C.O.W. #160 -- Satyr Slayer -- Posting WIPs 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 #160 Satyr Slayer!

Topic:
Satyr Slayer!

Satyr Slayer-- A Satyr Slayer is a creature that slays Satyrs. I'll post a pic for those who are not familliar with the word. The Satyr Slayer should probably look like it inhabits an environment where Satyrs would dwell. Mostly they live in forests, woodlands and grassy glens. Satyrs are fairly pleasant creatures on the whole. Given to hunting with bow and arrows, playing the pan flute, drinking too much, getting rowdy, and knocking boots. (Or in their case -- hooves.) The Satyr Slayer should probably look pretty mean. Bit of a killjoy, perhaps. Maybe they get irritated because Satyrs always look like they're having such a good time.

Deadline:
Monday November 16th!!! New Deadline!!! 2009

Finals go here: ="http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=172973"http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=172973

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

This is a Satyr I illustrated for Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder RPG Bestiary released last month. Your monster should look like it would give a guy like this guy a world of hurt before giving him the big dirt nap. ;) Satyr Sadist? Satyr Slayer? Say Sadistic Satyr Slayer three times fast!

[Duman]

Michael Jaecks: With skillz like that, you should make some creatures of your own and participate with us for a change!

I think Im going to go the demon/monster route this time. The backstory also allows for some pretty unique scenes to unfold around this week's creature.
Fun stuff!

[Mordus]

What about a devilish opposite to the Satyr? A dark twin eternally seeking its Satyr nemesis to silence them.

[acb]

What about a devilish opposite to the Satyr? A dark twin eternally seeking its Satyr nemesis to silence them.

lol thats exactly what i was thinking about ^-^ i thought ill call it ....rytas (satyr in backwards ^.^)

[Mordus]

A sketch-http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn208/Golly5/Experiment.jpg

[DefiledVisions]

haha we all think the same? I thought how the satyr is half human half goat, and how the slayer also would be part goat, part something.. having some kind of grudge against these more civilised relatives.


edit, added sketch
basic idea: satyrs, the favored child of some god - the gods younger brother jealous, also wanted to bring creatures to life, not allowed, in anger started experimenting on the earlier satyrs.. the older brother unaware, kept shaping them, giving them a more humanlike appearance over time while the younger one twisted the captured ones into madness, mutating limbs and bodies - lives only to kill the favored children.

[Mike D]

Couple WIPS. Like 20 30 minutes work so far. Just kind of getting some ideas down, not sure on a few things. Will probably work a couple more ideas as well once I see where this one is going.

[Lenorekitty]

I finally have time to participate! :D This is such a fun topic, so open to interpretation.
Great Satyr Michael!

[Mitch-king]

oh this one sounds cool,

quick speed paint, of a kidnapping at a party
818948

[Mike D]

Meh the more I work this the more I'm not sure of it, lol

[Pixelestial]

Cool topic! I recall we got some quality entries for the Unicorn Hunter topic some time back, so I hope this topic really sparks people's imaginations too.

[AestheticMachine]

really looking forward to this one, hope i can finish in time (midterms!) :blahblah:
some thumbnails. all are based on the idea of creatures using lures and pheromones to lure naughty satyrs.

[Tyrus]

Just an idea- The Satyr Sucker
Half Chupacabra-the goat sucker
Half Vampire-the people sucker
Pretty neat huh?

[bad_painter]

Well I'm definitely no good at creature design, but DefiledVisions sparked a quick doodle with his cool mythos idea. Pardon the bad anatomy and ugly lines... maybe some one can expand on it? :bashful:

819088

[Vaghauk]

hey bad painter - that´s quite a nice drawing - why you put yourself down ?? if you had fun doing it i don´t see why you think it´s not good.... you always learn with your errors - and even use them to create your own and unic style.
good to be humble ! but no need to exagerate !!! :)
if you draw that well your painting skills can´t be that bad - i like the thick lines and the anatomy is ok for a quick doodle -c´mon show us some more of this ! :)
(anyway i don´t know if m.j. let us team up for this challange....)
....
okay ! i just visited your crappy sketchbook ----- :D you are really an bad painter ! an badass one ! Now i feel like stupid .
So , think what you want about your own skills, nobody really cares- let others the chance to decide on their own.That you write "bad" on top of it doesn´t really help nobody. :)
I mean, i feel like an crap artist today - but i´m going to continue my work anyway....and i won´t tell it to anybody ---- wait, i just did..... okay forget it ! :D

[Mitch-king]

this is my idea, its a race that once used to be satyrs but of many years if cannibalism and incest and transformed, they now use there extremly high voice to mimic the satyr's mating call to attract them to their doom.
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[Parcel-Sisters]

I agree it definitely needs some goat qualities, but must look much nastier and corrupt.

AestheticMachine - I was thinking the same thing about luring with pheromones! I love the bottom left sketch - looks great!

An idea I'm working with, though it looks mostly like a frog... >.<
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h112/parcel-sisters/satyrslayer.jpg

[Marsch]

will make a creature that castrates the lewd ones with a big scissor!

[Mitch-king]

update

[Lege1]

MJ: Props on a great topic and great illustration. I agree with Duman that you should start posting some stuff on here with us man. Just for the sake of fun and practice. It doesn't even matter if you get past the wip stage man just throw down some dope MJ stuff bro. I miss seeing your stuff on here. Much love........

[Carnifex]

hm,does he slay satyresses aswell?
edit: nevermind.

[Niva.]

Mitch-King be careful because that one's less of a creature and more of a character. Not sure what's going on in the abdomen, are his entrails out?

I'd work on making him look more like an animal in the face.

Then again the satyr is considered a "creature" and has very human characteristics too so perhaps it will be ok for this week's topic?

[lkjhgfdsa]

Satyr Slayer! -Forest Fisher.
I has no ears so it cannot be charmed by the glamourous music of the Satyr.
It is covered in boney plates- both to protect it from the poisonous arrows of the satyr and to 'hear' the sound vibrations of the satyr music and home in on its prey...
...or some random tripe!

[mongreldesigns]

I figure it's a parasitic creature that hunts Satyrs and occasionally impregnates one.

[JoshDArtist]

crap.. friggin cool entries!! did some quick sketches today while i should have been working, will develop a couple and choose...

[Vaghauk]

...first sketches... :)
joshdartist - i really like the last one!
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[Duman]

lkjhgfdsa: That is a really unique creature. A sweet design, and some cool background info all adds up to an amazing creature. Can't wait for the final!

Im going to try and get some sketches up tomorrow sometime. Going to try an focus on the design aspect of these weekly events from now on. (EOW included)

[jspangler]

Hey all, I'm new to ConceptArt.org and am pretty excited about the COW. It seems like an excellent way to build on my portfolio and develop some creatures. Anyway this is the idea I'm developing for the "Satyr Slayer"... he's a "Piping Prowler" and uses his specialized snout to mimic the Satyr's Pan flutes, luring them to their doom when they think they are being summoned to a wild bacchanalia.

Edit: And of course I misspelled his name in the post title... oh well.

[JaderGader]

Hmm, I like the concept, but I'm not sure about execution just yet. We'll see as I get further along. The idea here is a creature with a symbiotic/parasitic relationship with a tree. I was thinking about how Satyrs are often carousing with dryads and so forth, and I contemplated a creature that was something like a dryad, but had rather more murderous tendencies.

So, this creature burrows itself into the base of a tree, latching on and disguising itself with dug out earth and bark. When satyrs come near, it utters an enchanting humminig noise, luring it closer. When it's close enough, the creature lashes out with its spider-like appendages and pulls it down into its belly under the tree. The byproduct fertilizes the tree, which is why I was going the symbiotic route.

What do you think?

[Wiggers]

@JoshDArtist great sketches mate, i love the bottom right hand one and the bottom left hand one.

[JoshDArtist]

Wiggers: thanks man! Don't know if I'm going with them for this round. I'm not sure if they would fit the profile of a satyr killer... but then again, who knows? (I'm going with the middle, cowish looking one) but I do like their design.. might just have to work on them too, just to see what they look like all done up :)

[Carnifex]

damn i need a scanner!
hm,otherwise i'll have to wait till friday to continue working on it...

just so i have the idea out there: my creature's related to the siren bird and lures drunk satyrs by mimicking(sp?) a naked,dancing woman with her front.

[Steve Somers]

Carnifex - if you don't have a scanner right now maybe try a digital camera, might give you some unexpected line blurs and texture, I had to do that before and it worked in a cool way.

Not sure about the goofy arms on my guy here, but I like the colors and background so far.

[Etheral]

woah, some nice ideas so far, gunna give it a go, will be my first cow (that sounds weird :D) seems like a brilliant way to improve your design skills it really makes u think, good luk every 1 ^^

[jspangler]

I'm having a blast so far... adding hollow horns to the "Piping Prowler" to give him some distance on his mimic pan flute lure.

Also really enjoying seeing what people are coming up with... can't wait to see the finished pieces.

One question though - do we place the black titled border around the final or is that done somehow when it's posted?

[Carnifex]

it's what we do.^

steve somers - hmm don't have that either atm. oh well,i'll find something. otherwise,i still should be able to get it done on time. most of the prelim work is done,just needs colours and alittle rendering punch.

[1oshuart]

this is Satyr Slayer, his back is shaped like a woman to appeal to the satyrs

[DefiledVisions]

jspangler it's something you add to the final piece, however it doesn't have to be the general black border. Allow yourself some creativity :) make sure to have the required information though.

[DefiledVisions]

Some wip's - playing with colours and custom brushes

http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=820816&stc=1&d=1257378367
http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=820818&stc=1&d=1257378399

[sepu]

so far
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/7246/faunhater2.jpg

[Jaunay]

This is my first entry on ConceptArt, I'm a bit nervous because I know only the best get in.

Species : Oxaliantennarii (from the families Antennariidae Oxalidales)

My idea is taking from that the satyrs are forest dwelling creatures, funilly somewhat similar to JaderGader.

Except that my creature is similar characteristics to a frog and fish, it's natural camouflage is moss and it's tough and bumpy bark hide.

The Oxalian has a lure which resembles fruit to lure land dwellers, then consuming them whole, leaving no traces of the creature past.

Peace Love Brown Rice. -Red < 3

[JoshDArtist]

WIP so far.. prolly finish it up tomorrow or friday evening, I hope.
He may wind up with a whip-like tounge... so as to catch the fleeing satyrs...

[Lenorekitty]

Looking good everyone! I'll comment more thoroughly later but Im going to post this WIP really quick before I head out.

I thought "Satyr Slayers" could be the nickname vintners gave to a working class animal they used to keep in vineyards to protect maturing crops of grapes for wine harvesting. The animals would run through the grapevines and flush out booze-loving satyrs in coordination to each other. It would almost always end in the death of the satyrs due to their drunken stumbling...

Anyway, I'm still working on this design a bit and Im thinking about pushing toward a more reptilian sort of look. Still working out the tails. Thought they could be held up high to signal to the vintner as to where the animals were in the crops. ..? Just thought I'd share for now....

[JoshDArtist]

Lenorekitty: awesome idea!!! :) I love it!

[Vaghauk]

leonorekitty : nice idea - but if the satyrs like to drink booze for sure they would go for the vine-cellars and not for the grapes...but they love grapes anyway - that´s true.... :D the creature is very good.
joshdartist : very nice ! I like the lightning you gave to this !
1oshuart : careful with the human - rule -- looks a bit like somebody in a costume with a doll on his back....you could try to melt the feminine figure more in the pinguins body....
Mordus :that drawing is awesome !! is it chinese ink or digital ?

[Carnifex]

jaunay , that probably won't go to the poll. i mean it's a nice portrait and all,but it doesn't really show us anything of the character,without the description we wouldn't know anything about where it lives or what the rest of him looks like. we need to see atleast 3/4ths of his body. just thought i'd let you know.

[Etheral]

wip, trying to decide whether or nor to keep the rave tattoo things, technically they are accesories but they could also be bio-luminescent symbiotic algae,
hah could get away with it. :3
if not i guess i'll have to add some other coloured bitty to balance the colour pallette.
oh yah and those black shapes r gunna be some dead satyrs or summin ^^

the description is something along the lines of:
the ent:
a sad creature, the ent, an evolutionary fuck up caused its entire species to have the maturity of a child.
as such whenever they notice satyr's partying, dancing and drunken debauchery they rush to join, however the satyr are a fearful people and believe the ent to be a barbarian race thus they try to kill it. the ent enraged and confused fights back, easily killing the satyr's with its predators body further adding to the fear and hate surrounding its kind.
such are the known: satyr slayers
their weak minds not understanding the concept of death try to party on with the corpses
or sum such funk

defiled visions: luving ure colour pallette
lkjhgfdsa: original, satyr slayers doesnt bring that to mind
lenorekitty: cant wait to see it finished, ure satyr designs pretty damn good too


821313

[Vaghauk]

some progress on my ugly swine-guy...

[Lenorekitty]

leonorekitty : nice idea - but if the satyrs like to drink booze for sure they would go for the vine-cellars and not for the grapes...but they love grapes anyway - that´s true.... :D the creature is very good.

This is true and some of them try, but they all fail. Some can get away with stealing overripe and fermented grapes used for making dessert wines. In the final writing Ill probably say they try to raid cellars though...makes more sense... ;) thanks!

[Duman]

Here are some of my quick sketches.
The first one is like a giant demon goat/bear that lures its prey close with the wine smelling grapes on it's tail.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/Duman123/COW8.jpg
The second is like a flightless demon bat that lurks in the trees above the satyrs, waiting for the moment to pounce and devour its head.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/Duman123/COW81.jpg

[AestheticMachine]

a very long-lived and ever-growing creature. once it reaches adulthood it plants itself in rocky terrain with camouflaged stony tentacles, sitting and waiting for prey. every few decades or so a miniature version of the original creature breaks off from one of the bigger tentacles and wanders off to start its own life. when they finally die they simply turn into and enrich the surrounding territory.
i think it might be fun if the complex and muscular lure in the back of its throat can exude different kinds of pheromones and be flexed into the silhouettes of different kinds of shapes, and maybe the creature itself can mimic mating calls that are amplified by its cavernous maw.

[Steve Somers]

Progress Update -- :wip:

[DefiledVisions]

Duman - Watch out with the proportions, In the first image, the foot to the right is smaller than the one to the left, while they should be the same given the pose he is in. Have them on the same level too, it'll give him a more solid pose.
For the second pic only thing I noticed is his teeth, those to the left are lying down.
Hope it helps :)




Looking good everyone! here's more wip.

http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=821667&stc=1&d=1257460261

*edit* more wip!

http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=821822&stc=1&d=1257471583

[lkjhgfdsa]

lkjhgfdsa
-now with prey.

[JoshDArtist]

WOW!!! awesome WIPs guys!!!
lkjhgfdsa: I prefer the top image, with less color saturation and less background information.... my eye can view the creature in it's entirety a lot better...

DefiledVisions: loving the face... pretty friggin wicked

Steve Somers: wonderful progression from the early stages... loving the wings

[DefiledVisions]

JoshDArtist - thanks man! check out the final version ;)





Allright, so I rushed this! instead of compromising 7 hours of work into one day I'd love to work on it smaller periods over the weekend, however I'm going away so couldn't.
Final version ready :)

http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=822026&stc=1&d=1257482460

[Vaghauk]

some more progress on swiny and some background...

[Golden Yak]

Dunno if I'll have the time this weekend to do a finished version, but I thought this COW was a neat idea and it got me doodling. Here's a b/w version of the resulting beastie:

http://goldenyak.com/images/sketchbook/satyrslayer.jpg

Variation on the classic angler-fish gambit. Actually wound up being similar to Jaunay's concept, but with a slightly different 'lure'.

More enticing 'fruit,' if you will.

You might say it's a 'naked nymph,' in fact.

[Vaghauk]

golden yak : nice beasty ! the drawing is really nice - i somehow find the lure a bit to big though -is it a real women which the beast catches to use it as a lure or is it somehow part of his body ? guess it´s the second ...don´t know why but i find it a bit strange- an angler fish also just got a tiny light.... hm, you allready tried different lures ? - like grapes...or a bottle of whine....just some ideas.. :)

[MasterPete]

@Golden Yak: Using lure is quite a nice idea. I wish I had thought of that!

Here's my WIP

Would anyone be able to advice me on the colour mood and the readibility in general? The colour is quite lackbuster and I don't think my painting has good readibility at all...

[Steve Somers]

Master Pete - I like that idea, it's a funny twist. As far as color advice I wouldn't worry about that until you have a solid drawing. Right now the Unicorn is structurally confusing, so you might want to track down some horse references, and then get a friend (or yourself) to pose as though they just had their skull poked by a big horn. An action pose like that is hard to convey if action poses aren't your thing. Another thought is to have the unicorn just standing there with the satyr hanging limp and dead from the horn. Then, as far as color is concerned, start with less color or black and white and do color adjust layers to experiment with mood. There's also some helpful threads on this in the Critique WIP thread.

[Mark Tarrisse]

Hey all, it's my first try at COW, looottss of great entries here !
So here's my first WIP, I hope I can finish it !

Dont know which head to choose...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/markus_the_barbarian/Satyr_Slayer_01.jpg

[Steve Somers]

Mark T- #4 looks both threatening and unique. #5 feels like it would be from the same genre as Satyrs... the bullhorns.. meh... Sweet sketch though, has a lot of energy can't wait to see how it develops.

[Draugth]

Im thinking of a satyr harvester

what do you think

Mark Tarrisse nice idea man, sick sketches the 1,4, and 6 are the best imo!
Golden Yak love the idea, it really works in natural environments !
DefiledVisions good textures and colors man.
Mitch-kingnice concept right there.

[Duman]

Mark Tarrisse: Those are some awesome sketches. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them, but my favorites are four and six.

Hopefully I will be able to work on this piece soon. Im trying to use a new style, but it could just turn out a mess, so fingers crossed.

[Vaghauk]

worked out some more details...

[jspangler]

Hey guys (and gals) ... I am having monitor calibration woes. When I viewed my final piece at home it looked fine. but When I viewed it at work it looked washed out. So after much calibration on my home monitor I have re-adjusted the levels to where they look right (now) at home. So can you look at the two images below and tell if the first looks washed out and the second looks proper? If that's not what you see please tell me.

And please... if you have any tips for calibration please pass them to me. I am fairly new to digital (used to do traditional work) and this has been an ongoing issue.

Also... can I replace my final in the "finals" thread with the corrected image? I posted from home and didn't see the problem until I got to work.

[jspangler]

Hey all, it's my first try at COW, looottss of great entries here !
So here's my first WIP, I hope I can finish it !

Dont know which head to choose...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/markus_the_barbarian/Satyr_Slayer_01.jpg


My vote would be for 3 or 4... something very feral about the eyes and snouts on those. Really nice work.

[Golden Yak]

@MasterPete - great idea dude, I've never trusted unicorns or anything unicorn-like.

@Vaghauk - the lure is all part of the critter. I thought it was funnier that way. It does seem a little large in comparison to the rest of the creature though... he'll have to be made larger!

[witcrack]

jspangler: that's how i see it. the above image looked slightly washed out. while the below one has more color contrast. but the tone is fine in both image.
i dont know if you are able to replace the image you posted in the finals, as i never post anything for the cow. but i think you'll get to the poll whether you replace it or not. It's a cool creature design and it's among my favorites for the topic. Good luck! :D

[El Capohan]

Time to take my first baby steps into the world of COWs. Interesting topic, thought I'd try my hand at this one.

Put together some initial sketches - when I thought of "Satyr Slayers" I immediately thought of a race of beasts that were unimaginably cruel and harbored a deep, deep hatred for Satyrs because they felt Satyrs were a mockery of beast kind due to their half-human/half-beast nature. SO, I tried to think of things that would look like they would try to find Satyrs and literally rip them in half at the waist in order to make their point.

My initial thoughts were between a vile cobra looking thing and a huge ominous looking bunny bear hybrid thing. Also making it into the fray was a Satyr Slayer who "Slays" Satyrs with HUMOUR! AAAAH HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!....

[AUG]

So many cool looking entries in this thread! I have wanted to take a shot at joining in a COW for quite a while. I'm hoping to have the time to finish over the weekend.

[Jaunay]

Hey all, it's my first try at COW, looottss of great entries here !
So here's my first WIP, I hope I can finish it !

Dont know which head to choose...
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/markus_the_barbarian/Satyr_Slayer_01.jpg
I love 3, 6 and 1. <3 they have a lot of character!~ And definitely look mean to me

[Vaghauk]

jaunay : i like number 6 ! great drawings !

[Carnifex]

mark tarrisse - nr.5 ftw.

finally had time to scan. now it's off to colour!
as said,related to the siren bird,but uses visual instead of audible lure. when viewed directly from front,it will look slightly like a dancing,naked woman - an easy lure for drunk-off-their-ass satyrs,especially when the creature starts wriggling.

[Sean McClain]

Hey Guys Cool Satyr Slayers,! Q: are you suppose to name your file like this Darknight_cow#160.jpg or does it even matter? Thanx:) Kinda a newb

[Choob]

Mark Tarrisse: I'd have to say #4 mate, #3 looks good, but very rodent-ish.

Great work all round guys.

Some lovely twisted things happening to the Satyrs I'm glad to see.

:)

[jspangler]

Hey Guys Cool Satyr Slayers,! Q: are you suppose to name your file like this Darknight_cow#160.jpg or does it even matter? Thanx:) Kinda a newb

Kinda a newb myself, Darknight, so I don't know. I looked through the rules and didn't see anything but I'm going to rename mine just in case. Better safe than sorry, right?

[C0mBineD]

I have not seen any creature in this topic that could catch a satyr.
satyrs are really fast running creatures that are very agile and run in the forest with no effort. your creatures couldn't catch one in my opinion.

a satyr isn't going to wait for your creature to come and get it you know.

[Mark Tarrisse]

Ok thanks a lot everyone for telling which head type you prefered, I finally made the combo of 3 and 4, (hope you guys like it).
I think I'm done I'm not going to post it immediatly to the finals, I still want to have some comments and critics if you have some :)

Sooo here it is :
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y192/markus_the_barbarian/Satyr_Slayer_03.jpg

[jspangler]

Mark Tarrisse - I really like the creature. One thing I loved about the sketches of 3 & 4 was the way the eyes look very open and white. Kind of like the way a lion's eyes look when shot with a night vision camera and the light is fully reflected.

It's not a critique, just a stylistic opinion, but I think your creature would look more feral and predatory with less of a visible pupil and more of a distinct eye like it's absorbing light.

[jspangler]

I have not seen any creature in this topic that could catch a satyr.
satyrs are really fast running creatures that are very agile and run in the forest with no effort. your creatures couldn't catch one in my opinion.

a satyr isn't going to wait for your creature to come and get it you know.

I respectfully submit that my four-legged "Piping Howler" could easily catch and take down a satyr in a short burst. remember that Satyr's are bipedal and that will slow them down.

[mythril_golem]

I have not seen any creature in this topic that could catch a satyr.
satyrs are really fast running creatures that are very agile and run in the forest with no effort. your creatures couldn't catch one in my opinion.

a satyr isn't going to wait for your creature to come and get it you know.

i think you're being a little harsh, true my first thoughts were of a fast creature but one that lays in ambush could work too. and one that's simply a huge beast could gain a reputation as a satyr slayer without actually being all that efficient through brutality alone. however i do believe there were a few dog-like entries which would be a natural predator for goats so yeah.
it's definitely something to keep in mind for the artists though.

anyway onto my opinions so far

Mark Tarrisse: welcome and i like it, seems a little too suited for an african desert environment but there could be a different breed of satyrs living there. yeah looks cool to me, i can't see anything technically wrong, but aesthetically i'm not a fan of the thumb on its forelimbs.

carnifex: lol that's a weird and cool idea. i would try to change the overall form a bit, right now it's like an L shape, straight down and straight back. it would look better imo if you could curve the slayers neck forward a bit so that the lure head and the boobs aren't so far apart. then melt the lure legs into the slayers chest/torso so that they tuck in under the creature. the horns on the slayers head might be a bit of a giveaway if these things have been slaying for some time already so maybe sweep them back so they aren't so visible from the front view.

aug: >_< love those colours and the creatures shape is so creepy, like something out of mythology. i'd love to see a follow up and also welcome to c.ow. :)

jspangler: to me the one at the top looks overly saturated... well either way i prefer the calibrated one

vaghaulk: swineboobs are wonky D: and its hooves look like fake ones you put over shoes. i'd say ref some pig legs, those look way too human. imo it could look cool with some big fur around the neck+shoulders. going more for a boar look than a pig

draugth: could be a nice idea, though i see no clear way for it to actually slay satyrs. and what is it actually storing on its back there? add some lethality and you'd have a solid concept.

masterpete: i second steve somers, that unicorn a) looks a bit like a sheep (which is possibly intentional) and b) has a very confusing pose. the hind legs seem to be flying out to the side as if they weren't supporting the body. i think you could go for an easier semi-referenced pose that could emphasize the unicorn's power/strength too. establish your ground + perspective first.

lkjhgfdsa: insane design man. i agree the first scheme focuses more on the creature.

defiledvisions: the render is amazing, i love this painterly look. the claws are really nice.

stevesomers: that neck looks like it's just gonna snap but i do love how freakish it looks so meh. plus i guess the theme of a satyr slayer allows for more fantastic mythologic design. molerat pegasus idea is just wow, disgustingly cool.

aestheticmachine: i think that maybe the idea is a little too enviro for c.o.w. it's a neat idea but if it's just gonna look like a cave it might be missing the point of c.o.w. you could take being cavelike and then add some organics around it somehow. maybe have the rocky cave part only be the mouth and hands/claws, could be a bit more complex. tbh i really liked the look of the bottom right sketch in your first post.

duman: if you go with the first, try exaggerating it's anatomy. take reference from those crazy ahnold bulls maybe, have it hunch over, walk on its knucles maybe, just get away from looking too human. if you go with the second, i'd give it a tail that can hold onto branches and lower and raise the creature quickly enough to grab the head and disappear taking the satyr with it. a forest full of these creatures could be pretty terrifying.

ethereal: cool pic but yeah the bioluminescence is really adding too much character. i don't think the slayers need to be as intelligent as the satyrs, just wanting to party sounds a little off to me :P so yeah hmm a little too anthro in the pose too. back to the drawing board with ye... you know if you want >_>

lenore kitty: these are awesome, can't wait to see what you do with the skin/fur

joshdartist: i love the backwards legs, that's a really nice touch. leech mouth is cool too, imo the head is a little too helmet looking and using some of the mechanics of the hind legs in the front legs would add to the design

jaunay: i'm not seeing what you're saying in the pic itself, it's just a sorta oblong face :(

sepu: ref some beast legs, it's a good overall shape/pose but nothing special so make it yours with some customisation :)

1oshuart: fuse the woman into the creature better, it looks like she's just being carried on the back. the mister potato head feet are the cause of much confusion, how would this thing move? the face is way too human.

jadergader: nice idea, hope we get to see an update

mitchking: i love it but as a cow entry it just looks like an undead satyr

[mythril_golem]

and also

parcel sisters: love the upside down head idea, add more corruption, ref some warhammer nurgle chaos. idk i just want to see it get realy evil. too cartoony for me right now

mordus: damn i really want to see an update, that looks really nice as a sketch i wonder if you can transfer that energy into a final image.

[Duman]

Mark Tarrisse : I like your creature. I might try to define the texture of the fur on it's back. And while I think the background is working, making it a complete background would help, I think. There is just too much pink background right now.

[Lenorekitty]

This is where I've ended up. Ill be adding fur/scales here and there and Ill upload my progress tonight. Pretty rough sketch for now but it will contain three "slayers", a dead Satyr and Grape vines depicting the vineyard...

These "slayers" will hunt down trespassing satyrs on their master's vineyard and strategically chase them down. The vintner knows where each "slayer" is due to their large tails they hold high above their bodies. Once the satyr has been killed they howl, signaling to the vintner to come and collect the body. Most satyrs don't reach the wine barrels and very rarely get away with just fruit.

[Sean McClain]

Mark Tarrisse - I really like the creature. One thing I loved about the sketches of 3 & 4 was the way the eyes look very open and white. Kind of like the way a lion's eyes look when shot with a night vision camera and the light is fully reflected.

It's not a critique, just a stylistic opinion, but I think your creature would look more feral and predatory with less of a visible pupil and more of a distinct eye like it's absorbing light.

I will second what Jspangler says about the eye, that was my first thought as well. Nice peice dude!:)

[Duman]

Alright, I have not had the time to work on this as much as I wanted. Here is a quick update with, well, really only the background right now.
Im going to try and make the deadline, but no promises this week.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/Duman123/COW83.jpg

[Etheral]

this is where iv'e gotten to so far, been pretty damn difficuilt for me my,terrible design skills an anchor round my neck -_-
painted myself for 3 hours into a dead end.
going to come back to it tomorrow.
any way cheers for pointing out the anthropomorphic element mythril golem, didnt occur to me, its not a major problem but i think i'll play with the anatomy a little and mash it up. :D oh yeah and i already took out the tats, oh and the description was just a brain fart so disregard ive thought up a better one.
ty u for the critique

mark tarrisse: loving ure use of texture, very natural colours. are you going to fill in the rest of the bg or leave it like is?
lenore kitty: love your style of anatomy, good luk dl's soon :D
carnifex: i think the most original concept so far, i suggest that u try to make the *illusions* anatomy more in realistic proportion if u can.
aug: the fun way to desigh eh? looking cool, keeping pulling form ^^
masterpete: i would say get horse reference for the unicorn but this is a cow thread, so maybe u should get horse ref to straighten it out but modify it at some point.
mythril golem: very pretty wall of text XD
edit* duman: to be in perspective, his left foot needs to be lower than his right, and his right shoulder should be a bit more ecliped by his chest.

823732

[Lightmode108]

i really want to get better at digital painting. any and all crits will be taken as if they were gold. any tips on painting would be awesome too =D

[Randis]

I picture the Satyr Slayer as a slender predator who is able to sprint at a extremely high speed at short distance.

A Satyr is a very quick and agile creature but it seems by nature be more of a runner than a close combat fighter and armed primary with bows it is good at long/medium range combat.

here is the first scribble, will post more WIP and update to final within today

cheers

[Randis]

he will feast tonight

[Randis]

Update

[Vaghauk]

thanx a lot for the crit ! yeah - the boobs look really wonky :D (i kind of like the wonkyness :) ) . This are very clean and orderly creatures- they shave their fur and hate being dirty. And they hate the smell of satyrs.
anyway i´m going to see in the hoove and leg thing -thanx for pointing that out !!
Ah - and to any body who thinks this creature is to slow to catch an satyr:
They dig up holes in the ground with their digging-claws (which they naturally do to find roots and funghi to feed themselfs). Occasionaly an drunken satyr falls in one of these holes.Or sometimes the "Digger-Pig" even chases them around and when the stinky satyr falls in the "trap" they use the long and sharp claws to kill the satyr and cover it all up with earth very fast cause of the smell.After this they take a long bath in some clean water.
Also they are neutral to almost any other living being and are easily tamed.They work in the fields and serve as guard-dogs. :)
They are known to be bad humored though and are always treated with lots of respect.
Also it´s not advisable to play any music near them...
In nature they live in herds mostly in the grasslands near the big forest.

[David79]

kind of late !
randis: kick ass :D
lenorekitty: really great lines mate!
vahauk: lol bizarre creature :D like it only spot need moar contrast!

mine entrey!
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9712/cowsatyrslayer16001.jpg
some ideas, since the satyr is kind of perve i tried to place some femal human partes on it, and try to not make too well ... u now vulgar!
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/2444/cowsatyrslayer16003.jpg
quick sketch! kind of anphibiane creature lure satyr with music and female hormones, lives close to swamps, 2m high!
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/1025/cowsatyrslayer16004.jpg
i changed a little bite the armes because the silouette whas not so great...put some base colors and now time to refine it a little moar

[Carnifex]

mythrilgolem - ah,no the idea with the horns is that they are supposed to look alittle like arms. good call on the silhouette though. bit stiff picture maybe,yeah.
etheral - i'm trying not to make it too human like,because even through evolution,nothing becomes a perfect look-alike. there's always small differences. generally, the satyrs that are most drunk will be lured towards it,ensuring that the prey doesn't go extinct.
i'll probably have to draw up some small sketches to show the hunting method.
david79- i actually like the quick sketch better,the pose suggests a more waiting,observing mood.

edit: here's my progress so far. hopefully i can finish on time.

[Carnifex]

:carnifex:

[Pixelestial]

Hmm. There seems to be an assumption going around that satyrs are fast. But why? Satyrs are half human and half goat, neither of which is a particularly fast runner. Mix them together and add copious amounts of alcohol, and you get a creature that seems to me like it'd have trouble standing, let alone running.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with basing a satyr slayer design on that assumption. I'm just fascinated with the thought process behind it, that's all.

*************

Do you ever wonder why you never see a female satyr? It's because they look like this. These "satyr-wives" are jealous and wrathful, with a fondness for castrating unfaithful satyrs before killing them.

Hope I have time to finish before the deadline...

[Vaghauk]

i tried to make his breasts less wonky and made him smaller hooves.I think it´s nearly good to go to the final poll.Going to look at it again tomorrow.

[Vaghauk]

lightmode108 : looks like you started directly to use colors on the painting - and they look a bit messy. It helps me alot if i start the drawing just in black and white and start applying colors on a sepparate color layer.t Also try to use references for your creatures like fotos of animals and such to get the anatomy right.And for now i would concentrate on the critter and let the background for later.Would be nice if you continue this even if it´s a bit late for the poll.

[Duman]

Alright, I did not have much time to work on this. As a result, Im not too happy with it. That being said, I am still up for some critiques of this manic painting.
Im calling this the "finished version".
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/Duman123/COW86.jpg

[JakkaS]

Hello everyone. Nice round! I see lots of great ideas and paintings :)
I will save my comments for voting thread.

Anyway, below is my entry.
Cheers
Kuba

[Lenorekitty]

Soulweaver - I agree with you on the satyr speed issue. A bipedal animal with (traditionally) hardly any counterweight couldn't be very fast or stable. Four legs are always better than two really, we as humans are pretty unique when it comes to how we get around.
I like your approach! Im excited to see the final. :D

[jspangler]

Wow jakkas!! That's nice work, man. You definitely get the idea that the poor nymph is tattling on some Satyrs who are in for a world of hurt. Great concept and just an amazing execution.

[Duman]

JakkaS: Dude, you just come waltzing in here with your professional grade piece of visual ass kicking. You melted my eyes.
Its a good thing.

[DefiledVisions]

What Duman said :P

[JakkaS]

Hey guys, I am glad you like it :)

Btw, I have added a short description to my entry.

[Carnifex]

heh..:) jakkas,this is one of the few times where a picture wouldn't actually need a description...everything is perfectly clear looking at it...love it! just now noticed that the satyr himself is in the picture too :)

[Vaghauk]

jakkas :absolutly outstanding ! This truly makes me want to work much harder ! really amazing composition and everything !

[JoshDArtist]

JakkaS: an inspiration!!! damned good work!!! :) thanks!

[Michael Jaecks]

Perhaps I should give you all another week.

Hmmm?

JakkaS: If I had the power to give you a hundred more stars for this entry alone, you know I would do it.

I will resist the temptation to make this A POLL OF ONE and give you all a chance.

ONE MORE WEEK.

The new deadline is November 16th.

GO GO NOW GO AND TRY.....

[evolvingeye]

I didn't get to participate this week, so glad to see I have more time! Some kick ass satyr slayers so far from you guys, I must say.

[Carnifex]

I will resist the temptation to make this A POLL OF ONE and give you all a chance.


...what?

[JoshDArtist]

I think (if I may be so bold) that Michael Jaecks is saying that there is a clear winner (which, I agree) in JakkaS work.
So, in order to allow some people (most) to have a chance to get it up to snuff, we get another week.
(?) at least... that's what I gathered.. I may be completely wrong, but it's the only thing I can think of.. )

[jspangler]

I think its clear Jakkas' work would be the winner. But if we are getting an extension I will be taking this opportunity to go "back to the drawing board" and try to learn from his piece rather than keep overworking my original.

[WeAreLegion]

My eyes are bleeding it is so beautiful, nice work JakkaS

[dwinbotp]

A BIG "Thank You" to Jakkas, for such a wonderful piece of asskickin' art, truly inspiring!!!
And another BIG "Thank You" to Michael Jaecks, for giving all of us another chance to even up the odds a little and not making it really a poll of one(which in my humble opinion, is just really what it'll be anyhow) :D

So Ladies and Gents, We better haul ass and get our collective s**t together LOL

[JoshDArtist]

ohhhh.. it's on like Donkey Kong!!!

[Pixelestial]

As I've gone through this thread, I have been constantly inspired. Then when I saw Michael Jaecks's post, that feeling went away in a hurry. I'm sorry, but some truly excellent stuff has been created this week, and I don't only mean JakkaS's piece -- this round has arguably produced the highest all-around quality in some time! Jaecks, when you extend the deadline by an extra week so everyone can "catch up" to your favorite, you're being rather patronizing. I come here to measure myself against great artists in a fair and equal manner, not to be talked down to. Yes, JakkaS's work is excellent and has a good chance of winning, and yes, it's okay that you're a fan and all, but what you're doing is outright dismissing everyone who isn't JakkaS. That's uncalled for in a community dedicated to helping artists of all skill levels.

GO GO NOW GO AND TRY.....
I mean, really? Taunting?

*****************

JakkaS: Pink fingernails are an interesting choice. :) My only crit is that the green light on the nymph's butt is forming a tangent with the creature's tail, which makes her appear "cut in half" at a quick glance. It's a small distraction in an otherwise wonderful painting.

Duman: That turned out pretty well, but I wish the creature shared some of the great shadows and textures that the background has. I would get some reference for the fur; the lack of highlights is flattening it out.

Vaghauk: The happy background colors don't match the mean and scary-looking creature, and the contrast is jarring. And with so much sunlight, I would expect a little bit of green bounce light on his underside from the grass. Beautifully painted overall, but you might want to consider varying the hues of the background to something less "happy" -- the green is too green, the blue is too blue, etc.

Carnifex: There are a few "lure" type satyr slayers here, but I think you've incorporated the lure into the design most cleverly. But the background forest is very saturated, which is killing the depth of the image. The foreground plants and tree trunk could use more detail too, in order to pull them forward.

David79: Ooh, I love the juicy pencil sketches. (And the "GRR!" sketch is just hilarious!) The color version doesn't feel finished yet, so I'll hold off on commenting on it for now.

Randis: You've definitely captured the feeling of great speed and viciousness. But it's too humanoid for COW, perhaps.

Lightmode108: Probably the best way to get better at digital painting is to start with the basics. Using a reference, study human and animal anatomy. Do value studies in black and white before progressing to color. Focus not only on details, but also pay attention to where light and shadows fall.

Etheral: Texture, color, and mood are all top-notch (some of this was lost in the final, IMO). The creature design, while functional, feels like something I've seen before. Sometimes simple is good, but it's missing something.

Lenorekitty: You've got some wonderful sketches that make the creature feel very solid and alive, but I'll hold off on commenting more until I see a final.

Mark Tarrisse: I like the colors and design you've chosen. The background, while nice, makes it feel like more of a marsh or grassland creature than a forest creature.

AUG: Great energy and colors -- it really cleaned up nice in the finals thread.

El Capohan: The lop-eared creature is interesting, but COW might still be a little beyond your skill level at this point. There's not anything wrong with that -- everyone you see here had to start somewhere. Work on your anatomy knowledge, both human and animal. Try to draw from life and photographs instead of from cartoons and comics. I hope to see you back here much improved in a few months.

jspangler: The bottom version does have some richer shadows, but I probably wouldn't have noticed a difference unless you had pointed it out. The creature design is simple and functional (I like the face and pipe-horns especially), and I think simplicity is a good thing in your case.

Draugth: Good start, but the sketch is too unclear for me to make much of it.

MasterPete: You're able to notice the flaws in your own painting, and that's a good thing. It does not have any readability because the silhouettes of the two subjects obscure one another. A good clear silhouette is more important than an action pose for a creature design competition like COW.

lkjhgfdsa: The intricacy of your paintings never ceases to amaze me. The earlier version looked like a photograph of a bizarre wooden sculpture. However, the straight-on profile view is perhaps a bit uninteresting. And a fish creature seems a little out of place in a forest. :)

Steve Somers: That is so surreal and alien, made even more so by all the pink. I imagine it moving in a very weird and creepy way. I'm glad you ditched the arms from the earlier version, since there are already a few centaur-shaped creatures running around here as it is.

AestheticMachine: Maybe it's just me, but the word "slayer" makes me think of a hunting creature, rather than a sit-and-wait type of predator. Even so, I hope you take this further.

JoshDArtist: Part spider, part dog? Neat combination, although it is skirting the edges of the topic. Nothing about it specifically says "satyr slayer" to me.

Jaunay: All this time, I thought the tall dark shape behind the "fruit" and under the eyes was a doorway-shaped mouth. I only just now realized that's a shadow, and now that I've noticed the real mouth, I like the design quite a bit more. As COW is a creature design competition, though, the anatomy of the creature should be much more clear at a glance.

sepu: It's got potential, but are you going to take it further?

1oshuart: A good idea, but the woman-shaped lure could be integrated into the creature more convincingly. It looks a bit tacked on.

JaderGader: I like it from what little I can see. The creature probably needs to be more separate from the tree in order to get past the "no plant-like creatures" rule.

mongreldesigns: I think the creature needs to be more separated from the host satyr, so we can see its actual anatomy. A satyr with a mouth running down its body does not make a creature design.

Parcel-sisters: That's utterly bizarre, but that's a good thing. Fills my daily quota of weirdness. As much as I like it, I can't figure out a good biological reason for the face to be upside-down, since the eyes/nose/brain are taking up space where the windpipe should be.

Mitch-King: That's a neat painting. I especially like the first WIP; I'm loving the energy, and the extremely vertical composition makes the creature seem gigantic and imposing. I'm having trouble thinking of crits, except that maybe some might consider the creature unoriginal and too similar to a satyr.

bad_painter: That's a nice little sketch. Not much more I can say for a work at such an early stage.

Mike D: It definitely feels like it belongs in a dark, creepy forest. It's skirting the "no human-like" rule, though.

Defiled Visions: It's been a real treat to watch this one develop from the sketch. You sure captured the "madness" aspect.

Mordus: I was really hoping you would develop your sketch further, since the design has some potential.

[Lenorekitty]

-- this round has arguably produced the highest all-around quality in some time! Jaecks, when you extend the deadline by an extra week so everyone can "catch up" to your favorite, you're being rather patronizing. I come here to measure myself against great artists in a fair and equal manner, not to be talked down to. Yes, JakkaS's work is excellent and has a good chance of winning, and yes, it's okay that you're a fan and all, but what you're doing is outright dismissing everyone who isn't JakkaS. That's uncalled for in a community dedicated to helping artists of all skill levels.

agreed.

[jspangler]

Having read Soulweaver's thread I have to say it reminded me that I didn't come here to compete against anyone but myself. I have been out of illustration for a long time and am trying to hone my skill level and build a portfolio. One week isn't going to improve me to the point of competing with Jakkas' entry and I really don't think my entry was so weak that it would not make the voting thread.

So rather than belabor one idea I have already moved on and started on the CHOW. Jakkas that is truly an amazing illustration... you've got my vote when the time comes. And there are quite a few other excellent ideas and executions here as well.

[Vaghauk]

Soulweaver : thanx for the crit - the sunlight-bounce is really missing- - i made the contrast between the sunny background and the angry creature on purpose to show with his disgusted face how he hates beautyful things - i even considered putting some butterflies to "irritate" him even more ! :D

So - one more week .... ? ! this means we can change our allready posted image ....hm, back to the drawingboard for me aswell....i think swiny can´t withstand the green forest guardian... :)

[thirdeye]

I think you guys make too big of a deal about this. Sure Jaecks has stated who his fav is (maybe too strongly) and he gave you all another week to hone your entries. But in the end it's still the public that does the voting. So nothing's decided.

[JakkaS]

Hey guys, thank you all for your kind words and thanks Soulweaver for your crits, I will try top fix nymph's butt! :D

MJ, I think extending the deadline because of me it's not a good idea. I am sure everyone is waiting for a new topic. I can remove my entry from finals thread. It's not a big deal. I am happy when I can join the gang and paint something for COW, but it's not about wining. Beside that, not always the most polished entry is winning! The concept is important also. I think David79's sketches are far more interesting then my entry, at least for me his ideas are great!

Cheers
Kuba

Ps. As I said before, I am doing this just for fun and to push myself to work and improve. Here are my other two COWs, I haven't even posted.
COW153 - not done yet.... http://i34.tinypic.com/2rffvoh.jpg
COW159 - done, but I painted this very quickly and after few days I didn't like it at all... http://i36.tinypic.com/29vhxqo.jpg

[Carnifex]

I think you guys make too big of a deal about this. Sure Jaecks has stated who his fav is (maybe too strongly) and he gave you all another week to hone your entries. But in the end it's still the public that does the voting. So nothing's decided.

stating your favourite is one thing,but this is just stupid.
i mean if imagine.fx held a contest and andrew jones posted late in the game,they wouldn't suddendly say to everyone else to brush up their stuff to match his. and yes,i'd much rather have a new topic.
jakkas - thank you,really,for seeing this the way you do. (and the additional pics). :) no need to remove the image though.
soulweaver,thanks for the crit,i'll have a look into the saturation issue. the rest i haven't got time for right now unfortunately.

[acb]

godamnit as i read that the deadline is for another week i started sketching and then my tablet's pen stopped working...i think...that...(im afraid even to say it O_O) ...its...broken ^(T_T)^?!...maybe ill o something traditionally then :D(like i have a choice >_>)

anyways JakkaS - you stuff are great and i dont think you should take out your entry cuz you still spent sometime on it and you deserve to win if thats what most of the ppl will choose .i think its really good that there are artists like you around (and there are others ofc :D) that keep pushing our lazyones out there (>o^_^o<) to work abit harder on their stuff .
MJ- i dont think we need to extend this subject for another week cuz well tbh....its pointless and the whole point is to have a certain period of time in which you need to invest some time on an entry ...its a challenge! some ppl make it some ppl dont.and im sure there are others (like me ) who want a different subject to work on :D

if imagine.fx held a contest and andrew jones posted late in the game,they wouldn't suddendly say to everyone else to brush up their stuff to match his
good point there :D

[dwinbotp]

I have no idea if this will show up, My screen says it does but I have to hear it from you guys just to be sure. I hate not using my own computer :(

[Vaghauk]

jakkas : i agree with acb ! no need to take out yours !And it´s a pitty you didn´t posted your curly headed bloodsucker ! Awesome work.
And it´s true that not always the most polished entry wins- which is good.At least i hope that people don´t vote only on the nicest painting but also on the best concept.

acb : i also agree that it would make sence to go on to an new topic ... but on the other hand it could be challanging to push further on the same subject.I just think everybody should make a NEW approach - (so it´s still an 1 week challange). For sure it´s not easy to come up with something original now ...
oh ! and i´m really sorry for your pen - may he rest in peace :(
The rythm in this activity is really getting tough - but the tougher the better - i guess.
But whoa...! if this goes on like this i´m scared i break my pen too.

dwinbotp : shows up very nicely !! :D

[jspangler]

Guys, this is getting a bit overdone.

Jakkas - there is absolutely no reason for you to remove your entry. That's just stupid. As far as the extension goes... If anyone wants to redo their entry or go back to scratch then do it. If you don't then don't.

I can only speak for myself but when I see a piece like Jakkas' entry it immediately opens doors in my head and I think "oh man, yeah... I shoulda put my prowler on a slab of rock overlooking a saytr who looks lost and frightened - like the prowler is crouched and ready to pounce." And of course I should have done more sketches, found better reference, carefully considered the lighting, etc, etc, etc. I immediately see how my work needs to progress to another level and for that I am damn happy to see an entry kick my artistic ass.

But it's not like the entry is perfect. Everyone has their own take and while I greatly admire Jakkas' skill I also think..."hmmmmm, why would something that large have antlers? It can't possibly be one of a group that inhabits the same forest so why would it need them? Also what does he eat? Is he a type of animal and if so is his skin bark-like or is that really bark? And how in the world could he castrate satyrs without ripping them in half in the process?"

So the entry is clearly superior in painting ability but the concept (to me) is not as strong as it could be. It's still getting my vote, but it's not "perfect".

So uh jakkas... I have some questions? What software are you using and can you give me some tips on brushes? And how in the world did you learn lighting to that degree? Any tips are welcome, man.

[Vaghauk]

jspangler: think it´s never overdone people expressing their oppinion.sure everybody is free to continue on their actual entry - i just think it would be more logical to do a new one.I don´t want to have some extra week .This is an weekly activity and it should not be changed only because one entry happens to be "better" or on a higher "skill level" or whatever.Same rules for everybody.
So....Mr. Jaecks - i would like to know what´s it gonna be - not that i´m in a hurry... ;) - but i got to plan my week somehow... guess your word rules ? :)

[Steve Somers]

Aw shit... more creature drama! I love it!

Well I could go either way on this, on the one hand I like what I did and I'm okay just leaving it. On the other hand it's an interesting challenge to find things to improve. I would rather push myself than sit back and say "good enough" The reason Jakkas' piece is so intimidating is because he really pushed it, he set a standard for himself and hit it.

So if anyone has some thoughts on how I can improve, change or clarify my picture, I'd appreciate hearing it. The trees on the right seem kinda sketchy, and I think the creature's legs could be more interesting...what do you think?

[Duman]

These fantastic pieces are making my head explode.
I mean, I have absolutely no clue how to even get a piece that polished. This is ridiculous. In a good way.
And I have to say, not posting those images almost hurts the community. Images that beautiful are wellsprings of inspiration and motivation. It makes me want to be able to paint something like that. To dedicate my life's work to that.
Not sharing those images is like developing the most beautiful, efficient and practical car in the world, and only making one for yourself.
I don't care if you win every round. I just want to see more.
I should stop typing now, seeing as my head is nothing but a smoldering crater on my neck.

[Lenorekitty]

I dunno I have mixed emotions...I am looking forward to having another week to work on my entry....

JakkaS - Don't remove your entry, its beautiful! It wasn't your problem to begin with.

[1oshuart]

I am seeing amazing work ^ ^


I dont´t like much to have put one more week for delivery which he looked forward to the next topic jakja

[jspangler]

Steve Somers - if I were to say change anything in your piece I would say the head and tail for me are a bit confusing. The head is vague... I'm not sure what is what... however that does greatly enhance its horror. And the tail should be erect and mobile if it has a stinger. Even if it doesn't very few creatures actually allow their tail to drag. But it is one of the better pieces for sure so those are nit-picky details.

As I said before I am going to have to move on and just raise my own bar for the next one. I have very limited time so even working every night after work I will be hard-pressed to turn in my CHOW on time. But please, give me criticisms on the "prowler". Just like any artist it is difficult for me to see my own weaknesses.

Vaughauk - i didn't mean to belittle anyone for expressing their opinions. I just meant that Jakkas feeling that he needed to withdraw his entry due to it being "too good" is nuts. Nuts, people... f**king nuts.

[Steve Somers]

jspangler - thanks for the input. I'm okay with the head being confusing on mine because it does make it creepier not knowing, for me anyway. But the tail does look rather flaccid now that you mention it.

As for your prowler my thought would be first, maybe focus on one challenge a week and really try to make that one solid. I see a few artists here who do multiple challenges and it's impressive, but if you're working a 40 hour week like me, you're just torturing yourself. For a full time artist with time between projects, maybe, but us working stiffs need a little rest.

As for the piece itself, I love the horns, I get that they would be used to lure a satyr without any explanation, that's an awesome idea. He looks tough, aggressive, and mythical. But if you were to push any parts, I'd say bring some of the ground beneath him into focus. If you really want to get fancy, add background elements, maybe showing another of the beasts mangling a satyr so that no explanation is needed.

[Pixelestial]

No matter what happens, people, just keep painting. This has been nothing but a civil discussion, and I don't think anyone has stepped on any toes. JakkaS, don't remove your entry, man -- no one here is upset that you set the bar high! Like I said, I want to see how I compare to the best of the best, and I'm sure others here feel the same way too. I'm just sorry that you had to be in the middle of it all.

dwinbotp: That's a real step up from your other final. Too human-like? Maybe, but I don't care. I think some of the foreground grass could be sharpened up a bit. And maybe the creature's hide could be a bit more "worn", with scars and dirt and protruding arrows and whatnot.

jspangler: As for your piece, I really couldn't think of a better crit for you before. But maybe you're right, and the lack of narrative is what's holding it back after all. The scenario you described could really enhance the image, if you put in the time to do it.

[Vaghauk]

steve somers : the flacid tail was one of the parts i liked - it looks threatning on a sneaky - subtile way -it´s not like you would expect to see a scorpion tail makes it look suspicious. I would also focus more on the head (without loosing it´s "confusing" look) and work out the trees a bit . :)

i think i let my digging-piggy like it is and go for something darker - huge - badass -scary - hanging in the trees - thingy .... :D
- try to send some wip later.

[Carnifex]

whatever happens,i'm gonna leave my piece as it is (except maybe for some details).
the whole point for me is to create something as good as you can, in one week. otherwise it'd be creature of two weeks,or something. ok,i'll stop now.
steve somers - I'd say maybe more ambient lighting? really tie in the creature into the environment; there's not much reflect light on it. also,possibly define the lightsource overall better. looks alittle like the satyr is lit by a different lightsource than the creature.

[Etheral]

and i was so worried about the deadline TT_TT
does anyone know if we can paint a second pic of the same creature and include it in the final as well as our original ones?
also cow drama ftw :D

dwinbotp: technically i'd say the best piece here, though not hugely original its power and atmosphere make up for it.

steve somers: i dont see how you can jump this picture up to the next level very easily, i'd think trying to put the creature in a more dynamic pose might help perhaps, say, attacking the satyr? oh and maybe adding a strong red at some point, perhaps an eye?

jakkas: wow talk about dropping a drama bomb ^^, only thing i can think of to improve is adding more realism, but that's not really needed.

carnifex: a more dynamic pose maybe? better yet add a satyr in the background hornily stalking it :D

vaghauk: i think if you did another version, instead of going back over it you would learn a hell of a lot more. gl

duman: your excellent enviroment skills really shine through. simmple way to improve it: make the hair more realistic.

hmm on second thoughts i'll focus on the chow/idw contest, im having more fun with it.
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[Steve Somers]

Etheral - Oh, we can always kick it up to the next level, always.. I think I'm going to keep the passive pose but pump up the lighting overall and make it consistent as Carnifex suggests. If you think these entries couldn't all get better, look at some of Kekai Kotaki's work and imagine if that dude entered his Druid or his Tyrant for this... he'd be killin it... I think, on yours you have some rim lighting opportunities there.. maybe rim lighting is overused in Illustration, but hey, it works.

Vaghauk - Although I'm curious to see your take on a huge badass demonic beast, it just seems contrary to your nature. Your work has a warmth and friendliness that make it unique and that's a strength to develop, not to avoid.

[Pixelestial]

I would love any crits on mine. This is what I produced within the original week-long time limit. I'll still be making adjustments just for my own purposes, though I don't think I'll be entering the edited version in the finals thread.

[Vaghauk]

soulweaver : where the boar joins the "satyr"-body you are missing some 3-dimensionality.Try to make the whole boar more "round" specially on that spot. You could try to give him the shape with the fur - letting the fur follow the volume of the body- err - if you know what i mean- my english----- :P

etheral : ya - your right ! moving on to a new idea seems to be the better choice.I really didn´t do much of an effort for the pig-man design - maybe i was tired from the curly-headed week before- but now i´m back in buisiness ;)

steve somers : That is really very nice to hear,and helping me to see my own work better.Thanx ! But don´t worry - i´m actually unable to do something really mean-looking - i´m drawing now and it´s going to be a cuty-beauty again.... :D
-bit shy to send a wip - just some more scrrrribling.....

[Steve Somers]

Soulweaver - When I first saw yours I thought it was a Deerwoman with a boar for a pet, but now I see it's one creature, so maybe clarify that part of it, and maybe some of the areas where the marks aren't blending into each other..and where's your bunny ears dammit, that hanging creature was awesome!

[JoshDArtist]

excellent discussion in here !!!! :) I like your comment, Steve Somers, where you say "look at some of Kekai Kotaki's work and imagine if that dude entered his Druid or his Tyrant for this"... his work IS mind-blowing... I feel that these weekly activities are all about pushing each of us to our personal best. The fact that an amazing piece is entered just makes me want to do that much better with my next piece. Also, I learn SO much from just seeing other artists entries. Not just the "professional" level pieces either...
:)
Soulweaver: what resolution are you working in??

[Cloister]

Nice round! Keep up the good work, guys. Here is another slayer for you. :)

[acb]

wuuuhuu my pen is working again ( some battery stuff apperently ^(^ - ^)^ )

dwinbotp- thats a really cool head you got there :D i like it ^_^ but ive noticed (i think that way) that some things doesnt quite fit there :
* theres something with the legs that the left leg should be behind the hill(according to the way it looks it should ) and yet its infront of the hill and the right leg should be infront of the hill but its behind it.
*on the lower upper body part (the abs) if yull look at them yull see it seems like theyre starting from the leg that is close to the background and not like they should be,from the middle of the body.it look as if the pose /lightning isnt quite decided so some parts fit to others but the whole thing isnt combining properly. anyways thats only my opinion but other then that its a cool crit ^_^

[Pixelestial]

Thanks Vaghauk and Steve Somers. I was afraid that area had some problems, and you've confirmed it. Back to work I go.

JoshDArtist: The original is about 2200 x 2000 @ 300dpi, why do you ask?

Cloister: There's a tiny spot where the bow string is visible through the satyr's wrist. It took me awhile to notice, but now that I have, it's driving me crazy. :)

and where's your bunny ears dammit, that hanging creature was awesome!
That is a very good question. I was beginning to wonder if anyone else was missing theirs, or if it was just me.

Oh, and thank you, it's cool that you remembered that creature. ^_^ I'm much happier with that one in general than I am with this one.

[Cloister]

Soulweaver: Thanks, man!
(My screen is an old bulky one, and very good with contrasts. I would never have spotted that unless I had increased the image brightness a lot... which I sometimes do to check out what the shadows reveal on other people's screens.)

[Vaghauk]

THORN demon
this is a pencil-sketch of the fearsome thorn demon. Took me a looooooooot of messy drawings to finally decide this sketch.... got a bit nervous with all that awesome slayers and forest-guardians lurking around.... :)
826823

[Vaghauk]

some more progress on the thorn demon.

[Steve Somers]

Vaghauk - I like the space on this one, you have extreme foreground, and the narrative is already there. I know you'll probably paint over your original line drawing there, but just for future reference there is an awesome tutorial by Bugmeyer for deleting white from a drawing on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDq426DMC04

[Michael Jaecks]

The extended deadline stays.

JakkaS' entry stays.

When I said poll of one, you do of course understand that I would have had to pull myself from that poll, don't you?

This is not about my ego and it is not about who is friends with who.

This is about what good is.

Carry on.

[Duman]

Im not sure Im going to have the time to keep working on this, sadly enough. Fate seems to have conspired against my productivity.
I will, however, be waiting for the improved finals with anticipation.
See you all next week.

[Vaghauk]

steve somers - yeah - i deleted the white in the worse possible way...
thanx for the link to youtube - i actually saw this specific vid before - but it takes always a damn long time until some "new" function enters my workflow.I normally insist on repeting errors and do it the complicated way... :D

the basic for my satyrslayer nº2 is ready.innicially he was supposed to hang in the trees- well- somehow during my scribbling he descendet to the ground.
Actually i like the way he moves--- even if it´s not very realistic.But since we are in the terrain of myth´s....
he can fast-grow and shrink his thorny arms and fingers,that´s how hes going to catch that frightend satyr.
going to add a few more background elements (like trees and shrubbery) before i start with colors.
827274

[Steve Somers]

Vaghauk - I hear ya, I've got that shortcut written on a note next to my computer.. Your thorn demon is looking very dynamic, sort of the antithesis of a big tree monster. Hope there'll be a lot of little thorny details in there.

[jspangler]

The extended deadline stays.

JakkaS' entry stays.

When I said poll of one, you do of course understand that I would have had to pull myself from that poll, don't you?

This is not about my ego and it is not about who is friends with who.

This is about what good is.

Carry on.

I'm still confused as to why JakkaS' entry would be pulled... voluntarily or otherwise. Do people want him penalized for being too good?

[Steve Somers]

New and Improved SATYR SLAYER™
Check out these HOT new features!

• Deadly ATTACK!!® tail
• Throat Ripper Claws! Now in Hot Pink!!
• Improved Forest Fauna!
• and other changes too subtle to be worth mention!

So what do you guys think? Are they trivial improvements? Am I beating a dead centaur here?

[jspangler]

Steve Somers - Nice. Far more menacing in my opinion. You also worked on the legs and there is definitely an increased sense of tense menace coming from the creature.

For some reason I see a sort of strange one-toothed baby head when I look at the creature's "face". Its very odd but it is clearly intentional and weird in the same way that some animals mimic human faces through coloration and pattern.

[scorge]

Perhaps I should give you all another week.

Hmmm?

ONE MORE WEEK.

The new deadline is November 16th.

GO GO NOW GO AND TRY.....

I
Am
In

Good to see you're still alive and kicking ass Jakkas. Very inspirational.

Steve Somers: Stepping it up ten fold with each round. Quick study huh? ;)

Dwinbotp: Might be too late for a crit, but that left foot's killing me and the right leg looks a bit large. Awesome design.

[Vaghauk]

steve somers :yeah ! that baby head is really scary !!! the overall pose looks much more threatning aswell - and i like the improved forest fauna ! I think the lightning is still a bit unconsistant.
But it´s not a bad thing at all - depends how you look at it.... it´s a bit like this is staged and lightned for some bizarre opera or theater piece! :)
I´m new in the concept art thing - i studied illustration - but i´m still a bit confused how one can measure what´s "good" in concept art... i mean - shouldn´t it depend on what the concept art is used for ---? Steven somers - you said this some weeks ago if i remember right. Made me thinking.Now we are doing a satyr slayer concept art piece. Very well.But wouldn´t it help and be interesting to decide also what it would be used for? Like we could say :
"this week we are doing a satyr slayer ( or whatever) for an fantasy - action movie".Or for an digital animation movie or an publicity on parfume - or idon´t know what more ....
Big and muscled beasts could be good for an action movie and a the bizarre and strange beasts could go for an publicity or animation approach.If we would put it like that it could limit our inspiration somehow (depending for example which director would do that action movie or in which decade the movie is made....etc.) but on the other hand it would be a nice exercise....
meanwhile this is about creatures in the first place - so i guess in the end it really doesn´t matter what it´s for. What matters is that lot´s of people like it.....
still - i´m wondering how it would be to do an very restrictive topic - like it seems to happen mre on chow.
....... oh well-enough philosophy ! back to the plastic-scratching-digital-wonders..... :)

[Steve Somers]

Vaghauk - When you're considering what these are for, it's ultimately you who will make that determination. Some guys really want to do Illustration work for some of the popular titles out there, Magic, D&D, Warhammer, or whatever. But there's plenty of other uses; galleries, prints, movie concepts etc. So if you have an audience or a market in mind, or just want to learn more, then work towards that end. The voting is just another form of critique and encouragement.

Scorge - AWESOME, you're in!! Can't wait to see what emerges from that brain of yours!

jspangler - yeah.. it is sort of a creepy baby huey head there now that you mention it, now it's kind of creepin me out too...

If any of you guys have a minute I'd love some crits on this piece I've been chipping away at all year, ... It's in the WIP critique area, here: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=173836

fresh eyes needed...and here's a thumbnail....

[Michael Jaecks]

I'm still confused as to why JakkaS' entry would be pulled... voluntarily or otherwise. Do people want him penalized for being too good?

JakkaS suggested that he be pulled from the poll, but I won't do it.

If the tone of my comments or my enthusiasm for his entry and return to COW offended anyone, I apologize. It's not my intent to offend or hurt any feelings... I just want to push the quality level up. I certainly would never do something so silly as to post a poll of one literally. But his entry really did up the game, in my opinion, so I offered the time extention.

Time extentions on a project are not something you're going to experience very often in your profressional careers. The extention was not offered because anyone wasn't 'good enough,' I just want everyone to put forward their best effort here. I know you guys are capable, and I look forward to seeing finals Monday.

[Vaghauk]

michael jaecks : i think your enthusiasm takes us all to the right direction. You did well to react and write what was going on on your mind and was really important to you. That makes this activity much more instructive for everybody.No offense taken for sure ! on the contrary - good lesson taken here- for free and for everybody on the globe having pacience to participate in this.

[DefiledVisions]

Thanks Jaecks! I've been really busy this week with university studies, and also considered my piece finished so I was posting it hoping for the best. This extension will give me the extra help I need to rework some aspects, mainly render the feet completely, sloppy texture there, and depth (it appears a bit flat).

Loving all the pieces so far, I'll add some crits when I have time.
Jakkas seing your piece was really cool since I've been pushing to reach your level and you've been an inspiration ever since I found out what cow was. Watching you in action has been great!

[Vaghauk]

okay here we go. the thorn demons sufferd some "final" modifications - before, all the perspective was messed up cause you could see his back while the whole pic was set on froggy-perspective - so what i did was showing his breast instead of his boring back. And - i change his fairy tale face to an more evil-badass-face -
getting ready for colors ....
what do you think ?

[DefiledVisions]

Vaghauk mate, just want to say it's a really cool design! Though there are still some issues I want to point out.
The way you are portraying the satyr he is looking out in the distance, and we as viewers sort of associate with him. "We see what he sees" because of the angle. You depth is good, it works with the perspective. However the creature ruins the whole sense of it. It's hard to explain in words..I'll try. The creature appears to be flat, we see the body in profile, as if it didn't exist in space but on a plain surface.

The way I see the piece is as if the creature happens to just walk by and then spots the satyr. It would have more impact if you had the creature face the satyr with its whole body, it would add an intent of tracking down and killing the satyr and not just happening to walk by.
Also sharpening the foregrounds would do good. Some of the trees far back are sharper than the feet far up front which ruins the depth. Focus should be on satyr and the creature's head and upper body. Hope it helps.

[Vaghauk]

started to give some colors - and added some special features ---- ;)
hope you like ---
any suggestions and crits very appreciated !

[Vaghauk]

defilesvision - thanx for the crit - actually the idea of the pic really is that the creature just seems to pass by - it even does a little two-fingers-walking- game to distract the satyr - which is scared enough - and if you look nearer you can see yhat the creature is not just passing but extending his thorny fingers to catch the satyr from back while he´s looking up.
But it´s true that there are some multiple perspectives working here which i don´t understand by myself very well - but i think it works anyway.
The direct attack pose was not the thing i wanted to show here - more the apparently passing danger which sneaks up from behind ---- :)

[Vaghauk]

some color balance and more details -but there is still quite a bit to do --- :)
does the creature still looks very flat ???? any crits are welcome ----

[Carnifex]

say,what time of the day are you planning for this painting? i actually liked the previous step better in that aspect, more like eveningfall. this one's more dawning of new day,dunno if that fits so well with the subject.
overall i'm quite impressed with your progress on these chows.

[Vaghauk]

carnifex - yeah you are right - got to darken that sky - i also liked more the night-feeling.
thanx for pointing this out !
hey-and thanx - nice to hear this !!!- this activities really push me further - glad my effort is showing ! :)

[JoshDArtist]

Vaghauk: you are really rockin' along with those updates! keep it up!

[Elissimo]

I wasn't really planning on entering but since we have more time I might try to create something else, this doesn't feel very original.

Tainted ram-like creature.

[acb]

Elissimo - its a cool crit (damn .....so far with my tainted crit idea ~_~....ho well back to the drawing board T_T) but it doesnt seem like the type of crit that will eat \feed on\maybe even hurt a satyr.i think that if yull change the face into something more evil /intimidating/satyr none friendly itll fit more.
maybe different face (demonic ones) or maybe the taint deformed the rams face/parts of its body and made it abomination like (it has a mouth on the shoulder for example or something like that,arms going out from places theyre not supposed to be :D) has lots of potential in it :D
looking forward for updates ^_^

[Elissimo]

Thanks for the feedback/ideas acb ^^

I'm thinking of doing something more like a werewolf or werecat? Since the satyrs are based on goats it seems likely that some kind of humanoid predatory animal would be chasing them. I'll definitely try to incorporate some of your demonic suggestions :)

[Cloister]

And here is another one...

[DeathByChris]

A lot of hot entries this week and some controversy to go along with it all.

[Vaghauk]

somebody knows when "exactly" is the deadline - today or on monday ???

ah okay - sorry for asking--- i see now it´s monday - :D ....

[Cloister]

Vaghauk: I think you have lost a lot of the depth and speed that was impressive in your wip02.

[Vaghauk]

Cloister :yeah..... --- it´s true ,lots of speed and frontality of the innicial drawings are gone -i gained more detail on the creature but lost a lot of the movement and dramatic moment.I think i´m going to try to modify this somehow - also the perspective could be more in the direction of the forest perspective - giving depth to the body - probably i have to re-construct the whole beasty - well .... this is really an hard week---- but since it looks like some of you would like to see this demon in a different pose i do my best to change this to an less confusing perspective-mix.
Also there are still two nights left to go on scribbling on this.Hope the time is enough....
and now - back to drawingboard again !!! ;)
hey- thanx a lot for helping !!!!!!

[Vaghauk]

okay - i changed the whole perspective of the trees and the beasty - got quite a different feeling now - the demon is really charging the satyr -and its true that it looks better.
Was a hard decision to paint practically all over again - but i think it was worth the effort.
thanx for everybody helping on this !

[Elissimo]

Vaghauk the new perspective looks great!

Here's my new concept.. this time a big battle going on between the satyrs and the slayer. I will try to add more demonic elements to him, I didn't want to interrupt my flow earlier..

[Elissimo]

update

[JoshDArtist]

Vaghuak: friggin awesome!!! :) now just spend today and tomorrow really pushing it to completion, and you're golden! nice work man! (if that's fire inside of him, is it a roaring fire or simply hot coals?? what would that do to the lighting around his chest, limbs, etc?)

[Carnifex]

vaghauk - i'd paint the left arm back in,because now you've got a big load of empty space and he looks alittle more like he's floating.

[Vaghauk]

JoshDArtist:thanx man ! Yeah- its like some kind of demonic fire - i allready started to do some more bounce lightning on the body and limps and i had the idea to add some sparks-
The idea is that the Thorn-Demon absorbs the life-energy of his prey, and since satyrs got a lot of life energy they end up to be their favorite dish. The fire could represent that life energy contained in the demonic beast.
it´s going to be two more nights of fine-tuning.Let´s see if i can push this even more.

Any comments and crits- very welcome !

[Vaghauk]

Carnifex - it´s a bit distracting - isn´t it ? damn ! i thought so - but was hoping it passes--- :D You mean i should show more of he left arm somehow? like pushing it backwarts so we can see his hand again on the ground ?Maybe i have to stretch the canvas a bit --- hm....
i could try to put his left hand in grabbing pose --- hm....no grabbing pose wouldn´t work - cause he needs to have the hand on the ground - or grabbing a tree-
i try to figure out something-
you are not reffering to his right lower arm are you ? (since it´s on the left of the pic...)

[Vaghauk]

".... and the torture never stops.... " (frank zappa)

[AUG]

Steve Somers - Really appreciate all of the details that you have included. The new features definitely added some weight to the piece.

Elissimo - Liking the energy of your marks in your new piece. I loved your first version, too. The black emanations gave the creature an other-worldly feel.

Cloister - Nice contrast going on between the violence of the attacking creature and the serene background. My only crit would be the direction of the slayers tail. If it were pointing in the direction of the satyr it might lead the viewers eye in a circular path from satyr to slayer to slayer's tail and back.

Vaghauk - The piece has improved greatly with all of the changes that you have made. I like the light source coming from the chest. Maybe adding some touches of yellow to the satyr and surrounding grasses would provide another level of depth.


I'm taking another stab at this since my last attempt did not pan out. I thought that once the slayer subdued the satyr, it could grasp the prey with it's wing-like appendages, put the satyr on his back and inject it with the nerve numbing poison in his tail.

[Vaghauk]

i pushed one of the arms a bit back - so you can see the elbow. Think it shows the whole position better....It´s true there is some empty space on the left - but maybe it emphasis the size of the creature to not show more of the arms - maybe i can put som bugs flappering around....
now i got alot of lil thorns to paint ... :)
going to add level- and color-balance layers later.

ah and i got one issue with this - bt i´m not sure ---- i got one white lightsource from topright and the breast-fire thingy and bottom right is some greenish light which i don´t know if its abit to much --- if i would darken this it could emphasis the other light sources ---- hm...

[scorge]

Cloister, Great action! The arms and legs could use a more random flying out of the water look.

Vaghauk: Looking loads better. Way to push that perspective.

Aug: Cool design. Sounds like a bad way to die.

Elissimo: Brutal!


Where I'm at.

[Vaghauk]

made some more progress on my satyr-slayer nº2 ...

[wizo5454]

great job you guys!
scourge, love ur take on this!

ugh its late - might not be able to polish more.

[Cloister]

Elissimo: A lot of character in that face. I like it.

[Carnifex]

vaghauk - i meant like on the previous wips, you had his right arm (our left) fully in the picture,almost making it seem like he would knock out the viewer if he got any closer. now you've cut it off at the top left,which makes the viewer's eyes fall on the empty space there,instead of being lead back towards the satyr. circle eye movement,know what i mean?

[Vaghauk]

carnifex ! yeah - thanx for pointng that out - this pic went through so many modifications since its first sketch that it changed the whole mood completly--- but i think i learned a lot .
i tried to improve this arm thing by showing at least the elbow so the circle movement is not to much inerrupted - there was not enough space to show the whole arm---- hope it´s a bit better then the streched out arm i had before you comented this.
All in all i´m quite pleased with it - going to work out the last details tonight.

[AUG]

Vaghauk - Looking even better with the last set of changes!

wizo5454 - Pure evil. Nice energy in your marks.

scorge - Hope to see it as a finished piece.


I plan on eliminating some of the problems with this throughout the day, (as the NFL dictates). Any tips and criticisms would be welcomed.

[Vaghauk]

aug : thanx alot ! it´s an intersting beasty i specially like the head ! if you coul just move it abit too look at us it could gain some impact.The wing-thingys are curious like they cant decide if they are wing or claws - i think they would´nt work as wings anyway with all that holes :D
ah - maybe you should be careful twith the mountain ambience - sins the satyrs live in the forest - you could use the perspective you got to make him sit high above the forest for example ---- :)
hope this helps somehow !

[Vaghauk]

i think this is nearly ready.

[Vaghauk]

So - that should be the final version ( if i don´t find something until tomorrow.... :) )Probably i have to take a break next week-
got some work waiting.... This beasty took a lot of time to do -
hope you like !

[xzacto]

EH.... I wrestled with this one. one minute i like the way it's coming along, then I screw it up... Oh well.

[alive]

decided to bail on this week, wait until the next topic is up

[scorge]

I don't know why I can't resist a good COW. You guys did an excellent job this week.

Here's the final.

[lkjhgfdsa]

Scorge- have you been watching 'pan's labyrinth' lately?

[JoshDArtist]

scorge: excellent work, as always!!! :)

[Steve Somers]

AUG - I like the wing concept on the new piece. I really liked seeing the WIP's on how your first one developed though. Had some really cool spontaneous markmaking going on in the real early stages, reminded me of Francis Bacon with Lucian Freud's pallette - what it may have lacked in specificity in made up for in spontanaeity.

Vaghauk - WOW you really pushed yourself on the new one, that looks really sweet! Plus having him composed entirely of thorns is a unique concept I haven't seen. Adding that extra level of design and resolving the lighting to that degree radically changed it from what I saw when I last checked on friday.

Scorge - Looks like you were having some fun this weekend, that guy is killer! The cascading flowers are a nice touch, really contrasts the brutality of the Centaur behemoth.

[evolvingeye]

Hey guys barely had time to work on this at all, even with the second week extension, but here is mine anyway so far. You guys have some awesome Satyr Slayers I must say. Great job!

[scorge]

Thanks guys!
@lkjhgfdsa: LOL That's the second time someone has compared my work to pan's labrynthe. I actually haven't seen it yet but now I'm thinking maybe I should.

[Michael Jaecks]

Are all the finals in? I'm planning on posting the poll tonight. If you intend to enter and haven't yet, get them up.

[wizo5454]

thanks for the Heads-up Michael, Ive added mine.