CGAN June 2017 - Navigator - Final entries

Navigator

Brief: Open theme to interpret the title. Suggested by Atto in the suggestions thread if you have any more theme suggestions post them here: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/current-...-briefs?limitstart=0

Deadline: Wednesday the 30th of June at Midnight GMT.

This is where you post your Final entries; WIPs should be posted over here: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...navigator-wips#16406

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

Final Nav


1 wip cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=20#16530
2 wip cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=20#16546

WIP 1: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=10#16510
WIP 2: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=10#16514
WIP 3: cgartnexus.com/index.php/forums/challeng...-wips?start=40#16673

Here we go then.

1: Some Lines And Things.
2: Wheely Bad.
3: Awaiting Details.

Hey, look what I found tucked away in a cupboard. It's only Vermeer's long lost painting, "The Navigator", done during his often overlooked Steampunk phase. It's clearly one of his earlier works from back in the days when he was a bit rubbish and didn't bother with things like credible perspective.



Well Done to all Deadline Defeaters!

Valence get my vote

Voting is now open! Please vote before July 8th

Me, I'll vote for Valence this time even if he has too many medals already.

Dragon: With the pose of the woman I expected she'd be looking at some sort of holographic screen. I think the choice of dark clothes, dark background and a dark map all serve to basically divide the whole image into two values - black and the bright of her skin. So, I'd have liked to see a bit more detail and values

Banj: Similarly I'd have liked to see something other than a black background. I know you didn't think you'd finish at all, though, so good work on getting as far as you did But besides making me think of Dune it lacks something that actually says "navigator"...

Valence: While maybe not finished to the level you'd have liked it is both the most detailed image and the one with the most story-telling, clearly following the brief. Also I'm a sucker for Vermeer I would have liked to see some more relistic proportions on the character, though. I can't really say the perspective or finish bothers me as it seems to bother you

Voting Valence! What a fun theme!

Banj:
I've always liked the Guild Navigators from Dune in all their incarnations (even the older, cheaper VFX ) so I was glad someone had a go at doing something that captured the completely non-humanoid, pure alien-ness that made them so interesting.
The highlight of your pic is that amazing mouth with those gross, lurid lips and their vivid red colour showing the underlying blood. There seems to be so much layering and depth to that part of the image, I would love to have seen you have the time to develop that level of detail and attention around the other parts of the body with some more lumpy veins and creases, but even in this slightly unfinished form you've been very clever in the way you've presented it with the lighting and the text giving it the look of a minimalist concept piece.

Dragon:
After all the worries about the brightness of the lighting I was surprised how dark the final ended up. Although that may be down to our different monitor calibrations than artistic choices (I always like my screens dimmer than everyone else's to spare me the headaches ) But when I tweaked the gamma levels then your image really came to life in a way I didn't see at first, revealing all the detail of the background, the clothing and the map. And I do like that map with the rough edges and the holes revealing the hand behind it.
The smooth skin shader with the outline is very effective here and I like the way she gazes off into the distance as if comparing the stars to whatever is on the other side of the map. It makes me want to peep round the edge to see what's drawn on it.

Atto:
I enjoyed how your pic was developing with that familiar style and expressive anatomy.
It's a shame that pesky work stopped you from finishing but at least you've earned some money there. Votes and pixel medals don't pay the bills, so says the poor man.

As for mine, I actually don't mind it too much. I was just rationalizing the fact that it doesn't *really* look like an Old Master. And you're right Charlotte, the biggest weakness is the figure. That right arm is very questionable. I also wish I'd spotted all those tangents before posting and unlike Vermeer's work you certainly won't find any coherent vanishing points here. But I think the pic was saved somewhat by the two last minute gimmicks of the noisy grain and the craqueleur. Even though they required no artistic skill they did seem to unify all the elements of the pic (good and bad) and that seems to trick the viewer's eye into thinking that the image is a bit better than it really is.

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Votes, votes, votes… Or rather, vote, singular.
I think I'm gonna lean towards Dragon. I love Banj's alien with its Jagger Lips, and I continue to think that if you started your pics a week earlier you'd trounce us all every month with your 3D kung fu, but I think Dragon's image has a bit more narrative context to it and I like the way it suggests the possibilities of the character rather than spoonfeeding the viewer a more rigid story and situation (like …erm… mine.) Is she travelling far away or finding her way home? Is she some kind of astronaut or astronomer, or even some kind of goddess figure floating in the heavens to guide her followers? This kind of ambiguous, thought-provoking storytelling seems more appropriate for this more open themed challenge. So … Dragon.

Back home for a short while so thought I would take the opportunity to share my thoughts.

Dragon: After reading Val's feedback I also altered your image and was amazed to find all the detail hidden in there. Such a shame I couldn't see it in the post. I really like the idea behind your piece and its ambiguous nature. The oddity of the paper map contrasting with the modern/sci fi outfit is a nice juxtaposition (yeah I went there!)

Val: Dunno about Votes,votes, votes more like detail, detail, detail. Loving the dials, levers, furnace, the binoculars, the weird navigation equipment and the strange blue glow round the globe. The little sea monsters on the map (though the compass on there is a little over saturated imho) and the Da Vinci style drawing to the right with its little (damage?) warning lights. I think it excellently illustrates the theme and provides a great narrative.

Banj: Dune Navigators, the whole reason I posted the suggestion in the first place. I really wanted to do something similar but realised early on I had no time to spend creating a design. As Val has already said it would be awesome to see this little gem fully fleshed out and sitting in an environment. I love the textures and details and the whole 'solidness' to it.

Sorry guys but this week I have to go with Banj for reaching into my consciousness and rendering up a version of one of my favourite literary creations of all time.

My vote goes to Valence. It's a complete and detailed scene which clearly depicts the subject. Dragon, I think the map is pretty dark, maybe a paper texture and some additional effects could have helped make it clearer, good to see you taking part in challenges again.

As for mine it's completely unfinished and not remotely what it was going to be, I just bodged together something at the last minute to make up the numbers.

Onward to the [strike]cake[/strike] next challenge...