CGAN April 2016 - Discworld - Final entries

Discworld

Brief: This months challenge was taken from the discussion in the suggestions thread and was designed by Bloody Stupid Johnson. Depict a scene, character, shopping trolley (PLOP!), or anything else from Terry Pratchett's series of Discworld novels.

Deadline: [strike]Saturday 30th of April, by midnight GMT.[/strike] VOTING OPEN UNTIL 8TH OF MAY.

This is where you post your final entries. WIPs should be posted over here: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...discworld-wips#13616

Challenge rules and guidelines:
cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...s/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 vote
• No cheating! Admins may decide to disqualify an entry that does not adhere to the above rules.

WINNER - VALENCE

A bit early with days to spare but I have nothing more to add to this and I'm halfway into something else, so it's time to dump it.

1: Scribbly Old Man.
2: Mismatched Hands.

And finally with a different background to make the character pop a bit more (wish I'd done them on separate layers!)...

Cohen The Barbarian struggling with a bit of sciatica!



Good Luck to everyone. And I hope there is an everyone this month!

I consider myself finished with this also...
Still quite dark and I Believe it will be rather dull on some screens... but in my screen it is rather Close to what I was aiming for.

Gl hf all!!

WIP 1
WIP 4

(I hope these lihnks are good enough for the challenge rules.... xD)

Thanks for the comments on mine guys! I really changed it up, was trying to add as much detail as I could and keep it clean. I hope it didn't overdue it with all the pink!! Great entries so far!

Wip1

Wip2

Voting is now open, let rip with the votes of er, voting.

Micro:
I really like the use of colour in this pic. They're really vibrant and saturated, and yet they still look completely unified, and the foreground silhouette contrasts nicely against this and balances the whole composition.
I also think the density of the detailing is very well integrated throughout all the image. It's often hard to maintain that consistency when using different ideas and references but here you've got just the right amount of visual information to keep the eye interested and move the gaze around the picture without leaving any vacant gaps or awkward transitions..
I think I preferred the sparkly water version as the train is bit more of a thematic contrast but I think the strong horizontals of the tracks do help to increase the depth of the landscape.

Segujo:
I love the design of your old hag of a witch! It's classic and immediately recognisable, I can almost hear her brittle, cackling laugh as she chants out some kind of spell. The little cat is also appropriate to the character and you've also captured that feline indifference to the magic that's going on around.
You may have kept the picture dark but the final subtle changes made a noticeable, positive difference. The glow from the "orb" gives the picture a radial gradient to the composition rather than the flat darkness that was in the previous version. And finally the way this light hits the old woman's hands is very impressive and is my favourite part of the picture.
And because of all that, and the excellent colour application, this one gets my vote this month.
Well Done!


Cherry:
There you go again, teasing us with another sketch. This character seemed perfect for your style and skills. Shame that you didn't get the time for more.

Atto:
The character montage was a great idea and the way you set it out gave it that perfect film-poster/book-cover style. All the individual portraits were coming along fine and I know you would have pulled that one off given the time.

And that's my rambling done for the month. Time to click the vote button...

All cred to Valence for the vast analysis!

I will just add some small personal comments on the completed paintings.

Micro:
Your use of color really makes me happy. I get a view of a sunny day and I would like to run barefoot among the flowers. I also like the sky and the atmosphereic depth.
Suggestions:
I think the lightning is both a strength and a weakness in your picture. Over all thats what 'makes' the piece, but I also find the lighting rather confusing in some places. Why is the foreground so dark? And are the underside of the mushrooms glowing? I also think that the motive/story is a little confuing. Maybe thats your purpose? The contrast between the natural mushroom houses and the metallic constructions and the train in the background.

Valence:
I like the story. the old barbarian trying to keep up dispite a sour back. I also like your color sheme and how you work with lights. I like your solution for the stone and the grass. And you really nailed those hands!!!
Suggestions:
I believe there are some small anatomic issues in your pic. I think the front leg beneath teh knee should have a bend outwards. I get a notion that he has two left legs.also the arm he leans towards his sword... it looks like it has a tension from the sharp elbow angle and still the hand is completely relaxed.

Anyway.
My vote will go to Valence this time.
I think both of you did a really great job!

Valence: you get my vote. Funny, intresting character, nice pose. Only the sword has a poor design and looks a bit more painted digitally then the rest of the paint. But anyway... you win.

segujo: I like it, it has this cute style. But somehow it doesn't look finished, maybe it the absence of a lightsource in your enviroment, ... anyway nice and fun.

microscopi: man you are getting better and better everytime I see something by you. But now why I didn't vote for you, and people probably might think I'm a weardo, but the gills of the mushrooms aren't painted correctly enouge. Next time use a picture as reference, because it bugs my to mush(rooms)!

Yepp shame on me, I know Val! Was a hard time but now I'm able to paint more I guess.


so ... voting time, hm?

micro: I love the look of your painting, it's all bright and clear and shimmery ... and I like all those tiny flowers and details a lot!

val: as always a great character painting! love the pose and all of those strong muscles (I know it's an old man... xD ) and of course the traditional feeling of the painting is awesome. so... you get my vote.

segujo: I looooved the scribble of the painting! really it had all it needed. But something has lost between the sketch and the final painting. Maybe it's the missing light source or .. I really can't name it. But this "problem" I recognize sometimes. When the sketch is too detailed I have a lot of problems to understand the final painting right because there's just another feeling to it. It's not your fault of course.

Hey all!
So annoyed I didn't get to finish my entry but a ton of work was dropped on my lap right before the deadline - must do better next month!

So Val: A very nice rendition of one of the coolest characters to emerge from the mind of the great TP. I think the canvas effect to the texture is well used here and as with many of your character portraits you hit the likeness and capture the essence of the character very well.

Seg: I have no problem at all with dark images, I think you are almost there with the balance of light/dark in your entry and I really enjoy the personality you have suggested in the cat. A few more tweaks with the brightness would have taken this image to 'the next level' and I think that may be what Schizo and Cherry are describing when they say it looks a little unfinished.

Micro: Dude! Where the f&^% did that idea come from? I think you may have just justified the whole notion that ignorance can sometimes be bliss. I often shy away from producing images because I know little or nothing of the source material but this entry is such a crazy and unique take on the theme I'm currently rethinking my reluctance. Sure it's weird but weird can be good, hell it can be great! I love this strange mix of cutesy fantasy and sci-fi. I agree with Schizos point about the gills but you still get my vote