C.O.W. #137 CNN Breaking News: Life Found on Titan

[Michael Jaecks]

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 #137

Topic:
CNN Breaking News: Life Found on Titan

Creature Description: CNN Breaking News: Life Found on Titan! CNN Space Correspondant Miles O'Brien reported this afternoon that scientists at NASA have confirmed evidence of life in the oceans under the icy crust of Saturn's moon Titan. Long believed one of the more plausible places in the Solar System where extraterrestrial life could exist, Titan posesses a unique combination of geothermic and gravitational tidal forces that keep the subterrainian ocean liquid and warm. NASA's probe first detected movement under the ice last week, but it has taken NASA 96 hours of continuous surveillance of the moon's surface to confirm that life is present. Although it is impossible at this point to see exactly what the creature looks like, it is in fact much larger than originally thought possible, measuring over 20 feet in length. Based on the movement, it appears to be limbed and capable of swimming

(Obviously the above brief is FICTION contrived to create a topic for this week. Your job is to design this strange new life form "found" under Titan's icy surface.)

Deadline:
Wednesday, 25 March 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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However if you are done with your entry, post the final image in the following thread.

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[Michael Jaecks]

Here's some more specific information on Titan for those that want to know. I will admit that I was punting slightly as I wrote the brief, but think I got most of the information right. What I think will be really important to artists on this score that that Titan is very ORANGE and that should probably factor in to your illustration if you are going for placing your creature in a believeable Titanic scene.

From Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_(moon)

edit: what did I link it to? ;P thanks for catching that. I have a guardian angel in yoitisi. :)

[grey]

good topic, I hope to have a go

[heavyflash]

Great topic! but it doesn't seem as open for interpretation like any of the last cow.

Good luck to everybody taking on this round, maybe I should brave-up and go for it on this one :)

[Mr--Jack]

Sounds pretty noice to me, I must say :D
(and plenty of room for interpretation, I think...)


hehe (as an aside) Was having a look through the articles on wikipedia and apparently "The very high ratio of atmospheric density to surface gravity also greatly reduces the wingspan needed for an aircraft to maintain lift, so much that a human would be able to strap on wings and easily fly through the atmosphere."
woo!

[ImmortalX]

Sounds pretty noice to me, I must say :D
(and plenty of room for interpretation, I think...)


hehe (as an aside) Was having a look through the articles on wikipedia and apparently "The very high ratio of atmospheric density to surface gravity also greatly reduces the wingspan needed for an aircraft to maintain lift, so much that a human would be able to strap on wings and easily fly through the atmosphere."
woo!

Kewl!

[gatling]

Oh Michael Jaecks, these topics make a gal grin from ear to ear. Will possibly give it a go.

[Tyrus]

I found that interedting too

[skullbeast]

Cool topic!!

[Labrynthine]

I like this idea!

Also, looking through the wikipedia article, the liquid layer is actually pretty deep down. They were able to pick it up using extremely-low-frequency radio waves, but it's invisible to normal sight. There's probably a high chance that absolutely no light makes it to the liquid. Would it be possible to capture the creature as if we were looking with something like infrared?

[parascytheJack]

very challenging one we got here!

[Somni]

Im new to digital painting but I will try nevertheless :)

[karlthepirate]

sounds suspiciously like orange leviathan >.> so it cant breath gases, being below so mutch ice? and it has to have...limbs... @-@. im gunna do mine in B&W, i has no image manipulation software...

[rushwolf]

Is it like... only under the ice in the water or can it go on vacations to the surface?

[RayTwicket]

i have a jellyfish/squid kind of creature in mind. would that be ok?
and what exactly qualifies as a limb?
thanks

[Tyrus]

Here are some thumbnails.

Which do you all like best?

[IMBass]

^2 and 4.

[skullbeast]

Some ideas.. part 1

[Michael Jaecks]

Is it like... only under the ice in the water or can it go on vacations to the surface?

Part of what makes the liquid water theory on Titan special is the gravitational forces at play between Titan and neighboring Saturn. The tidal pull between the two may be keeping Titan's core hot and fluid, warming the moon from the center outward toward the surface. So actually the deeper in one goes the more likely it is to sustain life (probably.) The surface itself is still pretty frakkin' cold. Check out the wiki article for more real scientific detail. You can design your creature however you like, but the more likely and believable creatures (IMHO) will stay aquatic 100% of the time.

[crossbowgurl]

I gave it a shot :D
I love deep sea creatures! they look like IRL monsters. I think this might need more murkyness...

[Somni]

I know that limbs are arms and stuff, but are tentacles and large fins limbs too?
I asked everyone around me no one is sure lol ;/

[Mr--Jack]

well they 'appear to be limb[s]', doesn't specifically say arms/legs, so I'd rather guess tentacles/flippers etc are perfectly acceptable. (no mention of how many, either . . .)

[parascytheJack]

limb (lĭm) Pronunciation Key

One of the appendages of an animal, such as an arm of a starfish, the flipper of dolphins, or the arm and leg of a human, used for locomotion or grasping.

or

One of the jointed appendages of an animal, such as an arm, leg, wing, or flipper, used for locomotion or grasping.


just sharing...

[Somni]

ok cool thanks for clearing the limb confusion :D

[Mr.Wittmann]

was sketching for this cow, while watching the new episode of south park and this came out XD

The giant shrimp monster was shocked when he saw on tv that his appearance was discovered!

[Michael Jaecks]

I know that limbs are arms and stuff, but are tentacles and large fins limbs too?
I asked everyone around me no one is sure lol ;/

Yes, that's fine. Those would also count.

Let's remember though that this is ALIEN life. Yes, they swim, but they don't have to be fish or octopi or shrimp per se.... they have developed in a very different place.

Many think that in addition to the tidal forces keeping things warm and liquid on Titan, the oceans may contain a kind of naturally occurring bio-anti-freeze. The notion that Titan is the most likely place in the rest of the Solar System and that they live in a liquid medium is just the jumping off point... I really would like to see some pretty crazy looking aliens.

[MoHog]

Im baaaaack :p

My initial wippy idea

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

any crits at this stage would be awesome - do the 'limbs' need any beefing up etc? is it alien/crazy enough?

looking forward to both Rushwolf's and Mr--jack's ideas

[zimfin]

I realize mine is not nearly alien enough so I might change it completely or alter it.

[Avesy]

I have been a huge lurker on here on CA, never really posted anything just lurked and watched all the competitions. This is an interesting topic though, I remember freaking out in '04 about it xD
I'm not what you'd call professional (probably the youngest here) but here is what I have so far:
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/7609/cowsketch.jpg

This is really rough I'm just wanting to get crits on the design (maybe?). I'm planning to shorten the neck and change the pose, work on it, ect for the final. The specs are going to be an algae-like culture that grows on the creature.

Edit:It looks really similar to MoHog's for some reason O_o

[Tyrus]

This is the start I have taken based on the thumbs, its a side view.

Any critiques?

[Avesy]

Tyrus: Maybe move the fins down a bit? I dunno, everything else looks fine to me but they just make it look a bit unbalanced (though considering what Jack said about the gravity on Titan it shouldn't matter).

More progress-sorta things. I decided to add a dual submarine probe contraption above and change the design so that its one eyed.The red things will be glowing organisms of some sort once I finish them and I jotted some lines to show the location of the second creature.

[Somni]

Here is my try at this strange creature lol
What do you guys think?

[Tyrus]

somni: I like the interesting arangement of limbs on the creature. My advice would be to work on the way the mouth is formed and to create a bit more order in the way you place the glowy tentacly thingies.

Avesy: It looks quite alien, I'm not sure if the probe should be there, but i dunno. And thanx for the critique.

[skullbeast]

another concept...

[skullbeast]

I think I'm on to something...

[scorge]

Mohog: Cool! Like it.
Avesy: Welcome to COW. I thought I was the youngest one here......oh well. You're as old as you feel. Anyway, one suggestion might be to come up with multiple thumbnails. An easy way to do that especially since you already have the rough design, is to copy and paste that guy about 5 times, then tweak different parts of him(neck, sensors and their position, flippers size and shape, etc.) and then a few different head designs. A round head is a good start, but what about throwing some different shapes in there that maybe compliment the body shape or just seem to make it more alien. I must go through 10 different designs for heads alone, except for this one which I was lucky enough to like right off the bat, before finalizing something. So, hopefully this helps and you turn out a killer creature.
Skullbeast: Looks pretty massive. Keep going. Looking forward to what you come up with.
Here's my first one. I'm not sure yet whether or not I'll use it but at least I had a blast doing it.

[zimfin]

scorge: That is a fine looking creature you have there! Nice one. I like the colour of it too!

[skullbeast]

scorge - thanks! your beastie is looking great as well!

[rushwolf]

skullbeast Everything looks good but the head. The lighting and general perspective of it isn't workin. I know its a rough. Might wanna take into consideration that it probably doesn't feed on anything very big.

scorge Sweet design, very alien while seeming plausible. Love the shape of the body- how its flat but the sides concave. Only thing that's got me right now is the head. The design is a good start but I think you can push it more. I find it hard to lock onto it as a focal point. Maybe a hue shift, value shift, and or more/less intricate detail. Its a bit too similar to the rest of the body right now imo.

I dunno if ima have time to do this, with the CHOW this week. This looks fun though!

[scorge]

Thanks guys.

Rushwolf: You are definitely right. I seem to be having some issues with focal points these days but all the great crits are reminding me to fix it and I am seriously paying attention. I'm thinking about drawing up at least two more just for sake of practice and also to test my latest and greatest super speedy technique for getting designs down quickly and efficiently. Your CHOW looks great by the way, I think I'll get in on that one myself.

[skullbeast]

Rushwolf: thanks for the input! maybe they are cannibalistic. I checked out your site. Your drawings and paintings are superb!!!

[Crowsrock]

My first try on COW.
Here are some first sketches of the creature. I think it will be something living on symbiotic bacteria. Head shield and front extremities are used for protection against icicles growing from the ice shield into the ocean beneath.

[Somni]

Skullbeast-awesome creature. It looks grim and nothing anyone wants to mess with hehe but I think the eyes need more details around them. If they are going to glow then maybe some wrinkles around them? Also I think the right front fin needs those glowing blue appendages behind it. It looks like the left fin is the only fin with it :/

Scorge-that creature is impressive and interesting; it looks like a complex life form which is cool. However I think the head needs a bit of texture imo like to show what it's made of. Is it made of skin? exoskeleton?

[thedarkcloak]

Okies, here's what I'm tossing around for the moment.

It's definitely a scavenger type creature, but it will also feed on groups or schools of smaller creatures, crustaceans, and the like.

It is mostly defensive, and it's sharp beak is used for both defense, and to puncture & penetrate carcasses & carrion it feasts on.

It's 'teeth' are like thick stiff wirey bristles, and are used to scrub & shred meat off of bones as it eats. It's mouth is jawless, and acts more like a sucking pocket, with it's tentacle like filters aiding in pushing food in, as well as opening and closing as necessary.

It's exterior is rough, and in some parts, even jagged and rocky. It also has a rough metal texture in throughout it's body - somewhat akin to Pyrite or Fool's Gold. Otherwise it's exterior is similar in texture to what is commonly found around volcanoes and lava.

It has a vast pocket within it's body of self generated heat, however it does not breath fire or anything fancy like that. It heats up water as it travels, and spews it through it's water jets to propel itself through the water.

It's mantis like front claws serve as fins/ wings as it glides through the ocean, but can also serve as offensive/ defensive limbs if necessary. Especially once it shuffles onto land, which it will do on occassion, especially if there's a fresh carcass to be found on shore.

Also, it's exterior breaks down as it gets to it's eyes, and some of the consistency softens up, becoming more like a tough clay on it's eyelids, etc.

Anyway, have to put this thing together further. I don't have a scanner handy where I'm at right now, so I just used my digital camera. Done with ink (good ol' ballpoint pen) in my sketchbook.

I'm a bit stuck on what to do from it's abdomen down. I don't want to make it too lobster like, but at the same time, I'm trying to think of what it would have to help it crawl around on land. Maybe I'll go with the Seal/ Sea Lion type of structure, and give it a couple of massive fins and fans towards it's rear?

What do you guys think so far? Any suggests?

[Hexism]

whale squid !

[cromag_rickmanus]

Here's my WIP:
it's a fishy creature (I figure it has to be in an environment such as this)
Hard plating on top and bottom, phosphorescent (sp) sacs underneath head provide artificial light. Fins for navigating in the open waters, little legs for gripping and moving along the ground when feeding. Elongated thin body (energy efficient) and multiple sets of eyes for seeing better in dark surroundings. Whatcha think?
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9915/titanhxz.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=titanhxz.jpg)

[scorge]

Another one..

[thedarkcloak]

LOL

looks like creative minds sometimes think alike as well.

Lots of similarities in everyone's designs so far, crab/ lobster like apendages, bubble/ round midsections, etc.

Hmmm! Heh

[skullbeast]

Somni - Thanks! those blue lights go up to the chin . they need more refinement. but I do like your idea of them being on the fin.

scorge - the new one is very original!

[thedarkcloak]

Scorge: That one is looking pretty cool. The only thing is, trying to figure out how he weight/ buoyancy is distributed towards the back of it?

[Wixxi]

Early idea, not sure i'm going with this

http://s5.tinypic.com/2u8dndj.jpg

[Tyrus]

Here's a sketchbook sketch

[luness]

Pretty cool ideas guys!

I started sketching today, slightly based on cave salamanders, whale sharks, octopuses, the odd, beautiful, ugly, weird, fascinating mola mola (it looks kinda small in pictures, but in real life is huge, heavy, and swims funny), the also stunning oarfish, and some coral reef species I've seen in the past while snorkeling (I don't know their names in English).

Anyways, there's nothing definitive yet. I'll surely keep playing with all of them, sharing elements, getting rid of others, and so on. The thing is that I'll be out of town until Monday, so I don't know how much I'll be able to work on this.


See you later, COW fellas!

[rushwolf]

Sickness Luness. I like the right-side one.

[rushwolf]

I've gathered some info on Titan that relates to the CHOW. This is my lil hypothesis based on what I researched.

Basically the "lakes" on Titan are composed of either liquid ethane or methane. The Temperature of Titan's surface is around -291º F. This is just above the melting point of methane and ethane, keeping it in a liquid state. The temperate would need to rise to about -259º F before it could change into a gas. It is constantly drizzling liquid methane on Titan, a very low amount, but enough to keep its surface wet.

Titan is thought to have an entire layer of liquid between the moon's surface and core. The liquid layer is thought to be between two layers of "ice" -One lighter than the liquid and one heavier. The liquid is thought to be ammonia. Ammonia itself can remain liquid until about -171º F. So while the crusts of "water" are frozen, the ammonia remains liquid.

This would suggest that the warmest parts of the subsurface ocean would not be able to exceed 32º F. I'd assume it would be much colder.

Another interesting detail is that the solid surface of Titan does not rotate in sync with the core. The atmospheric forces of Titan, along with the liquid layer between the surface and core, cause Titan's surface to appear static. As if the moon does not rotate as it orbits.

From that I make the assumption that the ammonia ocean isn't still, there would probably be significant turbulence.


Theoretical role in alternative biochemistry

Ammonia has been proposed as a possible replacement for water as a bodily solvent in the theoretical alternative biochemistries of life-forms that do not use carbon for cellular structure and water as a solvent to dissolve bodily solutes and allow essential parts of metabolic processes to occur. It has been suggested that ammonia would be most favorable for life-forms that live in temperatures below the freezing point of water

Hope that helps others, helps me. I got to play scientist!

[Sperling]

avesy- you mentioned the creature being unbalanced- I don't think so. Depending on what those bulbous things below it are filled with (gas, liquid, etc) it could work. But then again, this isn't our ocean or our gravitational field, so go for it! I'd like to see the head once it's a bit more refined- what kind is it? Like, how does it feed? is it a hunter, or a filter feeder?

Somni- okay, honestly? Your creature kind of scares me. Like, the idea of a giant mouth followed by a bulbous body and frog legs is kinda creepy, lol. You might want to play with those back appendages- I don’t quite see how it can use them to swim if they end so slender…

Skullbeast- wow, that's flipping awesome~ I would NOT want to be in the water with one of these. Is it possible that you could put more highlights on the tail, so we could see more detail? I’m really liking the scars and the texture you’ve given it.

Crowsrock- I’m not entirely sure, but are the top and bottom creatures different designs, or just different viewpoints? If different designs, I’d go for the one on top. Just cause it looks cool, lol. If you want something more plausible, I guess, go for the one on the bottom- it seems like it would be easier swimming.

Thedarkcloak- I’m absolutely loving your creature, especially that thumbnail in bottom left. I like how the tail sort of resembles a claw~ I don’t know how your creature would do up on land, what with those valves that suck in/push out the water. It would really hurt dragging yourself around on them…

cromag_rickmanus- gills… I loves them. Not sure about that tongue, though. It seems out of place, despite the serpentine body. Also, consider stretching that armoring along the sides of its head, around it’s eyes too, since those would probably be very vulnerable.

Scorge- I… have nothing to say. Rock on, man.

Wixxi- good, unique shape to it, but the fins seem a little… blobby. I get what you are going for, but maybe structure them a bit different? Like, some veins to show direction or something? Idk.

Tyrus- how does it swim??? Those spike-looking appendages don’t seem like they would help much… do the tentacles in the back churn the water or something?

Luness- ahhhhh…. I want your drawing style! XD I agree with Rushwolf on the right hand side one, I love how strangely the body is composed. The top one (inspired by the oarfish?) could be cool too.

Rushwolf- THANK YOU! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! *hugs all the scientific jargon and knowledge to herself* This is really helpful. However, the quote mentioned that alternative biochemistries of life-forms that do not use carbon for cellular structure would might use ammonia for the metabolic process. But then, if the organism is not a carbon-based life form, what is it based on?



Also, here's my rough sketch so far. I went through a few, but I kept favoring long, serpentine sort of things. I noticed that everyone has been implementing crustacean-like appendages, so I guess I picked up on that too. Those sail-like things would have another membrane across the top, so the entire thing would be like a reeeeeeaaaally long net. The creature would feed by holding a bait out in front of it, which would attract tiny organisms towards it, getting swept into its net by the current, and processed by its body further in. I'm thinking of giving the front supports and extra joint or something, so that it can collapse flat onto the creatures back. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the spirally things out in front. I'm debating between making them more tentacle like, or horn like. I don't know. Any advice?

[scorge]

Luness: So you were born with a pencil in hand, right? What an amazing talent you have. Give my left arm for it (especially since it's the one I don't use to draw with). Makes me want to work harder, which I will, as soon as I wake up tomorrow.
Rushwolf: Now that's some news fit to print my friend! Makes me totally rethink my whole orange theme and actually the whole design in general. Thanks for making it easier to visualize. So.... where's your wip? Could use some of that challenging inspiration right about now. Besides you especially can't throw down all that new found good knowledge without doing something about it. I understand if you don't have time but I'm not sure if you can be forgiven.;)

[Somni]

Okay so I changed my previous design; it looked like a baby chicken without its legs. This isn't done, but the general idea is that this whale-like herbivore likes to swim near the bottom of the ice that formed over the large oceans on Titan.

The shell-like thing on it keeps it safe from hitting underwater stalagmites, icebergs, and large rocks. They feed on these small bushes that grow in the water near the surface.

[rushwolf]

Thumbnails via teh al.chemy

[Bohnded]

I probably won't have time to go any further, but here are a couple of thumbnails.

[rushwolf]

wip 1

[skullbeast]

rushwolf - great start. Man, I dig your style!!

[rushwolf]

Chuggin along.

[Lege1]

This is what I was able to come up with this week. Hope you guys like...

-=Lege:yayca:

[rushwolf]

Wipage

[lilnebo]

I swear you had me fooled there. I feel so stuuuuupid hahaha

[Rezeroth]

Ooo..sounds like a good one.

[Faernen]

Hello, it's my first post here ;)

I wanted to try COW for a moment now, so here is my first try I did two days ago

All critics are very welcomed ;)

[Rezeroth]

Here be my sketch for this entry.. Off to bed now. Crits are welcome as always! :D Hope i got the information correct though..

[Mara644]

rushwolf: i like the way you developed your creature and it's nice that you share the process with us. the up-to-now result is really promising.

Lege1: really funny idea! and very nice backgrund structures.

here's mine so far in an early state.

[LORD M]

Nice work, everyone!

My creature is almost done, now I just need to fix it up a bit more and make it look like a tv-screen looking image. :)

http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3795/floater.jpg

[Faernen]

A little more work on background, and added a second color to break the "all-red" aspect of the rocky part of the ET.
Also added some minor details.

I'm still open for critics ;)

[AFC4LIFE]

Dunno if I'll have time to complete anything but I roughed this out as a start.
626187

[Wacky Wackowski]

here's what i got so far... bunch o mandible thingies with filter/gills on them

[lkjhgfdsa]

Wip, crustacea with foliage/fauna growing upon it's overlapping shell segments...yeah... that's what it's supposed to be...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a134/jonoy/Speedpaint/lkjhgfdsa_cow137wip.jpg

[rushwolf]

Was supposed to be just a warm up sketch but I got carried away, I still think i like the other more.

[Michael Jaecks]

Rezeroth: love the presentation. That's hilarious with the crawl at the bottom. Nice work.

[LORD M]

rushwolf - totally awesome creature that last one.


Well this is my final, gotta do some CNN thingy now.

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3795/floater.jpg

[skullbeast]

update.
LORD M - looking cool!!

[Rezeroth]

Michael Jaecks - Lol thanks man..was just having fun with it. Hopefully i could do a few more though.

rushwolf - Loving everything there.. More!

[Pierropod]

Great works already guys !! here's mine !
626621

[dwinbotp]

Lotsa cool entries so far, really loving everyone's take on the creature, Alas, I hope to make one too, so here's the crappy WIP...

rushwolf, that's sick man! very cool!!!!
Rezeroth, LOL, fantastic representation!
LORDM, me likey transparent stuff! keep it up!
skullbeast Creepy Moby! :)
Too many to mention for now, more later! :)

[meganite]

Lord M, yours is my favorite so far, he really looks like he's underwater, and he really looks alien!!

[Crowsrock]

A WIP of my creature

Great work, all of you. It's so inspiring!

[LORD M]

skullbeast - Thanks a lot! I like yours aswell, got a menacing look on its face.

dwinbotp - Thank you! I'll try and keep it up as good as I can. I really look forward seeing yours, the form of it now reminds me of the predatious polychaetes I dugg up on my previous course.

meganite - Thanks a bunch! I'm very glad you like it. :)

[Leon Roé]

Great stuff people, whish I hade more time on my hands to join the COW fun..
O well.. I like looking at it too.

[LORD M]

Ok this is my final, a transparent fleshy creature. I tried to give it the look like a spotlight shines it up, the CNN thingy was kinda inspired by Rezeroth - who made a great piece. :)

Critique is very appriciated. Do you think it's too dark?

[skullbeast]

another rough of something else..

[thedarkcloak]

Ok, so I've been thinking and working this out further.

Thanks for the bits of feedback, too!

I've reworked the water jets, to function more from within it's exoskeleton.
I imagine it's exterior to grow and layer on itself as it grows and evolves, similar to an oyster.

Other than that, I've refined my original concept and description.

I think I will be doing the final drawing and paint up tomorrow!

Also, coincidentally enough it's functionality ended up becoming something similar to a harrier jet! Especially with the placements of the water jets (arrows), the way they would function along with it's front four 'paddle claws' which I also redesigned to have fewer joints, acting more like what you see on plesiosaurs, etc. And it should help it move on land better than my previous design.

Hope these sketches are descriptive enough to get the idea across, and thanks!

Feedback will be reaaaaaally great at this point before I tackle the final drawing!

[thedarkcloak]

Razeroth: Wow, really digging that one!

Skullbeast: I'm feeling this one lots more than the last one. Good stuff! Curious to see where you take it! If anything, design & function wise, the upper jaw or teeth could use some more defining as to how it would work or interact with it's lower jaw, if at all.

Lord M: Really cool, I'd call that thing a Sea Banshee or something. I like how it looks gelatinous and tough at the same time, as well. The red hues you added really help, also. My only crit with it, is maybe if you could move the glowy tipped feeler (?) on the right (it's left) into a different position. When I saw your first sketch for it, and even now, it almost looks like it's a wavy fin running alongside it's body (like an eel's for example) which it uses to swim and glide with, until I see the tip and then realise it's actually separate from it's body and doing the same thing the opposite side is doing (which looks fine, the feeler on it's right - our left). Hope that helps!

Crowsrock: Neat design. I like how you stayed away from it being too 'shrimpy'. Mine almost ended up looking shrimpy at one point and I really wanted to avoid that, too. I'm really curious to hear about the functionality of your design, like the lures under it's... er... crown? carapace? And also the two extensions protruding over the top. How would it work on land?

Rushwolf: Looking good so far, hope to see more of it, I'm curious to see where you'll end up with it!

Luness: Wow, mad skillz is all I gotta say. How would some of those function on land? And I think I like the first (top) design, best. But the head/ eyes/ beak design from the bottom most design I really like also. The design on the right side (the very vertical design) is pretty unique and awesome looking as well.
I'm sure you can end up gleaning all the best parts of all of those for your ultimate design for this beasty! I really hope you post some more, your line rendering & detail is a top notch treat!

Wish I could give a blurb on each and every one of them, but I'm VERY tired and wiped out!!!
Keep rocking them designs everybody!

[Sperling]

Aahhh, its so amazing to see everyone's work as it progresses! This is the first COW that I actively participate in, and I definitely feel the pressure to measure up to the rest of you guys~ so much talent!


Its coming along nicely, I think. I think this is probably the first time I've ever painted a background! I keep tweaking the anatomy as I go, ugh. And I'm not sure on the colors- I'm not very good at color theory and all that. Suggestions and crits welcomed with open arms!

[Wiggers]

My go!

[Somni]

Sperling-I think you need to figure out where light is coming from and where light will hit the creature. If it's that cavernous then maybe it should be really dark with the occasional light breaking through some hole up at the top.

Wiggers-great creature! Reminds me of the um..i forgot what they're called, but those robots from Mass Effect, the synthetic ones..aw well it looks nice.

[Ironhead]

Hi all!
After a long time i can show this thing! Hope you like it!
This was made "oldscool" with a pencil (TK-Stift in German).
For myself i had seen that the old things a better for me to
draw rough sketches.

[scorge]

3rd time's the charm. This was a very entertaining topic.

Wiggers: Looking good. Nice colors.

Probably the final:down:

[Bowlin]

How bizzare that I had some of the same ideas that other people had.

Scorge - Man, that's awesome.

[LORD M]

thedarkcloak - Thank you for your critique! I'll try and fix it ASAP. :) And to return the favor, I must say I really like the look so far on your sketch. I'll comment more when you have progressed further.




Scorge - Whoa, that's a pretty odd creature, but it sure looks like an alien. Great job!

Ironhead - A filterfeeder? Nice! Maybe you could add fins or some limbs that help it stabilize and control itself in the water.

Wiggers - Cool! It's like an living underwater train! :P Just kidding, I really like it so far and can't wait to see more.

Sperling - Hellofastrangelookingcreature. I like it.

[skullbeast]

scorge - freak-in fantastic!!!

[dwinbotp]

Here's my final for this topic, rushed it, sorry guys, been hell at work.
a few comments, so many great works and artists, it's intimidating to make crits most times, bash away at mine whenever and wherever too:)

Wiggers, Freaky creature, excellent colors, it's more bright than your usual fare and I like it a lot!:)
scourge Your mind is scary to think up something like that, it's wonderfully rendered and very alien-like:) Kudos to you sir.
rushwolf Loving your paint strokes man, very confident, gotta learn that someday:) Can't wait for your final rendition:)
skullbeast I love the dark mood and the ugliness of your creature, solid work for me!
LORD M Nothing much to add, just awaiting the final:)
Sperling very interesting concept to say the least. Anticipating your final as well.

Damn, wish I got more creative, but CHOW is also drawing me constantly, weekly into its proverbial jaws. I have to manage my time more efficiently:(

I apologize for the constant usage of the smileys but it's a side effect of the sugar LOL

[thedarkcloak]

Scorge - looking sharp, man!

Here's where I'm going, almost done, but I have my work cut out for me tomorrow with this thing!

Still have to make it look more 'undersea' with the density, flotsam, specks and what not. And of course, lots of paint work and detail work on the Titanian Beasty itself!

Hmm... might tweak the front most fin/limb on our left (it's front right) and point it down a little.

I'll also add some little diagrams and what not to show what it looks like at top and side views, as well as some other lil details, especially about it's mouth.

LORD M: Hey no probs! And thanks, looking forward to your thoughts. This beasty was a challenge cause of the things I challenged myself to NOT do with it :)

More and DONE tomorrow!

[Ironhead]

thanks Lord M. I will draw some of these. (How could i forget this *damn*)

[rushwolf]

Different Direction. Sort of an Ice-dwelling predator.

[Michael Jaecks]

Whoo! Loving what I am seeing in both the WIP thread and the finals submitted so far. You guys are really rocking this one out. Today is the stated deadline, which again as a reminder, means I will be setting up the poll tomorrow morning. Again, I am in Central USA, which is about 6 hours behind GMT. I'll be setting up the poll 10am-ish CST. (Approx. 24 hours from the writing of this message...)

[thedarkcloak]

I'll be setting up the poll 10am-ish CST. (Approx. 24 hours from the writing of this message...)

w00t!

that means, hustle hustle hustle!

[Bowlin]

Man, the works in here are really amazing! This is my first C.O.W. and I really appreciate you all letting me be a part of it. :)

[Sperling]

Thanks everyone for their crits and imput! I think this is as far as I go with this one... maybe just some more texture, but thats about it. *dances*

[Bralt Hannicart]

Very cool looking creatures, people!

Here is my wip but I doubt I'll be able to finish it in time:
http://www.bralt.be/titandragon.jpg

[rushwolf]

Bralt Hannicart- Promising start man. I'd say try and get some texture in there. Some more gradation of values, add some organic structure to those big blank forms. Here's a lil paintover. Your critter reminds me of mine a bit so I likes :p

[Michael Jaecks]

Nice Bralt, and nice paintover, rushwolf.

We're getting to that time folks. 'Bout six hours or so till poll time.

[Mr--Jack]

six hours, eh? which was . . . bit over an hour ago? hmmm. see what I can do.
Probably won't get there, but there's some lovely entries this week so, all good :D



EDIT. nope, didn't get anywhere. I guess the last minute isn't always the best time for working, and sleep calls.
Good luck all and see you next round!

[Supervlieg]

Hi Y'all, nice to see you again. Good to see this place is still going strong. I didnt have a lot of time for my entry, but I had to get on in now that mr. Jaecks runs the place. This one's for you MJ!

Im hoping for some time to tweak it a bit more, if there is some time left today. Check it out in the finals. I have no idea how I can use that attachment in this post. Oh well.

[rushwolf]

Welp, time's up!

NASA's Titan fuel expedition team made a historical discovery today. Life was found in the Moon's subsurface ocean. A 20 foot long creature that NASA experts say "Is really fucking big." Other more credible experts explain the shock of the shocked experts: "Ammonia based life, which is what this organism seems to be mainly composed of, is a rather strange phenomenon. The Ammonia atoms do not contain enough neutrons to form a strong hydr- Look its just really fucking big!"

From what we've gathered from the footage, our intern here at CNN, Ted, said that "the monster probably like climbs on those ice-rocks and like... looks for food. It probably stabs stuff a lot."

[Bralt Hannicart]

Pfew, finished mine just in time, no? I'm quite happy with the outcome, concidering I only spent a few hours working on it. Now, it's a bit too late to give C&C on the wips I suppose...I'll give comments on all the entries once the voting begins in the finals thread. thx for the comments so far.

[Michael Jaecks]

Update:

The wireless internet in my place is acting like an ass. I tried to set up the poll earlier to my deep chagrin, unable to keep it up (no jokes) for ten minutes. Cable guy is coming. My woe is your joy... one more day to work on your stuff it seems. If you had any finishing touches in mind, DO THEM NOW.

SV: I think about you more often than you would like to know. ;) Welcome back and don't stay away for so long next time. We're just getting started under the Jaecks Admini--- no wait...not Administration, because that would suggest 'admin' which I am not. The Jaecks Moderation?

First time for everything...

Poll soon, just as soon as I know the connection is stable...

[thedarkcloak]

six hours, eh? which was . . . bit over an hour ago? hmmm. see what I can do.
Probably won't get there, but there's some lovely entries this week so, all good :D

EDIT. nope, didn't get anywhere. I guess the last minute isn't always the best time for working, and sleep calls.
Good luck all and see you next round!

Update: My woe is your joy... one more day to work on your stuff it seems. If you had any finishing touches in mind, DO THEM NOW. __________ Poll soon, just as soon as I know the connection is stable...


Mr--Jack! Sounds like you might get some wiggle room with this one, yet!

[thedarkcloak]

rushwolf - your description and headline cracks me up. Ha ha, NASA shits a brick!

[Supervlieg]

Hurray for dodgy internet! I managed to update my entry. Here's the final. Check the other thread for the full description.

http://www.bolman.nl/cgtalk/cow137_supervlieg.jpg

[thedarkcloak]

/m\

ack, I hadn't posted mine in here.

The full description is in the finals thread.

This was a fun one, looking forward to doing some more!

[Michael Jaecks]

Working on the poll now... sorry if I caused any undue COW withdrawl shakes.