CGAN Dec. 2014 Challenge - Seasons Greetings.

Seasons Greetings

Brief: This is an open brief challenge to use your inventiveness and creativity to produce a Fantasy/Sci-fi related seasonal image suitable for a Christmas card.

Deadline: Wednesday 31st December, by midnight GMT. After which voting will begin (Note due to the timing there may be an obvious delay in getting the vote under way)

This is where you posts your final entry. WIPs (works in progress) should be posted over here:
cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...asons-greetings#7445

Challenge rules and guidelines:
cgartnexus.com/forums/challenge-rules/39-challenge-rules

Rules in brief:

• All challenge entries must be your own work.
• You should post at least two WIP images that are clearly different from your final entry and each other.
• Your final entry should contain your image (inserted so it shows up full size) and at least two links to your WIP posts on the forum.
• No chatter in the finals thread – if you have questions, post them in the WIP thread or PM an admin.
• Feedback is allowed & encouraged together with the voting and in the WIP thread.
• Deadline is given in UK time (midnight GMT) with a grace period of 5 minutes for getting the post sorted.
• Each member may cast one set of votes, for their 3 favourites.
• No cheating! Admins may decide to disqualify an entry that does not adhere to the above rules.

Merry Christmas everyone

I had to hurry up to finish my piece because I really used it as a christmas card for my friends ... so here it is

WIP 1

WIP 2

WIP 3

Ho Ho Humbug.

May as well dump mine. I know there's a week or so to the deadline but I don't think I'll want to continue working a Christmassy picture after Christmas has actually passed. I often don't need a reason to give up but when a reason presents itself then I grab it with both hands!

So I give you Gandalf The Red in a blatant rip-off of John Howe. Did I say rip-off? No, I meant "homage"! With a SnowGollum spooked by a robin ogling at his precioussss.



Scribble And Colour.

Then Cloak.

Then Face.

Great entries guys, I really am not feeling my Santa pic much anymore too lol, I think I want to work on a new years pic now!
So i'm submitting my pic early too Hope you guys had a great Christmas and have a better New Years!!

Wip1

Wip2

Wip3

Wip4

And it's time to vote for your favourite christmas card! You'll have until January 7th so even if people are still away for new year's you're hopefully all back in your usual places in time to vote.

The entrants are:
microscopi
Valence
CherryGraphics

Vote for your 1st, 2nd and 3rd favourite as usual If you're new to the forum (Welcome!) you might want to read the fuller set of rules here: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...s/39-challenge-rules

1:Cherry
2:microscopi

Cherry.
This picture wins it for me. It's an idea that's funny, Christmassy, expressive and most of all original (unlike mine that's far too dependant on a single reference.) Painting/drawing a joke can be a tricky one, no matter what the subject matter or detail, jokes either work or they don't. And this one really works. The image clearly expresses the situation, the set-up, the punchline and more importantly the laugh. All the details of the decorations are well drawn and rendered, the characters interact in a way that is believable both in terms of physical space and their emotional connection, and best of all the facial expression really sells the whole idea to us. And the final touch of patterns and framing gives it that recognisable Christmas card touch. Well done!

microscopi.
For this picture you were very brave to select a subject, and especially a pose, that is so dynamic and terrifyingly difficult. But you did pull it off. It was interesting to watch how the image evolved as you refined and reposed the figures as if directing them, and building up the realism with layers of texture. I know how much of a struggle it was with those reindeer legs (I don't think I could have done that. Any sign of frustration and I give up on those things) so you should be very proud of the work you put into them because in that final image with the falling snow it all works together to capture the movement and energy as the characters burst out towards us. You should be very pleased with it.

octoberstormxx.
Sorry you had to ditch yours. Traditional media always comes with that extra possibility of losing your work, one way or another. And it showed such early potential too! Better luck next time!

Kodabble.
A fantastic late run to the finishing line and a pity that the deadline crept up so quick. Douglas Adams is often quoted as saying "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by!" Yours looked like (and still looks like) it could end up as a great pic. The mermaid is an unusual choice for a winter image but very well adapted with the wonderful spiralling Christmas coral tree. I hope you do get to finish it sometime.

Nice & Christmasy
1 - Valence
2 - Micro
3 - Cherry

Hi all and happy new year I hope to hookup with art again soon.

1.CherryGraphics
2.Valence
3.microscopi

Good luck all

Hope you guys are having a great 2015 so far!

(1) Cherry - Really love the 3D aspect of your card, nice touch The colors are really warm and the characters are really well put together, the expression on the male centour is great can tell exactly what he's feeling, and also with the female just the arm on his shows she understands he hates it lol Really well done!

(2) Valence - Awesome job! You put so much detail into this piece and it shows! The character is just as detailed as the background, and I really like the emotion of the snowman and gandolfs weary look trudging through the snow. I think everything really blends together the colors and lighting looks great! I appreciate your comments so much because you are very explicit!

octoberstormxx - Had a great first opening, hopefully will see you in next challenge.

Kod - WIshed you would of completed your pic too, it was a cool take on a christmas theme, and the mermaid was looking really great! Hopefully you can finish it soon and post it under the finshed stuff

I wish you all a very very nice 2015

well thats hard ... choosing between 2 wonderful christmas cards.... so well:

1) micro - the style is SO classic! I always enjoy your style but here it gives the christmas card the right traditional touch it needs. Yeah and as you said it reminds me a bit of an old coca-cola advert. I really wish I would have get a christmas card of you

2) valence - as I said before in the WIP thread - I love your idea of the gandalf santa and the gollum snowman. it's really unique! your painterly style is awesome as always

hopefully I'll see you all AND more in the next challenge.