C.O.W. - #033: Firework Spewer

[Fozzybar]

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


Round #033

Topic:
Firework Spewer

Deadline:
Thursday, 05th January 2006




- 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 am thinking of a creature which "produces" fireworks, as we know it from the turn of the year or open air events...i am not sure if "spitter" would be the right wording, so if you know a better description tell me :)

Of course the purpose of the creatures firework producing is totally up to your own concept...whether for defending, attacking or whatever...

[pr0ph3t]

alright what about emitter? and do the fireworks have to go out of the body of this so called "firework spitter?" ;) :p also how was your vacation...

[Fozzybar]

yes, emitter sounds good...i thought of it also, but somehow it isn't a name you would give a creature, it sounds more technical in my eyes...

and well, i think the best way is to make it going out of the critter...i can't think of another way...

My vacation was something between boring and not so bad :) thank you for asking.

[Phaytfool]

Hey I'm a lurker on the boards and rarely have anything to say, and have yet to get the guts to post a piece... but I ran "spit" through a thesaurus and here are the results:

banish, bounce, bump, cast out, chuck, debar, disbar, discharge, disgorge, dislodge, dismiss, displace, dispossess, ditch, drive off, dump, eliminate, emit, eradicate, eruct, erupt, evacuate, evict, exclude, expel, expulse, extrude, fire, force out, heave out, irrupt, kick out, kiss goodbye, oust, reject, rout, sack, sending packing, spew, spit out, spout, squeeze out, throw out, throw overboard, turn out, unloose, vomit.


I'm a a fan of Fire Spewer or Eruptor... Those sound the most "organic"

Just my opinion, maybe i'll doodle something up.

[romance]

i like vomit

[grey]

i like vomit

that's one of those quotes that can come back to haunt you . . .

[flatliner]

firework farter..

Firework 'Spitter' makes it sound like it has to come from the mouth. Saying 'emitter' makes it sound more general, but like you said sounds quite technical. The last word could just be left to the artist.

Firework Spewer is quite good. firework excreter, firework discharger, firework unloader..

[Fozzybar]

ok i changed it to "Firework Spewer"...

Just do a creature which somehow produces firework...dammit! :)

[Bennett]

Is it wrong that this is the first thing I thought of when I read the original description (firework spitter)?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/jbennett304/frawggy.jpg

I in no way condone putting firecrackers in the mouth of a bullfrog, I however don't speak for a few friends of mine.

[silentkitty]

Company's up tomorrow, I'm probably not going to have time to work on this any more before the deadline, so this'll have to be my final for now.

:x

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b380/shebblethwaite/firebirdflat.jpg
Fire Bird- Widely considered one of nature's biggest mistakes, this small, normally flightless bird had only one measure of defense against predators. When startled, the terrified bird would become so hot that it would rocket straight up into the air, eventually exploding into a small, yet colorful, puff of smoke. While this technique was excellent at deterring predators, it was obviously a bit detrimental to the bird's health; unsurprisingly this species no longer exists.

[noche]

LOL grey

[Delvennerim]

At first I thought that bird was some kind of weird fish with wing ears...
Nice creature, it makes me happy inside.

[Snarfevs]

My first COW attempt:

http://img470.imageshack.us/img470/5770/snacow33fireworkspewecb8fj.jpg

Lesser Whizzbang of Wobic Dejado:

Running wild across most of Wobic Dejado's night side, the Lesser Whizzbangs (as well as the Greater, Mammoth and Colossal Whizzbangs) have developed pyrotechnics as a form of long range communication and extravagant display. The unique metabolism of the Whizbang processes and bioaccumulates large quantities of sodium, barium, copper and strontium salts, as well as a considerable volume of hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide, which it can combine into a reactive mixture analogous to that of the bombardier beetle. The Whizzbang deposits a egglike fireworks pod which spontaneously deflagrates in air, sending it skyward where it detonates at great height. Each pod colour corresponds to particular information on the current situation of a whizzbang.

As gregarious animals, concerted displays are easily and breathtakingly visible from some distance away from the planet.

[edit: general tweaks]

[brokk]

I don't think I'll make it this round, but I wanted to say these are looking really nice! silentkitty I really like the funny expression on yours, and Snarfevs, that is one awsome first cow! For some reason I don't like the toes too much, maybe if they were less spherical... but thats just a personal taste really. Great entry.

[pr0ph3t]

EXCELLENT ENTRY SNARFEVS!

I don't know if I will be able to enter. I have been pretty busy lately and I am leaving for SCAD again on the 3rd. We shall see what happens ;)

[Chuck,mate.]

COW #33 : Firework Spewer.

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/7060/spewersmall2ib.jpghttp://img362.imageshack.us/img362/5288/speweranimationnew8wu.gif
(Lab Specimen)
"Ogero Umero Canyo Hum"

O.U.C.H is one of the weirdest creatures residing on the darker side of planet Otlipz-23/4. for 200 years this creature (also known as "fireworks spewer" also known as "hot launcher" also known as "yor ma-ma") was thought
to be extinct. only recently it was rediscoverd after a firey encounter with mankind. the o.u.c.h. being an omnivore feeds on whatever crosses its path, storing and building energy for its mating season. than, in a spectacular display of colorful fireworks, he begins its 3 hours courtship, showing off for the ladies.

(accidentally the o.u.c.h. magnificent ability is used
by the local population in the one and only holiday
they celebrate. the holy "o.u.c.h eyt-urts" which means in
the native tounge -"Ogero Umero Canyo Hum shall prosper".)

[pr0ph3t]

there is something neat, an animation, great way of showing how it works chuck,mate.

[young paddy1]

went a bit samurai jack with the design bit over simple.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/youngpaddy1/fireworkcow_001.jpg

The 'Cracker Back' lives on Yungpung a planet with a highly sulphurous atmosphere and large maize like trees, which this creature has to deal with by having external lungs made of activated charcoal on an organic lattice. The unfortnate 'Cracker Back' excretes both urine and faeces from the top of its forehead the potassium nitrate crystalises from the mixture on the sulphur covered, carbon breathing fins on the creatures back. Every couple of years the creatures fore lung is so coated in gunk that it is disgarded and replaced by the fin from behind. This process can result in quite a dense layer of explosive powder in the regularly foraged areas of woodland on the planet, when the innevitable forest fire occurs these slow moving bipeds obviously are in definite trouble, and will get rid of any burning body parts at extreme speed, breathing fins flying through the air are quite common.


sweet animation you got there cm great sense of motion and squishyness :D

[grey]

http://www.greystudio.com/ca/COW33fireworkspitter.jpg
Phlegm Balls of Uranus
these creatures actually inhabit the subsurface oceans on Europa, but the name, coined by deep system miners (and the punchline to one of the most popular bar jokes of the 22nd Century), stuck. They crawl across the lightless ocean floors using their biolumenescent spittle to attract prey. When startled or threatened by predators, the phospor-based mucous is released in a concentrated burst that detonates in a brilliant searing flash upon impact. This has proven to be a very effective survival technique, and in groups the display can be quite awe inspiring.

[grey]

cool entries so far!
bennet that's just evil, man, evil . . . but a clever solution
silentkitty nice concept, sad and funny at the same time -- I agree the bird looks a little fishlike, but there's flying fish so it makes sense
snarfevs great first entry (this is only my third so welcome to another newcomer); you've got a great range of texture skills
chuckmate that animation's brilliant, I love it - you should seriously consider resizing that and make it the main bit, either way you've got my vote
young paddy intense concept, simple clean design like you said, I totally see the samurai jack connection

[kree8tiv]

This is my first C.O.W. entry.

http://www.stylus72.com/gb/Sketches/firework_spewer.jpg

Incendia Makker

This creature uses its tremenous plasma spew as method of attracting mates during the breeding season. Unfortunately for the Incendia Makker, the energy required to produce the single burst exhausts the animal to such an extent that intercourse and fertilization efforts afterwards usually result in the death of the animal.

[Chuck,mate.]

pr0ph3t, YoungPaddy1 - thanks dudes.

grey - thank you. the animation is just a little somethn` somethn` to make my creature more...lively. the design
and rendering is more what i`m going for here.
i`m glad you liked it.
love the light and shade on your piece b.t.w. the lower parts of the creature especially. kudos.
:^^:

[cognition.sb]

Hey all, I was previously going by 4thAngle but since I'll probably become a bit more active (having finished uni) I've made a better alias - My CA life in 20 or so words.
Anyway, here's my first attempt at a COW. Followed by a rant I cut short (probably for the best). Sweet entries so far... Nice description, Chuck. hehe

http://www.cognitiondesigns.com.au/illustration/concept/images/fireworks-spewer-SBoxer.jpg

The Fireworks Spewer, or Happytime Winged Beast, is a truely cursed species. Originating in the dark labs of Agniskus (also known as Button Mash), it was intended to be a labouring creature for use in conjunction with Dwarven mining. Alchemists bred a skyward golem with powerful wings and internal storage capacity to transport volcanic ore to cities from mines.

Theoretically, the plan would be a huge success, but once the first specimen reached a healthy size it became increasingly apparent that noone knew how to train it. After being directed to a volcanic deposit the creature took an instant liking to this rare delight, and consequently, instead of storing ore the creature devoured it. Prone to over-indulgence, it was gradually consuming all on-sight ore, turning the rare volcanic resources into a colourful bi-product of the golem's digestive tract (or lack thereof). As a result it also posed a huge threat to nearby life. It was like napalm rain when old Happytime got the rumbles, and countless dwarves stopped, dropped and rolled to no avail.

Desparate to undo their wrong, the Agniskans held a conference to decide upon the creature's fate. Many ideas were proposed but none as bold as that of Duke Railin. "It's beyond saving!" Railin proclaimed. "But fear not, I have devised a way to beat this colossal stone golem!.. Last night I was playing a game with young Iphney when it dawned upon me. Paper beats rock!.."

[Fozzybar]

just a note:

animations aren't accepted for COW...nothing against you Chuck,mate. but once coondoggle posted an animation and it was rejected also ;)

[Bennett]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/jbennett304/turtnew.jpg

Firework Spewer WIP

[thnikkaman]

just a note:

animations aren't accepted for COW...nothing against you Chuck,mate. but once coondoggle posted an animation and it was rejected also ;)
his animation was really more of a demo to go along with the original picture i think.

[Chuck,mate.]

FOZZ - i have no intention to post animations here as entries. this is concept design, not animation amateurs.
:)
but occasionally i will add a gif. file depicting my design
acting out, unless that`s a problem.
hope it`s alright with everyone.
:yayca:

[Fozzybar]

yeah, it's alright of course, as i said it was just a note ;)

Post all you want, hehe

[Sonnenkind]

Seems like Bennett went with a similar approach... oh well, so much for originality -_-

Hope this stays up for a bit. Got to use Imageshack...

http://img431.imageshack.us/img431/2833/0501fireworks4jq.jpg
The Firework Spewer is a very rare creature. It's very peaceful, slow and easygoing. Most of the time they just sleep or eat. It's only defense are the small craters on it's back that shoot an exploding substance in all directions when the FS get's aggravated. Most enemies flee the spectacle.
The Reason why there's so few of these is not the number of natural enemies, it's the number of unfortunate accidents that happen during mating that led to their dramatic decline.

[pr0ph3t]

all I can think of is the plasma bugs from Starship Troopers... no entry for me this round

[Panagos]

Here's my Firework Spewer...

"Believed by the natives to be the result of an unholy union between The Great Dragon and The Terrible Lizard, the Firework Spewers are both respected and feared. Though they are herbivores, their nasty dispositions and fierce territorialism make them one of the chief threats to humans on the peninsula."

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/Panagos/WEBCOW33-Panagos.jpg

As always, blunt C&C is appreciated.

[Banned_User]

http://pratt.edu/~mcorrier/sketch/fireworkspewerweb.jpg
Firework Spewer
This active plant uses a defense mechanism in which it emits sparks from bulbous organs at the tip of it's body. It's hard to define them as a plant because they actually migrate in search of fertile land and follow the rain storms. When one is spooked or in fear of being eaten they will burst in a spectacle of flames and colors scaring off any predators. In herds when migrating they light up the ground with their sparks resembling a moving forest fire which will scare off most predators and make for a safe migration.

[redehlert]

hahahaa....you wrote 'bulbous'.
classic!
nice entry mike....my fav so far.
cheers!
d

[noche]

(sry for the crappy speedpaint like render, my right arm is suffering from muscle fatigue, i shouldnt be painting)

http://www.boomspeed.com/phander/boor.jpg


Boor ([said: "baw-awr"] firework -oops, a bit off topic actually- spewer).

The sweet and big fruits from a native plant from the Pale Plains, are like ambrosia for these huge and slow herbibores, but they give an interesting side effect - belches. and the amount of gas these creatures can hold in their stomachs, is pure and enough in amount to be lit. wich is exactly what the semi-tribal group known as the Eei's (the guys language misses some vowels) achieved, by a rather simple mechanism: a lit torchlike thing tied to a metallic arm, fixed to the head of the anmimal, wich can be bent upwards a piacere, to stop the fire. when the gas goes out it turns into a toxic burst of fire.
Thus becoming, even when its a passive animal, one of the main offensive units in the Eeiia army.
-

[DRAM]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b359/zombiehorror3/fireworks-turtle.jpg

The Giant Land Agate Tortoise
aka the "Fireback Tortoise"

A native creature of the planet DM-085, the Giant Land Agate Tortoise, or "fireback" as it is more commonly known, is a docile creature that many entertainment companies have taken an interest in. Very similar to Earth's own tortoise, the main difference lies in the fireback's ability to shoot "fireworks" out of it's shell.
Although quite a beautiful spectacle, the "fireworks" are actually the product of the fireback's diet. On DM-085, the fireback's main source of food is the native shrubs - these shrubs, when combined with the chemicals within the tortoise's stomach, create a volatile reaction, and thus must be ejected as to avoid serious injury. Depending on the type of shrub, different colors of reactions are produced.

[brokk]

Damn I need to practice painting... big time...
: (

EDIT: Ack, edited. There were too many problems to try and depict this as an illustration. I still think it looks pretty horrible but at least I think it looks a little better this way-

EDIT: updated again.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c399/bksketchb/cow33finn.jpg
Firecracker Cetaceans
Distant relatives to cetaceans, these creatures can shoot a chemical compound from their breathing hole that travels through the sky and explodes like fireworks. It is still unclear why they do this, though most theories suggest mating reasons. It happens on clear sky nights, and is quite a phenomenon to watch, from the coast or from ferry boats.

[Azrael]

AWESOME entry Mike! that is bitchin man!

Grey your piece is sweet. i would add a little more to the environment to more clearly define it as an underwater specimen. Just my three cents.

Cool as alway Chuck. simple, yet cool.

[pr0ph3t]

wow I can't wait to vote, it is going to be a hard choice!

[JakkaS]

Ok, I give up, I have almost same idea as you bRØk3n_sPiRiT, firework creature from the sea…..And good suggestion for you, when you use copy/paste, change a bit your creature. Hehe. They looks like form the SW: Clone Wars. But I think this time you have rrrreally good concept/idea.

Cherrs!
Kuba

-----------------------------------

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/JakkaS/COW33-JakkaS.jpg

The Great Animal Encyclopedia of Planet Gobb
Volume 17, Chapter 21 Reptiles
Faaeria
...these huge sea animals are loners. But when females are in 5th month of pregnancy gather in shallow water to stand there until birth. Because of they are slow in this state, such behavior increases their chances to survive. Offspring come out from reproductive organs (situated on the tail) in an air cocoon, that cracks just below the water surface. The moment of freeing looks like a firework burst. Because of females accumulation it's highly probable that a lot of them deliver children at the same time. Real fireworks performance.

[brokk]

Thank you for the crit JakkaS, you are right. I updated and tried to make the little ones more different with the liquify tool : P

And haha, dont give up, your painting makes me want to delete mine! : P :)
Thank you for the kind words, hopefully some day the painting part will improve :P

[redehlert]

hey jakkas,
nice rendering thus far, my man!
while working up the final text and imagery, do you think that a bit of monochromatic, uniform noise (multiplied over your painting) would help break up the somewhat flat feeling to the gradient background? this is of course a suggestion for photoshop. :)

great jobs all! if i weren't working 12 hour+ days i'd be in on this, but i don't think it's going to happen.

cheers,
d

[Jelter]

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c250/benjelter/fireworkspewercopy2.jpg

The Anterion Firework Spewer is from another dimension called the Guture. While humans have no idea what else exists in this little understood dimension, the firework spewer phases in and out of existance providing illegal firework displays for all who are lucky enough to see one. Their existance has never been proven, and they have never harmed any human beings, but many people tell stories of seeing them in the wild.

[romance]

Ok, finished. Not a new creature, but definitely a new species of toad.

Please click on the image to see a larger version - it's a bandwidth thing.
http://www.artofromance.ca/ca/projects/COW/firework_spewer_small.jpg (http://www.artofromance.ca/ca/projects/COW/firework_spewer.jpg)

The Black-Bellied Flint-Tounged Toad

This nocturnal amphibian can be found around bog pools in the Brazilian rainforests. With a diet consisting solely on fireflies and gloworms, the Black-Bellied Flint-Tounged Toad is able spit (or spew) a 'firework display' at any possible predators. The toad can spit distances up to a few meters and can temporarily blind attackers.

[Standing]

Magenoid, or 'Firework Spewer'
Magnesium deposits in the creatures lungs ignite from the friction of the rough fibrous channels in the lung cavities, triggered by a sudden and massive inhalation of breath - the Magenoid's phlegm, rich in alcohol, ignites; mingling with the magnesium rich embers and are flung out of the beasts mouth with massive force, culmiating in a violent and brightly colourful flash as a warning to predators and rivals that the Magenoid is not to be trifled with.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/stan23/fireworks_web.jpg

Ran out of time on this one - the fireworks are awful. The painting isn't totally finished either. Sorry chaps.
Here's a WIP
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/stan23/fireworks_wip.jpg

[redehlert]

somebody oil da hinges and close dis door. i vanna vote.

[Fozzybar]

yeahyeahyeah....iknowiknowiknow...but it's 6 am here right now and i am tiiiiiiired....i will set up things tomorrow, then you can vote your ass off...:)

here's mine for now...concept might come up tomorrow...

yawn

http://www.kidomatix.com/ca/cow/cow_032_fireworkspewer_fozzybar.jpg

[JakkaS]

And haha, dont give up, your painting makes me want to delete mine! : P
I can say same thing about other artists….MIKE.C, Standing, romance, Chuck,mate… etc.
hey jakkas,
nice rendering thus far, my man!
while working up the final text and imagery, do you think that a bit of monochromatic, uniform noise (multiplied over your painting) would help break up the somewhat flat feeling to the gradient background? this is of course a suggestion for photoshop.
Thx for crits. I changed it a bit [is it better?].

Fozzy - so cute and shining
Standing - ......nice painting, but this B&W WIPs are even better.

[nephilim]

standing that one rocks. it looks so much like a Carl crithclow painting, i thought you were him for a second.


mike