C.O.W. - #006: Digger Creature - VOTING!!!

[Fozzybar]

ROUND #006 VOTING

Topic: Digger Creature

Deadline for the voting: Tuesday, 22.03.2005

Posting thread (closed):
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=40009






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coondoggle:
concept: The Sand Swilling Castle Fiend
Indiginous to deserts across the globe (Language may vary with location).
The sensitive skin of this creature prevents it from living a diurnal lifestyle and owning beach front property. Salt and sun kills these fleshy creatures quite easily. To combat this they shovel themselves under the sand where they can stay moist and cool during the day. After foraging each night the Castle Fiend builds elaborate structures in the sand before day breaks. The structures help it fend of the heat. The more sand the better! The intricacy of the structural design is very important as well, for you see the ladies love a phat pad and are attracted to the coolest areas in the sand. The female won't see her mate's lair until the evening, so she spends all day burrowing, searching for cool napping areas. If a male can keep her in his lair until evening it is a good sign! Though when they emerge at night the male may be dissappointed to find his female rejects the decor of her would be home.
One note on anatomy:
Protruding eye stalks peek above the sand at the slightest disturbance, always on the alert for danger. Walking among these animals during the day is like an amusing game of peek a boo. Desert children often throw things near Castle Fiends to see who can get the closest without arrousing one. *ahem* Rather, having the creature poke it's eyes above the ground.
One more note:
Desert children are excellent sources of tiny Castle Fiend sized plastic shovels and pails.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/goosezilla/sandycolor.jpg
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magicgoo:
concept: This little guy is a xenopod, a distant and ancient relative of the armadillo and sloth. He has boney forearm plates that help hip to dig through the soil where he can find delicious ants and termites. He has a very long snout to hold his long tongue, which is perfect for licking up insects. He also has a boney jaw and chin for packing the earth tightly around his tunneled home under the ground. He's generally harmless, but very shy, and may try to backhand and claw his predators if they get too close. He's approximately 4 feet hight at the shoulder.
Please don't frighten him!
http://www.everythinggoodwastaken.com/resume/cow-006-xenopod.jpg
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Dougbot:
concept: The Rotwood Burrower lives around the perimeter of the Yunogoth Jungle. It's on omnivore that feeds off of batanka grub, roots and nutrients in the soil. The soil is passed through the tubes on it's body. Nutrients are pulled from that soil as it passes through the burrowers body. Then is expelled behind it, covering most of the tunnel it had just created. This way predators can't catch them from behind.
Rotwood Burrowers are about the size of a large dog, and have nasty tempers. Think warthog or wolverine. Usually though they avoid settlers, and contact with them rarely ends in death of either party involved.
http://www.dougbot.com/forum/COW06.jpg
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Matt Dixon:
concept: The Rocksnapper's natural habitat is the barren surface of the planet Subtarboria. This wasteland of low mountains and parched earth is ravaged by dust storms and high winds, but conceals a surprisingly diverse ecosystem of fungi and invertebrates in the water-soaked substrata of porous rock a few feet below the surface. The creature uses it's powerful foreclaws and beak to smash it's way through the stony soil and rock on the surface to feed on the rich subterranean food source.
It's spiny back and collar protect it from predators while it's head is below ground, and the Rocksnapper has evolved hindclaws of different sizes to help it retain traction in the debris of gravel and shattered stone that surround it.
Interesting Rocksnapper fact 1 : The creature intentionally ingests a certain amount of soil and rock when feeding, which is 'digested' to help strengthen it's tough carapace and claws.
Interesting Rocksnapper fact 2 : Despite it's rugged appearance, the clouds of fine dust that blow constantly across the surface of Subtarboria mean the creature's hard extremeties are polished to a glass-like finish.
Interesting Rocksnapper fact 3 : Wind blowing through the Rocksnapper's spines produces a low, reverberating hum which the creature appears to be able to control by moving it's head and spine. Research into the Rocksnapper's 'song' as a means of communication have been inconclusive.
http://www.vortex.plus.com/COW06.jpg
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fungi:
concept: Bone Backed Jelly Tunneller
The bone backed jelly tunneller is well known for its hugely venomous underbelly. that being its only defence mechanism apart from its rock like shell which covers its main bodily muscle. the huge muscle spans the whole length of the creatures body and is used to power its rock crunching teeth mounted just above its "mouth". the mouth itself has rows and rows of black teeth designed to chew up dirt and smaller rocks. dirt being its main food (it also likes to eat plant roots) it chews it up and sucks out all of the moisture and nutrients before passing it out its tail, thus covering its tracks. the venomous slime which covers its underbelly not also provides a defence but also a lubrication for its body to pass through the ground smoothly. the venom itself will almost certainly kill you if you happen to eat it but is quite harmless to the touch.
http://www.misterfungi.com/sketches/digger2.jpg
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JoBeSu:
concept: The Double warted digger worm" is a hard-working digger that spends most time of the day and night digging maze like tunnel systems ,Gladly under smaller towns where they look for foad soaked into the ground from pubs and resaurants...they dont mind some beer spill from the pubs, Intoxicated they love to play around in their mazes, Which sometimes leads to copulating with the opposite sex. Joy of the day is when they can look upp from the ground and enjoy some sunshine after a good meal...or other activity.
They are nearly blind which make them look sleepy but they rarely sleeps, they are very hyperactive creatures.
http://jobesu.se/ForumPost/Digger.jpg
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sone_one:
concept: Tunnel Rat
first to be heard of during vietnam war, scientists got very excited bout the rumors, mistaking it as the existence of a new creature.
about 30 years later, now a strange animal has been spotted on madagaskar island. dedicated to the embarrassing fault of the 70ties its been named tunnel rat (lat. specus rattus).
its about 4 times the size of its relatives the house rats (lat. rattus rattus) and living in wide tunnels, it digs below the surface, which fact explains its been spotted that late. its diet probably mostly consists of maggots and worms (lat. vermis).
scientists are still about to explore this newly found animal and its habitat.
http://members.chello.at/sone_one/digger-rat-01-2.jpg
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Pixeldragoon:
concept: He's got shells like an armadillo to prevent scratches, a tail to balance if he gets up on hind legs, and monster claws for getting through the earth and gravel. His schnoz is strealined so he is aerodynamic. Why it helps in digging is beyond me.
http://img26.exs.cx/img26/2541/creature2cq.jpg
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Scarn:
concept: Ships Log: Captain Sam Solar:
"Caretaker of Emaruul" :: As I made my way towards the 'Hell Horse Nebula Science Space Station', or the H2.N.S3, I took a short detour through the woods of Emaruul, hoping to catch a glimpse of the three setting suns, but my timing was far too early and I arrived mid-day. My little adventure was nearly wasted until I spotted a 'Caretaker' planting some forest extensions in a nearby field. Usually these giant creatures are busy deep within the forests gathering sick or dying plant life onto its back, nurturing them back to proper health. I took a few documental pictures with my robo-cam to be sure people would believe my story, and so that I could remember such an experience through my greying years. I read somewhere that the large drill-like structure in the middle of the Caretaker could be created from the sick plant's roots as they grow stronger, that tiny arms inside the inner ring adjust and form the roots into the tightly wound drill, so that when the time came for them to be re-planted, the Emaruul Caretaker could then wedge them deep into the ground, stronger than ever. Perhaps these trees I saw in the middle used to be sickly? It would be a good assumption. I will have to show my new images to the scientists at H2.N.S3, I'm sure they'll love to study them for further understanding of the worlds around us.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/Scarn/COW6.jpg
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JeffZNY:
concept: Alas, what horror the flames of passion hath wrought! The love-child of a drunken coal miner and a hideously seductive ogre, the tragic hybrid Orthranx is a walking advertisement for the morning after pill. Taunted by the human community for his horrific face, and shunned by the ogre clan for his dashing good looks and stellar dental hygiene, Orthranx lives a lonely existence in the Earth's very womb, passing the days by compulsively digging a labyrinth of tunnels right underneath our feet. Responsible for more cave-ins than a natural disaster, time and time again Orthranx has enacted his vengeance upon those who would drive him underground. But who is the true villain here? The tortured monster, the cruel society, or the inebriated artist who concocted it all?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/JeffZNY/digger.jpg
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rev:
concept: DESCIMATION GRUB
This newly discovered grub takes "root" in soil and sucks all of the nutrients out. Once it has exhausted one area it moves on to more fertile areas, descimating vast amounts of land. It has unusually well developed appendages, which allow to to travel much more ease than previously discovered grubs ever have.
http://www.perpetualdejavu.com/picuploads/grub2.jpg
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lukavi:
concept: Though it resembles an overgrown house spider, the wandering root is really just a plant. This transient root tree spends its life tirelessly digging tunnels deep within the earth. Using it's tough, slithering tendrils, it burrows underground in a constant search for its food source Cummingtonite (it actually exists!), a rare mineral found miles below the crust. It resurfaces once a year to absorb sunlight, about the time when the bud found in the center of its body blossoms. The bud is essential for energy storage. For a full week the wandering root will bask in the sunlight allowing the bud to recharge before it can begin its year-long subterranean trek.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/deceptant/devenecia111.jpg
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Uziel:
concept: Giant Rockdigger
This creature lives in the rocky deserts of AlTh'yr. It has a massive forhead and metallic teeth to dig its way thru sand and rock. It feeds on everything that crosses its path (minerals,other underground creatures, miners, younger Rockdiggers). Waiting in its labarynth of tunnels (depth: 10-95m) it can pick up movement with its sensitive membranes behind the eyes. It has hollow tubes running around the membrane area to amplify the smallest vibration.
Mankind succeeded only once to kill an adult G.Rockdigger, using a small nuclear weapon. The specimen was estimated to be over 325 years old. Scientists believe they can become at least 400 years old. They also assume that to attract female rockdiggers the male hits solid rock at full speed causing local earthquakes...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v287/jarrafatti/rockdiggerfinalcopy2.jpg
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[Fozzybar]

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leckronium:
concept: Spade-billed Platysaurus
The Spade-billed Platysaurus was a creature that roamed the earth during the time of the dinosaurs. Archaeologists have only discovered bits and pieces such as plates and claws near what is now the Grand Canyon. It is thought that this creature may have been responsible for digging the start of this well known landmark while searching for meals. It's bill was used just like a shovel to start holes and move large amounts of dirt quickly along with its claws and a questionable horn protruding from its lower jaw. The plates on the tail could have been used to loosen rock walls or large dirt mounds.
The Platysaurus didn't have very many enemies since it spent most of its time in the ground out of harms way. It is thought that this creature had an obsession with digging. Sometimes digging for no apparent reason for days. According to some archaeologists, it is said to have dug so deep that it would become trapped and have to survive on seeping groundwater and insects and worms until it could dig its way to another place.
http://home.comcast.net/~leckronium/onlinestorage/diggercreature4.jpg
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grimmy:
http://www.trevorgrimshaw.com/uploads/hairlessmole2.jpg
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flaptraps:
concept: This guy is known as a green lumpy. Despite it's furious look and killer instinct it moves at a alarming slow rate by lofting it's fat head and rapper like grill through the depths of the earth. Dragging itself like a dead person would drag itself, if a dead person could drag itself, itself would drag,. . . . drag. You can find this creature digging from Malbone ND, to somplace in China... usually it doesn't make it there but i just made up a spot for it to go for the story.
Fun Fact: you may think those chubby things on the side are like legs, however they are legs, . . . and there chubby.
Fun Fact: Malbone ND isn't a real place, I made it up.
Fun Fact: Malbone ND IS a real place, I just lied to you.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/flaptraps/wormdigger.jpg
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vigostar:
concept: There lies an ancient myth of a warlock named Arotraz. Myth has it that this evil warlock once tormented the small town of Slaughtersville. He would kidnap the residents of this small town in order to create his evil spells which he thought would give him enternal life. The towns people eventually captured this evil warlock and sentenced him to life of solitude in the "hole with no name" to live out the rest of his life. Rumor has it that every 9 years he would summon the digging creature named "the digger" that would escavate dead bodies. It is told that for every body the creature dug up it would give him one more day of life. The digging creature is controlled by the "mask of darkenss". This mask allows the warlock to have complete control of this creature. March 27th is the date for the next rising of the creature. so, make sure you pay attention to the graves of your loved ones. Visit them. Please! Make sure that they are there. And if they are not.. Let all your fellow CA'ers know. That he's Back!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/vigostar/vigo.jpg
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Helzon:
concept: Think you have a mother lode in your back yard? Always wondered if crude oil and other precious gems were but a few feet away?...Would you like to live the life you always wanted? But the thought of back breaking work while fighting heat stroke and muscle fatigue can't quite motivate you....well Dust Mite Industries L.L.C. are proud to present "L'il Prospector®"!
Our motto: "Easier Living through re-engineered and behavior controlled Bio-technology!"
Here are just some of the incredible features you can expect when you order your L'il Prospector®:
Compact size: L'il Prospector® is only the size of a Great Dane and merely a tenth of the weight, so even the little lady can help. It also comes with a great built in E-Z carry handle along the spine.
Earth Moving Power: The L'il Prospector® is equipped with naturally occuring carbide nails that need no sharpening and yet plow through the toughest stone and rock, but gentle enough not to burst or tear underground sewer pipes or electrical lines. It can also strip mine a football field size patch of earth in merely an afternoon.
Programmable Memory Sacs: L'il Prospector® will naturally find any precious mineral or sediment..but for those that really want to fine tune their searching potential...The L'il Prospector® can be gently stimulated by a customized Dust Mite Industries stun gun (optional and may be seperately billed) to hone in on specific gems, metals and precious stones....."they really think it tickles"~claims Harvinia Terwiggins...of Pockhick AK.
But best of all, The L'il Prospector® comes with not one but two! glow-in the-dark super strong membranal pouches to haul your treasures back to the surface and right to your back door...
So call now! 1-888-DIG-DEEP...our operators are standing by...Sorry No Checks or C.O.D's...Limit 1 per family.....Not available in CA, OR, or IA...
"L'il Prospector®" is sold "as is" and the buyer will hold Dust Mite Industries and its subsidiaries harmless in the unlikely event that the "L'il Prospector®" destroys adjacent properties, civil and federal, is disabled due to repeated shocks, or becomes psychotically violent, resulting in buyer's death and/or dismemberment (full or partial). All mass infestations will be upon the buyer to remediate.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Helzon/ProspectorSubmit.jpg
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xia:
concept: MONTUCKET
Origin: Ruby Dust Jungle, Hell
Description:
-The Montucket is cursed with bad hearing and vision. This digging boar from Hell is sensitive to light, so it usually hunts at night. It uses it’s tendrils to feel vibration from above it. A dense system of nerves travel through the tendrils into the Montuckets thick body. Even the slightest vibration from above is felt. For over a hundred feet the Montucket can detect and identify its prey. This is helped in part by its amazing olfactory system.
-The tendrils also are filled with poison tip spines. When they burst out of the ground and grab its prey, poison spreads through the victim’s body causing paralysis.
-Its strong front arms are tipped with titanium like claws, allowing it to dig through heavy and dense dirt and stone. The mid legs help propel the Montucket through the ground. They also serve as support for its bulky midsection.
http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/xia/images/speedpainting122.jpg
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Fozzybar:
concept: Gravedigger Mole
Found under the earth in areas around cemeteries, this mole feeds by the buried corpses...it smells like carrion and has no natural enemies because of that...scientists are not sure about the little spikes on their backs, but they assume that they are some sort of a sense organ to locate dead organisms...
http://www.kidomatix.com/ca/cow/cow_006_diggercreature_fozzybar.jpg
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Xpose:
concept: What has four eyes, has razor sharp claws, and hairy all over? Yep it's your mother..... ok time to get down to business the Cashous is an animal unlike any other. It has two sets of eyes, yet still it cannot see so well. Instead of seeing the way we do it sees variations in heat to get around as well as using it's amazing sense of smell to hunt it's little prey. It spends 80% of it's time underground in passage ways it's dug searching for grub worms and other insects. If one could fit into one these passage ways they would most definitely get lost in the labyrinth it calls home. It was once said that if there is a way to dig to china the Cashous would be the one to do it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/xpose/drawings/cashousfinished.jpg
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bRØk3n_sPiRiT:
concept: Nalathnian Seeder
The Nalathi people of Gonwanda are an ethnic group native to the Gonwandan region, their main activity is farming. Generations ago the last of their cattle died of plague. Since the Nalathi relied on cattle for food, the sudden shortage caused massive famine.
Luckily, they began to tame large land-dwelling crustacean arthropods, similar to the smaller type lobsters found miles away at sea. These huge creates, nearly the size of two and sometimes three dogs, proved to be a great food source, thus became the new 'cattle'. Lobster ranches quickly developed.
But what is truly special about these animals is their ability to burrow and travel below ground. That's why the Nalathi people use them for farming and seeding the fields, hence their name "seeders". The seeders prepare the soft soils for the different crops to be planted (since the cows had died, doing this personally took too long and was too arduous, the seeders now made the task a much quicker enterprise).
In addition to being food sources and farming aids, the seeders after consumed, leave a hard external shell, which is used by the Nalathi in crafting several different tools, accessories, and furniture, from tables to chairs, to door frames.
The only problem the seeders give the farmers is that they usually tend to burrow and escape their corrals, something the farmers can do little about, except give them chase and round them up!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/bk7600/nalathianseeder2.jpg
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Gloklund:
concept: The Rogue Island Flesh Digger
This creature is a rare Flesh Digger. It is only indeginous to Rogue Island and only lives off the blood of crusty sea faring Rogue Islanders. Heavy populations of these creatures live along the Scarborough coastline and can be easily transmitted over a gusty sea-breeze. Once attached to a fleshy Rogue Islander they "Dig" in past the epidermis and under the muscles to make their home. Here the Flesh Digger's lifespan lasts approximatly 48 hours, just enough time to add to the wonderful complexion of the Rogue Island natives.
http://rhinohidestudios.com/images/flesh%20digger.jpg
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Beatnik:
concept: This is a Desert-native Sandweller. He sleeps at night under the sand when it's cold and only comes out during the day to get his body temperature back up. He uses his front spiked appendages to break up and push away the harder sand clumps and rock and then basically slowly swims through the sand with his lower legs. The feet act as small shovels to push the sand back and move himself further along underground. Beneath his hard protective shell and leathery skin is an enormous air reserve sac that he uses to breathe from when sleeping underground. The Sandweller goes into a sort of hybernation when sleeping to use minimal air so he can exist underground for long periods of time. He loves Frank Sinatra and prefers Pepsi over Coke.
http://zmans.com/sketch/digger_dude.jpg
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[Fozzybar]

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Arri.:
concept: "Krem Katerpillarous" is a creature that lives in the volcanic land depths. The duration of his life is 38 hours; during this time is digging like a mad to fecundate de female "Krem Katerpillarous"creature.
http://img180.exs.cx/img180/8403/cowdiggermonst3um.jpg
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stormeffex:
concept: cave monkey
The six limbed cave monkey spends most of its time underground, building huge caverns to house its huge family. The first two arms are used to dig into the earth and they are sharp claws that are as hard as iron. the next set of arms are long and used to toss the debris out of the way. The legs of this cave monkey attach themselves to the ceiling of the cave and the powerful grip can hold for hours while it's digging. The cave monkey walks with the first two set of arms, leaving the foot to hang in the air, ready to attach to ceilings at an instant.
http://stu.aii.edu/~th361/digger.jpg
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arteric:
http://tinypic.com/27x7ut
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redehlert:
concept: Time Worm
The time worm, creator of worm holes, is known by space pirates as "Seraph". These fossorial creatures of space blend in with their environment due to the countless eyes seen as stars from a distance. Only when the Seraph prepares to depart one galaxy to go to the next do we understand why space pirates call them Seraph. Their paired claws begin to glow as a bright hot light able to separate the space/time continuim and pass into the next galaxy. This bright light makes the giant time worm appear angelic.
The rip in space takes time to 'heal' thus the worm holes. The mole-like digger claws above their space separating claws allow them to burrow into asteroids and comets to lay their eggs and also scourge for their food. They're also known to be rather pissed when disturbed.
http://www.cognitionstudio.com/conceptart/redehlert_COW_6.jpg
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Genital_Eclipse:
concept: The Klogor starts out it's life born underground as a small maggot looking larvae.
It then begins to sprout small twig-like monkey tail arms that scoop the surrounding dirt
into it's pucker mouth. The Klogor grub lives directly off the dirt encompassing it's fat
pig bottom body.
The Klogor ages and grows eternally. The Klogor never moves, it's like an obese octopus leather beanbag
that does nothing but scoop kids into it's soft leather abyss. Well, instead of kids it's just dirt
that it suckles down it's pucker mouth.
The Klogor lives on and on until it eats the entire planet it's born on
leaving nothing but cold dark unrelenting star space. It then explodes into millions of small
maggot meteors that travel across the galaxies looking for more brown dirty earth to grow and die
on.
The only known incident of a Klogor dying before devouring the entire planet it resides on comes
from earth. A fairly famous spelunker named Datch McGown accidentally stumbled upon a Klogor
in the early 80's. Datch at the time was raving on sprouts and LSD when he mistaked a Klogor's
genitals for another cavernous route on a spelunking tour. Datch traversed inside the Klogor
not realizing that a Klogor can not sustain life with a little human in the junk. The Klogor
died and Datch was that much more an amazingly chisled man.
http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/xia/images/COW_6.jpg
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[Fozzybar]

OK - before voting/posting read this!!!

1. Please give c&c or a reason why you voted for the image!

2. Feel free to comment on any or all entries, the artists will appreciate it!

[Pencilator]

My vote went to arteric for the most original idea. I really loved it.
He came up with his own concept.
That idea bought a place in my heart <3

And to all of you other guys, keep it up. This is one of the most intresting things to check every week. :yayca:

[Fozzybar]

I voted for JoBeSu...i love the rendering and the believable creature design...nice fresh colors as always...

Favs:

sone_one: Cool rendering!

Dougbot: Very weird anatomy...:)

magicgoo: I love the rendering...the back legs bothered me, they look like the creature would be handicapped when moving...

Gloklund: Nice twist on the topic...disgusting beast btw...

xia: Awesome color scheme and great execution...

arteric: Crazy concept...a little too crazy for my taste :)

Arri.: Your rendering style is amazing...your images always look like photographs, they have a great feeling of depth...and for myself i would dig like wild for females when i would die after 38 hours, hehe...

[Jull]

Great entries again... and very difficult decision again...
The level (in all aspects) of this round was very very equal imho...
So I'm not sure if I should vote, it would be pretty random... :dur:

I missed this round deadline, but I HAD TO DO IT and here is my quick and late entry.
Basically, it thaws/discompose the ground sliding around...
http://photobucket.com/albums/v162/zafio/forum/cow/jull_cow_006.jpg

Next!

[Uziel]

coondoggle: (6.5/10)
The children would love this. It's good material for bedtime stories.
The design is simple and the colouring realistic. Nice combo

Magicgoo: (7/10)
Original body-shape, nice colouring
Legs are a bit awkward, seems like one leg is twisted inwards and he is going to fall backwards standing on his legs like that.
The mouth seems to be endless so I cannot see a strong bony jaw to pack the earth.

Dougbot: (8/10)
Great design, nice colouring
Will be difficult moving that large upper body thru the earth.
Muscles of the arms are attached to the body in a strange way. It seems like those tubes are solid and you have put the arms right on top of them.
Huge hands, it will need some power-training to move them aside his body.

Matt Dixon: (8/10)
I can imagine this creature working in an old mine. Nice colouring
Shoulders are too small if it is able to smash thru rock and stone

fungi: (8.5/10)
Great colors, it’s glowing from the inside very cool. It would have been kick ass if the topic was sea-slugs or jelly creatures (I mean 10/10)
The hard top looks soft to me, perhaps more difference between colours for shell and soft part could have helped. It seems like the hard shell is under a small skin of jelly but it isn’t 100% clear to me.

JoBeSu: (10/10)
Tihi, I want to see this creature in an animated movie. It could be so funny and cute.

sone_one: (7/10)
Front paws are a bit exaggerated. You don’t need big claws to be able to dig, just look at a little mouse.

Scarn: (5/10)
looks like the matrix revolutions in nature. Good for bedtime stories. I know you are capable of better things…

grimmy: (6.5/10)
They really exist and are called mole rats you just left out the eyes.
http://www.lpzoo.com/involved/adopt/images/molerat.jpg

flaptraps: (7.5/10)
It looks dead to me, perhaps one of it defence mechanisms. Looking dead and smelling dead

Fozzybar: (7.5/10)
Nice colours. Big eyes are a not realistic for underground creatures and it doesn’t have hips.
Looks like you pasted the creature on top of your background.

Gloklund: (7.5/10)
Iiiieew...

Arri.: (9/10)
Good colouring, only legs look too small to support the full weight.

arteric: (9.5/10)
Extra bonus for the twist.

Genital_Eclipse: (8/10)
I like the comic style and the reference of size

[Helzon]

Voted for JoBeSu...The personality of the piece was extraordinary. This creature is damned near almost funny as the skrat. The finished product is tremendous.
It can't go without saying that
lukavi, fungi, Matt Dixon, dougbot, xia, arteric, genital_eclipse, gloklund, arri, coodoggle, flaptraps along with all the rest made this one of the most difficult voting rounds.....
Incredible effort and execution....
Here's to the next round!
Cheers!
Oh and by the way Jull: Dude, would have liked to have seen this sooner, great piece of work!

[TheTigerLily]

Voting for arteric. Very neat concept!

[mackerman]

jobesu's got my vote on this one.
nice painting, mate.

all of them were really spectacular this time, jobey's just seemed a little more unique. the style is great, comical yet with realistic values. again, nice work.

[fungi]

arri is the clear winner in my opinion. apart from the short description its the most solid concept out of the lot. and to be honest i dont see how or why arteric has any votes at all.

[LiL QoH]

I'd have to agree with Fungi on this one. Arri's is the only concept that looks like it would work mechanically for the suggested topic.

[Xpose]

It really depends on how you take the subject. If you mean giant massive holes yea Ari's got it but claws are just as good (moles are a good example of it). Yea arteric's doesn't really fit. It seems like it was meant more as a joke rather than a real submission but oh well.

[redehlert]

For me it was a toss up between Jobesu and Fungi, although I truly enjoyed the variation and direction (as well as execution) from all entries. The entries by the aforementioned were believable to me in their written conception as well as visual presentation. Gives me a better understanding of what it takes to make it happen. Happy voting all!
Cheers,
D

Here's to hoping I can get one vote....someday. :^^:

[Shamagim]

I voted for Jobesu, i really liked that "naked mole-rat" based concept, and the colors look great, as for people discussing about "Diggin mechanics". please consider that theres more than 5 types of it, depending in the body of the creature, and the emviroment wher this creature digs, in case of Arri´s creature, this would be the type of creature that could dig in hard stone caves( btw really nice concept and coloring :)) , as for other that used rodents, well rodents dig in a relatively soft dirt, so dont use " it doent have the mechanics for digging" as a argument, be more open minded, as for Arteric, well it was funny and very original, but the drawing could have use more work....., ....ahh i also liked the one Rev made :)

Another original concept was the one Gloklund made, but it was just to creepy for my taste, just to think on a bug that could do that to me......O_O ( nice work :) )....Buy dont get me wrong im not kissing asses here, theres a few that i really didnt see competent for various reasons, so i cant really finish saying "good work everyone", ( to much honesty could put me in trouble, so im gonna stop here :) )

PD: i really dont like the idea of people actually grading the art ( like Uziel did)...just a personal thought.

[vigostar]

Im not sure why everyone is breaking on Arteric? I mean he created a Digger creature.. Thats his conceptual design... and I enjoyed his idea... My vote went to Helzon.. even though it was difficult to make out the head.. Especially and I still dont know where it is, i liked the concept..
Honorable mentions go to..
Jobesu, gloklund, arri, lukavi, sone one, dixon, dugbot, and fungi for the great renders...
Well, cant wait to see what next week has in store... Im going to try and work on mine.. Cuz I wont have time to do the following weeks..

[JoBeSu]

OOh :x thanx for the votes everyone! im bowing.
My vote goes to Fungi mostly becaus its a beautiful painting! I love the style.
But i like most of the concepts here,God work everyone.I would like to comment on all entrys but im to lousy at writing so it would take me a day or two. :S

[JeffZNY]

Dixon and Dougbot pulling in the donuts! The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Just kidding, of course...both their entries are awesome, but very similar...Put them aside Arri's beautiful entry and it's beginning to feel like the giant clawed digging creature is getting redundant. Alas, the perils of posting your work early in the week! But don't worry, it is looking like I'll have to wait for another week to get my first vote...But when I do, beers for everybody!

My vote went to arteric, but I was extremely torn. Right after JoBeSu posted his entry, I left a post stating that he was my early frontrunner. Then arteric threw down the gauntlet and it was on. His piece is not as technically spectacular as the rest, but in my opinion, it blows everyone else out of the water in the creativity department. Ultimately, I was still extremely tempted to vote for JoBeSu, but it looks like he's already running away with the voting a bit, so arteric it is!

[shadoman]

I am voting for JoBeSu.

The creature stands out as something that could really exist. The illustration was very clean and detailed. The little extras, like the falling dirt particles made it so much more real. I thought that the lighting/shadows were great too. It seemed like a cute little animal.

[wanda]

Arteric has my vote because the concept is most definitely out of the box, as they say.

[arteric]

OK, I voted for JoBeSu. I thought the character was phenomenal and the rendering as top notch as they come. The facial expression is priceless and the little details (especially the lighting and shading) was awsomely done.

Everyone will once again get my Upside/Downside critiques in a day or two, so no one will be left out. And thanks to everyone voting for me (best showing I have made yet, so I feel like I am growing and improving.)

And to all the critics of my digger, I can't fault you at all. It is pretty far to left in terms of concept, and I knew people would either think it totally connected (Digger Creature - Heck, it has dug right through the web page) or was off the mark completely. It was one of those all or nothing risks I had to try, I just liked the idea too much and had to see if I could make it work visually.

And no, Xpose, it wasn't meant as a joke, I really thought that it worked in my opinion, but I refer to what I said above about it being one of those things people will disagree on.

I say it every week, and every week it is true.... posts are just getting better and better.

-Eric

[brokk]

I voted for sone one because that rat is just too cute. Just a crit, both the right front leg thats sort of blurred-faded, and the left back leg, are a bit "sketchy" and not all that painted and cleaned up like the rest of the creature.
BUT, since these are not focal points of attention and don't really get in the way of the reading, it's not much of a crit.

It would kick ass to have that rat as a pet!

[leckronium]

I voted for JoBeSu. Not just for a beautiful rendering but because I feel that his has a lot of character. The creature has a personality and a life to it. It reminds me alot of a playful ferret. Plus relating it to our everyday lives brings a sense of realism to it. Good job, I look forward to seeing future art from you.

[Matt Dixon]

JoBeSu gets my vote - it's a great image with bags of character.

Lots of good entries for this one. Maybe the highest standard overall so far. Nice work, fellas!

[Ostrander]

This is getting tougher and tougher each week to make only one choice. There are so many great posts.

Coondoggle- It's fun, it's different. the coloring is really cool, not so crazy about the lineart though. But it's fun to look at nonetheless.

Magicgoo- thats a very, very cool critter. I like the fact that's its much like a sloth, very timid. I wished it was cleaned up a bit more. I think the pencil lines distract from it. Nice to have you aboard, hope to see more from you.

Dougbot- Not your strongest post but still competitive. The head/face sorta looks like a snapping turtle, and the front claws remind me of a sea tortoise.

Matt Dixon- this is my favorite of yours so far. I love the rendering.

Fungi- This thing creeps me out way bad, I can only imagine diggin in the garden and coming across one of these things wriggling around in the soil, I would be so freaked out.

JoBeSu- Man, what can be said that hasn't been said already. Wonderful piece. The way you handle the lighting is really inspiring. I am very impressed with this. Masterful.

sone_one- I think you could have pushed passed what we are used to seeing a bit more with this one. It's well rendered though.

Pixeldragoon- I'm guessing that you are pretty new to art in general so my only comments would be to study anatomy (human and animal), perspective/forshortening and color. Pay attention to what your looking at. And when sketching and developing ideas play with shapes and forms and dont try to be so literal at first. General first, literal last. However in light of the topic of Oddmix's entry I'm not sure why this piece made it to poll. Don't take this the wrong way, I don't want to upset you but as Fozzy has said in the past...
I don't want to discourage anybody here, but i WON'T allow this thread getting a low quality level of entries like it happened to the DSG!!! -Fozzy

Scarn- I liked the story-like quality and effort of your description very much, I just wished you pushed the art that far. I think that the heavy black line that you have throughout the piece takes away from it. Good effort tho.

JeffZNY- I like it, a bit on the whimsical side. I think its a step up for you in terms of color.

rev- The idea is there it's just hard to see, I think you could use more value contrast.

lukavi- Striiiiiderrrrr!!!! (sorry, that was my first thought when I saw it.) not your best but still kinda cool.

Uziel- It's hard to say much because I want to see the whole creature. Overall It just seems unfinished.

leckronium- It looks like you had fun painting this. I like the light-heartedness of it.

grimmy- It looks like you had fun too, my only gripe is that aside from all the clothes this thing wears its a real creature. And doesn't stretch the imagination.

flaptraps- Heh. I like the technique. I don't like the technique. Actually I lied, you think I don't like the technique but I really do.

vigostar- I would have liked to see this a little bigger its kinda hard to see. The positive/ negative aspect of it doesnt read as well as I like. Hard to see.

Helzon- Looks like you had some fun doing this. Looks like you put some time in. My only real crit would be the creature is hard to read.

xia- I like your use of color. I think that the overall drawing needs work.

Fozzybar- Glad to see you this week. Missed ya the last round. So, this is the frog you had in your throat last week that wouldn't let you come out and play? :P Just kidding. All jokes aside, I like the rendering alot, and the texture as well. (The face reminds me of a bat. Or a blind bat. Or maybe its the eye, it reminds me of Gollum from the Rankin/Bass version of "the Hobbit.") I just wished that your creature didn't look "pasted" onto the background.

Xpose- It's hard to read your creature from this angle. I think you could have done maybe a 3/4 view so we could see it's hind quarters. It would have given it a better sense of space too. I would look at some animal books and try and develop a better understanding of anatomy. I think it will help your work IMMENSELY.

bRØk3n_sPiRiT- I think I stepped on one of those at the beach last summer. I like the texture, I just think it needs to be father away from what we already know to me more of an interesting creature.

Beatnik- He's a happy looking guy. I think you could have varied your pallet just a bit more with some cooler colors in the shadowed areas.

Arri- Damn. Brought a tear to my eye when I saw this. Masterful. My only complaint are the feet, they dont read well and feel too small for such a lumbering looking creature.

stormeffex- This is your best one yet. I love the camera angle and the mood. I just wished some of the areas were a little better defind, some of your application of paint is a little too "blobby" looking on the surface of the cave making it hard to read and it looses its form. All in all well done. This is a milestone for you, you should be proud.

arteric- Man, you win the award for most creative use of space in a forum thread. This was a very inventive idea. Your creature is kinda blah in execution but your creativeness elevates it as a whole... and makes me jealous.

redehlert- Interesting concept. I wouldn't have thought of this. I think I would have liked to see this as an illustration rather the way you presented it like blueprints.

Genital_Eclipse- Where's Sigmund Freud when you need him? I like this more as an illustration than a creature concept. Very well executed.

Well, I hope many of you can pull something useful from my mess of a mass- critique. As for my vote. I was gonna vote for me, because this creature was a personal milestone for me and I was proud of getting it to look the way I did using nothing but photoshop. I only wished I could paint half as good as some of the people I've seen paint with PS. But you have to start somewhere and I feel that I set out a goal and accomplished it. So, with all that said I'm going to give my vote to JoBeSu. I smile everytime I look at it.

[arteric]

Thanks for the comments Gloklund... it really is great to get varying takes on what people think, and the effort is greatly appreciated.

Your critique of my creature being a bit blah seems to be a common one I sense even from those who liked it or even voted for it... damn my cartooning background and use of hard black lines..... damn damn damn.

Of course, I do the entire think with a mouse so I can only hope that once I get my stylus and drawing tablet (probably about a week away and hopefully making it's debut about C.O.W. #8 or so) then my work will losen up and be more painterly in appearance.

I am more than halfway through my Upside/Downside critique but must go to bed now... and tomorrow is a busy night so it will probably be Thursday when I post it. Until then...

C.O.W. Keeps Kicking Butt!

[Ostrander]

I'm impressed that your work is done with a mouse, that's no small feat. I look forward to seeing your work done with a stylus. I can't wait to see what you do with it.

[arteric]

By the way, has C.O.W. Week #7 subject been posted yet? Didn't see it anywhere and I was just curious.

-Eric

[Xpose]

haha yea it's the lava eating creature.

[JeffZNY]

I've gotta ask, arteric, cause I think you've been a little confused about the new topics a couple of times now...You do know to check here, right? http://www.conceptart.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=74

[REEF]

All great works, choosing is always hard

But i loved the posture and legs on JoBeSu's work

[Johann de Venecia]

I voted for Jobesu. The concept is good, a little on the safe side, but it was still within the topic. The amazing rendering raked in the points. Had arteric pushed his rendering a little bit more, I would have easily voted for him. The idea is brilliant. Out of the box definitely, but within the topic no doubt. I wanted more from the image though. The background is already very spare, so the creature needed more volume to pop out. Still a good show, man.

Great stuff from everyone, and a lot of new faces too :wink: Cheers.

[Helzon]

Gloklund...thanks for the crit...I see what you and vigostar were saying about the creature......it does seem hard to read...the legs are a bit too complex..will work on clarity for the lava eater...thanks again...
and vigostar...thanks for the vote...much appreciated...:)
Cheers!

[arteric]

No, I am never sure where to check, I have usually relied on the fact that Fozzy posted a link to either the voting or the next subject in the post we are currently in.... still figuring my way around in here.

Eric

[redehlert]

Appreciate the comment Gloklund! I have a PSD version of the worm as a full blown illustration, but then (as stated earlier) my one year wedding anni got my full attention, so no fun rendering over the weekend. Better to be honest and post what I have done rather than push a piece unfinished. But I do plan on having a more finished lava eating space worm for next week. :} However, if you're interested in seeing 'where I was at' which was not far at all.....go here:

Time Worm WIP (http://www.cognitionstudio.com/conceptart/redehlert_COW6_wip.jpg)

Cheers!
D

[arteric]

Greetings all, and welcome once again to my Upside/Downside weekly critique and comment. Overall it was the best week ever for C.O.W. (OK, only week 6, but still...) and people keep topping themselves. I find it really amazing to see the range of ideas and approaches to each subject. I wonder what week 10 or 12 will be like... the mind staggers!

On with the comments:

Uziel
Upside: Earthquakes as mating signals! Up to 400 years old! Some of the details in the concept made the story behind this kick ass. The scale of the creature is great, and you can really get the feel for it powering it's way through the earth. I like the hollow tubes as sensory organs (and really like that you can actually see this detail in the image) and the addition of the truck (an army vehicle no less) is a great touch in helping us gage the size.
Downside: The technical aspects of the actual illustration are the weakest point. The image seems pretty simple. I would like to see more detail in the skin textures and plating. Also, I would like to see more time spent in the coloring of the image, with more attention to how light shines on (and reflects off of) the surface. The shadows could use more work as there seems to be no set light source to base them on. It would add to the realism.

Lukavi
Upside: Certainly my number 2 in this weeks C.O.W. It is just so different from all the other creatures, big points for originality. The hairy spider-like legs are great, and that one eye is a creepy, yet perfect, touch. The background works perfectly, simple and not over powering the subject, but detailed enough to add to the image greatly, a perfect example of how to work backgrounds into these weekly images. The story is also great, spending all year underground and only surfacing for a week, this creature's LIFE is digging.
Downside: The body is the weakest point for me, it is simply a lump when compared to the rest of the creature. The plant-root like structures connecting to the eye are interesting, but they just vanish into the plain body. I would LOVE to have seen more of the "dormant-bud" you mentioned looking like a flower that could be, only now it is curled up and hibernating. Maybe some overlapping leaf life structures, or some hints of pedals that could open if we were only seeing it during that one week above ground instead of deep in the earth.

rev:
Upside: You captured the Grub look perfectly. I like the vein structures and almost translucent skin tones. I like the wrinkles that form where the from legs meet the body. I also like the root like tendrils escaping into the soil. The face-area is well done too, with the oversized head shape surrounding the small 7 eyes (I am assuming 14 eyes if we could see the other side.) The preportions are very insect like and work well. The small reflected source light on the head is a nice detail point to draw your eye.
Downside: It looks a little unfinished. The details blur too much and I am left wanting to see a little more of the texture of the creature. (The wrinkles at the front legs I mentioned before is a nice level of detail I would have like to seen maintained throughout the entire image.) The background is really just a smudge of brown and could have benefited from some dirt/rock like details to really drive home that sense of place. The tail seems almost too bent in the final segment, it looks a little off to me anatomically compared to the rest of the body.

JeffZNY
Upside: The concept just rocks, and as simple as it sounds, it is some of the best writing in any of the concepts this week... and that adds SO MUCH to the quality of the piece as a whole. ("What horror the flames of passion hath wrought!" Has there ever been a better opening line to a concept? I don't think so.) It is a great idea over all, like a Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale creature doomed to a life of shunned loneliness. And I don't care if it is humanoid, it is a good digger creature with a rock solid (forgive the pun) idea behind it.
Downside: The image loses me a bit, there is a bit too much "Scribble style" going on for my tastes. I would like to have seen more detail in the image at about the level of the face (it does have a great mood with the way the hands vanish into shadow, but even the well lit shoulders seem to get too simple when compared to the face.) The mouth is the part of the face that works the least for me, it doesn't seem to fit right with everything else... those two buck toothed fangs distract me somehow, it is hard to put my finger on exactly why. The Fu Manchu mustache is a nice touch, I guess I wish I could see a bit more of the mouth to give it hint more of expression.

Scarn:
Upside: A really cool story, and I love how you put yourself in both the story and image as part of your travels. I like the idea of the caretaker, a nature-helping creature and kind of natural "Gardener" that digs to protect and improve the plant life. The detailing on the legs is great, it's like I can almost run my finger in those grooves. The texturing on the creature and tree are well done too, a greatly painterly touch to the image.
Downside: The background is lacking that same painterly feel, and maybe it was time limitations but it almost looks like an after thought, and in the end distracts me from the creature itself because it is over simplified and looks like it is not even part of the same image. The shape of the creature reminds me WAY too much of the digging machines from The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, and I wish it had a more original digging structure to it. The tree on top seems to be too much of the creature itself, and I almost wish the was a pot or bowl like structure it kept it's plants in while it looked for someplace to dig and root them.

Pixeldragoon:
Upside: The eye works well in your piece, with nice reflections and a lot of character to it. Also, the shape of the mouth works well too, and I like the little downward pointed chin detail, almost like a stalagmite (or is it stalactites that hangs down? I can never remember.) The armadillo back is a nice touch.
Downside: The image simply isn't finished at all. It needs more attention to the details and more time put into it if it is going to stand out among some of the killer entries I have been seeing in here lately. The brush textures are too scribbly, and as I say to many people, backgrounds and environments can add a lot to your image, and I like to see them worked into the concepts as much as possible.

sone_one:
Upside: The rendering is tight man, tight! The muscle shapes, the skin textures, the light reflections and shadows and lend an amazing 3D quality to the image. It is very round and feels like it has a weight and a mass to it. Those oversized front paws are a great touch, it has it's own built-in shovels to dig with. The face is also cool, simple but deceptively so, while still imparting a lot of animal emotion to the creature. I love the paint textures.
Downside: A little bit lacking on the originality side, it really is just a rat with large front feet. I would like to have seen different touches and details to give this creature a more striking appearance. The back foot seems under-drawn compared to the rest of the image, and too smeared looking (not on purpose like the far front foot.) The same goes for you as for many, a bit of background or a touch of some dirt like textures to the surface it is on might have helped or strengthened the image a bit.

JoBeSu:
Upside: What can I say! One of the best images I have seen in my 6 weeks of C.O.W. That grinning face and the squinty mole-like eyes. Those buck teeth, and the amazing skin wrinkles. The cool way it's feet hang with a realistic feeling weight to them, and the cool 4 legged stance it has. Basically almost all of the elements to the illustration portion are as professional as they come. And I love the lighting on the creature, it has great shadows with stunningly accurate and realistic secondary light bouncing off of it.
Downside: The concept portion is a bit scatter shot and doesn't feel very cohesive in it's description. Something about the double nipple on each pectoral seems like over kill to me, it all ready has multiple limbs and variations on it's teeth, was doubling up on the nipples as well really necessary. The ground is the weakest part of the image. Though purposefully under detailed to draw attention to the creature, I would love to have seen this actually coming up out of a dug hole to bring that final closure to the circle of concept-meets-description. Mostly nit-picky details... overall a real winner.... and it got my vote this week.

fungi:
Upside: A really neat shape to the creature, very un-humanoid... and FULL of originality. I like the skin texture, it reminds me of a worm-like surface (especially the tail) which helps it look like a digger or underground dweller even on a subconscious level to the viewer. That front mouth is a cool idea, and the shape seems perfectly suited for powering it's way through the soil. The spotted, mottled coloration on the tips of the side appendages is a great touch and very organic looking.
Downside: Though a cool shape, it is hard to tell what we are looking at and it relies too much on the description to really carry the concept through. The mouth is a good idea, I would like to have seen it a little better, maybe open and showing off those teeth you told us about in the description. You seem to use this orangish-red as your color scheme most of the time, and I would love to see you break out in a different direction one of these weeks. And though I sound like a broken record, I would like to have seen an environment even hinted at in this image, like JoBeSu or Lukavi.

Matt Dixon:
Upside: As always, very little to question about the technical aspects of the illustration itself. Great light source touches and reflective qualities to the surface, I really like the spots where it washes out to pure white, it gives it a very smooth looking sheen to those areas. The spikey head and back look awesome, and the boney shape to the head is great. I like the little touches like the scratches to the front claw, or the subtle skin surface details along the back. The shock of red for an eye is really an attention grabber too.
Downside: The beak reminds me a bit too much of your venomous bird from a few weeks back. And while you have a recognizable style, I hate to say it but your images are starting to have a certain "sameness" to them week to week. Not a bad thing at all to have recognizable artwork, but I would love to see you break loose one week and take a sharp left turn into different artistic territory. I think it is something about the mass of your creatures (if this makes any sense) they all seem to have similar overall preportions, or take up the same area of each image. I would love to see a bizarre spindle-thin body from you, or an overly massive muscular frame once.

[arteric]

Dougbot:
Upside: Man, you can achieve some killer vibrant colors. Each of your images leap at the viewer and positively glow. I really liked this one actually, and put it in my top 5 this week. Those cool back-bending front claws, the tucked-under head and massive lower jaw, the tiny spec of an eye, and the hallow holes through the outter body... all fantastic touches. I love the intense light source, so bright on the face then almost black by the time you reach the tip of the far claw. And the way you apply the paint rocks my digital art world, baby.
Downside: A good image, but not really original over all. Reminds me too much of a hermit crab. The addition of multiple legs seems to be too much, almost overdone in complexity for me. I would have liked it's mode of transportation to have been simpler, but more thought out I guess.. a number of creatures had multiple-scuttling legs... (Matt Dixon, bRØk3n_sPiRiT...) Those nose is a bit to weird for me too, almost looks like one of those odd Gibbon noses, and it looks too soft to go with the rest of this hard shelled creature.

magicgoo:
Upside: The front shovel feet are one of the single best body parts this week. The scraped up outter shell protecting the sharper yet more delicate inner finger claws is a really smart, well thought out bio-engineered detail. I really like the unique shape to the head, upward bending with the extended eye socket folds and elongated mouth. An ant eater like tongue was also a really good idea, how better to route through the ground for food? Solid concept and execution overall.
Downside: The body of the image is weaker than the face and front arms. I think the ribs are too distracting, and would like to have seen more of the boney plate like structures here to protect such an exposed part of the body. This area also seems under drawn compared to other parts of the image, especially the backbone and tail. Also, I like environments to be hinted at (See JoBeSu and Lukavi as good examples) not much detail needed, but enough to give them a sense of "place" and the reader an anchor point to focus on instead of the creature floating in a neutral background color.

coondoggle:
Upside: I love the humorous approach to some peoples creatures (nothing in the rules about having to be serious all the time) and the concept behind a creature that dwells in sand castles and needs to impress a mate with the "phat" decor of it's abode is awesome. It is a well thought out idea with a neat story behind it that has a lot of potential. The image itself is cool too, and I like the combination of cartoony style solid dark lines with a more realistic shading and lighting approach. A really neat effect is achieved by the texture in your colors too, giving an interesting feel to the creatures skin.
Downside: I would have liked the illustration much more if it had shown some of the cool ideas in your concept, like the actually sand castle dwelling. Maybe an image of the suave Fiend looking his hot mate up and down while shows off his pad, all the while a small child cries in the background at having it's pale and shovel stolen. The image is more of a posed single character shot, and it would have been so much cooler to actually show your story in the art, I think.

Beatnik:
Upside: I love the desert color scheme to the image, I can almost feel the blowing sand getting in my eye. The color works great, and the coloring of the creature to match the background is a smart idea, camouflage is common in nature, and seeing it here the color makes total sense without even being a part of the description. The image is drawn well, it has a nice rough bumpy feel to it, and the shading works well in my opinion.
Downside: It really just looks like a cross between a scorpion and a tarantula, with the back of a spikey dinosaur thrown in. I would like to have seen the creature more original looking overall. It doesn't look suited to be a digger in the end, it's body seems too fat and it's appendages too small to get it though soil, especially dry, hard desert soil! If you had actually shown it digging in the image it might have over come that, but to me I don't think it meets the concept enough.

Gloklund:
Upside: A great idea and big points on originality. When it came to digging, most people thought soil and you are the only one who thought flesh, which is sick and twisted and I applaud you. The flesh is done REALLY well and is instantly recognizable as such. The hairs are perfect as are the skin lines, and it is a perfect example of how a simple background can add TONS to the image... we now know it's size and it's habitat (as well as something about how it lives) all from that simple use of color, those hairs, and those awfully disturbing skin gouges. Not to leave out the creature, it works really well and is, quite simply, an excellent rendering with great surface textures and a really realistic feel to it.
Downside: The triceratops head doesn't work for me, it feels like a massive structure due to the association we make with a dinosaur, and is in conflict with the scale of the creature as we see it from everything else. The dual pronged teeth beak work well, but the head shape needed to be different in my opinion. The tail is another element that throws of the size, we associate tails with larger creatures.... if this was more of a sperm/protazoa like flagellum tail it would have worked, but it is too thick here and seems out of place.

bRØk3n_sPiRiT:
Upside: A well thought out story, and a nice touch making this a domesticized creature (except for the burrowing and escaping part, that is not very domestic now is it?) The concept behind them is solid, and the crustacean feel is immediately clear in the image. I like the bumps on the surface (especially on the smaller legs) and the huge front claws do look suitably powerful.
Downside: It really looks too much like a lobster for me, and those thin legs do not make it look like it is suited for living or working on land, let alone pushing that heavy body underground. I would like to have seen you put more thought into engineering something lobster like but with features that tied in more with your story, like more powerful legs, longer front arms, a sleaker body, and a tail that can push the whole creature forward more. The image itself could use more work, it is a bit blurry and hard to make out the details... the illustration looks a little muddled and could be sharper in focus.

Xpose:
Upside: OK, you got me with the opening joke in your description. Of course, my mother has SIX eyes, but still.... I like the low, hunched to the ground stance, it looks like a powerful creature even before we read the description. The fingers are also a nice touch being as thick as they are, making them look even stronger. The 4 eyes is a nice alien touch, and the face has an interesting "I'm furry and kind of teddy bear like, but I could still kick your ass" look to it.
Downside: We don't normally think of mammals as tunnelers, so I think a mammal approach was a tough way to go. The back side of the animal looks wrong in an anatomical sense, the legs seem to be arched to high and seem to bend in the wrong direction. The joints go out but seem like they should go forward... I think the angle wasn't the best choice in seeing this creature. Fur texture is hard, and I think this gets a little too smooth feeling especially in the back and rear legs.

Fozzybar:
Upside: I love the large underbite, and the fact that what looks to be a mouth full of teeth is really just one top and one bottom tooth. Someone said they didn't like the eyes, but I thought they were a great touch. They are glassy and opaque and look to be almost blind, as if the creature spent a lifetime in the dark. I also like the way the back and front legs meet more in the middle of the body than at the ends (like a frog for example)... and the creature almost looks like some odd form of wingless bat.
Downside: I DO agree with someone else that the background feels more like an afterthought in this one.... not as cohesive as your "Don't Touch That" for example. Something also seems off in the was the legs bend... the feet on the front legs seem too long, and the back legs seemed turned the wrong way, I think the feet would be splayed more sideways for better pushing leverage, this look weak in the way they are bent. The spikes at the top of the body don't seem to fit in, and also feel like an add on.

[arteric]

xia:
Upside: I really was impressed by the visual impact of this piece. The coloring was great, and I love the "harsh" strong lighting. The way the brightest part of the background frames the face shows a good understanding of negative space. The peak lighting that highlights the muscles and surface textures works great, and I really like the facial markings that go back along the snout and from the eyes. I think the face is by far the strongest part of this image.
Downside: The addition of tentacles along the back was just overkill and started making the body feel like a mish-mash of multple pieces. The two mid dangling legs seem too limp and weak to be of much use, let alone in propelling or supporting the heavy looking body. The claws seem a bit too long, and there really isn't much of a foot to speak of, the separation of the toes comes right up to almost the ankle, and doesn't look right to me.

Helzon:
Upside: Great idea! A bio-engineered digger. The fact that your whole concept was a commercial was outstanding. The details in the story are great, this thing comes with more options than a brand new car! The image itself is cool. I especially like the transparent sac under the body, and some of those wicked curving claws certainly look like they tear up the earth as if it were tissue paper. The color is done very well, and it is immediately apparent that you have considerable illustration skill right off the bat.
Downside: The image itself is simply too cluttered in it's composition. It is really hard to make things out without extended looking, and very rarely do you get that much time from a viewer. You should focus in on a single portion of the subject (face for example) and make it really clear and powerful, then once you have hooked the viewer they will discover more of the details. No one part of your image stands out, so instead it is overwhelming to the eye and I'm willing to bet people gloss over it without giving it the time it deserves.

vigostar:
Upside: Interesting concept. I like that the creature is a summoned beast to do the bidding of an evil warlock, a lot of creativity in that idea. The creature itself looks pretty darn cool. I like the muscles and their texture, as well as the tendons and fleshy bits around the forearms and base of the legs (a fan of Dale Keown by any chance? If not, look up some of his work.) I also like the hunched back and oversized neck, it gives the creature this menacing yet powerful look.
Downside: It almost looks like it was drawn by different people. The warlock looks so different from the beast in terms of style that it is a distraction. I would rather the creature been the focus of the image, and the warlock much smaller instead of the other way around, the creature is far more interesting. It gets hard to tell what is going on around the creature's face (is it wearing some kind of studded collar/mask?) That area could have been cleaned up and would have pulled us in more. Also, as I always suggest, don't be afraid to go with color... experiment with tones to creature your mood.

flaptraps:
Upside: Stop messing with my mind, are you lying to me or not????!!!! Damn you man! The creature itself looks really cool. It looks so heavy the way it is flat against the ground, I can feel the gravity pulling on this. I really like it's face too, something about those pupil-less eyes and the large teeth with no lower jaw that we can see, all works together to create a unique and creepy image. The skin texture is really well done, with the variations in spots and tone making it feel dirty like it has been dragging itself through dirt (like a corpse would drag itself.)
Downside: Without more in the image, I really don't get a sense of scale, or if this thing is alive. I would like to have seen a background to really put this creature in an actual place. Also, the story is a mish mash really, it doesn't tell me much about the creature or it's habits so I find it hard to get interested in what could be a really neat creature otherwise. Put more into the concept and I'll bet it will show more in the image too. The chubby legs are too blob like, and without some claw or spike on the end I think it would have a hard time pulling itself through the earth.

grimmy:
Upside: It has a Jazzercize outfit.... enough said! I like the body of the creature. The wrinkles are done really well, as are the sporadic hairs. I like the rib looking features alond the stomach, and that large jutting tooth is an exceptionally nice touch. The skin tone is great and the coloring works really well, I instantly am reminded of the look and feel of elephant skin, something rough and thick. Plus, the on the town outfit looks really good and is a pretty nice illustration (shoes on the back legs and a monocle even though it has no eyes..... outstanding!)
Downside: Of course, too humorous to take seriously in the end. Illustration wise, the feet are the weakest part of the image. Those giant toe nails just don't seem to look right, an the feet seem off in an anatomical sense, like they are not sitting flat on the ground or bearing the weight of the creatures body. Also, I would like to see more contrast in the shading, the highlights are good, but I feel there should be a much stronger and deeper shadow on the underside of the mole. More dramatic lighting, as well as the inclusion of back or rim lighting would really make this illustration pop a lot more.

leckronium:
Upside: I really like the tone and texture of the fur like surface on the creature. The coloring is really done well, and I can totally see a 3D roundness to various parts of the image, especially the tail. The lighting works good also. With nice undershadows along the spine plates, and nice highlights along the top half of the body. The pale green eyes are a nice touch, and I like how far they are set back behind the bill. I can see that you have a good illustration ability and a lot of things about this image just work nicely.
Downside: The background seems weak by comparison to the creature itself, too pale and not enough dark areas, almost like it is lit differently than the Digger an doesn't have deep enough shadows. The one spike fang on the bill doesn't work for me, it seems too large and out of place even though this image all ready has a cartoonish look to it. The front claws seem to big like they are the entire finger instead of being on the finger. The upper part of the arm closest too us also meets with the body in a funny way, it looks too flat where it meets the stomach section.

Genital_Eclipse:
Upside: Very cool image and a nice style of illustration that stands out from the other artwork in here. I like the large curving tendril appendages, and I really like the face, almost fly or bug like with those really neat protruding red eyes. The painting style is done really well, and the brush strokes lend a wonderful sense of movement to the entire image, making it feel more alive and active. I really like the small miner too, he is lit just perfectly with those tiny dashes of white to draw attention to him and really drive home the scale of the creature.
Downside: The Digging part of the concept doesn't come across from the image, I can't see how the creature digs from any of it's physical features.... and I don't get a sense that what we are looking at is actually happening under ground. Maybe this would have benefitted from some environmental touches of cave structures, or maybe it is just that the ground the creature and the guy are on is so perfectly flat that it doesn't give us a sense of being somewhere in nature, but in some large room.

redehlert:
Upside: Darn cool concept, no other creature in here even comes as close to being as powerful as digging through the fabric of space and time itself, generating worm holes as it goes. The lighting on the worm is really neat, the peak lighting coming from the under side instead of from above really makes us feel like we are almost looking up at the creature and makes it feel much bigger overall. I love the wrinkled texture along the head/neck of the beast, if those are the head and neck.
Downside: The body feels weaker than the head and feet, and those segments seem of in perspective somehow, like some are bigger than they should be while others are too small. Visually, it is hard to make out the space-fabric rip idea without having the text to help, maybe there could be more stars in the background, or a planet... and maybe inside the rip there should be no stars, it might make the "rip" idea come across a little better in the end. The small additional image showing the mouth doesn't work for me.... the mouth just looks like a discolored area on the head, not an opening, and I think the small image takes away from the sense of space the big image is trying to achieve.

stormeffex:
Upside: Great use of environment, simple, but totally gets the digging part across in about 1/2 second of looking. I like the light beams shining down through the hole, and the point of view that we are under this creature down in the hole it has dug is a good approach, it puts us even more in that environment. I like the lighting on the creature, and I think the eyes are the most successful part of the whole image with those double light source reflections. I also like the furry mustache like mouth area, reminds me of a spider or tarantula with ties in along with those big looking eyes.
Downside: Some of the scribbling along the cave surface is too much and distracts from the image making for a hectic feeling composition. The body of the creature is it's weakest part and feels too boxy, like it is the wrong shape for this otherwise sleek being. The back feet meeting the cave wall could also use some work, I don't get the feeling like it is really latched on to the surface. I also would like to have seen more uniqueness in the hands, they are almost too human in proportion compared to the rest of the creatures features.

Arri:
Upside: Damn incredible rendering. The yellow green coloring, the upper light source shining down on the surface, the great reflected light in the shadows... all of the technical parts of this illustration are fantastic. I love the creature's front arms, the multiple limbs connected to the large, shovel like hooks are fantastic, and really look like they have the power to move boulders. I also like the face, the four eyes are nice, and the thing has a nose feature.... a great touch that I wouldn't have expected on something so insect like. The bumps, cracks and grooves along the skin surface look so good I can almost run my finger along them and feel the texture.
Downside: The four back legs are the weakest part, and don't match up with the quality of the rest of the image. They seem too small from an engineering standpoint to support this bulky frame or to brace the creature while it tries to move away heavy mounds of earth. The perfectly flat surface it is standing on also pulls me out of believing in this creature, and I would like to have seen more organic and natural textures to the background, or even a hint of dirt and tunnel like structures. Overall a solid entry and probably in my top 5.

Whew... that's it for this week, my fingers are killing me from all this typing. I hope some of you found this helpful, or have appreciated the positives and negatives I have tried to point out (all from my opinion of course, and I am no professional art critic.) I tried to spot the details you worked in to your images, and hopefully caught those small parts of the picture you were proud of and showed you that others notice it too. Everyone in here deserves praise for the effort and thought they have put into this project. Week 6 has been another leap forward in quality, I expect these images to only get more inventive as time goes on.

Thanks to everyone for the votes cast in my direction, it is very much appreciated and never goes unnoticed. One of these days I am gonna pull a winner out of this rusty old brain of mine... but by the looks of what the rest of you are doing, it would be without considerable effort, and it certainly won't be easy. See you in the next round.

- Eric

[Ostrander]

Your crits are simply wonderful. Noone goes unnoticed. You better never, ever, ever stop. Or all of us here who particapate in the C.O.W are gonna pay a visit to your doorstep. :P

[Xpose]

Thanx arteric! Yeah I know... I was really split on how detailed I should go with the rear... I wanted to make it kinda blurry as to make it look like it was focused on the front but I don't think I blurred it enough. I really liked yours too btw... at first I just didn't get how it fit the subject, My bad. *goes back to work on the next try*

[redehlert]

Hey Arteric - many thanks for the comments. I will use your statements and Gloklund's and forge ahead in COW 7 with new insight. Gotta love this place.
Cheers!
D

[Fozzybar]

arteric, as always a big thank you for your effort and time for the mass-crits...you're the hero!

[magicgoo]

I voted for arri and here's why:

His was the only one (second to...ahem...mine :D ) who had the best "digger" forearms. I thought my forearm concept was cool, but not well done enough to compete with the big names here, but arri's concept was similar and extremely well executed. If I had the talent, I think his rendering would have been more what I wanted my creature to be. So he gets my vote :)

Thanks to:
fozzy bear
uziel
gloklund
arteric

You all mentioned that you liked the forearm concept of my creature and not the body or the back legs. I was happy with the front of my creature, and I actually hated the whole body and legs of him, too! You all critiqued him exactly how I would have, and seemed to hit the nail right on the head. Very insiteful comments from all of you, and I will work on creature bodies and back legs better for the next C.O.W.!

And, to everyone else, I think the creatures were awesome. I didn't think "digger," for a lot of them, though. I thought some of them would have made better anal parasites for the previous COW. But they were all very well colored and well executed and had a lot of style and character. Amazing work to everyone!

[oomgawa]

My personal favs were lukavi, xia, gloklund and jobesu in regards to style, color, light and overall expert handling of the subject.

My vote this round had to go to JoBeSu. That critter makes me smile everytime I look at it. Appeal, appeal, appeal! Makes me want to know what he is thinking, a must have for good character development.

Bravo! to all.

[Johann de Venecia]

Arteric: Hehe, I read everyone's critiques from top to bottom. Well-written, honest and fair. That's got to be a labor of love on your part, man. Thanks for never holding back. Thanks for the comment, and thank you, Gloklund as well.

Mr. Fozzy is running a good show. C.O.W. is one of the best community activities at ConceptArt because of his dedication.

Cheers !

[Xpose]

It's a labor of he's fucking awsome for it lol

[Bennett]

Arteric, my hat goes off to the creativity. I'da never thunk of it!

I'm all about rewarding outstanding creativity over artistic skilll, although it was also beautifully drawn/rendered.

[brokk]

Arteric thank you, sincerly.
You are more than kind to take the time and write an upside/downside crit n commentary for everyone.
I don't like to speak on behalf of other people, but I think its safe to say we are all very grateful.

You are so right on my entry, I did slack around with the image, I did not put in the time or effort the COW standards demand and I'm now working to correct that. Also I tried to make things without a clear pencil version, I tried to go all digital, something I am far from adept at. I should have kept to what I know to maybe produce something more presentable but I feel like I have learned a lot from the experience.
About the creature's design, I agree with you 100%, it is too lobster-ish and it definatly would need to be more adapted to being on land and being a burrower, also the image itself could be more interesting. It has bad lighting bad construction, no perspective and no composition : S
I'm glad you liked the story, it was fun to write!

And since its crit week and you've given all of us crits, why not return the favor? I'm gonna crit your entry!

The concept is awesome and the image works very well, the presentation is great. One thing that is a bit off is the text font you used for the description, its not all that similar to the font on the forums (a rather lousy crit I know, but I just had to say it).
About the creature, you show the hole and then the creature chewing on part of the web page as separate elements. Maybe if the creature was actually coming out of the hole it would re-enforce the idea that this creature actually dug out from the web page, maybe a leg could still be in the hole and the creature comming out.
Also you could have included a more dramatic perspective for the creature, making it "pop-out" more, maybe showing some teeth, as if it was really comming to get you from the screen!

I hope this is usefull in some way.
You did a really great entry.
Cheers.

[OLSEN]

I voted for Arri, mostly because if i had a hole that needed some digging, I think his creature would do the best diggin job.

[arteric]

My thanks to everyone in response to the critiques, I do enjoy doing them, and I mostly hope that people out there are getting something out of them.

bRØk3n_sPiRiT: Your critique was ON THE MONEY. The font is wrong, I am on a Macintosh so what you see is the font MY browser defaults to. After I posted it I looked more closely from a different computer at work (A PC) and immediately saw the difference. It would have helped to be even more accurate because the visual illusion was what I was trying to create, so not a picky critique at all.

Also, I did think about making the creature into more of a worm that was hanging out of the hole with it's body int he hole. Also I was possibly going to make one of the wood pieces from inside the whole being thrown right at the viewer and look like it was getting really close to you. The 2nd idea I trashed because I thought it would be too hard to get accross, the first idea I should have gone with.... even to the point where I was considering making bumpy burrowing marks all under my text (kind of the Bugs Bunny tunneling effect.) Of course, all of these ideas came too late to get them done on time and post them for the deadline, but again everything you suggested was right on, and I couldn't agree more.... great eye for catching those details.

Thank you also lukavi (someone actually reads all the critiques, I am amazed and impressed.) I do enjoy it and get a ton out of it, really looking at others work with a critical eye helps you to do the same for your own work after a while. I tried my best to give everyone unique critiques, but often times there simply is no better way to say something that "I love the texture" or "awesome brush strokes" so in the end, people do get some of the same comments simply because they fit.

And tahnks as always to Fozzybar for great moderating, and to everyone else who took the time to give somebody else a piece of advice.... this C.O.W. topic did take place during "Critique Week" after all.

Now, on to some lava eating creatures.... see you there.

-Eric

[Fozzybar]

Congrats JoBeSu!!!

I will post your pic in the winner gallery this evening (i hope)...


to all: Please feed the topics thread for C.O.W.:

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=37440