C.O.W. - #031: Canyonmaker

[Fozzybar]

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/images/cow/cow.jpg


Round #031

Topic:
Canyonmaker

Deadline:
Wednesday, 14th December 2005




- for any questions or help go here:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=37512

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

Post your creature for this week!

[Fozzybar]

I took infinitemonkeys idea of "channelmaker of Mars" and varied it to this topic, so thanks for the input!

[redehlert]

Nice one....will be a good time. Stay well, man.
Cheers!
D

[Saise]

Yeah!
Nice ideas, i'am in ;]

[Zeitwolf]

nice topic! Glad the cow is back!

[silentkitty]

Woohoo, it's back! Interesting topic, too.

[Carnifex]

glad you're back foz-don't get sick again! waiting is almost too much to take ;)

[cgfuller64]

How ya feelin' Foz?

[infinitemonkey]

Is it cheating to have had an idea for a concept before it'd even been picked? :teeth:

[Fozzybar]

redehlert
thank you buddy! I will try :)

Carnifex
thanx mr.pimp, that's nice and i can't wait either :)

cgfuller64
thank you for the concern, man! also thanx for the tips in the ideas thread, but i read it when i became better so i couldn't realize, thanx nevertheless...currently i feel like being at 80% health status...so things are going on track again :)

infinitemonkey
having the idea before is not cheating, but having an artwork before is not allowed

...and now let's make some canyonmakers made with crayons...oh god...i think i am still sick...:perv:

[Chuck,mate.]

i really don`t want to sound dumb, but:
what IS a canyonmaker?
seriousley - i have no idea what we`re supposed to do
for this one.
don`t laugh. i`ll bitch-slap every last one of you.

well, actually i`ll just be really hurt, and go cry somewhere.


so?

[Zeitwolf]

Chuck, mate
please do not cry
a canyonmaker is simply a creature (as we see, a creature of cow is mostly some kind of animal) that makes canyons.
I don't want you to tell my idea, but imagine a canyon and than a creature (instead of a natural power like tectonic) which could have caused it ;)

[Chuck,mate.]

Chuck, mate
please do not cry
a canyonmaker is simply a creature (as we see, a creature of cow is mostly some kind of animal) that makes canyons.
I don't want you to tell my idea, but imagine a canyon and than a creature (instead of a natural power like tectonic) which could have caused it ;)

thanks man.
still - i think i`ll pass on this one.
seems pretty hard, and i`m not sure i get it,
enough to deliver
something that is "right" concept-wise.
:S

[Fozzybar]

well, look at the round with the topic "hill-stomper"...it was the same kind of topic...it's totally up to your imagination how a creature which stomps hills or makes canyons looks, lives or moves...

[Chuck,mate.]

i see.
well maybe i`m gonna participate after all, if i`ll find the time, and make the deadline.

thanks foozybar.

[brokk]

Right, I see what I'm gonna need for this topic, some creative aid.

:inject: :vodka2: :vodka1: :inject: ...ah yeah... :inject:





j/k :P

[infinitemonkey]

I know Foz, I know.

I just don't know how I'm going to pull off my idea...

[D.Labruyere]

pff, do it have to be big canyons? or are they allowed to make mini-canyons?

edit: or are canyons always big.. hmm, when can you call something a canyon? :P thinks, that is the qeustion I was searching for ^,^

[Fozzybar]

Haldor, size doesnt matter....well sometimes it does, but not in this case :)

JakkaS made a very tiny creature for Swamp Beast and won, though everyone else was thinking of a beast being big....so do a concept where a creature makes canyons, whether the canyons are big or small, it's up to you to set a nice and creative concept around this...

[pr0ph3t]

hey everybody, ive been dead for like... idk, a long time, so let me just make sure i remember how to do this... we just draw it and then submit it to this thread? and sorry ive been gone so long if you even remember me

[Fozzybar]

i don't remember you, but just post your entry here thats it and stick to the rules btw :)

[D.Labruyere]

thank you fozzy,

that means I can continue with the cow I'm working on :) (before I work my ass of for nothing :/ )

[Negrotuerto]

Hello people, I'm back :D

I don't have the history yet, only the general idea and the WIP ;)
Basically it is a monster with a big ugly stone-cock

Here is the WIP, enjoy:

http://www.carloscabrera.com.ar/images/ca_foro/cow31-wip.jpg

Ok, I am going to continue working in my creature...
Cheers!,

[Fozzybar]

oh baby yeah, negro is back!!! :D

[possessed]

and how! holy heck, looking great!

[Carnifex]

even with tutorial-sweeet!

[jahakob]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d8/Jahakob/sista.jpg

I figured "canyonmaker" is something tribals would make up, you know, with their wild and imagination they like to exxagerate things.
This is a 20 meters tall Kangrostrich. They jump around like frogs and if not canyons they make big foot-prints and cause all sorts of trouble. Earthquakes, volcano-erruptions and land-slides. Those silly creatures. :P

I'd like to add more details but my lack of skills kept me from doing it. I'll do that with another creature.

[Standing]

The Moggis Rotundis - or Canyonmaker - is a relative of the wildcat, but strangely imbued with the ability to find the natural resonant frequency of most solid objects. This odd power gives the Moggis the power to render gravity's effect on solids null and to tear things apart at will. In a bizzare show of strength, the Moggis will often refuse to walk around natural obstacles that lie in their way and so they can frequently be observed making huge splits right through land masses, hence their colloqiual name, the Canyonmaker.
http://www.jonathanstanding.com/ca_folder/moggy.jpg
Gents - this is my second attempt at a COW - hopefully I've not made a bollocks at the criteria again. It's a thoroughly stupid idea and not very well executed (I used two filters - oh dear) but I have run out of time. I hope that I'm not bringing down the (usually excellent) quality of COW with this entry.

[ngnorden]

I hope that I'm not bringing down the (usually excellent) quality of COW with this entry.

lol not at all, I like the effects, though more emphasis could be put on making a stronger character.

I really like your idea though, that it blasts through matter by sending out sound waves, since that is really what this world is, vibrating energy.

[Negrotuerto]

And, here is the final image :tihi:
I hope you like it ^^

http://www.carloscabrera.com.ar/images/ca_foro/cow31.jpg

CabezaDura- This creature is in extinction process because of its prominent and deformed reproductive apparatus. His heavy penis has sharpened ends like nails, and this particulary characteristic plus its interior of ardent rock does of the CabezaDuras one of the main Canyonmaker creatures of the planet.

The CabezaDura male has killed all the females of his species and he can't reproduce anymore.
In the evolution of his specie the CabezaDura's penis start to increment his size and weight. In the beginnings, the CabezaDuras more evolved had a great acceptance between the females, because they had an enormous penis with new textures ( like a cereal bar ), but with the years these textures sharpened becoming into a mortal trap for the females.

Now the Cabezadura vague by his planet looking for some female, and due to its small hands and their heavy penis, the Cabezadura cannot escape of its destiny... The extintion.


Cheers,

[cgfuller64]

Wow Cabrera!

[Plate]

Looks great, Negrotuerto. I especially like his expression.

Though I can't help but feel a great deal of pity for the females of that species... :S

[possessed]

what if it is the female species ??? :p
Seriously, it's an awesome piece and now I'm afraid to submit anything (o_0)

[VegasMike]

Here's what I think a Canyonmaker would look like...I immediately thought of the Rockbiter from Never Ending Story when I read the topic. I wanted to do something massive. I also just recently finished playing a game called Shadow of the Collossus for the PS2 which features these large stone and earth giants you must defeat. The designs are all amazing and the game really gives you a sense of scale, I highly recommend it! That was also inspiration for this piece...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v52/Vegasmike/CanyonDone.jpg

The Canyonmaker is an enormous ancient beast that feeds on rocks and earth to extract nutrients adding to its rocky mass. The Canyonmaker uses its large bulldozer like teeth and mouth to scoop up its meals and plow through the earth at a mile per day pace. The creature expels unused soil and material from a blowhole on its back. The blowhole begins to grow much like a volcano and can grow to the size of a small mountain. The Canyonmaker sweats unused moisture through its cool underbelly where patches of algae and moss grow.

[brokk]

Wow, the entries are great. I don't feel like submmitting anything now :[

Or, I guess I'll have to work harder to try and come up with something then :)

[pr0ph3t]

Hey, hope this isn't as shitty as I see it as. :( Anyhow it is my first attempt to try and get me warmed up for this type of thing.

GRIBLIT - The Griblit is a massive beast of 5 tons and 150 feet on average in the adult stage. It uses a large shovel like jaw to scoop up rocks, dirt and anything else that may be on the ground. Once inside the material is digested and compressed creating a high pressure gas. This gas is forced out between several wing like plates and gives the Griblit the ability to fly. All that is left as an output is water, which is leaked out the small stub like anus. This sometimes falls directly into the resulting canyons creating small rivers and streams. The Griblit's abdomen consists of several segments with a large storage space towards the back. Giving it the ability to stretch to fit in as much as possible.

http://www.pr0ph3t.com/site/special/griblit.jpg

[silentkitty]

Wow, awesome entries so far. :o VegasMike, I can definitely see the SotC influence there, but that's definitely not a bad thing. Awesome work.

I think I'm gonna have to sit this one out this week, too much other crap going on at the moment. :(

[possessed]

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/1946/canyon29be.jpg
WIP

[D.Labruyere]

darn, all really nice so far :)

here's just a wip of mine;

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d39/haldor1/Scannen05-12-102314.jpg

it's going to be some sort ant which carries away stones forming a canyon :) (yeah the thing in his mouth still has to become a stone :P I know I know... )

[threeeyesworm]

HAHAHAHA! CabezaDura is awesome and hilarious.

[Chuck,mate.]

negrotuerto -

great WIP, nicely done, and a cute n` silly concept.
and since i`m argentinian(though i live in israel...)i know what "cabesa dura" means,
which makes it even more funny.
good job.
:)

[Diego]

GREAT wips so far...
Negro: excelente laburo loco, me gusta la idea que tomaste y con el humor que desarrollaste la idea, really nice job.

[Chuck,mate.]

hello ppl,
my humble entry:

http://images5.theimagehosting.com/canyonmaker_small.jpg
:S Silex Fames, an early capturing attmept.

[jahakob]

Nice concept, Chuck! The mouth reminds me of an excavator's mouth..
It doesn't feel good to get ran over but there will be more contests and more practice for me I guess... Gj everyone..

[Fozzybar]

hehe, chuck very cool one! I have to admit my creature-design is almost the same idea...but well i will post it when finished :)

[Chuck,mate.]

hehe, chuck very cool one! I have to admit my creature-design is almost the same idea...but well i will post it when finished :)

why, thank you.
:)
post it dude, post it.
i`ll bet ya yours will get alot more votes.
:yayca:

[Carnifex]

very nice entries so far.
here's a wip:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b363/siansaar/worm.jpg

[Fozzybar]

why, thank you.
:)
post it dude, post it.
i`ll bet ya yours will get alot more votes.
:yayca:
well you already lost your bet and i don't say this because i am trying to be nice....mine won't be better than yours - definitely! I can assess this properly :)

[bluefooted]

So much competition already! Fozzy - hope you're feeling better :dur:

Fozzy - you must have infected me through the internet! I feel terrible... :(

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/ekelso/canyon2.jpg

The Mugawump

This large creature spends most of its life underground, feeding on organic material in the soil. It's nickname 'the canyonmaker' comes from the great expanses of collapsing soil it leaves in its wake as it tunnels through the ground. Although this creature begins life as a tiny larva resembling an earthworm, the mugawump may live for hundreds of years, reaching vast sizes. They are only seen above ground during the 10 year mating cycle, when the adults emerge and call to attract mates often causing massive destruction to local farms and villages.

[grey]

finally I got enough time in my schedule that I could tackle one of these :^^: http://www.greystudio.com/ca/COW31_canyonmaker.jpg

The Spiders of Mars (a la Ziggy Stardust)
these gargantuan beasts roamed the surface of the red planet for millions of years before the age of man, living for millenia and reshaping the surface with their feeding and migratory habits. Their massive forelimbs were fused together and evolved into a highly specialized shovel-like protrusion, which was used to plough through the martian soil scooping up the microbial life abundant in those times (much like the plankton in Earth's seas). The disturbed soil was swept through a gaping maw, passing fine tendrils that acted as filters. Ingesting the microbes created methane gas, which swelled the Spiders' abdominal sack and helped bouy their massive weight. The barren soil was expelled behind.
Because these creatures followed the exact same feeding path their entire lives, they eventually wore channels, then canyons into the planet's surface, dying out only when the soil refused to yield any more nutrients.

[Negrotuerto]

Wow, nice entries so far! This is coming better and better :)
I like the entries of bluefooted, chuck mate, and vegasmike.. the cameras and concept that they used are excellent!
Hey Fozzy show us your creature! ^^

And, thanks for all the comments...

but I have bad news :( .. the last CabezaDura died yesterday, he arrived at the ocean and the water extinguished his volcano interior... The police found him on the beach with a big and peaceful smile.

I will see you in heaven Cabezadura... rest in peace

[Carnifex]

bluefooted-*gasp* a giant naked mole rat! finally we see what it looks like!


;)

[Fozzybar]

Mountain Muncher

Not much to say about this happy and peaceful creature...it's biting its way through huge mountains with its diamond teeth...not caring about statics of course, so the result mostly is a breakdown of the ceiling...turning back and going the same line it eats the rest of the rocks and dirt until nothing remains in this line...there you have your personal canyon!

http://www.kidomatix.com/ca/cow/cow_031_canyonmaker_fozzybar.jpg

[Fozzybar]

Negrotuerto
hehehe, you are sick my friend, i tell you....sick, but funny ;)

[ngnorden]

Fozzybar that is one content creature! love it!

Carlos can't wait for your gallery!

bluefooted, vegasmike, chuck,mate simply awesome!

many exclamation marks here!

grey, great rendering! but it's a bit confusing to look at, something with the perspective is off, like a side view and top view at the same time if you get me?

[grey]

foz I'm diggin' the bling in your creature's teeth, those diamond caps must have set him back a pretty penny :teeth:

ngnorden - thx for the crit, I've been focusing on rendering lately, glad it shows. I didn't catch anything up w/the perspective, probably trying to have too much fun drawing the damn thing :dur:

[madplanet]

Ok, this is my first attempt at any of these competitions, but I figured to jump in and learn. I hope that I did this right.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/madplanet/cow2.jpg

The Canyon Maker is an ancient creature rarely seen near the surface, unless an area has collapsed and is burrowing back under. It burrows like a mole, making tunnels while feeding on the stone itself. The bony plate on its head protects it from damage and the bony plates that line its back deflect falling rock to the sides. Other 'sentient' beings move in when a canyon is discovered and they mine the waste that is left behind by the Canyon Maker.

[Corrick]

Work in progress...

Progress 1 (http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/Corrick/canyonmaker1.jpg)

Progress 2 (http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/Corrick/canyonmaker2.jpg)

Progress 3 (http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/Corrick/canyonmaker3.jpg)

Progress 3 (http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/Corrick/canyonmaker4.jpg)

Final

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/Corrick/canyonmaker5.jpg

Plow Crab (Cancer Aratrum)

When its ocean habitat was destroyed thousands of years ago in a period of planetary hyperaridity, this giant crustacean was forced to become a land-dwelling behemoth. It has since evolved a blade-like ventral protrusion, using its own weight to literally plow the earth in order to excavate subterranean creatures that would otherwise be inaccessible. Following the example of its predecessors, the Plow Crab walks backwards, plucking its hapless prey from the ground as it moves over its own massive furrow.

Planetary biologists have since given this monster its rather appropriate nickname "Canyonmaker".

[Chuck,mate.]

Canyon Muncher - Jaws 009

Not much to say about this happy and peaceful creature...it's biting its way through huge mountains with its diamond teeth...not caring about statics of course, so the result mostly is a breakdown of the ceiling...turning back and going the same line it eats the rest of the rocks and dirt until nothing remains in this line...there you have your personal canyon!

http://www.kidomatix.com/ca/cow/cow_031_canyonmaker_fozzybar.jpg

dang, this one`s cute!!
:)

[Zeitwolf]

Fozz, this cuddly thing would hurt it's tounge with it's upper jaw, wouldn't it?

[Fozzybar]

no, because

1. it can move it's tongue back
2. it uses the upper jaw only to break down the rock
3. forget the tongue you didn't see anything...:)

[redehlert]

negrotuerto -
great WIP, nicely done, and a cute n` silly concept.
and since i`m argentinian(though i live in israel...)i know what "cabesa dura" means,which makes it even more funny. good job.
:)

doesn't it mean 'hard, covered head'? i'm using my anatomy background and español - cabesa = head; dura = tough outer protective layer/covering.

negro - so good to have you back in here and packing a power-sized punch! bravo!
cheers!
d

[redehlert]

oh man!
foz- your creature has serious blingage!

blue!! i dig it....get it....i....dig....it.

all other entries are really inspiring and shaping up quite nicely!
cheers!
d

[Fozzybar]

i checked my dictionary for blingage, nothing found :(

haha you dig it....you.....dig...it....hehe, yeah man! :perv:

[redehlert]

that's because yer lookin' in the wrong place, my brutha!
go here: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=blingage

cheers!
d

[brokk]

redehlert, yeah, thats the literal meaning. Iits also a sort of slang for a stubborn person, a "hard head" : )

[grey]

i checked my dictionary for blingage, nothing found :(

http://www.greystudio.com/ca/blingage.jpg

[Fozzybar]

OMG...creature of the week has its winner entry! :perv:

[VegasMike]

Hahaha! Nelly the Canyonmaker! Hey Thanks for the link Redehlert! I always wanted to know what a bamboo cooch was...

[redehlert]

and what is it.... ;)

[Negrotuerto]

Holly shit!
I would have to work during 3 lives to join the money that this guy has in his mouth... :S

By the way, Cabeza dura means.. Hard (dura) Head (cabeza) ..hard head! hard head! watch out! If you say his name in english 3 times he appears in your toilet! so.. be careful with the hard head... :x oops

-Hey redehlert hi again! :D.. where is your concept Bro?
-Fozzy : Nice concept! Is like the baby of that negro.

[bradz]

http://www.chimeras.co.uk/pics/the_canyonmaker.jpg

These timid beasts, slide through deepest space until they slam into a targeted planet or moon, once they have recovered their composure, an egg is laid deep within the security of the core. Then they leap mightily, propelling themselves effortlessly for eons, leaving the planed ravaged and scored with deep gouges. It takes billions of years for the canyon maker to gestate, during which time the generated warmth and liquids the creature gives, causes the planet to flourish and bloom, filling with life, until the inevitable hatching that is......


There are some great images here again.
I managed to get around to this fella, though i was tempted to draw a creature that creates canyons in peoples faces, aging them.. (but it might have been a bit too random)

[jahakob]

This far you got my vote, wonderful concept.

[redehlert]

By the way, Cabeza dura means.. Hard (dura) Head (cabeza) ..hard head! hard head! watch out! If you say his name in english 3 times he appears in your toilet! so.. be careful with the hard head... :x oops
-Hey redehlert hi again! :D.. where is your concept Bro?

hey negrotuerto! um....yeah, well, this weekend got shot with a trip down to southern USA (arkansas to be exact). i've got a concept in the works, but it may just remain good ole pencil due to time, but perhaps the grand muppet will let it slide into voteland. :)

bradz - solid concept text....really like that.

cheers!
d

[masque]

great work posted here so far, lotsa grins! mine's a tad more sedate...

http://www.metrocast.net/~chipartist/ImagePost/ArgoLithCOWweb.jpg

[Eriboss]

Squit Crater

http://www.badgertracks.net/eow/canyoncow1.jpg

Dubbed The Canyon Maker or Squit Crater by locals, this insane beast lives on a diet of earth and... well anything that gets in its way really! It very rarely does anything but run around devouring the landscape and digesting it instantly with its toxic abrasive stomach acids - then, the concoction that squits out the other end, burns through.. again, pretty much anything, so If you survive being eaten.. chances are you wont survive the anal encore.

___

eheh some great entries this time round, apologies in advance for lowering the tone,

Cheers

Eri :evilmustache:

[infinitemonkey]

I don't think I'm going to have time to get one in this week :^^;: , up to my eyelids with holiday-themed work.

[Chuck,mate.]

here`s my entry, final piece.
work it up a little bit, added details,
and cropped it down.

http://images5.theimagehosting.com/canyonmaker_smal_2l.jpg
Silex Fames, an early capturing attmept.


Silex Fames ,the Canyon Maker.

this ill-tempered ancient giant who its species once
roamed free in the wild planes of Desolo Inculta,
is nowadays used at quarries, mines, and marble factories of kumbar-tak, D.I.
the capturing and training of these beasts was harshly disastrous at first, but mankind got the hang of it eventually.
the natural rock-eater is a powerful tool at the hands
of an accomplished master.
the silex fames is also known as "the canyon maker", for its unncany habit of creating..arr..well, canyons, deep and wide across its territory when feeding.
the huge creature`s furnace-like stomach, with its misterious digestion system, burns internaly at a hit that
can go up to aprox. 10,000 degrees celsius.
(which Scientists think might explain the creature`s temper..)

[Fozzybar]

masque
err....i am a little confused....is this bottle like thingie your creature? As far as i understood it's a factory? And what with the text on it?

[bradz]

it looks like he is going for a 'machine' made from organic materials (blurring the edges).... think next gen ipod made from sea cucumber cells.... lol.

[masque]

masque
err....i am a little confused....is this bottle like thingie your creature? As far as i understood it's a factory? And what with the text on it?it's a fully organic though genetically engineered "factory organism," combining features of an earthworm, rock-eating (lithotrophic) bacteria, and a blue whale (for size of course); text is the explanatory "blurb," dressed up like an ad for the company that produces the outlandish creatures.

perhaps less obscurely: it eats the rock & shits out raw materials used to create human habitats in the canyons it leaves behind. marvelous piece of 24th century biotechnology, though they tend to get a bit cranky if the rock has too much iridium in it.

[Fozzybar]

ah ok, got it, it just looked more technically less organic..

[masque]

ah ok, got it, it just looked more technically less organic..yeah, it doesn't have a lot of "frills and gills" :), but part of the thought behind the concept is that as genetic engineering advances, "organic" will necessarily become more "technical" for specialized purposes.

i had tried adding some structural elaboration to the "ribs" based on diatom & radiolarian electromicrographs, but i thought it screwed up the impression of scale.

[redehlert]

chuck,mate - that's hysterical! finally able to see your entry....dig the comical aspect of it.

cheers!
d

[pr0ph3t]

bradz that is a really good concept as well as a follow through with a well executed concept drawing

i think you got my vote also

[walnut]

Hello everybody. I've decided to come out of my hiding place and start right off with joining in this weeks COW. I hope you like it, it's not the most original but it just kind of popped up in my head.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/walberg/canyonmaker.jpg

The Great Worm, believed by the indiginous population of Yukall to be the creator of the strange geological formations that scar the planet's surface, had long been put off by scientists and colonists alike as a superstitious folklore. This all changed on 34 Vanyar 5689 (local calendar) when a scouting plane looking for fertile land witnessed the emergence of Worm's spinal jags pushing up the land's crust. Both of the pilots are now revered by the Yukall tribes as holy men for having been part of such a miraculous and divine occasion. This discovery has upset the scientific world in no little way. The existence of a creature so gargantuan has been thought completely impossible. Furthermore any attempts to gather information have proved fruitless.
Another myth surrounding the Worm tells that until now the beast has only been slumbering, and that the day it rears its head above the ground will spell the end of the world. Suddenly this story doesn't seem so incredible at all...


Wow, got carried away with the description there. I'd also like to say that my vote's probably going out to masque's contribution, for originality and plain out weird-factor. It think it looks convincingly organic and engineered at the same time.

Well, off i go!

[ngnorden]

walnut, congrats in first post! I like the perspective and I get a good sense of scale how big the creature is, pretty darn long! If you're still interested in working more on it may I suggest some more mountains and rocks in the scenerey? I think it would add atmosphere and more feeling for how the planet looks. Also since the contest has creature focus, maybe add a small thumbnail how the creature looks as a whole, like negrotuerto and chuck,mate have done to convey how the creature works.

[walnut]

Well if i can make it in time i can do some more background. Sounds like a good idea, ngnorden, thanks for that. I don't know about doing a small version though. It's been done already and the idea for this is sort of that nobody knows just how big this thing is, let alone what it looks like. Or is that idea too cheesy? Or beyond the rules of this thread?

[romance]

I think Bond villian Jawz (Richard Kiel) has got Nelly beat. Those teeth may not be diamonds, but they are purty.

http://www.richardkiel.com/Spy35.jpg

Great stuff ChuckMate! Really diggin' your style!

I love puns.

[ngnorden]

I don't know about doing a small version though. It's been done already...

Don't worry about if it's been done, it's used all the time professionally.

and the idea for this is sort of that nobody knows just how big this thing is, let alone what it looks like. Or is that idea too cheesy? Or beyond the rules of this thread?Correct me if I'm wrong ppl, but my understanding of this contest is foremost to in a clear way create a creature design showing as much as possible of how it looks, and how it would move and act in its environment. Your idea of nobody knowing how it looks is more in the line of a story than a creature concept. Your story idea is good, but since this is concept art, a creature concept is something you would show a client, so they need all info they can get on the creature, like for further 3d modeling etc.

Again, have I got the right impression here mods?

[romance]

Here's my entry. Thought I'd go traditional on this one.

http://www.artofromance.ca/ca/projects/COW/desert_patch_worm.jpg

The Desert Patch Worm

These creatures can be found in Western deserts of North America. Until recently, it had been thought that the Desert Patch Worm was extinct; a discovery of a small colony of Desert Patch Worms was made in the late 1990's when farmers in the New Mexican deserts found their desolate farm lands turned into canyons.

The Desert Patch Worm usually dwells underground, where it takes shelter from the hot desert sun, but will surface to feed. The patches on the worms skin retain water, enabling it to spend hours, if not days, out in the sun.

The Desert Patch Worm, is a voracious eater. They have been known to gorge for days on sedimentary rock, and anything else on the desert just could become their dessert, as they will devour anything that is on the the delicious sands.

Since the recent rediscovery of the Desert Patch Worm, farmers, cautious of losing their farmlands, have set up sound stations to keep the beasts away. The stations emit the call of the Pack Roadrunner, the same tiny birds that were thought to make this beast extinct the first time.

[asoir]

Negrotuerto, that is a fantastic concept and better execution :) Most probably got my vote.

[JakkaS]

Inspiration for this creature were sharks, more precisely shark’s fin. I tried to imagine desert with fins on sand surface, but that was too obviously, so I had to change the shape of it.

The Great Animal Encyclopedia of Planet Gobb
Volume 13, Chapter 10 Worms?

Finfly
Those slow desert exiles are the biggest living creatures on the moon Gibilis [the second moon of the planet Gobb]. While looking for a food, they travel across deserts making huge canyons. They feed on rare minerals called Black Quartz – these crystals are full of energy [finfly can convert this energy into a gas for later use in self-defense and... read below]. Most interesting thing in these creatures is in fact that they have “wings”. This wings look like a dorsal fin of fish and are made of chitin. They are used only in two cases when finfly want to move fast in searching food or for breeding, that happen usualy once every 20 years. To fly, they have to wait for a strong wind blow. When wind is strong enough, they slowly open wings and, because they are very stiff, they can lift off – wings work just like a lever. On the right moment they release gas stored in abdomen – similarly to jet engine – and they cover a short distance...

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/JakkaS/COW31-JakkaS.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/JakkaS/COW31FLY.jpg

[Negrotuerto]

Negrotuerto, that is a fantastic concept and better execution :) Most probably got my vote.


:D thanks man! (The microwave I promise you will be arriving next weekend :P )
And Jackass.. damn! that concept is HOT! Excellent idea and illustration.:hatsoff:

:yayca:

[walnut]

Damn, those last two entries were just way too good.

Okay, at the instigation of ngnorden i've added more background and an artist's rendition of what the Great Worm may look like (to stay with the story, taken from cave paintings and descriptions in old tales). This then, will be the final version.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/walberg/canyonmakermitbg.jpg

[masque]

really sweet, walnut! seems even bigger the second time 'round. and thanks for the comment on the ArgoLith -- "plain-out weird" works for me! :D

JakkaS -- superb as always, the surfaces are really masterful

romance -- that's some sharp pencil work! nice lighting.

[fes]

Well...this is my first go at COW so here goes...here is my canyon maker.

The Trisearaton
http://www.fionasansom.com/assets/dsg/canyonmaker.jpg

The Trisearaton: This large mamal needs certain minerals to survive. These are only found in the Himeria region on the world of Bilear. Herds of these creatures have changed the landscape over generations by using their horns and spiked tails digging away the rock and creating tall canyonlike cliffs.

The Trisearaton has been hunted near to exintion due to demand for the ivory like horns and for it's cheek patchs with are highly valued for native medicines, but which is believed to be used by the Triseraton to sense mineral qualities. Also it's coat makes very soft wooly jumpers.:teeth:


Great stuff from everyone.... who to vote for!!!???

Vegasmike - great sense of scale
Jakkas - love the concept and colour or your beast
romance -beautiful shading and sense of scale. Love the way the head just tips back to feed - very convincing

[romance]

Fantastic first entry Fes

Thanks Masque

[pr0ph3t]

geez, so many first time entries and so many awesome entries, I gotta go back and work on mine. :(

[young paddy1]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/youngpaddy1/canyonmaker.jpg

The Supracanyonator: This giant sea creature evolved to break into the shells of large crustaceans such as durthle whelks and super hammer shells, it pops its beak either under or between the shell(s) of its prey and opens its incredibly reinforced mouth, slurping out the goodness with its long barbed tongue. Over the milennia both predator and prey have grown substantially, and now due to it's body weight of nearly 12000 tons and it's super hard mouth-parts the Supracanyonator has to force its way up rivers to its spawning grounds in the marshland near the tops of hills. After spawning with many of the much smaller females (which live their lives in the marshland) the male liquifies leaving only the skull and dorsal ridge intact. The males body now becomes food for the millions of offspring it has just created. Both young and the males' putrifying flesh flow down the rivers with enormous speed washing away the debris created in the Supracanyonators' quest for nookey.

[brokk]

I'm saying it again, this round has great entries.

Wip for now. I don't know if I'm going to manage to finish it before the deadline, I'll try, but I'm posting this for now.

EDIT: image update, I guess this will be the final. : S
Crits would be great

http://usera.imagecave.com/bk7600/cow31f.jpg
Canyon Bombardiers
These creatures are about the size of a dog, they live in colonies of thousands of millions of individuals. They undergo three main metamorphosis in their lives, the first is the larva/young-adult stage, shown in this picture. They burrow through the earth, feeding and also using their needle-like proboscis to literally, inject the earth at certain strategic areas. They release then a chemical compound like bombardier beetles, only millions of times stronger. After a short while, the liquid chemical will massively explode, destroying large seccions of earth. This is done by the entire colony, cooperating in their targeting areas, creating vast canyons.
They do this for reproductive reasons, because on their second metamorphosis, they loose their frontal digging claws and develop slimmer legs, and the ability to form webs like spider's webs. The entire canyon gets covered in these huge webs, where they make their nests. The young larvas that hatch from their eggs feed on the webs until they are somewhat more developed.
In their final metamorphosis, they will develop wings and fly away to create more canyons and perpetuate the reproductive cycle.

EDIT: smaller image size, fiddled around with some stuff
updated again.

[Negrotuerto]

So many awesome entries, Cool entrie bRØk3n !
mmmm I don't know now to whom i'm going to vote :^^;:

Why I'm the only pervert who paint a bigball creature? :perv:

[brokk]

Gracias Carlos!
Voy a tratar de terminarlo antes del cierre :)

[Plate]

Fantastic entries so far, guys. I can already tell that it's gonna take me a long time to decide who gets my vote this week.

I'm submitting an entry this week for the first time, and I'm pretty intimidated, to say the least. I got my tablet about a week ago and this is one of my first attempts at digital painting, but I hope it lives up to the high standards of the COW. If nothing else, at least it helped me get better acquainted with the hardware.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c27/Plate11/contest%20entries/canyongrub.jpg

The Canyon Grub

Many of the canyons that scar the deserts of Astronia are not the work of nature, but rather are the trails of larvae of the mesa beetle. These larvae, better known as canyon grubs, are solely responsible for making many of the deserts they inhabit practically impassable by ground. Upon hatching, the larva has a surprisingly well developed a set of extremely hard teeth, which it immediately uses to bite into the rocky desert topsoil. It then goes on to crawl straight across the desert, mindlessly devouring all of the earth (as well as the occasional cactus) in its path. The grub may appear ferocious, but it's actually quite harmless to all other creatures, assuming that they aren't unfortunate enough to be caught in its path of destruction.

Once ingested, the rocks are ground down and stored by special internal organs. Once it has eaten its fill (which usually takes about two days and a little over a mile), the larva will stop in its place and begin to pupate. As it sheds its leathery blue larval skin, the ingested rock material is restructured into massive shells for its back and forelegs that flawlessly resemble natural rock formations. These coverings provide the gentle behemoth with excellent armor and camouflage, though they are no longer very necessary – the mesa beetle, being such a shining example of environmental adaptation, has long outsurvived every desert species that it once considered a predator. During extended periods of drought, adult beetles will bury their lower bodies in the ground and enter a dormant state, literally becoming parts of the desert landscape.


(Sorry about the lengthy description - I was trying for a concept a little more involved than "it's a big blue worm that eats rocks." :P)

[brokk]

Hello Plate!
Hehe, I like your entry :)
If I can make just one comment, is that there is a lot of saturation going on. You could desaturate the red of the ground somewhat and see if the results work better.

Cheers.

[Plate]

brok3n spirit - Now that you mention it, you're absolutely right. I edited the picture accordingly, and I think it made a big improvement. Thanks a bunch for the input!

By the way, I like your entry too. Good luck polishing it off in time.

[conundrum]

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3291/canyonmaker8hg.jpg

TERRA DIPTERA

Something of a land mosquito the Terra Diptera shares the genus of its airborn cousins. Although it is significanly larger and (fortunately) does not feed on human blood.

Rather, it gains sustenance from the earth by using its large spadelike external tongue ( which is often mistaken for a tusk of some sort). It uses its large swivelling legs to raise its body in an arc away from the ground. When it has reached the maximum possible extension it swings back and thrusts the tongue into the ground.

Terra Diptera can then inhale the displaced earth and begin to process it. Until the concoction of wastes is secreted through several glands as a pungent green gas.

[Chuck,mate.]

chuck,mate - that's hysterical! finally able to see your entry....dig the comical aspect of it.

cheers!
d

:)
hey, i`m a funny guy. i am . really.
thanks dude.

romance - thanks. and your pencil work is gorgeous.. give it some color? :)

[Fozzybar]

wow, and you say this is Plate's desaturated version? ;)

Great entries so far people...challenging topics always bring the best results...

[Slash]

Negrotuerto beat me to it this time. I had the same idea. :(

[jahakob]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d8/Jahakob/djur.jpg

The new one. Damn I'm good.

[D.Labruyere]

great entries all :) I'm not quite finished with mine, but for now this is my final entry (I'll edit if I manage to get it further :) );

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d39/haldor1/ant.jpg

the canyon ant,

this little creature spends his whole day moving little stones and stuff making long tiny canyons of 10 cm deep. He is often mistaken for the busy ant, but you can recognise him easily because the simple factor that his last legs are at the back which is not the case with a ant. The locals believe that these creatures once where a lot bigger creating the bigger canyons.

[romance]

jahakob gets my vote :P

-Rob

[Plate]

wow, and you say this is Plate's desaturated version? ;)

It looks fine to me... but I'm starting to suspect that it's my monitor settings that really need the adjustment. I'll tweak my entry a little more, just to be safe.

And jahakob - I gotta admit, that abomination looks as though it could tear up a canyon like nobody's business.

[Carnifex]

aight,won't have time to finish some i won't take part this time.
and i'm finding far too many similarities in other people's work with my own. f.ex. it would have had almost the same head as young paddy's and the concept of walnut's (which i really like btw)
romance,great rendering aswell.

[asoir]

:D thanks man! (The microwave I promise you will be arriving next weekend :P )
And Jackass.. damn! that concept is HOT! Excellent idea and illustration.:hatsoff:

:yayca:
Dude you promised cash.

;)

[Hyver]

how long before deadline? i'm almost done here but could use a tad more time :s
some really nice works up here already btw, dunno why i bother entering, if not for the sake of self-improvement ;)

[brokk]

Hyver, not sure, I'm guessing midnight. But sometimes the deadline extends for another day.

EDIT: by the way jahakob your creature rocks and has my full endorsement :D

[Zeitwolf]

Hope it's not too late -_-


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/odinsregen/sketches/cow31.jpg
The Tide Resister - Subaqueous Canyonmaker (habitat: Stedtfield planetes with liquid water and light atmosphere)
This fish, commonly known as the Tide Resister, lives in the powerful stream of river mouths, where the underground is bit spongy but of stone. For the river brings loads of food (Tide Resisters eat dead fish and other carrion), but would wash away the spawn, the he-Resister digs a canyon where the female can lay her lace of eggs in.
The mouth of the male is tube-like. On the right side he has powerful teethy diggin muzzles that can crush the lithified sediments with ease, the small lumps go up the gullet and are spit of on the left side. So the fishes always dig in the same direction (there are some exception on Stedtfeld class-231-planetes). The cart-up gobbing gets washed away by the tide stream instantly.
The food is also going up this long snout. The females do not have the digging-appliance.

[Fozzybar]

Hyver
deadline will be like Thursday 1 pm - 11 pm CET

[Zeitwolf]

CET? so it's gmt+1 - and the mysteriously wrong server shows 11:39 at the moment ;)

[frostsnake]

Great post`s!
ok, here`s my C.O.W... mOOoo!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/frostsnake/conceptartcom/MountainEater.jpg
Fries:
Mountain Beast. this guy is the King, and he doesnt like to stay home, in his castle...He likes to flatten out mountains, and.. eat humans. lives out in the badlands.

[redehlert]

welcome aboard frost!
got any text to go with that entry?
(guess that's the equivalent of 'got any fries to go with that snake?')
i crack myself up. :)
cheers!
d

[brokk]

Hmm... someone didn't submmit a canyonmaker this round.. *cough* red *cough* :)

Heh. By the way, I wanted to send you a pm but the forums are still wonky, so I sent an email instead.

[redehlert]

ahem...cough....hack...spew....vomit. :)
yeah, well, i'm not sure i'll get a post in this round due to work load, but i'll see, mkay? thanks for puttin' me in the hotseat, broken!
cheers!
d

[Thoras]

Hey everyone, the name is Thoras, glad to make your aquantaince.
Anyway, logged in to see your work and give my point of view; of course, you may hate it, but it's just my point of view:

Bluefooted - Good concept, but it mainly looks like a gargantuan, noseless pig; you need to give more detail to it, brighter colors; and design clearly your creature, with what does it dig the canyons? If it uses it's paws, draw em man. Needs some maintenance.

Bradz - Well, at first glance I can't tell which are the eyes and which is the nose. Very abstract creature, you need to give it more realism, even if the creature is totally imaginary it needs more detail.

Broken Spirit - Nice big bug, you need to detail its rear, It's pretty good, i can see how it digs. Nice one dude.

Carnifex - Sorry man but this is really deficient, i cant see any of it clearly, I think its a square with face. If you havent finished it, why you post it? Not a race just to see who makes something. Ya know?

Chuck,mate. - Very nice job, bright colors, good design, realistic, I can see how it digs and disposes off the useless dirt. Give detail to the rear and to the thingy in its frontal-left paw.

Conundrum - Not very original, just a shovel with legs. But, putting aside that, it's a good job, nice color and drawing, and I an see how it digs.

Corrick - A crab, I can see that in a beach... Its very well drawn and colored, but I cannot see how it digs, or why, since its just a crab.

Eriboss - Your drawing is poor and o color, it aint realistic how it digs and disposes of the dirt. It just looks like gollum, but uglier.

Fes - Very good one, nice drawing and color. It's nice, but i cant see why does it need to dig, since it looks like a mammal, and a herb-eater. The fur needs more detail.

Fozzybar - Nice colors, ya used photoshop? Cute thingy, looks like pig, but it's not totally that. I cant see any use to the peak in its nose, the jaw is alright; cant see why it needs to dig. The diamond teeth are unreal cause diamonds are made in degrees over the 10000 celsius and need thousands of years to be made.

Grey - Nice one and very original, the center thingy is an eye? very good use of the colors, it detailed, and gives me hints on why it needs to dig and how it disposes the dirt. Good job.

Haldor - Just an ant, like i told Carnifex, there's no rush if you dont post a dawing, if you havent finished it, dont post it.

Jahakob - You creature is just a deformed fusion of the rest.

Jakkas - Nice drawing, creepy to think of these giant moths as a colony. Ver well detailed and colored, nice job.

Madplanet - Sorry but I used to draw like this when i was 5. The colors and the design arent clear, i cant see the jaw or the rest of the body.

Masque - Were you drunk when you read the instructions? It's a creature, even if you say its half organic, it keeps being a bottle. The design is good, the colors are ok.

Plate - Same that Madplanet, this is like the drawing of a kid. Just a big blue worm, whats the beast in the rear for? its bout canyon maker, not mountain-like-beast.

Possessed - Cant see what this is, as i told carnifex, If you havent finished it completely, dont post it.

Prophet - Poorly imagined, the colors and drawind are alright, the concept lacks imagination, detail to the background, or not background at all.

Romance - Very good, ya didnt need any color for it to look good, is the thing in its mouth a tusk or sumthin? You must realize that fins are of no use for a digger creature. Nice background.

Standing - Nice and original cat, looks like a wolf though; good colors, but it doesnt look like the waves come out of its mouth. The rocks seem more like wood.

VegasMike - Nice, looks like a triceratops though; cant tell which ones are eyes and which ones are nose. Detail to the rear and to the background. Whats the salt-like thing thats comin out of the top of the beast's tusk?

Walnut - Cant say its original. Looks like a gargantuan centipede, the flying thing is a copter? Detail everything a little bit, the flying thingy most of all.

Young Paddy1 - Looks like big whale with horn. Again, fins and two arms areof no use to differs; a digger creature couldnt be blue.

Zeitwolf - Very simple, looks like dolphins, their noses would break if they tried to make a canyon.

Thats all till the sec i started my post. Dont hate me guys, please.

[ab4185]

Hey thoras nice to see you got an opinion an all. Reality is the key in concept art.

Who you working for at the moment concept art wise. Got anything we can look at?

[masque]

Masque - Were you drunk when you read the instructions? It's a creature, even if you say its half organic, it keeps being a bottle. The design is good, the colors are ok.Nope. Did you have your head up your arse looking for your imagination when you decided to dis me?

check out some electron micrographs of bacteria. Jeez, a lot of 'em look like bottles (or capsules, or water balloons, whatever)! check out some SEMS of diatoms. some of 'em look like canisters, pipes, little tubules, not very "organic" at all. but all very much alive.

see also rotifers (little squiggly eater-arms out front, sphincter at opposite end). earthworms you probably already know something about. maybe not.

also keep in mind the ArgoLiths live and operate in a vacuum -- have to be able to resist internal pressures or **POP**, gooey mess. so they require rigid exoskeletal reinforcement while still being able to inch forward like an earthworm. that also means a tough but flexible outer skin.

btw, it's not 1/2 organic, it's a lifeform genetically engineered to be exactly what it is, raised in huge hydrocarbon lakes on Titan (which explains their sensitivity to iridium).

"Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine."
-- Sir Arthur Eddington English astronomer (1882 - 1944)

I appreciate worthwhile crits, but leave the snide remarks unsaid, please.

Glad you like the design. Yeah, colors are a bit drab, but it's the asteroid belt, buncha rocks, whattya expect?

[brokk]

Thoras, thank you for the crits. By the way, you forgot Negrotuerto! : P

EDIT: and Jahakob's fusion creature was joke entry, his entry is on page one.

[madplanet]

Madplanet - Sorry but I used to draw like this when i was 5. The colors and the design arent clear, i cant see the jaw or the rest of the body.

I'm going to frame this and put it on my wall as the best crit that I ever recieved. I guess that I shouldn't have used the crayons...

Come with me Plate and we'll hang with the kids.

All kidding aside, the bottom line is that I had fun doing it and I may just learn something along the way.

[masque]

...the bottom line is that I had fun doing it and I may just learn something along the way. huzzah! :hatsoff: excellent attitude, should be more prevalent.

[Moquan]

Well guys, I've decided to make my first post here at the ___ of the weeks. I present my feeble 'canyonmaker'.

http://static.flickr.com/34/73677900_4fbb61cd83_o.jpg

The Natives refer to these creatures as ‘canyonmakers’ due to the large deep paths they create with their shells. Hundreds of spiny arms dig and claw to move the massive 150 ton shell. However, most of the land refers to these creatures as plains sweepers. When in the wild, these gigantic docile land crustaceans clean-up after the other smaller scavengers and rid the land of decaying debris or plant matters. However, a market was developed to pave roadways and trenches by taking advantage of their natural land deforming.
Typically in these terraforming operations, the task force is quite economic (a spotter and a wagondriver) The wagon driver drags a fresh piece of carrion (either natural or man-made) behind his team and the trail of blood leads the plains sweeper along a desired course. Depending on the job, either man-made canal or road, the path may be traveled several times for the desired depth.

[brokk]

challenging topics always bring the best results...

Yeah I wonder why that is.

:inject:

uh.. :inject:

...yeah :vodka2: :vodka1: :inject:

[Thoras]

Originally posted by Masque
Nope. Did you have your head up your arse looking for your imagination when you decided to dis me?

check out some electron micrographs of bacteria. Jeez, a lot of 'em look like bottles (or capsules, or water balloons, whatever)! check out some SEMS of diatoms. some of 'em look like canisters, pipes, little tubules, not very "organic" at all. but all very much alive.

see also rotifers (little squiggly eater-arms out front, sphincter at opposite end). earthworms you probably already know something about. maybe not.

also keep in mind the ArgoLiths live and operate in a vacuum -- have to be able to resist internal pressures or **POP**, gooey mess. so they require rigid exoskeletal reinforcement while still being able to inch forward like an earthworm. that also means a tough but flexible outer skin.

btw, it's not 1/2 organic, it's a lifeform genetically engineered to be exactly what it is, raised in huge hydrocarbon lakes on Titan (which explains their sensitivity to iridium).

"Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine."
-- Sir Arthur Eddington English astronomer (1882 - 1944)

I appreciate worthwhile crits, but leave the snide remarks unsaid, please.

Glad you like the design. Yeah, colors are a bit drab, but it's the asteroid belt, buncha rocks, whattya expect?


Man, really hurt yer pride? I have already studied all you quoted, it isnt nearly a good excuse for you not drawing what you were suposed to. And, pardon my vast ignorance, but ive never heard of a microorganism making canyons.

And, if youre quoting, lemme do so:

"The only thing bigger then humanity's stupidity and ignorance, its humanity's arrogance" Albert Einstein.

[masque]

OMG! <smacks forehead> i forgot i was "suposed" to do something Thoras could understand without having to think about it! must have missed that in the "instructions."

[Thoras]

Come on now, lets not make big deal of these; we're not 6 years old anymore. Accept the damn critique, youre not perfect, shut your yap, practise, and get a life man.

[romance]

Will there will be a fight in the playground after school?

I always like thinking that if you ignore something, it will go away.

[Moquan]

meet me in the playground after school

Let's go.

[brokk]

Will there will be a fight in the playground after school?
Nah, no way man, I'm going home to watch Silverhawks! Wont stay after school and miss the hawks.

[romance]

Moquan - You'll kick my ass. I fight the same way dogs swim.

I suggest Masque and Thoras just go head-to-head in a Thunderdome.

[Thoras]

Ummm... guys... I dont plan to go head-to-head with no one; I thought people here were big enough to accept critique, thats all, didnt thought he would get like that.

[Plate]

Come with me Plate and we'll hang with the kids.

Hey, I'm up for that. At least kids have imaginations. "A digger couldn't be blue"? Says who?

I, for one, am glad to see the more imaginative entries. For example: the diamond teeth on Fozzy's creature may be unrealistic, but in my opinion they give his creature more character than many of the more believable entries. Masque's entry might have deviated from what most people would consider a creature, but if you're going to critique it, critique it for what it is; not for what you want it to be. Additionally, WIP's are allowed by the rules, and you could at least read the concept blurbs before making snide comments - many of the questions asked in these particular critiques are fully answered in the accompanying descriptions.

The bottom line is that this is an open activity in creativity - certainly not the place for insults and arguments. Anyone who's looking for a fight should follow romance's suggestion and take it to the thunderdome.

But with all that aside - thank you, Thoras, for taking the time to review (almost) all of the entries. :rendered:

[brokk]

romance I know this is off topic, but I'm really intrigued by how you paint and make things so 3d looking. Could you give me any tips, please? :bashful:

[Thoras]

Damn Plate, you are absolutely right; not ok from to come and tell you how it should be, jaja, just the way I am... old dog learns no new tricks, but Im up for being more open minded... just...underground creatures cant be blue cuz the get little sunlight, plus they live in earth most time, so they get the color of their environment, like moths, ya kno?

[masque]

... if you're going to critique it, critique it for what it is; not for what you want it to be. very well put, Plate.

[brokk]

Thoras, no offense really, but masque is not the one that was out of line. While your crits are appreciated, some did have a rather insulting tone (saying things like "where you drunk?" and such).
I'm not saying this to argue or be negative, just to tell you that you can give crits without insulting comments, thats all. Cheers.

[Thoras]

Alright, alright, just started with my left foot; thats the way i talk, not really an offense, If i had wanted to insult him, believe me, Id had put something more offensive

[Corrick]

Thoras, how... thorough of you.

I appreciate the critique, and the comments. It's a crab, yup, and the rest of the explanation should suffice to tell how and why it digs. I did "accidentally" hide the ventral fin behind his claw, and there's not much in the scene to give a sense of scale, so the crit's valid. I'm just not gonna change it. :)

[ab4185]

like i said before Thoras can we see some of your work?

[redehlert]

hey! i'm left footed! that's not fair to be making us left footed people (who happen to constantly be missing their left socks, mind you) out to be the bad guys. hahahaha.
again....i crack myself up.

[redehlert]

Misas. Ferocious Beast or Just Incredibly Stupid?
"This is Rock Bottom with a news report on a creature ripping up the landscape of Lunar 13.
Territorial. Fierce. Ancient. Dim.
These are but a few labels given to these gargantuan beasts. In constant search of bones buried ages past, they seemingly remake the landscape creating furrowed canyons until they find what they seek.
Next week, we'll discuss their mating rituals and explore the phrase 'Misas horny'. Lastly, on a short called 'Whatsa Misas Saying?', we'll explore the incredible language of this breed.
Until next time. This is Rock Bottom. Farewell."

http://www.cognitionstudio.com/conceptart/redlrt_cow31.jpg

[Chuck,mate.]

who IS that Thoras persona?....
i`d LOVE to see his stuff.. sounds like he must have some
insanely amazing eye-poping superkalafrajalistik portfolio.

damn... the ego, the ego.

[frostsnake]

haha, this is amusing.
And "red"...you crack me up to. nice drawing :)

Hei "Thoras" can you critique mine?,please!

[Fozzybar]

Thoras
sorry for the diamond teeth, you are completely right...i don't know what the hell came over me when drawing this...hmmm.....wait....maybe the same imagination and enthusiasm and joy which were owned by the designers of Spiderman, Sonic the Hedgehog, Dune, Hitchhikers guide to galaxy, Star Wars, Men in Black etc etc etc....? Oh what a bunch of nerds we are...

Try to live wild imagination, don't be prisoned in your real world thoughts...give it a try, the results are much better...

[Hyver]

omg deadline comin'
hang on fozzy - posting in a minute :D

[Carnifex]

i posted because i thought i'd finish it later-which i didn't.thank you.

[bizarre]

according to my calendar thingy on my computerator, i'm already behind deadline. i might as well turn in SOMETHING, though, to get in the habit of starting these things. i've made sketches in the past but never gathered up the balls to join in on the fray. next time it'll be finished, i swear.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/bizarre2004/canyonmaker_wip1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/bizarre2004/canyonmaker_wip2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/bizarre2004/canyonmaker_wip3.jpg
story- copied from MSN as i excitedly told Hyver what i was thinking-

the canyonmaker- also known as 'grave digger' in local dialects, is a peculiar arachnid in that it dwells both underground, as funnel-web spiders do, and above ground, in traditional webs.

it's particularly notorious for its extremely venomous and corrosive venom, able to burn through virtually any substance- at the bottom of their lairs, the decomposing bodies of their last meals will sometimes spill some of the excess acidic venom and burn through the floor

after years of this cycle, what once was a shallow crevice could become dozens of meters deep.

thus the name, Canyonmaker.

[Hyver]

Here we go:

http://www.hyver.com/canyonmaker5.jpg

Morbinus Asinus
This happy little creature is presumed to be a distant relative to the more wellknown mudskipper. The Morbinus Asinus, or Canyon Maker, uses his.. device.. to squirt badass venom acid sperm on shells and rocks. This evokes a chemical reaction that allows this creature to derive much needed minerals from it. And it also helps with stomach burns, to which these creatures are very sensitive... The Canyon Maker has been known to use his squirter to attack menacing opponents, but most of the times he'll just continue munching away, letting his poison armor work in his defense.
The Morbinus Asinus is a slow eater, but when travelling in packs of a few hundred thousand, they have been known to split whole islands in two. Oh and they also ate Atlantis..

[infinitemonkey]

Ummm... guys... I dont plan to go head-to-head with no one; I thought people here were big enough to accept critique, thats all, didnt thought he would get like that.
There's critiquing someone's work and then there's crossing the line and lacing the crit with insults. Which is what you did. That's highly unprofessional and immature.

I can't wait to see your entry.

[grey]

:S I feel left out, I got a good crit from Thoras . . . but the jokes on you guys 'cause Nelly was my for-real entry

hyver - nice last minute entry, I like it

[Sundance]

Damn...this is reminiscent of Madster. It doesn't matter at all if the dude can draw. Everybody has opinions and preferences - those were his.

Thoras, you may talk like that with buddies and they get you, these guys don't know you from Adam...so, this is the reaction you get. Believe me, I love sarcasam, but it doesn't translate AT ALL in writing (learned that the hard way myself).

When giving your crits try to focus more on the artwork as it is presented rather than your personal interpretation of how a "canyonmaker" should appear. Always stress the positives as well as the negative - there is something good in all of these postings, and just harping on the negative will only serve to discourage.

Keep up the crits, there can never be enough solid critiques.

[D.Labruyere]

thoras, thank you for the critique, I wanted to create a simple creature which looked a bit like a ant :) you just said I succeeded, thank you very much. :)

but one qeustion thoras? why are you against posting unfinished pictures? In my opinnion it is very important to show your progress, because that is the stage where the mistakes happen and can be adjusted.

thank you for your time criticizing my humble cow entry :)

[Thoras]

So... im in the rope... half of you apreciatte me, half of you hate me; ayways, Fozzybar, i'll try to open up my imagination; Infinitemonkey, i wasnt isnulting people, thats the way i talk to everybody...well, except the drunk thing, but thats aside. By request of frsotsnake:

Frostsnake - The design and colors are quite alright, the beasts lacks an eye, maybe that was your intention; the paws look more like pincers, it's feet seems to be merging with the rock it is standing on; the tail looks like floating.
Need to give detail to background.

Redehlert - Sorry for the left-foot thing, just a saying.

And... since i dunno how to submit art, well, gonna take time for me to do it. Besides, I dont do creatures, I do characters most, and no, im not perfect either, my portfolio is nothin outside this world. But I have made money with it though, so i dont suck that much.

[Zeitwolf]

Zeitwolf - Very simple, looks like dolphins, their noses would break if they tried to make a canyon.

No, it wouldn't :er: the fish is very stable. And its not at all a simple concept.
thanks for the comment.

[redehlert]

hey thoras -i was kiddin' about the left foot (even tho i am left footed)....hahahaaaaa.
since you do characters, i'd hope you would join in the fun in the 'character' of the week known as ChOW. current item up for bid - battle angle. was that obtuse? haahahaa....how acute. right on! damn....misspelling....i meant battle angel.....not angle. ;)

regarding crits: even tho you may have come off a bit hard core and perceived as negative with your crits, it does go to show one thing: ya can't please em all. in the future, might i suggest to try to think more constructively and use your brain before you open your mouth (thereby curbing some of the more barbed comments). you've done a fine job of taking the time to throw out thoughts. go ahead and do mine if you have the time. always nice to get crits.
all the best!
d

[frostsnake]

thoras: thanks for the crit!
and yeas, he lost his eye trying to tuch a female`s ass... man you give critique just like my brother! heheh!

[pr0ph3t]

2 things, thoras you gotta submit something here cuz we all wanna see your amazing expertise at concept art, i mean, it has got to be insanely wonderful for you to be so knowledgable, number 2, diamonds don't take millions of years to be made... anyone who hs taken basic science would know they can be synthetically made with enough heat and pressure, I beleive the constant digging of foz's beast might be able to generate diamond teeth by some strange reaction with the friction and such

[redehlert]

close this bad boy, foz or else i'll send ms. piggie on you. ;)

[romance]

bRØk3n_sPiRiT: I recommend working on lighting. Over all, I feel this helps achieve the effect of 3D.

Idiot Apathy's Peer Project is quite helpful for lighting and color. I suggest trying out some of the activities. I probably should too,... again. You can find it here (http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=679667#post679667).

Also, when applying light, try drawing an arrow for the direction of the light source, I find this helps quite a bit.

I hope this points you in the direction your looking to go in. Your entry is great btw. I look forward to seeing more in the future.

-Rob

[bluefooted]

Watch out Foz! Red's gettin' all excited... :P

[brokk]

romance, thank you very much for the input and link, I'll get to those studies. Cheers : )

[Fozzybar]

Poll is on:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=679910