Masque v Ilaekae -- FIGHT!

[masque]

Ladies and gentlemen and all ships at sea!

In a stunning turn of events, two masters of geriatric graphic goodness WILL be duking it out right here on our stage after all!

Forced to take a bye on his original Gods at War Thunderdome matchup, Masque was initially saddened but philosophical:
"I coulda been a contender!"

But after dodging the Keystones and returning once again to the safe haven of our little village, Ilaekae wouldn't give up:
"You're...going...down...Bubba... "

So now, in a gesture of unequaled magnanimity, Masque has agreed to a special event, a one-on-one showdown, the side-bet of side-bets, mano a mano, Archy takes on Mehitabel (guess which one's the cockroach!) --

The Gods at War: Duel of the Titans!

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/5840/titansvk8.jpg

Friday, February 16, 2007, 6 a.m., CST (USA) (or whenever we manage to get around to it :P )
Right here in the Concept Art dot Org Thunderdome Challenge Arena!

Admission free, but donations of Ensure will be appreciated.

Time and date subject to puss-outs. Management not responsible for anticipation refunds.

[chaosrocks]

archie is the cockroach mehitable is, if I remember correctly the cat,


Pulls up a chair, pours coffee and prepares to watch in awe as two heroes duke it out.

prepares sponge baths , and pacemaker jolts fo the mighty titans

chaos

[Ilaekae]

Your ass is mine, you geriatric wannabe, but it won't be thursday morning. I just got a call from the doctor moving my scheduled stress test from next Monday to 7am Thursday morning, which cuts me off at the knees time-wise. Can we move the deadline to Friday?

Kind of gives you some idea of why I was so pissed off with the time it took to sort out all the variations in the judge's set-up for the thunderdome, don't it?





...and I don't care if I'm archie or mehitable...as long as Betty and the brunette one show up, too...

[chaosrocks]

veronica.....

chaos

[masque]

no sweat, m'man. Friday 'tis 'til further notice. i'll update the PR.

luck plus on the bones visit. stay around a long, long time, eh?

[Rebeccak]

lmao! :)

[Ilaekae]

Yeah! You go right ahead and laugh, 'becca. Just wait til the day comes when all your parts start making noises like a 1938 Desoto when you get up from a chair...:$ 8)

[masque]

...and I don't care if I'm archie or mehitable...as long as Betty and the brunette one show up, too...uh, Betty is the brunette. old cat must be shedding grey matter like dandruff. :rolleyes:

everybody knows Wilma's got red hair (WOOT!)\


EDIT & HEADS UP**************
THIS IS NOT A PUSSOUT! My little corner of the planet is currently experiencing a typical New England blizzard -- snow, wind, sleet, freezing rain, the whole frigid ball o' earwax :(

not unusually, such storms 'cause widepsread power outtages that can last for days or more (thank you PSNH, and why am i still payin' for Seabrook, you smackturds?!?).

so, if i seem to have fallen over the edge of the world (not easy to find, but it's there), it's likely because i've been deprived of computer go-juice. i will pick this up on the other side of "Let there be light!" if such does occur.

[Ilaekae]

No prob, Bro... Same thing here...but it's a few thousand pounds of ice on the electric and phone lines. We blew everything out three times last night and there's more coming...which is probably why we have four kero lanterns and two handheld candle lanterns out in the open all over the house. If the terlet was 'lectric, I'd be crappin' in the woods...

...and Melody (Melonie?) is the redhead. What the hell are you readin'?

[masque]

assumption of Ilaekae's thinking:
Archie -> Betty (blonde) & Veronica (Brunette)

masque's intentionally bent take on above:
Betty (brunette) Rubble and Wilma (redhead) Flintstone (and an oblique ref to the funniest dialog ever written in the eight year history of Red Dwarf!)

Reading? Reading!?

"Print is dead."
-- Egon, Ghostbusters

Amazing what six years diff can make, eh?

:P :D

[Sundance]

*Yawn*....<saunters out of cave into the icey wind gusts>

<decides winter's not over yet, and theres no fucking art, so it's back into hibernation>

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzz..................

[masque]

'dancer, you got the right idea, man. seeya next Spring? or do you want a wake-up call?

[Ilaekae]

You get to wake 'im up. Bastard hasn't brushed his teeth since he went to sleep 6 weeks ago...

[Sundance]

If you think my breath smells bad you should smell my ass...


...no...seriously

:perv:

[masque]

OK, cat man, you got your work cut out for you now. you think the Augean stables were tough? you think Frodo had it bad? you think makin' it to the head before your sphincter cuts loose is a chore?

wait'll you get a load of what's in store for ya tomorry. heavy, heavy load!

[Ilaekae]

My my, aren't we tossin' droll around now? Hold onto your shorts, Daddy Doodler...I'm comin in later today if things hold up. The power's been out here for 11 of the last 14 hours, which is not what I call prime workin' conditions.

The vector and color crap is done, but I still have to make the transfers and touch-ups in PS. If there's no more power problems, it should take me about 7 hours.

How come you get snow and you still have power, and I just get some fuckin' slush and even the streetcar lines are down? Fuck...

[masque]

i dunno. lived a good life mebbe (that is if i had a life to live...)?

i'm gonna post on time, if'n you don't mind. in thirty years of commercial art, never missed a deadline (by my own fault, at least), -- no sense breaklin' the string.

but don't peek! one look at my gargantuan godly goodness and you won't be able to take yer eyes offin' the screen, you'll never get those layers flattened!

peace be with you, cat-man. as in

R ******** I ******** P

:devil:

[masque]

zzzzchtzzzkkksssztttt. weeeeeeeeeeeeeyourrrrrrrreeeet.
thump
thump
thump
is this thing on?
OK
drum roll , please.


LAYDEEZ AND GENNULMMUN!
This is it, the matchup of the century, two Titans of the last century, toe to toe, head to head, Wacom to mouse...
bigger than Ali v Forman
bigger than Bobby v Billie Jean
bigger than a breadbox v a brick outhouse...

The Duel of the Titans!
Masque v Ilaekae!

and in this corner, weighing quite a few more stone than he oughtta, but with a prostrate smooth as a baby's butt and low HDLP......

the one, the ONLY (thank GOD! :rolleyes:)...

masque!
__________________________________________________ _______________

Valkyrie Ascending

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/5070/masquevalkyrieascendingat1.jpg

She found him on the field of battle, in the thin fog and damp grey stillness of
the morning, still clinging weakly to life amid the mire and blood and remains
of his foes. She gathered him into her arms, held him as she often did beside
their hearth.

He had been a good husband, a good father, but a magnificent warrior. Five
enemies dead at his hand; Father Wotan must surely reward such valor!
Surely he would send a Valkyrie for this man she loved, that he may live on
in glorious Valhalla!

She felt his last breath, passing over and through her like the clean, clear
breezes of the fjords, but, strangely, with a tang of regret, that pulled at her
heart like nothing ever had, and might never again.

______________________________________________

[thunderous applause]


and in the other corner.....


[crickets chirping]


[crickets still chirping]


[crickets head out to score a double Capuccino]


patience folks, it'll be worth the wait!




hear me, cat-man. make it worth the good peepuls' wait!




brought to you by Concept Art dot Oh Are Gee

[chaosrocks]

beautiful.....
*throws a kiss to Masque in thanks for eyecandy*

saving another for the kitty
here

[masque]

beautiful.....
*throws a kiss to Masque in thanks for eyecandy**catches kiss and tosses it back twice over*

thank you roxie!

btw, Illy, to totally misquote Flip Wilson: "Who is da judge? Who is da judge?"

same as for the melee Gods at War? please tell me it's not JUST the Nerdy one :$

[Joeslucher]

That's great Masque. I'm a fan.

[asoir]

This thread cracks me up, fantastic job Masque, looking forward to Ilaekae's VERY much...

[Sundance]

So Masque...it looks like you put a portrait of Ilaekae in your painting...

Whats that all about?

I mean sure...he's old enough to have created the world...but I question the intelligence of casting your opponent as "God" no matter how insanely talented he is.

[Ilaekae]

Beautiful piece, Hippy...

Progress report: Your god is obviously fucking me here and I don't take kindly to it. Art's done except for conversion to jpeg, but can't post for another couple of hours. I'm sneaking this message in before they cut my DSL off again...the electric problems we've been having are due to ice fucking up some transformers. I now have dependable power, but when I checked with my server, they told me they would go off line again for my area a bit before six pm my time...which is in a couple of minutes. I'm hoping this gets posted in time.. They have to replace an additional transformer 60 miles from here, which is where I get my service. As soon as it's up and running, I'll post.

Your's is great...BUT...mine is so fuckin' much better you're going to shit your pants...it's a classic vector vs traditional paint...nyahh nyahh...

See you in a few hours if all goes well...sorry for the fuckin' delays...

[masque]

no apologies! just post that puppy when you get the means to do so. we been waitin' decades for this moment, right ;) what's a few more hours?

sincerely lookin' forward to it.

btw, thank you for the compliment. it may be the last i'll ever get outta you, so i plan to hang on to it. :teeth:

when Titans walk and talk, the whole frikkin world trembles!

[Azrael]

Friggin shweeet piece dood. Stupid question from an ignorant mind, but, who is fighting who here (in the piece)?

I say you get bonus points 'caus Illy's now at an advantage for seeing the opposition's strategy. Probably putting extra tweaks on it right now, aren't we, Ila? :P

[masque]

fighting's over, Azrael, at least for this battle in the (implied) wider war. now it's all about picking up the pieces.

thanks for the BP, but in my book, this mini side-bet TD is more about showin' off than whuppin' ass, despite all the splashy trash being traded. extra tweaks are fine by me.

[chaosrocks]

is he gonna post? is he ?
He's lurking

/me nibbles fingernails

damn these experienced older gentlemen, go on for ever.... building anticipation...make it last longer...sweeter culmination....


chaos

[Ilaekae]

Guess who's DSL went back on line this morning about 6:30? I got tired of waiting and fell asleep. The entry is below...with a lot of shit that could still be done to it, but fuck it. I'm a little tired of working on it. Masque, I hope I'm not too big of a disappointment.

The final Battle between Ahura Mazda (The Creator and God of light) and Anro-Mainyus (The living epitome of evil bought into existence by humanity's mis-use of free will)


http://photos.imageevent.com/aljmary/cagodsatwar/CA-GODS-WAR.jpg

These are the two primaries (Deity and Demon) of the religion now called Zoroastrianism. It was founded by Zarathustra sometime between 1400 and 1200 B.C. in ancient Persia, and is the oldest monotheistic religion of any kind known and the first based on "revealed" scripture. It is the first religion to preach that man had a free will, and that only he was capable of bringing evil into existence. Ahura Mazda is the ultimate source deity/creator for all western religions now in existence, and the great horned Demon Anro-Mianyus is the prototype for all the images of the modern devil.

The religion still flourishes, especially among the Parsi of India.

The scene depicts the two battling to the death "at the end of time," a fight won by Ahura Mazda.

[Slash]

Blood! Blood! Blood!

//edit: As i was typing that, illy managed to post! yay! Now lets see here.. masque got a point for ass, illy one for lsd.

Shit, i cant choose!

Good work oh ancient ones!

[chaosrocks]

beautiful beautifull, Bravo Bravissimo

*throws kiss to ilaekae*

how the hell can one compare....? stupid to try....
glad this didn't go to normal judging

chaos

[masque]

oh shit, oh dear.
i'm fukked.
disappointed? my gawd, you ol' mastercat, i'm still mopping up puddles of drool!
this beauty revealed itself in a slow raster crawl down my screen, and all i could say was:
holy shit!
holy shit!
holy shit!
holy shit!
holy shit!
holy shit!
holy shit!
holy shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it's fuckng GORGEOUS!

and i absolutely LOVE that not only do we have a classic vector v raster battle going on here, but a diametric opposition of concepts -- war as mundane and gritty, and war as sublime and coruscating!

they're gettin' a helluva lot more than their money's worth, my friend.

'nuff said. gonna go back and enjoy some more.

[JL.Alfaro]

oh. shit.

are we voting on this or what ? Id hate to have ta pick one...you ol farts are gooood, damn good.

[Ostrander]

sweeeet.

[Ilaekae]

After hours of careful consideration, I give my vote to Masque. We both did butts, but...his god's is so much more delectible than mine...

Man, if there was ever a more disparate approach to the same theme, I haven't seen it. Masque, I finally got a chance to really look at your piece and it blows me away.

[masque]

thank you, sir, i feel the same about yours. i mean the voting, not the butts. :bashful: we could call it a draw, i sure don't need the scalp ;)

i tell ya, for a cranky, short-tempered old SOB, you sure are a meticulous mofo! who'd'a thunk you have stashed away such enormous reserves of patience? no way in hell i'd be able to find a vector around those kinds of vectors, and i'm no stranger to Illustrator. i am truly impressed with your command of the medium and knocked over by your flamboyance.

edit: and your virtuosity!

( i hate senior moments -- been chasin' that word for nearly an hour! ;) )

so, when we gonna see some more? :D

[masque]

hey, Ilaekae! Mastercat! when you called me out for this little tete a tete, did you have any judges lined up, or is this to be a case of suspensia perpetuum? should we just put 'em away and call it even?

i'd not be in favor of a poll, btw.

[Ilaekae]

Hell...I actually didn't think about it.

I think we proved neither one of us is blind or senile, so lets call it an apples/oranges draw and go after the grubby little bastards that infect this place...

By the way, I'm going to be cutting back on my competitions for a while. Gotta chance to get a cheap table and some exhibition space for paintings and stuff at a SciFi com in July, so I'm going to be concentrating on getting shit together for sale/exhibition. As I finish, I'll post it here as well so we all can have a good laugh...I really don't know what these poor babies are gonna do when they see my real stuff, so it might be fun...:x

I have my historical painting to get back to, and I have three other 30 x 40s started, as well as 11 assemblages and a batch of 20 x 15s and litho and ink drawings in the works.

BTW, I like this piece of your's a lot better than the one you sub'ed to the comp. It's more powerful and cohesive, for want of a better word...I have a bad tendency to jam shit into as small a space as I can--to the point , you can't figure out what the hell's going on in all the clutter, while you sometimes let your pieces get a little scattered from a layout point--exactly the opposite.

[sve]

That's a very good critique Ilaekae. A generalization which allows him be aware of the recurring specifics in his manner to compose a picture. I wish someone nailed my recurring weaknesses too. Allowing me face my demons so to speak.

[masque]

good points, Ilaekae, and taken well to heart. i have to admit that Ragnarok was not so much composed as designed, and i struggled with it a lot both in composition and treament of the ensemble pieces. i'd never really attempted something of that scope, and since it was my fourth concept, i felt deadline pressure, and took less time than i should on the composition, wanting to insure i had enough time for rendering. plus i made a lot of on-the-fly decisions rather than nailing the comp with a solid sketch before jumping into painting. panic can do that :rolleyes:. as it is, i'm happy the comp didn't become a killer point, though i agree it's a weakness.

i faced a similar issure with Valkyrie Ascending, and spent way too much time trying to make a weak composition work, thinking it was a matter of rendering rather than fundamental structure. that's one reason i put it away and started in on Ragnarok. but i'm happy i came back to it, and grew the balls necessary to say "this sucks, start again at square two," and thereby improve the piece exponentially. my sketchbook shows some of this process.

lookin' forward to seeing your sci-fi-convention work, or any other art you're willling to display.

[Ilaekae]

I have a trick that might be useful...

I almost always have to at least start my pieces in Illustrator because I use a track ball. Not the easiest thing to paint with but beautiful for vector. I solve the painting control problem by using the vector shapes as selection areas.

Because of this process, it doesn't matter how I do my original drawings or what the layout will be. I actually do one drawing for the body, one drawing for the head, one for the arms, etc., often at DIFFERENT sizes, then merge them all together in one final file where they get resized appropriately and puzzled into proper position.

This might be useful for you if you do pencils first and scan them...once you have a rough idea of how the final layout should look, scan the sep elements in as sep files, and past them into a final PS doc in different layers, using the layer opacity controls and eraser as you have to. This allows you to resize the elements, or twist and reposition them where you want. It WOULD prevent you from using the originals as part of the final piece, but in your case, I don't think that would matter because of the way you "paint." The pencils would just be tossed out after you're done.

I do this even when I work off the computer. All my little bits are often done on sep sheets of tracing paper or whatever, then assembled and retraced onto one sheet before I transfer it for painting. (It helps to be anal, sometimes...:P )