C.O.W. #144 -- Cthonic Psychic Suckerer --WIPs posting thread!!

[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 #144

Topic:
Chthonic Psychic Suckerer

Creature Description: Chthonic Psychic Suckerer-- I called upon my dear friend and colleague, Scott Purdy (aka blobs) for some help with a few creature topics. He sent me a nice list and I decided to combine two of his suggestions into one for this week. The Chthonic Psychic Suckerer! For those that wonder, Chthonic is well defined in this Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chthonic ... generally it pertains to the earth, the underworld and a sense of fertility and abundance. I think a good example of "Chthonic" from popular culture would be Yoda's home of Dagobah. Beyond that I'm not going to dictate too much about how to make your 'Chthonic Psychic Suckerer' except to say that all the usual rules apply... steer away from too humanoid, must be a member of a species...creature not character. That's it!

Deadline:
Monday, 25 May 2009



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

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

THREAD FOR FINAL ENTRIES (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=158243)

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

[Tyrus]

What exactly is a Suckerer? Suckers suck, but I don't know how something suckers.

[Michael Jaecks]

What exactly is a Suckerer? Suckers suck, but I don't know how something suckers.

LOL. Look... just have fun with it. Scotty's got a bit of a sense of humor on him. Make it an extra suckery sucker... Suck, sucker, suckerer suckererest!

If it really bothers people I'll change the topic to 'sucker'.... but yes... I am quite sure he just means something extra soooper suckery! ;)

[Razorleaf]

Wow! .... a pyschic-sucking subterranean creature! I'll give it a go :)

[Tyrus]

Okay gotcha, I now have an idea.

[Icecold]

haha you made me fun, when it comes to sucking it not about sucking (being sh*tty) its about sucking out, stealing something from another thingie not the pleasing way :>

Maybe i'd give it a shot also, i like cow's better than chow because you can let your imagination go crazy and your not limited to the human form, cheers.

[Michael Jaecks]

Lovecraft is another obvious example of Chthonian or Chthonic entities... and I'm pretty sure a few of those beasties were psychic suckerers... Mind Flayers (aka Illithids) from Dungeons and Dragons could fall into that category because they're directly influenced by Lovecraft... though I would say they are too humanoid for our purposes.

[orchitect]

I'm giving this one a shot. Cthonic imagery always inspires me.

[HugeHarHar]

Started a few thumbnails, and I think I found which one I'm going to do.

[Labrynthine]

Hoorah! Finally a chance to enter again since all my finals are done.

Fertility, eh? When I think fertility, I think flowers for some odd reason.
Maybe a flower-mimicking cicadanymph-thing? I dunno, just a little sketch idea for it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v622/SpectralArtist/idea.jpg

[Crowsrock]

First sketch. I'm not sure about the creature, but I will keep the concept.

[ninety9]

the concept is really promising crowsrock, looking forward for the render

[karlthepirate]

maybe i'll do this one, finaly @-@. i have all the D&D monster manuals, from V2.0 back, so i'll have alot of inspiration for a phychic-sucking something something, hopefuly before the deadline. if not i'll make a sketchbook, finaly.

[Tyrus]

Here is my fun little design. The Sucker-er with its swirly lollipops:p

[Razorleaf]

Fertility Pyschic-Sucking Subterranean Creature .....

I played with this awhile and this is what I came up with so far. :)

[orchitect]

Concept sketches from last night and today. I know where I'm going with it, now just have to pick a medium.

[Azathoth]

Sounds Fun, I think I'll throw in. Been away for too long. whoooop! Whooop!

[JEFFERSON]

Here is what I got so far. I was basing my creature off of the cockroach. Maybe a future evolved cousin of the Roach.

[HugeHarHar]

Taking my idea in a new direction.

[Sclark]

creepy thing that sucks your mental power
C&C appreciated

[Chronoperates]

I went with a cthulu like weasel thing, don't even know the best words to describe it heh. The whole critter is just slightly larger than a human head (I'll draw up an example of how it eats when I'm done with the main render to accompany it for scale etc) and has a hood of tentacles that suck onto the head, as well as hooks attached to its front claws that it hooks underneath the collar bones for an even better hold while it feeds. It has no eyes, having evolved past the need for them, and rather is sensitive to electromagnitism and can register the brain waves of nearby prey.

They are generally nocturnal creatures that burrow underground during daylight hours to protect their pale skin from sunlight, their feather like upper covering acting as a buffer in dire circumstances as well as padding certain areas to ease burrowing and hiding.

Still working on anatomy and tweaking things etc, this is only after maybe 3 hours in.

[Azathoth]

Here is a post of mine , Will write a description later. This is posted here because I may still change a few things before final post.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v668/SpiderofLeng/CthlluSuideg_s1.jpg

[MoralAmbiguity]

What I got so far. Thinking I'll change the hooves so they look more menacing than retarded.

[Buchmaler]

Again i will not have much time :(
here the first sketch...

The Creature acts like a puppeteer and uses the cat puppet (that is a part of his body as the mimic tree is) to attract fireman. When they touch the puppet the psychic suckerer sucks some of the life-power out of the fieman to subsist themselfs.

[Razorleaf]

I changed my mind a few times but this is basically what I ended up with ....

[RETEP]

azathoth- nice, i like the orb in the brain! i think by adding variations in value to give the brain more form, will make your image more convincing. check out COW #142 (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=157002) for some good examples of glowing brains (particularly tom garden, verehen, and chromatic codex).

chronoparates- those claws are completely impractical, but thats what i love about them! haha.

heres where i'm going with mine, would love to here some crits...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/dingoegret/ChthonicPsychicSuckerer2_WIP.jpg

[HugeHarHar]

Trying to give my cow some context.

[Swellzombie]

So I got a late start, but I'm gonna pull it out for ya'll.
Here's the first sketches and ideas.
Psychic Sucking and women are related in my mind. So maybe that's where some of this imagry is coming from.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3551780297_12d960f65d.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/3552590206_707b64a0b0.jpg

[MoralAmbiguity]

Psychic Sucking and women are related in my mind. So maybe that's where some of this imagry is coming from.



HAHAHA! Wow! Just throwing that one out there, huh?

[Jack Nugget]

First skatch ^^

[NicHolS]

hey all, sorry for the late entry, still feeling really sick with whooping cough but ill try and manage another participation this week if i can... so far there have been some great entries... people are really pushing the creature aspect this week a lot... so i thought i would follow suit and go with something as far from biped as i could... so i was thinking with the whole cthonic aspect i would go something which lives or dwells underground, something which can hibernate just below the ground and attack its prey once they pass over or perhaps step on this creature. it would then attach itself and feed off their psychic energy...

first idea i had was a sort of spore worm which pollinates and attracts its prey and then has a venus flytrap-like claw which closes on its prey... but decided to instead go with my other idea which was...

a subterranean crab which essentially acts like a biological mine, you step on it and its claws invert attaching itself via a claw on its head, 2 on its tail and 8 from all of its legs... you can imagine how hard it would be to detach a crab with 11 spiky claws as it latches onto your foot... ouch! these are just doodles, will post a composition for this one later tonight! also want to emphasize the psychic aspect if i can somehow too...

peace all!
adam

[Swellzombie]

Here's where I got to with some coloring. Psychic energy bulbs, underground, wormy pink, and some extra suckers on the bottom.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3600/3553505998_ffef08b314.jpg

[volscalkur]

Awesome Topic!
You guys have some amazing stuff already!
This will be my first COW so I'm pretty excited! :)
Here is a sketch of my creature- the "Greater Psychic PsyLatoric Sucker" as I'm calling it. It lurks at the bottom of jungle rivers. The majority of it's body is taken up by it's enormous brain which it uses to drain psychic energy from unwary creatures that get to close leaving them disoriented so it can strike with it's vortex trap! Most of the rest of it's body is what could be a giant heart used for pumping water rapidly through it's body and creating a vortex in the water which it uses to suck it's prey down into it's large main set of mouths and in range of it's smaller tentacle mouths... which would really suck!
I really don't like the eye- think I'm going to go with a more insect type look with maybe multiple little beady eyes? I think maybe adding something more "psychic" to it would be good- just not sure what at this point?
Keep drawin' I can't wait to see everyone's final creatures! :)

[daveneale]

Swellzombie : Nice sketches-really like your top 2

Jack Nugget: Like those tentacles!..hope you can translate that nice sketch to colour:)

Mine so far:

677576

[audit]

sorry i'm late. since squids are clearly evil geniuses i went with that, but might try and adapt it to a more dagobah-ish setting. so like, mud-squid. hope to work this up by the deadline.

daveneale - looks good! 'sucker' element isn't quite obvious though..?
volscalkur - cool idea, i agree, 'psychic' is hard to translate into a visual medium, besides giving them a big glowy brain or something.. :/

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/86audit19/cgforums/cthonios.jpg

[Marsch]

Here is how mine is going, please criticise for future improvement.

[Rist]

The idea is to use the guardian of the underworld, the Cerberus, as inspiration.

[Meon]

Labrynthine, Awesome lines! :D


here's just a quick sketch to get in the mood for some C.O.W Love ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v697/Espengenin/sketchcow1442.jpg

[Sclark]

colored version of what I have so far. C&C always welcome :)

[Razorleaf]

Sclark - really like yours. You've got that whole pyschic-sucking subterranean creature grove thing going hahaha :)

[jhofferle]

For some reason, a centipede inspired body popped into my head.

678025 678026

[Sclark]

Razorleaf- Haha, that's certainly an interesting groove to be in but thanks a lot. I don't think its to bad for my first COW :)
I'm having a little trouble with deciding a background though.

[Azathoth]

juoffelre Nice sketches O like the blind tentacled one on the bottom Left. Should look great rendered.

[NicHolS]

heres my wip and brief creature desc. let me know what you think. the creature design still needs some revision but should be easy now ive got my layout.

Immersed Platoon (IP) Crab - lying dormant for up to a decade, the Immersed Platoon Crab is one of the most patient, calculative and sinister species of crab found by man. Waiting in suspended hibernation just below the surface, it acts upon slight surface tremors, unleashing 6 inch barbarous claws on its back and head deep into the limb of its unsuspecting prey. The IP crab is also the only known species believed to psychically communicate with all surrounding IP crabs to help overwhelm its prey while they burrow the corpse underground to be slowly digested alive. Victims have been found over a week and a half later, still conscious yet immobile and unable to communicate due to the horrifically sustained torture endured.

Discovered in the late 21st century in the sandy shores off of eastern Australia they have all but decimated the once thriving surf community, rendering the Australian beaches as treacherous wastelands where only the bravest and foolhardy of professional surfers dares to tread.

[Chronoperates]

Okay, paint up pretty much done, just a few things here and there I might readjust, plus I need to come up with a name for the buggers and do a write up.

Hopefully the little illustration reads well for how it eats heh.

[Swellzombie]

Got one more sketch before I finish this up for good. Everybody's stuff is looking really good. I love doing this challenge. I can't wait to do more.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3556349880_9d0fbb462e_o.jpg

[Buchmaler]

i hate it to be one of those peaople that never have enough time.. here is a little wip.. not much progress but i think i can finish it... maybe.

[Razorleaf]

Chronoperates - the thumbnail really helps envision the direction you where going

Swellzombie - your female/male anatomy is quite evident in your piece. When you said that phychic-sucking reminded you of women , you weren't kidding hahaha :)

Buchmaler - looking forward to seeing yours completed

[NicHolS]

UPDATE!

Immersed Platoon (IP) Crab - lying dormant for up to a decade, the Immersed Platoon Crab is one of the most patient, calculative and sinister species of crab found by man. Waiting in suspended hibernation just below the surface, it acts upon slight surface tremors when attacking its prey. Unleashing 6 inch barbarous claws on its back and head deep into the limb of its unsuspecting prey it then proceeds to drain the body dry of blood while acting as a bio-symbiotic heart for its victim. The IP crab is also the only known species believed to psychically communicate with all surrounding IP crabs to help overwhelm its prey while they burrow the corpse underground to be slowly digested alive. Victims have been found over a week and a half later, still conscious yet immobile and unable to communicate due to the horrifically sustained torture endured.

Discovered in the late 21st century in the sandy shores off of eastern Australia they have all but decimated the once thriving surf community, rendering the Australian beaches as treacherous wastelands where only the bravest and foolhardy of professional surfers dares to tread.

[Icecold]

Since i was (and still am) away from my house, i'vedone this on my laptop, however it's color display is completely different (worse) than my home Monitor's.
So i'll try to finish this one as soon as i come back and that will be tommorow, anyways:

Here's a grayscale that i've done few days ago, sorry i didnt save any more steps :<

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b339/fociupl/Digital%20Art/cow144gray.png


And a quick lay in of some colours.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b339/fociupl/Digital%20Art/cow144color.png


THe whole idea is similar to Chronoperate's one, it sticks to to the head of it's pray, injects a drug-toxin which acts as a painkiller and also dazes the target, makes it easier for my creature (haven't named it yet) to slowly devour it victim's brain thru the sucking process.

[JEFFERSON]

Here is my final that i am working on. Hope to finish it today and do some finals on monday before I post it.

[Crowsrock]

Work in progress

[Alien Ape Star]

Hello.:mod:

This COW seems fun! I`m in!
My creature is the "Chchotl". It`s a very small creature that feeds on psytronic particles. When an electron jumps back in time there is a void reamaining in it`s place, that void takes the shape of a particle like a nano black hole. That nano black hole is a psytron. Psytrons tend to gather into clusters. When such a cluster gets to a certain lenght it generates a temporal line into a human bio field.

[JEFFERSON]

This is where i'm at so far.

[Cam Sykes]

here's what I have so far, almost finished but gotta have a break from the computer. feels good to make a creature after doing so many characters lately.

[Marsch]

Mine so far (its obviously a biosphere recriator thing?)details wil be given if i finish in time.

[JEFFERSON]

This is where im at tonight. I'm seeing it as a small mining town that is taken over by these creepy little suckers from a mine.

[Cam Sykes]

OK here's the update, almost finished... I think. changed and modified alot of things since last update.

[Alien Ape Star]

:yayca:

[Swellzombie]

Alien Ape Star - I really dig the deep sea life look of yours.
Buchmaler - I hope you can get that done. So far it's awesome.
Espinboi - that thing is horrifiying.
Daveneale - thanks, I enjoy your design and the approach on the lighting.

[NicHolS]

Alien ape star - really digging the micro scale idea... only thing which bugs me which could use some refinement is the green glows, theyre too stark.. also maybe do a blurry bg which is on the surface of something like all macro images have... will really sell this image!

CamSyko - haha freaky! the feelers are great! really makes me shiver... so icky... id do something further with the eye design on the back as its a little too literal for my liking... maybe making the eye the whole shell size and just as a pattern like many insects have would be enough

Jefferson - OMFG gold! love the idea, the whole scene really works. only suggestion i can think of would be to work on their heads as atm they seem way too much like crash helmets and could be something fart more creepy... also could do with some juice as the whole image overall feels very dry and texturally flat. great idea so far, def my fav

Crowsrock - lol the satire here really makes me smile :D love it! perhaps fade the below ground more as it could feel a lot more real if the moster was rather dark with glowing eyes etc

Icecold - haha sweet, it feels like a giant lice or mite.... legs are really needing more work in my opinion, also needs one more major details for a focal point... nothing really stands out as the main focal point for the creature... it would really help your design. maybe the tail or something?

Buchmaler - I really hope you finish, this has great potential and i always enjoy your work. great detail as usual

swellzombie - omfg thats intense... im sure all the women who read your post may want to slap you haha but honestly mate i think the design is really incredable... cant wait to see the final

chronoperates - great rendering, id work on integrating the different animal based inspiration a little more... as at the moment it feels a little too much like 3 or 4 animals thrown together... also if the creature doesnt have need for eyes, perhaps remove the eye socket or make it so small its barely visible... think about how the creature may have evolved in real world... cant wait to see your final!

Espenboi - haha nice really hope you finish this off more and flesh this idea out, has some real potential

thats all i can comment for now... hope that helped... :)
adam

[Pic]

Stupidly late entry, hope I get the time to finish it before tomorrow night.

[volscalkur]

Awesome stuff everyone!
I'd hate to run into any of these creatures!

Here is how mine is turning out so far, still experimenting with the colors-
The trailing vein-type things with the balls on the ends are psychic tendrils or something equally psychic-related. :)
It's got a long way to go.

[Cam Sykes]

Thanks nichols. Yeah I had the eye as a pattern originally but thought it would look cooler to have an actual eye, and also to tie in with the whole psychic thing, like a 'third' eye. (the mind's eye).

[Michael Jaecks]

Today is the deadline, which means the poll is supposed to go up tomorrow morning. I just realized this ran over the Memorial Day weekend... was this a conflict for anyone? Did anyone abandon a near final because of the timing? Shout it out, if so. I'm open to leaving the Finals thread a little longer, either late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

If no one speaks up and thinks a few more hours is a good thing, I'll set up the poll as usual.

Just putting that out there for everyone.

Thanks!

[dadoalmeida]

Ouch,

I think I got that right on time, just saw the theme yesterday. So, sorry for the lack of participation on this one. :-(

Anyway. I´ve posted my idea for the theme (Earth Lobster (http://amonsteria.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/cow142_earthlobstereng.jpg)), but I´d like to share two of the drawings sketched before the final one.

http://amonsteria.wordpress.com/files/2009/05/cow142_sketched.jpg

[Icecold]

Nichols Thank you for spending some time on my efforts, i'm still a fresh guy in art i can say, i have alot to learn and alot to improve, but as one wise man said one day you can' stop the progress ! :}

dadoalmeida Great idea of combining a creature with a plant, altho it look's to ncie for a brain sucking filth ;>

cheers

[Buchmaler]

Need five more hours so i think i will not be able to finish it fast enought (but i will try). Had to do much writing work so i was not able to work on the cow. Do not consider me :D

Thanks for C&C and i am happy that there are a few people that do not disrelish my work (i would love to make a living from 1. writing or 2. Painting ... but it seems that i am not talented enough in either of both :( ).

... now the tree... but not today :( (also the soil and the grass are only placeholders...)

[Alien Ape Star]

Thank you NicHolS, very useful suggestion but unfortunately the very tight deadline has forced me to concentrate on the creature. After all, the rules say that a background is not mandatory..
Swellzombie, thanks, you picked up the deep sea vibe :-). I wish I had more time to do reference studies of bacteria and macroscopic sea life but time is a killer.. I was interested in some chemiluminescent jelly fish but I forgot how they are called.

[Azathoth]

Buchmaler looks like it's coming along pretty well. Would like to see a bigger render of the critter though. Nice mole or rat like traits.

[Michael Jaecks]

Poll is up!

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=158243

Go vote!