Chow 176 :: Chow Carnivalé

[daestwen]

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii293/chowarchive/CHOW-LINES/CHOW-LINES-MEDUSA.jpg

ROUND #176:: CHOW CARNIVALÉ


DESCRIPTION

Chow Carnivalé

Masquerade!

This week we're taking a leaf from Venice and 17th/18th century europe, and holding a masquerade ball!

You are all invited, but remember, you must come in costume, complete with mask!

The rules this week are simple. This is a self-portrait round, where you will be portraying yourself in costume for the event. Masks are a requirement, but that does not mean you have to wear them - you can be holding them, have them off to the side if you want to show the face as well, etc.

Your costume must somehow reflect you, but how it does this is entirely your choice! Maybe it's your favourite colour, or incorporates design elements from your favourite season, or animal, or maybe you're dressing to match your favourite historical period.

The (hypothetical) ball itself is modern day, but with a historical twist, just like most modern-day masques.

We look forward to seeing you there!

---------------------------------------------------------
DEADLINE
MONDAY, October 19th, 2009
Deadline is Monday, at 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5).
---------------------------------------------------------
:right: FOLLOW THE TOPIC.

:right: POST YOUR FINAL IN THE FINALS THREAD.

:right: SAVE YOUR FILES IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT. Chow##_Nickname
example: "CHOW#100_Oblio.jpg" ;)

:right: PLACE THE IMAGE IN A FRAME WITH YOUR NAME/TOPIC

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i222/ChowPics/frame.jpg
(you can add CA logo, etc).


POST YOUR FINALS IN THE FINALS THREAD!
Remember to include your nickname in the file name.

About quality - as general rule: if your shapes and values are not decent - you are out. Watch proportions, perspective etc. we need perfectly readable shapes and coherent, consistent values.

_____________

BE PROFESSIONAL - only finished and good quality entries will be taken to the poll. Daestwen and Poshspice will make the selection.
Please review these helpful reminders if you have not done so already.

:right:ON GETTING TO POLL (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1891823&postcount=15)
-------------------------
:right:NEW ROUND RULE: WIPS PLEASE! (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1910999&postcount=27)
-------------------------
:right:SUBMISSION FORMAT REMINDER (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1911002&postcount=28)



PLEASE REMEMBER TO WRITE YOUR COPYRIGHT INFORMATION UNDER THE IMAGE IN THE FINAL BURNING THREAD SO I DON'T HAVE TO HUNT YOU DOWN LATER!

[hunchback]

I love you :D

sounds really cool.

[Nynthe]

Sounds awesome :)
Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWeIIxYNoag) and here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WldRscBYDp8) is some inspirational music. Last ChoW made me appreciate fitting music while sketching even more.

[The Whistler]

Awesome!

I know it'll be just like this week (I'll make a sketch tomorrow and then wait till the weekend to color since I'll be away on college) and my next weekend will be spent in front of the computer AGAIN but I have to do this one because I always secretly wanted an excuse to paint myself as a vampire :P ;)

[skorpi]

great topic, I'll give it a try

[Amber Alexander]

oooo sounds very cool, I haven't done a self-portrait in years.

[Raffix]

i'll def. have a go at this one if that's ok.

Edit: on a side note, has anyone seen the Assassin's Creed II masked ball trailer? might be some cool inspiration somewhere there.

[fluorine]

Does the costume has to be western? Since it's a self-portrait round, it'd be nice if I could draw clothing from my own culture.

[psantha]

Wow man what a great topic! I am in!

[Random Stranger]

Definately going to finish a piece for this one, haha, suits me perfectly.

[Lewis]

Nice topic Daestwin :D im eager to see this round's results

I have something in mind already :P

[Ostrander]

Does the minimum 3/4 character visibility rule apply for this round?

[Rafal Dorsz]

Nice one :) I'm in. I have to finish the Theme Song one first, though, hehe ;)

[JessiBean]

/me throws down :teeth:

[Adam Schumpert]

just a quick wip... not sure if I'm liking it... but I'm having fun :tihi:

800434

can't wait to see what everyone comes up with :)

[Kmadden2004]

Quick question;
Never posted an entry for CHOW before, so do forgive my ignorance. Are cartoons/caricatures welcome here, or does it have to be more of a fine art representation?

[Cydonian]

Sounds fun, have'nt done a Self in a long time.

[JoshDArtist]

sounds like a good one, I'm in too!

[CoffeeBlack]

Well, I'm a noob when it comes to participating here, but I need to kick start myself back into work in between freelance gigs ad I've been meaning to do a new self portrait anyway. Count me in.

[daestwen]

Does the costume has to be western? Since it's a self-portrait round, it'd be nice if I could draw clothing from my own culture.

Of course you can. :] As long as it has a mask! It would be cool to see masks from other cultures, though!

Does the minimum 3/4 character visibility rule apply for this round?

Yes. We want to see your whole costume, after all. :] Unless you aren't planning on wearing pants (or kilt, or skirt, etc)... which might require us to call security! :D

Quick question;
Never posted an entry for CHOW before, so do forgive my ignorance. Are cartoons/caricatures welcome here, or does it have to be more of a fine art representation?

Cartoons are welcome, as long as they're finished. There's lots of stylized images in the winners thread if you want to check it out. :]


edit: Probably won't have time to finish this week, but here's a skeeetch:

800680

[FaerieMajikk]

ok...i think maybe i have 'lurked' enough and will really try to get this done...i don't think i have ever done a self-portrait before!
Reminds me of the ball scene in Labyrinth!!!

[Eclypse]

Nice topic! count me it!

[rinjii]

jeezus.


after that exhausting 2 week chow, i was hoping for a lame topic to allow me to rest. but NOOOO.... you had to do this.... fucking awesome topic instead! :|

i love you guys, but my body says i hate you for torturing me so.

will post sketches later!

[Kroevyn]

Edit: on a side note, has anyone seen the Assassin's Creed II masked ball trailer? might be some cool inspiration somewhere there.

Yes! That's the first thing I thought of when I read the topic :D

---

Ooooh why can't this be a two week topic *headdesk* I have two uni deadlines this week. But it would be sooo much fun. Hum maybe I'll just not sleep for the whole week... O_O

[jamtob2]

Lovely topic - and gonna be my first participation I reckon - show yourself through your mask ... :)
Right on after I got myself a new personal icon to go along with my posts, wonder why the old one wont show up any longer ...
Anyway looks like theres great fun to be had ahead, so a productive week to everyone :sungod:

[Nynthe]

First pass, wanted to incorporate a beloved jester hat with some twi'lek elements, as well as my favourite colours.

[zweiDee]

quick sketch,,, graffiti harlekin with bird (gas)mask.

[ImaGEEnation]

Cool topic! :D

Skecth! C&C?

[Aly Fell]

ZweiDee - I love the drawing, but it doesn't suggest Carnivale or Masquerade to me. I think the comic cover might be taking it out of context.

[dwinbotp]

great sketch GEE! :)
lots on my lap, dunno if i finish.
here's me, if I own a cape:D

[Bryno]

Cooool stuff sooo far!

I'm in!

[zweiDee]

Thx Ali ;) I tought somebody would say that. Are you In too?
So I did another Sketch, playd with composition and angle.
Costum Design are not final.

[neutral.]

Sketch #1

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v642/sentone/CA%20CHOW/Mask_1.jpg

I look like an interstellar banana.

[PxelSlayer]

Just a hypothetical question, really - if I showed up dressed as Spongebob, would I be kicked out? :geekg:

[Matt_B]

Some nice sketches so far. The brief doesn't immediately grab me but I'll let it stew in my brain for a bit and see if I can come up with anything.

Adam Schumpert - nice pose and strong design so far. I like it.

ImaGEEnation very nice sketch. Treading a bit close to some sci-fi battle armor (not something I'd see at a carnival). But still, very nice.

PxelSlayer - Cool sketch. pretty sure the costume already exists. Does being spongebob best represent you? :)

[Pixeltuner]

Well, this doesn't exactly represent me but since it's a masked ball, this is who I'd want to be. BIG PIMPIN! :yayca:

[buffichar]

He he heh.
Okay I was thinking bout this for abit and thought Hmm masked ball. Dress anyway I want. What I do?
Be over the top. Be a peacock. I don't why the feather thing just seems to make sense when I think of masks.

[Asatira]

This sounds fun. Now, if only I can get myself to actually do something in time.

[FaerieMajikk]

This sounds fun. Now, if only I can get myself to actually do something in time.

LOL i think i am in the same thinking, it's getting it done in time!!!

[Saleem]

heres a quick sketch. loving these topics

[Matt_B]

Well I gave it a shot (but currently hate it). Was thinking what I could put to best represent me. I wanted a mask with 4 eyes ('cause I wear glasses), one eye is happy, one is sad, and 2 are blank (the eye holes). Huge shoulders are to represent I play way too much WoW :P. From them dangle the many wacom pens I've gone through. Above me dangle Arri 150 lights (which I had to repair a crap-ton of in a previous job) and the almighty beer bottle cap.
Below is where I really couldn't think of much. I wanted a robe to cover the gut and black and red are my favorite colors.

I might just dedicate the week to studies 'cause it's not really doing it for me :P
Best of luck.

PS. I really hate how making a jpeg f*cks up the gamma.

[MasterPete]

@Pixeltuner: I like the composition and colour. Love the mood most of all. Can't wait to see you flesh this out :)

My piece should be more masquerade-ish, I think. Those masks are Kigurumi masks since I'm an avid anime/manga fan :)

[Shogo]

brain puke, think i might just go with this one

[Arbor]

A quick bit of sketching, just to kind of start myself going and to try and get a feel for it.

[Lake]

:/ Figured I'd bust one out tonight.... I'll repost this in the final burning; just thought maybe people would like to see what I'm up to.

http://panda.demonui.googlepages.com/CHOW176_Lake.jpg

[JessiBean]

Pixeltuner - that looks awesome already, but watch out for your figure getting REALLY long the further down you go. His arms are also looking a little short and maybe the head is a little small? I would just tweak the anatomy a bit more before you polish too much. Curious to see where you take it.

I did tons of sketches, these three stood out to me the most, I think. Based on fairy tales or novels or mythology I like. I think I may end up doing Scheherazade, but I also really like Alice. :teeth:

801400

[fluorine]

I think I may end up doing Scheherazade, but I also really like Alice. :teeth:



Please do Alice~~~~ I love Alice~~~~

[Pixeltuner]

MasterPete: Thanks, yours is looking pretty awesome as well already. Like the pose and the way the character looks off screen.

Jessi: Do Alice! :) And thank you! Yep, the figure is still bit stretched and all since I didn't really paid attention to anything but general blobs :p. Will drop opacity and do some decent anatomy/proportions soon next :)

[Wiggers]

@JessiBean those are outstanding, beautiful!!

[NinoCencini]

JessiBean: yeaa, alice is my favorite too.. her mask is awesome :D

[ImaGEEnation]

Holy smokes! Cool entries, so far guys! :D
Jessibean- I love them all! :)

Anyways, INKED.

[lake7less]

jessi, If you want to make me a present go for alice. I promise she'll be my wallpaper for at least a month. As far as philosophy goes, alice is literary a gem. Thank you Carroll (or Dodgson) :)

[maximunki]

JessiBean - gorgeous costumes! :O Can't wait to see your final.

I'm popping my CHOW cherry this week! :D Here's a sketch of my idea - the mask is my 'real' human face, while my true nature lurks beneath. The costume will be very colourful because I love bright colours.

[Clockwork Bunny]

I'll have a go

I'm 39 weeks pregnant so bump makes a feature- hope he'll allow me the time to finish!!

[buffichar]

All my favourites are here. Jessi. The one in the middle is my fav but to be honest i'd steal all 3 if given half the chance.
Clockwork bunny: Looking forward to seeing it move forward. Not seen you work before.
Flourine and ImaGEEnation keep it going. I'm interested so far. :D
Since I'm no good at criting i'll just put my 2 cents in.

[LostFayth]

I think I'll go with something 1930s. I really love what they wore back then and I always tried to imagine how I would look like if I lived back then. I sketched something out already....I'll post it up soon


I did tons of sketches, these three stood out to me the most, I think. Based on fairy tales or novels or mythology I like. I think I may end up doing Scheherazade, but I also really like Alice. :teeth:


aw man....it is at times like this I wish I was a girl because I really love to draw lots of drapery and I never get the chance to do so....:P

Love the sketches and idea's so far. I'm all exited for this :D

EDIT

Just to give you an idea where I'm at. This is subject to change....I have already seen tons of mistakes (yay for horizontal flipping)....gotta continue correcting stuff...I'm off!

[PxelSlayer]

I...see...AMAZING...works... Where is Bruce Willis when you need to add to the tension? *sigh*

@PixelTuner - the figure is a bit elongated, but I love the "pimping-out" style! As kids nowadays would say - sick! They would say that, right?
@buffichar - sometimes over the top is the right way. Just pay more attention to values and textures. ;)
@ Saleem - very baroque - ish design, just remember that (if you`re shooting for it) the clothes back then were all about diagonal cut, asimetry and movement.
@ Matt B - O_o...Ok...someone is NOT having creativity issues...
@ Master Pete - nice going with the colors!
@ Shogo - waiting for it! :)
@ Arbor - not much to say for an initial sketch...keep posting!
@ Lake - a blatant display of a fact that you can bring a date...yea, keep rubbing it in, woun`t you? ;)
@ Jessi Bean - swimming in your own waters, right? ;) Love all three designs, and IMO Scheherazade would be the best choice (somehow ATm Alice is very IN, with movies and all...) Your call really, but I`m sure we have a winner here! ;)
@ImaGEEnation - I love the details! A great combo of modern and traditional. 2 thumbs up!
@ Maximunki - congrats on "popping the ChOW cherry", and here`s to all the fun it brings! As for the image - proportions? Width VS height?
@ Clockwork bunny - I love the face (you really that pretty? ;) ), and with the belly it gives that "mother nature" feeling...hummm...

Ditching the Spongebob costume (till next year), and going for the obvious decision - Satyr. B/c I`m stubborn and have a goatee. Logical, right? All CC on anatomy is HIGHLY appreciated.

[Clockwork Bunny]

Thanks Pyxlslayer - I think you've given me a new angle on the picture!

[LostFayth]

Version 2.0

I fixed what I knew what was wrong. I'm sure I'll find some more stuff as soon as I start with the design. The face looks like me-ish...not happy about it. Gonna fix that as well....

As for now...bed time! Good night everyone~

[Windfalcon]

You guyyyyys D: Aw man, right when I'm neck deep in a deadline, you drop this awesome CHOW that I can't resist. I may have to be bad and drink some extra coffee to participate.

[mongreldesigns]

I was originally gonna do me running at the camera with a chainsaw, but everyone's classy party getup made me want to fit in.

[Saleem]

quick update
might chuck in a hat with a red feather

[Brixtah]

Hey guys!
Another GREAT topic! I might not have the chance to follow all the way through but thought it could be fun to join in and share what we look like in real life but with a mask. I didnt want to exagerate anything and keep it real but felt i HAD to tone down the muscles or it wouldnt look trustworthy.
Cyall around! <3

/david

[Geir]

Thought I'd give this a go this time. Hope I get it finished in time. Have a lot to do these days, but I really fell for this one.
Not much masquerade for now, but I'll get there:)
802050

[Nutter]

Brixtah, just some crits for you, I think you linework is a bit floppy although your use of the lighting is creating some good volume and it gives the figure a good sense of mass

:P

[LORD M]

Good looking work posted so far, great job guys!


Here's an idea by me, might continue.


http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/7403/masq.jpg

[Helltroll]

Here's my first attempt, although it feels kinda static
Someone help me kick my ass to actually push it to final

And question for Poshspice or Daestwen:
If I were to scrap and redo this, is it alright within the theme to add a femme fatale consort or 2 at my sides?

[Reymus]

Last two out of a few sketches. Not sure though.

[daestwen]

What is it with this chow that draws the lame crude jokes? :/ Brixtah, I appreciate the sense of humor, but this is a open community challenge, not the lounge, please keep the low ball humor where it belongs! I'm not going to go delete it or anything, but you might consider doing so yourself. Don't really need to look at that while I'm browsing the thread, thanks. :/

[PxelSlayer]

Quick question - what about the background? Obligatory or not?

[mayhemunited]

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs264.snc1/9118_320593720200_628320200_9459108_1710939_n.jpg http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs244.snc1/9118_320594120200_628320200_9459113_75989_n.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs244.snc1/9118_321489290200_628320200_9470697_4631634_n.jpg http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs265.snc1/9216_321552045200_628320200_9471814_1707879_n.jpg

http://www.mayhemunited.com/school/illustration/CHOW176_mayhemUNITED.jpg

Looking at a lot of Rembrandt paintings for colours... We'll see where it goes if I can finish in time. Great idea so close to Halloween.

[Shogo]

changed my idea around, think this might be the base now..... thoughts?

[Arbor]

I have so much to do to costume this up! The mask is actually being based off of one I've had ever since I was a wee little sproutling. Jester/playing card theme for the costume. I'll get back to working on it once I get my blasted contacts out. xD

[mongreldesigns]

Here is phase 2. Any critiques would be awesome.

[MasterPete]

@Shogo: Love your multiple personality idea! Also, the grunge gritty look is coming along. Can't wait for colour!

[ImaGEEnation]

Thanks for the feedback guys! :D

bah! 7th time of trying to upload the file! Damn you, stupid internet, you bastardo!

Everyones doing a pretty, pretty, pretty good job! ( I love Curb your Enthusiasm :P) I'm starving and got more work to do, so I'll try crit later. :D

Anyway, here's mine combining old and new outfit! I think I'm done, but any C&C is appreciated. Thanks, G.

[JessiBean]

proooooooooogress...
crits tomorrow, need sleep now. :^^:

802232


Edit: stayed up late to work on the other one some, too... NOW it is sleep time.

802253

[Blue Star]

This time I actually did a sketch for this one.

[Adam Schumpert]

Wow lots of nice things going on so far :)

Jessi: Alice is coming along nicely can't wait to see it finished.
Although I personally think you should finish them all. After all, they are all awesome. :teeth:

Pixeltuner: That kicks ass the mood/colors are fantastic. I love the
red carpet/paparazzi background its a very nice touch. :)

ImaGEEnation: I really like how you are incorporating a sci-fi feel to
your costume. You've done an excellent job making it sci-fi but still
masquerade. :^^:

PxelSlayer: I like where you are going with this my only suggestion
would be to watch the balance of your figure he looks a bit like he is going to
fall over. His foot looks like it needs to move a little to the left (page left/his
right).

Sorry I don't have the time to cc on everyone's atm need to head to bed :yawn:.

I've got an update on mine. Decided I didn't like the first one. I feel like I was
trying to look too cool and that's just not me. I like where this one is going
so far though >:D

802238

[PxelSlayer]

Gotta sleep on this one...

[Pixeltuner]

Adam Schumpert: Thx! Sweet, sweet linework on yours. The goggie is a brilliant touch :D

[Marcatili]

Hey guys,

This is my first post of work here on CA.org in AGES. Finally getting set up with a new computer, tablet etc etc. My first effort on Painter 11, gotta find a tighter brush for lines and work higher res but I'll get used to it...

1st sketch:

[Brixtah]

Thank you for the heads up and tolerance Daestwen. I Really appreciate the work you all put in to this and wish to make new friends and connections through a learning expirience. Removed the picture as it may have been i poor taste. I did think at the time (2am or so) that it was brilliant. A chance to share some laughs as well as learn anatomy and perspective but there are far more suitable ways to do so.

My apology to everyone here who may have felt my "naked truth" could have been over the top.

Good Luck everyone and keep the art coming.

[jsn]

A lot of great art work!

[gerezon]

My idea might be a bit tricky to get across, anyway I had this character named Jonil in world of warcraft that was a total douche. He is the whitest man imaginable, he tells "dad jokes" non stop and if he lived in our time, he'd wear kneepads when riding his bike. I put alot of effort into him looking as stupid as possible. After a while in the game, he found a bright red silk shirt that he was very fond of. He would always equip the ugliest pieces of armor to be found. And if anyone has seen the "Human Male" dance in WoW, that dance totally mirrors his personality.

He loved his steed "Videkiss", and he always wanted to be able to grow a mustach (not unlike myself).

None of this probably makes sense :P but anyway I thought it'd be fun to incorporate that alter ego into this.

http://gerezon.se/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/carnivale2-copy.jpg

[neutral.]

WIP 2, went for the 'I'm-a-bit-of-everything' idea...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v642/sentone/CA%20CHOW/Wip2.jpg

[Clockwork Bunny]

quick update,

All looking really good so far look forward to more progress- on both parts full crits to come later and C&C MUCH appreciated

[lake7less]

Very inspiring everyone. Jessie, THANK YOU! I said to myself "wait 'till she posts the wips on colors and then try and do that" This stuff is better than tutoring :))
So; wearing a Clint Eastwood pancho. The mask on the shoulder so I could get in. Yes I'm wearing comfortable street shoes. I managed to pass under the radar at a wedding with shoes that had skulls on them so not standing out in this crowd will be easy. Does anyone else get the feeling of being not really there once in a while?

[lake7less]

sorry 4 not posting everything in a single post; my net connection has a sense of humor... troublesome.

[Vampire Ninja]

So Here is what I'm playing with, don't have time this morning to go over it. It was my first concept direction, done in 3 hours two nights ago. I'm actually starting anew today, not fully satisfied with this one.

Some early sketches:

http://www.theklaus.com/PICS/CHOW176_sketches01.jpg


Some Painting
http://www.theklaus.com/PICS/CHOW_176-Carinval.jpg

[pahavasa]

Back in business!

802405

[blau]

Maybe if I post some progress I'll feel some more pressure to finish this :D
I started a sketch based on the andean condor, but not only that's one ugly creature so hard to work with, but also I didn't feel any connection with it. Now I'm working with some spanish colonial inspiration.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/6781/61578591.jpg http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/7735/58630567.jpg

[Shogo]

@masterpete: thanks man!

guess third time is a charm, wasnt digging the pose, heres what im finally sticking to, quick underpaint, next onto color and the dive!!

[Lake]

Anyway, here's mine combining old and new outfit! I think I'm done, but any C&C is appreciated. Thanks, G.

It's good, but he has unpainted feet :/

[The Whistler]

pahavasa - I like it, love what you did to the pants.

Vampire ninja - this is a really nice one, love the coat. Looks like the part of the figure from the waist down is a bit short but it's no biggie. Love it overall :)

lake7less - great idea! :D Love the facial expression, my only crit is that arms look a bit short to me

Clockwork Bunny - Love the hair. The hand closer to us is a bit confusing though, the thumb looks huge.

Formic Acid - oh wow, this rocks! Can't wait ti see it finished :)

gerezon - hehehe, nice one, watch the arms though, the one holding the umbrella (?) is longer than the other

jsn - is that a fang? you too? LOL :D The face looks great for now but watch the hand, the thumb looks a bit dislocated

Marcatili - looks good as far as I can see :)

PxelSlayer - ooh! Cool mask, like it. Spongebob would be pretty awesome too ;)

Adam Schumpert - THE DOG IS AWESOME XD I lovelove this one, can't wait to see it when it's done

Blue Star - good so far, watch the balance, the figure is leaning a bit to the left (our left)

Jessi - Oh dear, wow! Love it. I actually like Sceherezade (sp?) better but they're both great.

ImaGEEnation - I'm probably nitpicking here but the only thing bothering me is the neck, looks a bit wide when compared to the size of the skull

mongreldesigns - not much to crit yet at this phase but the shoulder you started working on looks a bit low when compared the where the head is and where the clavicles would be.

Arbor - this looks great for now, can't wait to see the mask, looks creepy. Creepy is good XD

Shogo - Woo, nice idea, the only thing that is bothering me a bit is that the face on the back of the head should be in semi-profile like the one in the front, it'd look more balanced IMO

mayhemunited - The figure is leaning a bit to the right (our right) and the thighs are as wide as the neck. Other than that it's a neat costume :)

Reymus - The one on the right, do the one on the right!

Helltroll - you need a BIGGER WEAPON ;) :P Jokes aside, I think this one will be pretty cool when you finish

Lord M - Neat idea, watch the feet though, they're pretty large.

Dozeren - Not much to crit on right now, as far as I can see the proportions are ok

Saleem - I know you're probably going to sort this one out yourself but when you submit the final, don't leave the figure standing on the edge of the canvas, maybe leave some space there and make a ground of some sort, it'll look better as far as composition is concerned (not that I'm a master at these things, it's just something that jumped out to me)

Lost Fayth - Not much to crit on for now, you're missing some knees but you'll probably sort that out when you add the getup :)

buffichar - nice idea for the dress :) Only crit - that visible hand looks a tiny bit big

maximunki - awesome idea with the mask and the face switching places.

Lake - You guys look pretty awesome, love the girl's mask.

Master Pete - The upper part of the body looks great but the legs seem a bit longiiiish? Maybe? Just a tiny bit. Anyway, I like the masks.

MattB - Oooh, creepy! I like it,

Pixeltuner - Oooh! Nice :)

ZweiDee - Wow, great one! The atmosphere for this one is great, eerie. :D This'll be super!


As for me... Look ma, I'm Gary Oldman from Dracula, just younger, female, and in a prettier dress! ;) :P

Lousy photo as usual, but I couldn't wait till tomorrow to put it up. Is it just me, or is the face waaaay to far to the left (our left)?

[Freedezigner]

I like to participate. But not shure if I can finish it in time.
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[JessiBean]

Freedzinger - I like the post on this one, though maybe show a little more of the figure? The crop at the waist is a little high

The Whistler - awesome start, but don't forget your mask.

Shogo - I like where you've come with this last iteration. The only thing that seems awkward to me is the hat - it could use some more solid form, and maybe it could sit more naturally on all three heads? maybe a little bigger?

blau - I think I prefer where the condor was going, maybe combine the two? The feathers could drape over the shoulders and the cape, etc. Watch out for your figures having short bodies and large heads/feet.

pahavasa - I really like the incorporation of technological elements and the costume is coming together well. I think the heads look large for the height of the figures, and the shoulders are a touch narrow.

Vampire Ninja - I wouldn't totally scrap this piece, it is a very nice start. I think it's getting a little flat and alot of the fabric folds look too uniform or don't really indicate the form underneath them. I don't think his coat would bunch up so much around the hips/torso (some ref: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=741724&d=1249319820 and http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=741717&d=1249319662 ) Some ref for the pants would be a good idea too.

Lake7less - I like the homage to the Man with No Name, but be careful you don't stray off the brief too far... I would make the mask more visible, at least. Keep going!

ClockworkBunny - Very pretty drawing, and the pregnant belly is win. I would be careful about rendering one area completely without rendering some on the whole piece - it can make things look flat or like they don't belong together. And don't be afraid of less pristine lines - using some softer focus in areas can help you direct the viewer's eye and concentrating the sharp/detail parts (usually around the face/head) will help you get a center of focus. Oh, and don't forget the mask!

FormicAcid - I really like your concept, looking forward to seeing how you handle the color.

gerezon - I like the idea of incorporating a strong character alter-ego into the piece, but I think it kind of misses the mark on the brief... Where is your mask? And what makes this fancy Carnival costume party? It doesn't have to change a ton, but if it were mine, I would consider reworking the costume design a bit.

jsn - I like the character you have so far, the expression is great. I do notices, tho, that when I squint my eyes, everything is more or less the same value. Making the background get darker (or lighter, depending on the mood you are going for) as it recedes will help eliminate the flatness.

Marcatili - I like the sketch, very nice. Looking forward to see where you take it.



Will get through the rest a little later...
And thanks for the feedback!

[Aly Fell]

I think Mephistopheles has come somewhat under-dressed to the party, so he's going to go home and reconsider his costume... where did he put his Steampunk goggles..?

Edit: Did another...

Edit: Or maybe some bizarre steampunk flying outfit... I dunno...

[Lotta]

this is a wip of my take on the theme. Crits appreciated!

I copied/stole Oscar Wilde's Cello costume, which he actually wore some time in public. I'm a smartass and I play the fiddle so dressing up as oscar wilde / a cello would be a nice mix imho :D

[gerezon]

The Whistler Thanks. I noticed aswell and made it slightly shorter, but when i saw your comment and measured for real, i noticed its still a tad too long, ill fix it soon :) I like your sketch, no real crits at this time.

Jessi Thank you. My mask is like those masks attached to a thin stick, except its a mustasch, i hope im getting it across in this update. Also I think you're right about the costume, I did some changes to it now, let me know what you think. But maybe i should give him some more fancy party clothes all together. I absolutely love both of yours btw, you are very very inspiring.

http://gerezon.se/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/carnivale5-copy.jpg

[eoin]

Love this comp idea, just a sketch for now. Hoping to combine my love for Art, Astronomy & Music in this one..

http://www.eoinart.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/CHOW176_Eoin_wip04.jpg

-Eoin

[ZenzybaR]

Started late but the topics seem too good to keep missing out. Done up a quick sketch which i'll continue and hopefully be able to finish during this hellishly busy week.

Not sure if mine looks too casual but oh well.

[Pixeltuner]

update, worked on proportions and some texture. Still looks rather scruffy though, need to tighten up things and make some design desisions..

[PxelSlayer]

@ Eoin & Posh - I always had a soft spot for sharp and crisp b/w images...:yayca:

Update..what is a satyr w/o an enchanted forrest? Looks kinda gay, though...:tihi:

[pahavasa]

Thanks The Whistler and JessiBean! Down-sized the left one's head a bit, hopefully it looks better now. Will check them later on again, tho. We're slim but not matchsticks, so thanks again.

Progress, now with some splashes of colour:
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[fluorine]

Mine~ I always want to dress fancy like that~~~haha... fantasy came true~~~(on paper...LOL)

[mongreldesigns]

Phase 3.

[Windfalcon]

Aw man, this is inspiring. I've actually been making leather masks so this CHOW got me all sorts of excited. I figure I might not finish in time, but either way, it's a good way for me to practice working digitally.

Here's a sketch of my idea. Falcons, feathers, and autumn are three things that are really important/symbolic for me...for a 'masquerade self-portrait' it seemed fitting if not necessary to include them.

I would love to hear some suggestions! Criticism is welcome! I know the theme of this CHOW is a 17th-18th century masquerade, where we arrive in costume with a mask, so is the pose appropriate? Or does she have to be standing? Ready to dance? Perhaps she's attending as a decoration next to the tree? I don't want to break the rules, and this is the first CHOW I've participated in, so please let me know! :D

EDIT: I did some more sketching, and after looking at my first sketch decided I really didn't like the kneeling pose. Here's another sketch, added as an attachment, on the feet. Also, I know CHOW has a 3/4 rule - since only her feet are cut off in the composition, is it acceptable? Again, critiques, suggestions, all are welcome. :)

[drobyazko]

this topic is great! specially with coming up halloween. i won't be able to participate in this one, as much as i want to, but i'll still make a masquerade pic on my own time.

lots of great pieces here, though!! keep it up

[Helltroll]

I'm probably going to use the same outfit as my first sketch, more or less
But I completely reworked the pose and scene, so that it looks like I've dropped from the ceiling and am crashing this ball
If anyone can tell me anything anatomically wrong with the pose, I'd greatly appreciate it

I feel kinda inspired by this song, plus the accompanying video is EXCELLENT INSPIRATION:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKdxNxZS4gc

[Reymus]

Workin workin.

Whistler - I believe there's a mask requirement, easy fix though. That's the first time I noticed Gary Oldman's Dracula's head is a giant heart though.

Poshspice - I love the 2nd one. With that look you could be pouring out the drink, maybe someone spiked the punch in this party.

Pixeltuner - There's something off about the stance, your front leg looks like you're twisting in place in an awkward position.

[hunchback]

wooh wip

any crits suggestions would be cool, its kinda boring right now

[ChanC]

I sometimes wonder why I join events with such great artists of all sorts, but I do planning on joining this round. It's been awhile since I've touch CA and I guess it's good to get back into the game. It's actually cool to see some people that I recognize (though that doesn't technically mean people know me).

Here's just a pre-paint type of deal before I start getting to the actual image itself. Get the juices flowing I guess.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b344/tsukeda/ffffrefrefCHOWcopy.jpg

[Shogo]

Thanks all for the comments and feedback, here's a bit of fix and some color, idea of where my head is for the palette, any feedback on the love/hate of this would be appreciated.

[Arbor]

JessiBean Good golly, those are gorgeous. I lovveeeee those dresses and colours. I dunno if it is just me, but the Alice costume seems to have lost her neck a little when you fiddled with the face angle. It could just be that you haven't done the hair/cloak yet, though.

Lake7less I have no idea how many times I've come back to look at that facial expression over the day. XD I love it so much.

Gerezon I think changing the top half did help to make him look a bit more costumey, but I'd suggest pushing the pants further, too. They look a bit like blue jeans right now? I'd try looking up gentleman's clothing from different periods and see if anything appeals to you/might inspire you to make those a bit less jeans.


ChanC you join because it is a great opportunity to push yourself, to learn more, and to better yourself as an artist? Thats why I'm here. ;P


My update for the day, since I know I wont have more time to work on it until tomorrow. I'm a little worried about my colours, and the top being too dark for people with darker monitors. I'm learning tons about painting in photoshop with this, along with starting to participate in CHOW. XD Still need to do tons aaaah.

Eargh. I'm going to have to learn to not.. exceed that 146.5 kb image limit.

[eoin]

Shogo- Real nice pass with the paint over there, nice jump from the gray scale..
Mask works well, think it would be cool to see a slight angle on the hat rim (up or down) or a tilt to the head as the body pose has a lot of cool attitude in it.

Neat stuff.

-E

[Lt_Action]

Jessie: Aahhh, the colors! So good, so very well done @u@

Adam: I wish I had something more constructive to say, but, that's bad ass. Really bad-ass.

Suuuch an inspiration to participate in these :D

Soooo here's the very beginnings of mine- I think I'm going to justify the use of a weapon by appointing myself as bouncer... yes, I think that should about cover it. If you feel compelled to critique it, pleaseplease do! I must leearrrnnn.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/ltaction/MEMEME.jpg

EDIT- Reread the brief- I think I answered the question that previously occupied this space ;D
EDITx2- Filled in some lines :D

[Matt_B]

Update.

Comments and Crits needed. Thanks

[fluorine]

Set up general color scheme, play around with background. The Chinese in the background reads: 但愿人长久，千里共婵娟（Wish we all live long, and share the moon even we're thousands miles apart). Part of a beautiful poem I really loved.

[rainy_day]

Very disappointed to see that someone's already beat me to coining the phrase "poppin' my CHOW cherry"...but anyway, this is one of many sketches, though this one might make it to the inking stage:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i172/rainylime/mask_1.jpg

Trying my best to stick to the dress-up masquerade ball theme without having to draw myself in a full-length gown (I would probably trip on it).
I love how everyone's characters so far are all very unique - there's definitely a lot of personality going into these!

[ArtAdonis]

Some Awesome Entries, good luck everyone! Here is mine, need to fix that big forehead before finishing it off! Lol

http://artadonis.com/Uploads/CHOW176_ArtAdonis_01.jpg

[Martheart]

wip! My Holland-inspired costume design :) I like tulips! Nice work everyone, I like it how there are so many completely different designs and styles in this ChoW. And it's nice to get a glimpse of what people look like in real life :p

[gerezon]

pahavasa Great costume but i agree with jessi that the shoulders are too narrow, even if its intented, i think you could make them a bit wider.
Shogo Thats lookin pretty damn sweet!
Poshspice I'd love to see you go with the second one since its quite different than the stuff you usually do :)
Lotta I like the custome but the colors are a bit too intense for me, and her head is pretty damn big.
eoin Love it. Just a note, i know its just a sketch but just so you dont forget :), it looks like he's leaping forward so it feels weird that his right leg would rest on his left leg.
ZenzybaR You might want to make him look a bit more festive, and the legs are veery long.
Arbor Thank you, i changed the pants in this update. Yours is coming along nicely, make sure you give the pants some nice folds. It looks they are filled with something right now, not hanging loosely.
Arthemis IX heh i agree, too bad i painted myself looking like a retard :P

Heres an update from me. c&c very welcome.

http://gerezon.se/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/carnivale8-copy.jpg

[daestwen]

PLEASE REMEMBER THE 3/4th RULE STILL APPLIES

Just because it is a portrait does not mean you can only show me your outfit from the waist up! 3/4ths of the figure means I should at least see to your knees! Thanks!

[Geir]

Some nice entries here now. My main challange here will be working speed. I have a history of working very slow. So that's the really fun part of this.
Here's what I managed to do at work last night (working graveyard shift).
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[blau]

Shogo: looks good but two things, first the 3/4th rule and folds on the pants at the crotch don't look right to me. Some reference should be very easy to find or make.

here's mine
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/3639/86379861.jpg

[ChaoticKnight]

WIP 1, going for a gladiator type masquerade thing. dunno if it works.

[LostFayth]

The portraits are looking great you guys, keep em coming :D

I went with the 30s look I like so much. I want to show myself as a 1930s citizen. The Lion mask represents my Zodiac and it's referring to my Indian heritage and the animal that represents the Netherlands ;). As far as the costume goes I think I'm gonna stick to the time I wanted to portray myself in. I might throw in a fancy pinstripe suit :P The face is next on my list to tackle....pfff is it gonna look like me or not I wonder :teeth:

If anybody could throw in a line or two with his or her thoughts I'd be really thankful. :)

EDIT:
Added my face...wohoo It looks like me....kinda :D

[Geir]

McChow: That's a really cool mask.

Update before I go to work. Hopefully get to do something this night aswell:)
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[Amber Alexander]

I need to mix up my portfolio with different styles so I'm going outside of my comfort zone with this and doing anime which I have never done before. The sketch is still very rough but her dress is going to be a mix of 1870s and Scottish kilt along with a gun and army boots because those are parts of who I am. Any comments particularly on the anime look, to make her look accurate in that style would be appriciated. Also would any know some of the top anime artists so I can look them up?

thanks

[Helltroll]

Developed the costume a bit more and did some more pose fixing. I'm much more satisfied with this direction, much more so than just standing there with a sword like the old one!

Funny thing, I basically have the outfit, except for the cape and mask

Comparisons Sake
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j185/Malkronus/P1020521-1.jpg

[Shogo]

looking good people, this is gonna be a rough contest.

still chipping away

thanks all for the feedback again, made some changes as told, and dropped the canvas a bit to fill 3/4ths rule, heres my sexy knees.

comments.crits.thoughts.love appreciated!

[eoin]

Lots of really interesting posts popping up!
I went in and started to refine line work and figure out body detail/design some more, knees still there just cropped for now ;] more soon..

http://www.eoinart.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/CHOW176_Eoin_wip05.jpg

-Eoin

[Riffwell]

Hi all! Long time lurker however this will be my first foray into the world of CHOW (I attempted CHOW 174 but uni work and socials got in my way...), anywho, here's what I've got so far, my first stab at digital painting. I think my head is 90% done, still the eyes and some details to go when I've finished but the body is still a way off so far. I think I've got the perspective and the pose right but any and all crits welcome, I'm very new at this!

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a370/Brothos/CHOW176_WIP_Riffwell-2.jpg

[Nele Klumpe]

Wow... I felt kind of inspired by all of you guys and painted something although I'll probably can't finish it. (Gnah, need to work on my pencil stuff instead :( )

Here you go...

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[David F.]

See the look on that face? That's what I look like when I'm looking in the mirror, trying to draw my own face.:b

Heavyweight pimp, coming through!
http://i35.tinypic.com/sg0qq8.jpg

[IndigoSummers]

Yay! I've always always wanted to go to a Masquerade Ball :heart:. Love everyone's ideas so far. This thread is really inspirational.

So three ideas so far. Don't know yet whether or not I'll run with one of these or incorporate bits and pieces from each and come up with something new. I'm not completely satisfied with the outfits yet....

[lake7less]

Messed around with the arms, thank you whistler.
Added a rapier to look like I try to blend in more, thank you jessi.
Always knew that I couldn’t be bothered with managing more than 2 colors at a time. Seems that choosing a brighter and a darker variation of the base color and then hitting the switch color key every 4-5 strokes does smth for me. Yay! Plus, I figured out how to use masking (I feel like slapping myself for every background I did the hard way)
Hope I don’t dream about drawing again. It’s damn frustrating to wake up in the morning and realizing you have to do the same drawing all over again… pretty much like a blackout before saving>:|

[Helltroll]

Aaaaaaaand one more update for today
Fleshed out some things a bit more, started figuring out background some more

I'll have to figure out colors soon!

[LaurenR]

Hey all! This is my first very nervous post on CA! I really wanted to try this CHOW and you guys have all put out some fantastic work. I started 2 basic ones, and I'm really not sure which to pick, but I want to focus on one or the other, so any advice would be GREAT!

[Saleem]

updaaaate

[Amber Alexander]

Update: I cleaned up the outline, I still need to decide on a weapon and some more details but any suggestions would be great.

[NickyBeats]

hey everybody!!!

ok, last time i had no time to work on my character, hopefully this time will be different. . .fingers crossed. i went to carnivale in venice a couple years ago, sooooo much fun. so i had to bust out my paper machet mask i bought there for this contest.

**this is a VERY rough layout for my idea. sorry to post this mess, but i never really take the time to prep for my paintings like i should so i thought i would ask all of you professionals out there for some help before i jumped in.

im gonna take a picture of myself later when i can get a camera to borrow, but for now i wanted to ask people for some crits. (specifically on the figure, proportions, body language, anything really.)

this would be a HUGE help, and i would really appreciate it. thanks!

-Nick

[TheDirtSyndicate]

awesome work eoin, i love your line work. indigo, awesome costume explorations.
not sure if i'll have time to finish but i'm gonna give this a shot!
should have a sketch posted later on tonight.
:D

[scottmcd]

lake7less: I like what you've got and am really digging the expression. I'm a touch worried that it might be disqualified because the mask on the shoulder isn't emphasized and looks more like a shoulder guard than a mask.

I hope I get to finish this time. Here's progress so far. The basic idea is that the figure's face is smooth and blank while my face is on the mask.

[PxelSlayer]

*sips his third cup of coffee*

Weird how one gets the will to draw at 4:30 AM...really weird...

Coffee anyone?

edit - and since I`m borderline OC, I spent an eternity on the face. Good thing this is not a beauty competition - a nice mask saves the day!

[dwinbotp]

Who knew there are so many dapper gents and sexy ladies here in CHOW? Now we know! :D:D:D

[Freedezigner]

trying to draw whole figure.
803948

[Windfalcon]

gerezon - I love your mask - I know many people who would be envious of such a 'stache.
LostFayth - I definitely appreciate relevant symbolism in a portrait! I particularly like how the mask 'feels' like a mask in this - not some clunky overly 3D item that wouldn't fit on a face.
eoin - I'm sighing with happiness over your use of black and white. Love those blocks of black!
IndigoSummers - GREAT faces. The outfits are pretty fun, too.
lake7less - I had to comment on yours based on the poncho alone. Poncho and jeans. And a sword? Great outfit.
PxelSlayer - I'm blown away by the fact that you not only did the mask, but a fully detailed face under the mask. And what do you mean 'good thing this is not a beauty competition'? With that face I think you'd beat us all, honestly. :D

Also, here is a tightened sketch from my previous thumbnails. I imagine if I ended up going to a masquerade, it probably wouldn't be as a guest, but rather under the order of, "go hold up those decorations over there." So my job is to hold up the bird bowls.

Anyone bringing a glass of wine or maybe some cheese would be appreciated. :(

And I would love some suggestions! Is there anything that glaringly needs to be fixed? Or even any little things?

[NickyBeats]

i guess im just gonna keep on keepin on. worked on the figure's ridiculous costume a little. gonna start fleshing out the rest of the image now.

everyones stuff is seriously amazing, and everytime i visit this page i immediately refill my inspiration, so keep pushing it everyone!!

[ChanC]

Oh gosh, I must say everyone so far has magnificent images. Since it's late for me as it is, all I can do now is post a WIP. This is my first time in CHOW, so ahaha.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b344/tsukeda/wipwip.jpg

[Undefeated]

Hey all, been a while, looking to get in on this one. Some incredibly cool stuff so far.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Undefeated/masquerade2.jpg

And my first take on the topic, before my head cleared and I realized it wasn't quite on-topic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Undefeated/masquerade.jpg

Obviously the first one is the one I intend to go forward with. Hope to hear some feedback, keep up the awesome work everyone. I forgot how hard it is to click that 'submit' button sometimes.

[Angelsway257]

Hey guys, I haven't done this in awhile so here's my contribution! Please help me out by giving me your opinions.

[Vampire Ninja]

Here is a new version. My wife convinced me this is a more appropriate image for my self portrait. I liked my old design but it wasn't self reflected. I'm part of a team for this online web comic the Plaid Avenger (http://www.plaidavenger.com/) (the comic isn't up yet but the podcasts are).

Anyway, I do the art for that comic, and it's all about plaid, which is what most of life is about now. So I made the character wearing plaid and elongated the figure to be more like myself. If you guys liked the older version better I can rework something between these two, love to get thoughts.

thanks guys!

http://www.theklaus.com/PICS/CHOW176_Vampire_Ninja_02.jpg

[Geir]

Some updating from the graveyard shift. And now I'm of to bed. See y'all:)
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[fluorine]

Finished the face and head piece. I always wanted to wear a fancy traditional manchu dress~~~ I'm a manchu myself, but the best ethnical clothing I have is a cheap qipao...hum... I had fun painting this one~ LOL.

It's just... why do I look so serious....

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and this is me~ I know...I make idealized myself... call me mary sue~ LOL

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[lake7less]

windfalcon the left arm/hand may be a little to big. Love the nature theme and that is one handsome falcon.
angelsway love it so much I made it my wallpaper. I have a soft spot for sketches; a good painting deceives the eye, but a good sketch suggests to the mind ...the way I see it. On her left hand the pinky may be a little bigger than the finger next to it. But like I said; love the character, love the lines, love the calm background color, love the simplicity and the cleanness of it, love it!

[JessiBean]

Had to finish early because we're going out of town. Woot!
Kickass round, youse guise!

804121


Wips & Photo ref:

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[Quike Garcia]

Ok, it's Friday already... Let's see if I can have anything decent for Monday..
804163
The idea it's OK or the face needs to be shown more?

[The Whistler]

Thanks for reminding me about the mask heh...

Added it and started coloring :)

I'm a bit unclear as to how Gary's face would look with boobs and a dress but we won't really go to details here :P

EDIT: wip...

[MasterPete]

@JessiBean: Awesome character, as always :)

Here's mine, a little bit more fleshed out. More details coming up...

[ognjen]

@JessiBean: you are amazing

@everybody else: great enteries

This is my attampt, it's still a WIP, much more work left to do...

[mugenTaichou]

I almost submited male character, i didn't saw it was portret thingy XD

Anyways, changes are done, but this is harsh sketch xD

Marie Antoinette and ''Let them eat cake'' thing xD

[buffichar]

The work sheet. Themes ideas and sorry no picture :P

Okay I was going to attempt to name each person and ....well not crit but give and opinion but thanks for having so much awesomeness that I can't finish so i'll attempt to start.

Jessibean. Love it especially the textures.
Indigo summer: I like the 1st one the best but they are all great.
Vampire Ninja.....(bows)
Quote windfalcon (PxelSlayer - I'm blown away by the fact that you not only did the mask, but a fully detailed face under the mask) Dude!!!
Undefeated Hey you could still do the first I'm curious to know what was going on there but yeah 3/4 rule and the fact that you aren't the girl...you are the girl right might kind of defeat the purpose.
AvisNocturna: Awh

I like most winged masked costumes but then again i'm going through a feather phase right now.
eoin waiting patietly liking it so far. clean uo great waiting for mask.
Adam Schumpert's Avatar
Adam Schumpert: Woah. Intimidating and yet..entertaining.

Shame daestwen only did a small sketch but I'm happy with it
Nynthe You just disappeared where are you?
zweiDee Liked the change in direction but again M.I.A
Ah yes ImaGEEnation's likin it likin it. more please. I'll even forgive you for cutting off the feet.
Chaotic Knight : Do not even think of flaking on this one. (Hollow threat) Or there shall be war.
Amber Alexander: I haven't seen you do this style. I might be out of the loop but it looks good. The bent hand behind looks funny to me though.(scratch that just saw you inked version it's fixed)
lake7less's fist time i'm seeing you. Very much impressed. You nailed your concept and i don't even know you but i get the sense of what you're trying to say quite clearly.
Okay you lovely people who i didn't mention by name I am vert tired and need some sleep but you are in my thoughts....

[Platonist]

It's ages since i've had a go at Chow, but this i couldn't resist

I'm never gonna get this finished in time :(
dressed as Hypnos, greek god of sleep, combines my facsination with ancient greece with the fact i always fall asleep at parties...

Edit: refined it a bit...

[Kroevyn]

Okay I fiiiiinally have some free time & managed to get this started :D
Just blocking everything in so far. I know the fingers look ...broken XD and something is off with the legs, shall fix these tomorrow. Anything else?

[LostFayth]

This is where I left off last night. I should be able to put a few hours into it today. The bigger part of the render process should take place over the weekend.

[FenDove]

Okay, I'm going to see if I can figure this thing out. I'm new(ish) here. I've been lurking on and off for years and years though. CA has always been hugely inspiring to me.

So anyhow, I was so psyched to be doing something creative for the first time in donkeys I had to share. There are some things I am yet to add and it's a mess but I would love love love to hear comments. Do I get shot for using a floral brush on the legs? lol

That's me, barefoot, unresponsive face, fav color purple. Oh, and my mother says I'm obsessed with dead people, no idea what that means. I just like skulls. ;)

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r311/FenDove/CAcharacterwip2.jpg

Thanks!

[Jason Snair]

fluorine & JessiBean: Wow. Great work.

[master.mind]

wip:yayca:

[NickyBeats]

Mastermind- that looks awesome so far man!
Fendove- nice details! the skull looks very good, and the floral pattern works, i think.
Quikegarcia- looks great so far! slap some paint on that beast!
Jessibean- amazing skills girl. the portrait alone is very impressive, but the whole image just rocks. great colors.
Lake7less- i love your linework dude, very expressive. has alot of character.
Fluorine- great likeness, i also love the theme you went for. the whole color scheme works great!
Vampire Ninja- ha! thats a sweet character man! great colors, and i really dig your style.

sorry for only posting a few replies, im too lazy to look through the other pages. sooo many good entries, i think id be typing for a week.


heres a quickish update from mine...

[teli]

whoa! Hi to all - i wasn't here for ages - i'm serious - friend of mine showed me that thread so - meybe its time to come back... but i dont know if i'll finish my work till monday :\ any way - here's first of my sketches:

[lake7less]

Fendove; love it. the dress has something spider web-ish/fog-ish to it. Takes me to pearl jam's do the evolution. I think the mask takes some of the focus away from the skull because of the details on it. Don't know if it's good or bad or if it's only my imagination. That is one awesome skull; gotta get myself one of those... well, another one of those.

So, here is that mask you wonderful people keep pestering me about :p

[ArtbyWard]

Haven't participated in while, but here is my wip! I'd like to go by boat :P. Crits appreciated! :yayca:

[NickyBeats]

Icemoon- wow! that is stunning already. it looks like concept art for assassins creed 2. holy crap, i really gotta step up my game!

[NickyBeats]

another update--->

[Amber Alexander]

Update: about half way done with the coloring, no idea what to do with the background yet.

[Saleem]

another update will try to work more on it this weekend
quality stuff posted everyone. had fun with this one
pimp stick,cape, mask and me pipe still needs more work :yayca:

[eoin]

So many wicked artists in here! This is such a fun thread I'm getting really inspired by all the art and buzz...

Yeah I'm still working on mask concept!.. not happy with the design for it yet so here's a quick color pass for now, so hard to resist color while I'm meant to be designing!

http://www.eoinart.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/CHOW176_eoin_WIP_101.jpg

Happy Weekend all!

-Eoin

[Kroevyn]

IceMoon - Very nice :D Not a major critique, but the red on the vest/whatever stands out a little too much & that's where I'm focusing, instead of on the mask. But I know it's still WIP & you'll probably add more colour later ;)

NickyBeats - I think your chair/throne/thing is leaning a bit to the left.. if you compare the edge of the chair to the edge of the image, the lines aren't parallel. Great costume though :) pose it quite nice too.

Amber Alexander - Not very familiar with anime styles, but maybe try varying your line weights a little?

Saleem - Nice colours, but watch the proportions. The head might be a little big.. or the legs too short ;)

eoin - love the style, it's very dynamic. tbh though I think something has been 'lost' in the most recent pic. Maybe the colours aren't working so well together. Even though the previous one was quite rough, the thicker lines & looseness gave it a lot of character.

--

I'll do more crits later... off to work for now *sigh*

[jsn]

Some awesome looking characters going to this ball/party.....:))

So I added colour, and think I need more in the foreground?!!
The only ref being a grey scale head shot!

Keep up the great work everyone!

The whistler yes, fangs! lol, thanx alot! Looking good!
JessiBean thanx very much! Nice work! Have fun!

[Helltroll]

Went and refined the drawing quite a bit, now to figure out background figures

[NateShaw]

Self portrait chows always bring the biggest crowds, I like it. there are some really good looking things going on this round.

My start.

[Geir]

Your pieces is getting really great. It'll be a hard contest.
Done some detailing and cleanup. I like the background as it is now, but I'll probably try out something else also. Then to some explanation. In my right hand I'm holding a willow flute which is a traditional Norwegian folk instrument as I love our music traditian. I play the jawsharp, but that would be a bit small to put in here:) The scull is there course I collect them and find them extremely fascinating. And I put on myself a dolls mask, course dolls are the only thin that can scare the crap out of me in horror movies.
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[fersteger]

I originally wasn't gonna do this one and obviously now I'm gonna.
So many good entries, jessibean and posh and adamschumpert are great as always. :yayca:

Here's my ruff so far, complete with notes to myself. I'll extend it down also to get the whole body at some point.

[Amber Alexander]

Update: I still have more touch ups & details to do but its getting there. Any crits welcome.

[ENNEX]

JSN - Looking really good! You pay close attention to the details in your face; I look forward to seeing how you flush out the background.
Helltroll - Looks like it's gonna be intense!! :D
NateShaw - Really love the pose!!! :o
Dozeren - One of my favorites so far; it has a very "classic" feel to it. If that makes sense. XD
fersteger - Really look forward to seeing how this turns out! Love the horns. The concept has a sort of elegance. :)
Amber Alexander - The tartan, the hat, the squirt gun...I love that you really took the "self portrait" part to heart!!! :D <3

I am determined to finish this time! XD I think, last round, I got caught up in getting used to the tablet again and didn't have time to finish, so this round I sketched it by hand first and scanned. MUCH faster!! :D

I love masks. A ridiculous amount.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/NorikaChan56/maskmeWIP1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/NorikaChan56/maskmeWIP2.jpg

[maximunki]

There's some wonderful work here, can't wait to see all the finals! And I kind of wish there was going to be a real masked ball because it would be serious FUN. :D

I'm ill and hating everything I draw right now so it looks like the ol' CHOW cherry won't be popped this time around after all, sigh. But I'll be watching you guys. :)

[Carnifex]

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
goddamn nibru kept my attention from this,and i haven't got my tablet!
DAMN! where are my pencils....
edit: well damn,i'm not gonna have the time anyway. have fun folks.

[The Whistler]

Progress here (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2475833&postcount=161), still very messy...

Ice Moon - damn, that's great!
fersteger - looking forward to yours too

[skorpi]

Great stuff here already :)

late start, but first sketches: costume and compositon, going for the last ones.

Edit: Rough drawing

[Auren]

These are looking great guys! Here's an idea for me. I think I'll have myself holding the mask rather than wearing it though.

[Adam Schumpert]

Wow its always nice to see such a strong turn out for CHOW! Lots of great
looking work everyone. Thanks so much to everyone for all the C&C :teeth:

I've gotten a bit more done, but I've still got a bunch more left to go. I really hope I can get this one done.:confident
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Take care,
Adam

[LostFayth]

Oh yeah, looking good skorpi! Love the sketches :D
OMG Adam! Lovin' it :D

I'm pretty much done with the values. Next up colors and fine tuning :D

[NateShaw]

LostFayth: I think the shoulders could use a little more definition. A suit would probably have shoulder pads, I dont think they would be that rounded.

my updated wip

[ChanC]

Oh gods, you guys and your sexy images. I am having a great time looking at everyone's pieces evolve. Here's my contribution WIP.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b344/tsukeda/wipwip.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b344/tsukeda/sdfaggah.jpg

[Geir]

Ok -trying a new background. What do you think? I feel pretty happy with it. I feel it makes it much more alive.
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[Smuze]

Not sure if I'll finish this in time for the deadline, but I'm enjoying the dress too much to not at least post a progress shot! Awesome topic, people are doin some really cool things with it.

[lake7less]

So. Maybe it's done. not sure yet.
Leaving the party for a few minutes to take my mask off and have a drink by my lonesome :drinkup:

[Lt_Action]

@__@ So many amazing pieces. Imma keep this message short as the radiating AWESOMENESS from this topic ma begin to effect my typing ability.

Here are the finished lines/some photoreference to make you vomit if you haven't already today ;D

If you would like to say something or point out something VERY wrong, critique would be much appreciated- I may not finish in time for the voting, but it still has to be handed in as an "assignment" :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/ltaction/FinalMElines.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/ltaction/ReferenceME.jpg

[wilkerson]

I'm a newcomer to the chow so I thought I'd work up my head first. I don't know if I'll be able to do a body in time.
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[skorpi]

@LostFayth: Thank you :)
I like yours too. Maybe you can add some foldes, the colothes looks some kind of stif.

Outlines and colors, now i can start painting details ... but now I need some sleep.

[Amber Alexander]

Skorpi: I think you need to redraw your feet. From the angel she's at, we shouldn't be able to see the undersides at all. Right now it looks like her feet are walking a different direction than her body.

[pahavasa]

Adam Schumpert, we totally love yours, it's mad crazy awesome!

Here's our final version, could've done better but oh well, onto new challenges.

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[ZenzybaR]

Got to working on this and it really is too casual, i'd feel like a fool if this was real and i turned up like this.
:( have to go back over.

Thanks Gerezon for the advice.

[Clockwork Bunny]

looks like I'm in time....

just need to put a frame around and were sorted.

C&C welcomed

[jsn]

ENNEX thanx, yours is looking good!

a little update!
any comments are welcome!

[Amber Alexander]

jsn: There is something about the arm that's throwing me off, I think its his shoulder. Right now his hand is larger than his shoulder, so his shoulder should be thicker. The rendering of the face looks great btw!

[Amber Alexander]

I'm going to dinner with friends so here is my update for the night.

[ZenzybaR]

-_- Do over w.i.p

[Helltroll]

Update, gotta figure out this background! At least more people poses!

[Marcatili]

here's my slow progress. tried a few different colour variations and still getting the hang of the brushes in painter. critisizzle welcome!

[Eclypse]

Finally! After 2 projects and a mid term test all in 2 days, I have some free time to work on CHOW. Hopefully I'll get it finished.

[Kroevyn]

jsn Nice design overall, but it seems a little monotone (unless that is your intention?) The colour in the foreground could be more vibrant, or add a cooler colour, for some contrast.

Auren awesome idea...as a hopeless bibliophile I love it :D The head could be a bit smaller though.

NateShaw The left arm is looking a bit thin/small in general, other than that, great start :)

ChanC Veery nice costume. However, I think the shoulders could be wider? Something just looks a little off in that area.

Dozeren That background makes it much better :) I know you're probably finished with it, but perhaps the brown ..tunic/I-don't-know-what-it's-called could have some texture or folds on it, it looks too smooth right now.

lake7less heh great concept! I think the whole thing could do with more contrast though, especially in the face, the shadows are not very strong and it makes the image look flat.

----

& here's an update on mine. As always, would love any feedback :)

[mybutterflyiris]

Hello all. Thought I'd join in.
Here are my work in progress stages. I'm going to try to finish it in time. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/mybutterflyiris/carnivalwip.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v150/mybutterflyiris/P1010026ps-1.jpg

[Eclypse]

Still so much left to do T_T... Okay enough bitching! time to get some sleep then back to work.

[Arbor]

Well, I'm proud of myself for my first CHOW, but I absolutely see areas where I can/will do better next time. xD I have some small tweaks that I'm still going to fiddle with tomorrow, but I guess I can mostly call myself done.

I am so uncomfortable saving things as .jpg. I don't know how to best save to deal with quality loss! If anyone has any suggestion for me on that, I would love it. :\

[Windfalcon]

Dozeren - I just realized you buttoned up your outfit starting with the wrong button! Great touch! And the background definitely gives it more life.
Adam Schumpert - You're doing such amazing work with such a limited palette! I love where this is going.
Smuze - Is your skirt based on the petals of a flower? Quite creative and subtle as well.
lake7less - Your expression makes me laugh every time. :D Don't leave the party! Come join me and help hold up a bird bowl. And thank you for pointing out the hand. You said the left hand and I think you were referring to her left (our right) hand? That one seemed a bit thick, so I slimmed/shortened the hand holding the bowl and the arm a bit.
Arbor - I really like the texture/detail in the clothing. Regarding saving in jpg format - if you want to avoid quality loss, save either as a psd (if in Photoshop) or a rif or tiff (if in Painter). All three of those formats are lossless. Jpg should only be used if you want to save a web-suitable version. Even at 100% quality, a jpg will still compress the file and multiple saves will eventually start to visibly break down the file.

Here's an early color WIP. And I was bad, doing so much detail on the face first. I know I should give equal detail to the entire figure but I haven't used Painter for the human figure before and I got so sucked up in playing with skintones. I really am enjoying how Painter handles colors and all the brushes/media it mimics.

Also included is a detail of the face and mask so far. As always, suggestions/critiques are welcome!

[Kroevyn]

Arbor - are you using Photoshop? Go to File > 'Save for web & devices' rather than 'save as', this way you can control the quality of the jpg :)

[Aly Fell]

Lake, Mayhemunited, Pahavasa - Your posts in the finals thread... what have you not done?

There are quite a few new to CHOW this week. Can I emphasise that you read the instructions.

Thanks! :)

[Simon Boxer]

Hmmm... My posing is quite bland. Also, I should probably add some pants... lol
Anyway, here's a WIP.

805865

[dirkvandulmen]

here's my wips and final. Let's dance!
On to the next one!

[Geir]

Kroevyn: I have been thinking it needs some texture to. I don't want folds, becours I see it made of a rather stiff cloth exactly to be able to hang like this. But I will see about some texture.
Windefalcon: Ta:) Yea I thought the wrong buttoning up would give it some humor:)

[crossmirage]

I don't know if I'll finish it in time, but here's a rough WIP. My initial concept is "all-seeing shaman(ess?)"... first time doing this sort of thing.

Edit: forgot my earlier roughs.

Double edit: more WIPS!

[Lt_Action]

Beginnings of the rendering process :D

EDITx2- Everything's in and I need only render it as long as I'm not overlooking any glaring errors @__@. Really hope I can make the deadline, such strong competition! :Dsooooexciting!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/ltaction/REDNERINGwip2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/ltaction/mask2.jpg

[The Whistler]

Finally done (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=2478630&postcount=16)...

Loving yours Kroevyn :)

[Giorge]

Hi!



Some nice stuff around , hell of a week ^^

mybutterflyiris - nice colors , love how the move around the composition , looking forward the the final piece :)

lake7less - get back between the black borders man that's not fair , no seriously like what your going for there ^^

ChanC - wow really like to see where your going with that, so far , the sketch is good ...

fluorine -uuuuu aaaa Red uuuu aaaa, heh , nice colors , that red really has some impact , let's hope they will put it next to mine , and the greed that i used will explode heh ...

JessiBean - you gave it a good polish i see , nice ^^

eoin - damn! i like your lines and that whole simplicity looks so good

dwinbotp - Who knew there are so many dapper gents and sexy ladies here in CHOW? Now we know! :D:D:D , heh that's what i noticed two , i never seen this girl/boys ratio , i think here might be more girls in this one , nice



Ugh , just finished my piece , took advantage of the weateher and mood and started hacking at it from the early hours of the morning (11.45am) :D, and it's damn chilly here , I've been working on it with my gloves on because my hands were frozen as fuck
Just in case you might think that I am trying to reach some of that lame Twilight vampire bullshit with this one , your wrong , that's just how i look after two days clogged in the house, freezing my ass to death and starring at the monitor ... the world just does not need any more lame vampire illustrations and whatnot

good luck, marry Christmas , happy Halloween, Easter what every you desire , see you at the voting ballet!

wips ( I've added a bigger version of the drawing in my sketchbook )
806091
and this is the final version
806092

[Geir]

Just submitted mine:) This has been very fun. There are some great art here.

[lake7less]

Guess I'm gonna ship it to the finals.
some more contrast, thank you Kroevyn

[gunnarsson]

happy halloween giorge, and nice work to allo yall! superfun topic, lotta creativity in the chow-topics lately, kudos to the arrangers!:)

allright i'm stressed, started late last night so there's little time.. I want to do more traditional stuff, so I thought this would be an excellent challenge for ye old colorpencils. this is what I've got so far:)

[Helltroll]

Onto the final touches after this!

[skorpi]

finished? I think so, because I have no more time left XD

[zombiebox]

Argh.. the first time I really wanted to participate... and hadn't the time to finish it.:( great stuff here and I'm curious about the poll :) So, I'm just posting my unfinished piece, for all who are interessed ;)

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9687/selbstportraitchow.jpg








my Sketchbook (http://zombiebox.myblog.de)

[Helltroll]

(yell in cheezy fighting game voice) FINISH! (add sound effects)

[ENNEX]

Prolly gonna be my last WIP before final. XD

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/NorikaChan56/maskmeWIP2-1.jpg

[Windfalcon]

Really going to try to finish by tomorrow at 5:00 pm EST! I'm still learning the ropes of Painter so I'm moving a bit slower than I usually go. Here's the last WIP before I (hopefully) finish:

[master.mind]

here`s mine

806890

806892

[eoin]

Here's my final crop..!

http://www.eoinart.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/CHOW176-eoinart.jpg

So much inspiring works...

-Eoin