EOW 151: Coven of the Dark Oracles

[Vulgar`]

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e181/chaosrocks/EOW2.jpg

EOW 151 Coven of the Dark Oracles
Topic description:

A gathering in secret... a commune of evil monks. A place of worship with high priests, maybe where sacrificial offerings occur. A knighthood, perhaps... could be set in the early 1600's or in the future, kind of like a digital version of witch folklore. Think of the dark creatures from 300 in the skies, the Sith lords in cloaks at a sky dock in the rain. It can be gothic, olden, ancient, Pagan, or if you want to be clever you can draw the Bush Administration. (I kid, I kid)

I think I've said enough.. artists, you know what to do.

DUE: November 22nd

Begin sketching! GO!

:mod:

No description required, but descriptions are encouraged. If you choose not to, say what you need to say visually. Your environment should tell a story in it's own.

:right: FOLLOW THE TOPIC.

:right: POST YOUR FINAL HERE THREAD.

:right: SAVE YOUR FILES IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT. EOW##_Nickname
example: "EOW#100_Chaosrocks.jpg"

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

Example from CHOW:

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i222/ChowPics/frame.jpg
(you can add CA logo, etc or a small caption of text of your choice. Ex: a tiny story summary or exerpt)



Add an icon to your final post
150 pixels either direction
PLEASE OUTSIDE HOST THE ICON.
Thanks!
An outside host means exactly that - an image host that's not Conceptart.org. Instead of adding the thumbnail with the attachment manager, you have to host it on another site (your private domain, photobucket, (both recommended or imageshack for instance)
The full image gets added with the attachment manager, however.

After you've uploaded the thumbnail somewhere, you simply add the around it and you're done.

Note: another moderator or a volunteer will need to do the voting poll thread, I'm not really sure how to do the polls with the icons of each entry. If you have any technical questions, ask in the thread because I probably won't know.

:yayca:

[Vulgar`]

Looking forward to some sketches..

Some inspiration:

http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.94875279.jpg

http://www.currybet.net/images/blog2007/20070223_hexenturm.jpg

http://newworldorderreport.com/Portals/7/Content/Images/bohemian-grove-satanic-gathering.jpg

http://www.dearbrutus.com/donjeronimo/newphotos/mayan-ritual-chicoy-cave_lg.jpg

http://theformofmoney.blogharbor.com/WitchBurningJoanOfArc.jpg

http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/castpics/holy_grail_witch.jpg

http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/graphics/spwomen.jpg

http://th04.deviantart.net/fs13/300W/f/2007/065/1/d/The_Oracle_by_blackeri.jpg

http://trekmovie.com/wp-content/uploads/fortheworldishollow/extra_03_oracle.jpg

http://www.boolean-union.com/DarkDungeons/prodgallery/stills/SatanicTemple.jpg

[Vulgar`]

Inspirational song for this theme!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgjtcRL6FGM
Jocelyn Pook - Masked Ball

More interesting pics for reference:

http://www.fmp666.com/moonlight/bw1.jpg

http://www.fairsoftware.com/images/specific/blog/JediCouncil.jpg

From Hideyoshi.. I like the feel of these:

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs39/f/2008/349/a/7/Howling_Forest_by_Hideyoshi.jpg

http://media.photobucket.com/image/dark%20forest/moonclawdarkheart/DarkForest.jpg

[matt kohr]

cool topic! here's my start....

http://mattkohr.squarespace.com/storage/ca/mKohr_chow151WIP01.jpg

[xNatje]

I hope I didn't interpret it wrong.
Here is my (verry stereotipical) sketch:
http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx79/xNatje/P10800692.jpg

[KarylGilbertson]

Oh fuck matt I saw that in your SB, I didn't realize it was for this. I'll really have to bring my A game to get anywhere NEAR your level... Time to work hard I guess :)

I did some hard-copy thumbs, then went and did a quick mockup in Blender for a perspective guide :)

[CrunchieNut]

Nice thumbs Matt, think I'll go back to that stage and bash out some more. Here's a rough I was working on,

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn177/rmahon101/oracle.jpg

Not so happy with the perspective though, think ill start again :)

[Vitrubius]

Great topic... as allways.
Matt... what kind of furniture do you have inside your head? Where can I get that? As karyl gilbertson said... time to work hard.. I suppose as well.
This time I worked directly in photoshop..
My cove... (I´ll try to manage the outside site in the final)

[Vulgar`]

Nice sketches so far guys.

[matejkovacic]

Nice starts everybody! Here is mine.

[monotony]

here's my start.
If I can make some more time this week I'll add some more secretness to the building make it more of a gatheringground. maybe improve the composition.
right now the oracle is pretty much based on at which heighth and direction the smoke is coming out of the chimney.

[hyjaxe]

Some ideas I was working with.

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3874/allx.jpg

[Veshkau]

Great start all - some really promising thumbs.

Here's what I've got so far, will probably switch direction though since the deadline isn't for a while yet...

[KarylGilbertson]

Did a bit more work on this, still a long way to go... Think I might have the change the scale of the "figure" in the foreground (that blue squiggly thing)

[Mat Kaminski]

Interesting... I might have to pop in on this because it's been awhile since I've been in a weekly... EOW to boot :D

[Mat Kaminski]

Also... if you haven't, watch The Secret of Kells and/or listen to the soundtrack for inspiration here :)

[Incinerated]

Nice subject

1095149

[Veshkau]

Calling this one done. Will hopefully get an alternate version done before the deadline. Some great looking entries so far, loving those thumbs Matt - would probably go with bottom right, although they're all tasty.

[KarylGilbertson]

Put in some more work on this over my lunch hour... A bit further along...

[KarylGilbertson]

Did some more work on this, getting closer. Anyone see anything that needs fixing? I have been staring at this all day and I can't see the forest from the trees. Critz plz!

[Neldrion]

The stairs on the right in front are a little too dark. They blend in with the collums in front.

I liked the stylized figure in front from the picture before better. That one look really good in combination with the lighting around it, very sculptural. I would go back that one step.

Maybe the perspective/horizon line is tilted a little too much. A little more settle would do good i think.

[Crowsrock]

This is my first try at an EOW.

Here is my WIP:

[KarylGilbertson]

Here's the next step! Getting pretty close, but I'm gonna wait on it for a bit and see if I can make changes and tweaks to improve it before the deadline.

[Sean McClain]

so blocked in a grissaille now I am kinda glazing in a color wash, next I plan
on layering over that so some of this slightly bleeds through.
1096546

[matejkovacic]

My Coven. If you have any suggestion I would appreciate it.

Sean McClain - I think the horses head is a bit big, but otherwise looking good.

[Sean McClain]

matejkovacic Thanks man! yeah I need to go google image some horses, that was
entirely imagination, I should put up a 3 point perspective grid and I will.

I hope this is o.k. with you ?? but I suck at words so I just painted what I had to say , I hope that at least,.. it helps a little bit.
1096955
1096956

P.S. Anyone who wouldn't mind doing a paintover for me is more than welcome!
especially veshkau;)

[matejkovacic]

I call this Coven done.

Sean McClain - thanks. I hope I understood your help :)

[thescala]

I like what you did to create atmosphere, although I think you blurred out too much of the foreground (the hanging rocks). For me atleast, it is very distracting.

Also, with some of the shadows on the clothing, it almost looks like there is a second lightsource coming from behind the people, esp. in the foreground. It looks like that due to ther clothing being lighter in color opposed to the people on the opposite side of the fire.

[LJS]

Nice topic. I tought this one was due on the 7th. Let's see if i'll got the time to push this one further or make another version.
http://ljsabourin.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/EOW151_LJS_versionA.jpg

[Crowsrock]

Second WIP!

[Incinerated]

Not sure I'm compleetly happy with it, hmm but... I'm prepared to call it finished.

1098594

[hyjaxe]

in progress

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/7572/1v2i.jpg

[Vulgar`]

Shameless plug: Next EOW topic will be chosen by the winner. I liked what I saw when CHOW did that, so that's a bonus feature in whoever emerges the victor!

Incinerated - It looks solid so far, but how 'bout dem dark oracles in circular formation around the sacred well and the pillars of doom? Just something to consider.

hyjaxe - Nice, I like the color scheme in this. I'm guessing the coven will take place at the end of that stretching slice of twisting canyon?

MOAR entries... MOAR progress... MOAR evil.

[Incinerated]

Ah vulgar you mean some mysterious yet generic cowled/hooded guys of oracleness?

[Vulgar`]

Or they could be sulking old, bald men who used to control big oil corporations and now have nothing except this pit of fire, and these decrepit looking stones.

...the choice is yours. :)

[JanJager]

Great stuff so far

[KarylGilbertson]

Incinerated: Nice so far, cool comic book look. Looks kind of like it's floating against nothingness though, could you add some sort of atmosphere to make it look more "environmenty"?

Hyjaxe: Nice strong start, curious to see where you go from there.

JanJager: Nice colours, textures, idea. Composition is a little static but it's not a huge deal. Seems very "ethereal" though, some clearer definition of form and structure would help to make it more believable, IMHO.

Gonna call this finished, BUT since there's still time until the deadline, let me know if I can improve it somehow and I will do the tweaking :)

[smuli]

KarylGilbertson - I like your composition and the idea of the figure observing from a distance. Is the fire pit supposed to be oval? If both that and the circle on the pentagram are circles, the ellipses should have the same width/height relation. The statue also seems to blend in the wall a bit. I hope it's ok that I also have a fiery pit with a slanting horizon... I did my composition before looking at the other entries but obviously you were the first one to come up with those ideas.


My entry:

1100872

1100870

[Lady_Avali]

Hyjaxe-- I love the atmosphere and color scheme already.

KarylGilbertson-- I really like this scene and the looming statue. Reminds me of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, with all the Mobius Statues. :]

Smuli-- Your colors are gorgeous! Absolutely envious.

Initial rough sketch of what I've planned so far. Hopefully tomorrow after work I'll take it out of the scribble phase!

http://avali.kurai.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=512&g2_serialNumber=1

edit: Another WIP because I can't sleep. X_X

http://avali.kurai.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=518&g2_serialNumber=1

[KarylGilbertson]

Smuli: Thanks for the crit, you're right and I noticed that but I am having a hard time trying to fix it after I've already done so much. Whatever, I have time I might as well make it right :)

Also no worries on having a similar "idea" because I think it's pretty obvious that we went in pretty different directions with it. Yours is nice btw, I can't think of any real crits... Damn it's hard to stack up against some of these entries...

[Incinerated]

KarylGilbertson: I just added some fog. As for your piece, I think the dynamic tilt of the canvas isn't working for it :).

Vulgar: I added a mystery dude... Not sure it improves the picture... So far anyway... hmm.

1101712

[android411]

great stuff guys, and cool topic. I´ll try to work on it a bit more this week...

[android411]

here´s an update, think I will have to work on the focal area a bit more...

[xNatje]

I almost forgot about this one.
I started coloring the drawing. I still suck at it when I look at all those gorgeous works...
http://i743.photobucket.com/albums/xx79/xNatje/coven.jpg

[android411]

made some more changes on the image, thanks for the great advice on my sb, it helped me to push this image even more

[Benedikt]

This is more or less final. Would've liked to spend more time on it, but I just don't have it.
Great topic- I certainly went for the cliché here, but it's an awesome topic to actually do something original. Looking foward to all the final pieces!

[hyjaxe]

Sorry it is late.

[Lady_Avali]

Another WIP update and I suppose my last since voting is up. For some reason I thought this was due on the 22nd. XD

http://avali.kurai.com/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=525&g2_serialNumber=1

[Vulgar`]

Added :bounce:

Nice work you two.

[Crowsrock]

Here is the icon:
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/325/e/6/coven_icon_by_crowsrock-d33a894.jpg

This is my final version. I hope it's not to late since the poll is already up.

[ENBE]

Seems I'm a little late to the party on this (Its very much the 22nd in Oz?), as i just noticed voting has started. Any way here is what i got out, well done everyone i always enjoy the variety of people's imaginings.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5699990/ENBE_EOW%23151_CovenoftheDarkOracles.jpg

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5699990/ENBE_EOW%23151_WIP.jpg