience, lol.
Jakers - Cool looking, and you fixed the leg =) Although, it's somehow lacking a quality that the WIP I saw showed, the solidness of the light and the breaking of that evil claw. That was something that made it so cool before. Now it's a little hard to see that demon eye there. The dragon looks kinda grey and small compared to him. Beautiful concise brushstrokes though, you describe the form and lighting through just a few rough strokes. Great job =)
skullbeast - I think you may have added too much detail, it just makes the picture look muddled somehow. Be careful of overworking the painting! To me the picture looks a bit messy and there are some rough lines there that look like they were just slapped on. You did some great work in those WIPs, and I think you may have covered up too much of it in your additions over time.
Freha - Cool looking, great anatomy work. Looks more like a pegasus to me than a dragon, but I guess that's acceptable since it's beatific and all ;) Lighting is a little bit unclear (seems to be coming from below on the body but from behind the wings on the wings). There's no real clear focal point of the picture, since there are several areas with greatest light-to-dark contrast.
Chuck,mate. - He's pretty awesome. Though his face looks kinda ugly and misshapen and the teeth are all randomly sized. I think that's what makes him less beatific in my mind. That body with a different head could be even more superamazing! Great shading and lighting, though in some places it does look a bit flat. I don't see much blue reflected on his chest... Cool backlighting effect though.
Wacky Wackowski - Beautiful, giant, and dark. I love the backlighting, it makes the front and the breath weapon all the more mysterious. The horns are well-formed and look almost like a crown. He is beast-like, but not evil. He looks wise and old, like a sphinx. Definitely looks mythic. I think maybe the only things you could change would be a different composition with him higher up on the pane would make him seem even bigger, and I might add even more light coming through the darker part of the wings. They look even darker than his body, which is solid I assume. Beautiful, regal, holy. I think he has all the qualities a beatific dragon should have.
parascytheJack - Looks a bit unfinished. The detail on the head doesn't match the detail anywhere else on the body. He doesn't really seem that beatific to me, maybe it's too obvious where you took the source from. He's cool, but I'm not sure what makes him holy, apart from the breath weapon. I would say just to spend more time on the rest of the picture instead of just in one spot, so you don't have that distracting difference in detail.
scorge - really cool design. He looks alien, but at the same time wise, great, and holy. He's very beautiful, though in an alien way. I think the breath weapon could probably use some work, it looks like you used the star brush in photoshop, and it covers up some of the dragon himself. Interesting take on it!
KevinR - he's pretty funny =) It's a different style you have going on here, a lot more cartoony. He could possibly be an illustration for a storybook. To me, the dragon looks maybe a little too "dorky" to be beatific... he has a weak looking lower jaw, large nostrils, and small arms. These things do not connote powerfulness to me =P He's made of wobbly lines. Anyway, cool pic, good illustration of the effects of the breath weapon too =)
ThinMint - beautiful. I think there's too much sky in the picture though. Neat design. I think in the end it came out looking a bit blobby around the face for some reason. I also think his teeth are quite menacing for a breath of life dragon. Maybe there's too much darkness in him. His eyes are dark too. The effect that you did with the breath weapon was really cool though =)
Bohnded - Interesting... not sure what else to say. You get away with a strange perspective by making it look kinda like stained glass, but I would think the dragon would also have outlines in lead like stained glass windows usually have. Putting a dragon in what is obvoiusly a savior-like pose... well it kind of makes me uncomfortable. Maybe because the dragon himself doesn't look so much benevolent as like he's trying to trick you into trusting him.
Labrythine - Really cool concept, really cool art. The dragon seems a little too evil looking. Maybe that's the point (that they look the same as the evil dragons, but they're good)? It just seems like if this picture was taken out of context, I'd think he's sucking the light out of the heavens and bringing the darkness.
Raydiant - Cool concept, but there's no explanation of the breath weapon, or it's not clear how it's used for good. The piece as a whole looks a little bit rushed. The lines are a bit blurry, and there's no clear light direction.
Edward B - Woah, his face looks totally weird. With those teeth, I would think he's going to eat the church, not protect it XD. I think that the torso and body is the best part, and the shading you did there should be brought up into the head a bit more. The head looks quite a bit flatter than the rest of the body.
rWDk - Not particularly beatific, he looks like he's scorching a field of embattled foes, just like any other dragon might. Seems like just a normal dragon to me, nothing that makes him particularly holy or good (The one in the background looks more potentially beatific for some reason?). Great detail on that wing though. I think a different composition might have helped you better show his breath weapon and its effects, maybe have the dragon's body more to the right of the page so you can see the breath weapon.

Ok, so I think that's it for everyone... I'm tired now... phew! Crits are hard work. The end! Now to vote... I think it's a toss-up between Jakers and Wacky. Man, I wish I could vote for more than one!

[Labrynthine]

My vote goes to Mr-- Jack. Like others said, he made the true embodiment of "beatific". Definitely the type of dragon that would smite foes with one hand and protect I dunno, some orphans with the other.

As for my piece, yeah, I agree. My dragon was a bit on the evil side. And thank you everybody for the critique.

[OTTA]

My vote go to XGABO. It's fit with my "Beatific" imagination most :)
But MR. JACK, I also love your dragon too, It's very very hard to make a decision.

[Wacky Wackowski]

thanks everyone for da crits. figured i'd return the favor.

crits
xgabo- great backstory for your illustration. the image itself is very nice as well. i especially like the head and tail designs. however, the background does not seem to fit with the story of the creature. i agree with kovah's suggestion of maybe setting it in catacombs, etc. also, i'm a little confused about the Blood of Christ venom. does it convert peoples' minds or does it kill them? or does it convert them by killing them!?!?!?! :D on the whole, great ideas but maybe a little too much of a stretch for me to vote for. seeing only your image and then reading the prompt, it is hard to get the connection without the written portion.

Mr--Jack- fantastic image. i think you managed to create a nice balance in your image of iconic but not stereotypical. it has some features (color, feathers, build, etc) that people would expect from a holy creature, but the way some of them are incorporated (such as the feathers on top of the patagium and the head design) really make the design stand out. however, i would also like to see a more complete rendering, especially in the right wing (its right) and the enemy.

benu- funny idea :D also, nice job with the watercolor. some of the details could be tightened up a bit on the dragons. the background seems a little hard to read. careful about that green portion under the dragon's wing... kinda looks like a watermelon.

kovah- i like the story. also, neat work with the floating rings and the hip wings. be careful with some of the anatomy and shading. notice how long the 'arm' of each wing is compared to the other. also some of the brightest highlights seem to be smack dab in the middle of shadow (right arm). they kinda read as lights.

dwinbotp- great image, cool design, fantastic rendering! i especially like the head wing/horn things and chin hair! it really reads as a powerful dragon, but i would say that it does not read very much as beatific. the angel/halo at the top leans that way, but that part of the image is kinda lost in the background.

Pierropod- nice idea. i like how you decided to go for a more futuristic take on the prompt... and it shows in your design! i think you can push further with the shading/lighting. is the breath from the dragon illuminated? if so, you should add in some more highlights from that onto the creature and the tree. i think i see a little on the hands, but how about the mane or even its mouth area? i also think you can push more into shadow. it seems like the problem i have a lot of times. i often hesitate when adding shadow or focus to much on form shadow and not cast shadow.

SPipes- cool imagery. i like the little bit of hazy glow and the overall design. also, nice job on shading. be careful about proportion. the body seems uncomfortably short, even with foreshortening. also, you could probably add more texture and such to the ground. one more thing, it kinda looks like it's killing a human (which kinda seems evil). perhaps make the skeleton into something more obviously evil?

Tomorrow-man- nice job on the details. i like the sparkly wings and the way the breath light is tearing through the evil mist. nice work incorporating texture, especially in the throat of the neck. it seems like a bit too much texture on some locations such as the lower jaw and the wing. i think you could change the composition to make it more dramatic somehow.

meganite- nice job with the breath attack and the wing transparency. good choice in viewing angle; it gives a sense of power/awesomeness. i think you can push more with the details and definition of form. currently, many of the scales just read as lines. work more values into them and more overall form into the different shapes of the creature. you can also define the shape of the highlights more. keep in mind as the angle of the form changes, so should the level of light that hits it.

Jakers- great work with the composition. it really feels epic. great job rendering the background and the face of the demon. i think you should bring more of that rendering into the hand and especially the dragon. that will help bring more focus back onto the dragon itself.

skullbeast- cool idea and neat design! the details seem a bit muddy though. i think some additional definition to forms and such could help that. also, the light vapor is not reading a lot like light to me. it almost seems like an icy breath attack. perhaps do more with lighting to help pull away from the icy idea and help bring it more within the idea of beatific.

Freha- great image. i really like the overall colors and lighting. cool design incorporating the equine (pegasus!). i'm a big fan of the stag horns on there. i think the wings should probably block some more light off the body. there might be a bit too much highlighting... it seems the light is penetrating at a lot of angles and even getting into creases and wrinkles. if the light is from the breath, should it be hitting the upper arms of the creature?

Chuck,mate- really neat image. i like the clean rendering and the lighting. there might be something weird going on with the snout of the creature. the nostril and end of the mouth seem directly sideways, but the turn of the horns and back of the head indicate more of a 3/4 view.

Wacky Wackowski- work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes you a stronger artist

parascytheJack- yay tuttle! i would like to see you continue the detail of the face into the rest of the creature. also, this seems a bit more like a CHOW than a COW.

scorge- i love the colors and design of your dragon. dunno if it reads beatific but its definitely neat. i think you could push some more detail into the foreground and maybe even the clouds.

KevinR- fun image! like the cartoony take on this. i think you could push the design of the dragon more to make it more beatific and holy. you could really push that especially with the style of illustration that you did.

ThinMint- cool design and composition. the background could probably be tightened up some more. dunno if i read beatific from this or not. for me, the head and body designs really work, but the gem thingies on the chest pull away from it.

Bohnded- nice touch with the stained glass window background. would have preferred if it wasn't the photoshop filter (doesn't quite get the right feel of actual stained glass). be careful about the turn in the neck, it's reading as a really harsh angle. also, throw light and shade into this thing. right now it all looks really flat.

Labrynthine- fantastic picture and great idea! love the composition and attention to detail. not quite sure if it reads beatific. maybe play up the halo and mess around with color scheme.

Raydiant- cool design. i really like the glowing wings. the details need to be tightened up some more. i would also like the see how the back set of wings attach. it seems like they are just coming out from under a scale which doesn't read as well as the ones in the front. still see some sketch lines on its left wing.

Edward B- really neat design and idea. i would like to see a bit more of the holy idea played up more in the design. it's a good idea, but it seems like its tied too much in the description. also, the foreground seems really rushed and kinda takes away from what is otherwise a really nice image.

rWDk- great job with the details on the wing membrane. the backlighting from the fire doesn't quite read right. i think you could spend more time on the rendering. also, the dragon appears more evil than good. p.s. don't forget about the format of putting your name, creature's name, and description. :D

with all that being said, it's time to decide on the vote. my vote goes to... Mr--Jack. His design was creative and also really communicated the idea of the prompt through the image itself. on the whole, the rendering was done very well. Labrynthine was a close second.

[thedarkcloak]

did anybody else sit there debating for like 10 minutes wether to vote for xgabo's entry or mr--jack's?

MAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaan...

Xgbabo - At first I was like, that's scary looking, not holy... BUT I loved the story, hooooooooly smokes you had me rolling with that one once I cottoned on to what you were doing there. And I found it extra hilarious that your story echoed my initial reaction to the 'catholic monster dragon'. Woah. AWESOME. It's like a terrifying puppy of HOLY DEATH!

Mr--Jack - I think yours stayed very true to the brief and was still super bad ass, noble looking, and clearly delivering the point. I especially like how you did the legs, and the transition between feathers and dragon wings. Really good stuff going on!

Absolutely torn.

Missus Cloak wants to keep them in the back garden, please!

I'll comment on all of them later on, need sleeeeep!!!

[Ironhead]

I voted for Mr. Jack. I like the colours of the dragon in front of the blue sky. It really looks like holy and powerful.

[HareTrinity]

Interesting choice of topics.

Vote went to Kovah. Not so keen on the description, and certain elements of the picture (e.g. the right foreleg) seem off, but I like the creature design.

The gorgeous lean torso looks built for action, but the My Little Pony eyes, halo-spikes, extra wings, and facial frills suggest to me that it uses them to hide its monstrous nature (hinted by the teeth). Claws would have been nice.

Also; halo-spikes are pretty surreal, and I think that works well with the topic.

I'll see if I can find time to do my usual trailing list sometime.

EDIT: Just noticed that the other 2 of my top 3 have no votes! So I'll quickly put them in:

Jakers: Lovely scene, and I like the frill. Not much for me to put the dragon apart from the basic dragon concept, but it's a great picture of a dragon handing out a smiting.

Freha: Your stretched pegasus does a great job of pulling up the similarities between that beast and dragons, entirely appropriate for the topic. Not sure the front feet and back match well, but generally I think it's a brilliant design. My reason for you not getting my vote is that I have trouble viewing it as a dragon rather than a pegasus.

[kovah]

Interesting choice of topics.

Vote went to Kovah. Not so keen on the description, and certain elements of the picture (e.g. the right foreleg) seem off, but I like the creature design.

The gorgeous lean torso looks built for action, but the My Little Pony eyes, halo-spikes, extra wings, and facial frills suggest to me that it uses them to hide its monstrous nature (hinted by the teeth). Claws would have been nice.

Also; halo-spikes are pretty surreal, and I think that works well with the topic.
'll see if I can find time to do my usual trailing list sometime.

EDIT: Just noticed that the other 2 of my top 3 have no votes! So I'll quickly put them in:




You have no idea how much you made my day there. I've never got a vote before. XD:)

[xgabo]

I want to thank everybody for all the votes and comments, and congratulate Mr Jack for a great creature concept, very inspiring. hope to see more of your stuff in future rounds!

[carakhan]

Same here, I've been way too busy to really get into crits (crunch, sorry!) but thanks so much for your critiques and comments, I'm already putting them into my newer paintings!

[Mr--Jack]

Well thankye all for the support and comments + crits, tis all very much appreciated :D

And xgabo, fricking awesome work; I struggled a bit on pedantry over the difference between 'goodness' and 'holiness' and the differences between a 'beatific' dragon and a specifically catholic/christian interpretation, but your backstory and the overall appropriateness for the blood of christ + holy fire managed to win out :D (and who doesn't like a reasonable dose of irony now and then?) One thing I might say though is there's a bit of a discrepancy between the setting of your story and the savannah-like background in the image...

Great work from everyone :)
particularly liked Chuck,mate., Wacky Wackowski and Labrynthine.
Cheers!

[Michael Jaecks]

Oh. My. God. It ended with a tie. Looks like good and evil both won.

Congrats to both Xgabo and Mr--Jack.