Teen Challenge #56: "Dead or Alive" <Voting>

[xabian]

Teen Challenge

Voting

Teen Challenge #56: "Dead or Alive"

The Rules:
Anyone ages 13-19 may submit an entry at any time before the deadline. Please host your image on a remote image-hosting site instead of uploading it to the CA server. This makes it much easier to transfer it to the poll thread.


The Topic: Dead or Alive
be creative, its a very open topic.
It could be depicted in a character, and environment, a creature or whatever you seen this as being.


IMPORTANT
1. Add a border around your image with your name and the topic, like they do with the other of the week challenges.
2. Please do not use attachment manager, but outside host your image.
3. Mark your final as final
4. Please add a 150*150 thumbnail to you final entry so it can be viewed on the poll
5. Please no voting for yourself or you will be deemed very sad.


The Deadline:
Sunday, January 11th.

[xabian]

Icon:
http://i41.tinypic.com/2zezf9i.png

Image:
http://i41.tinypic.com/nohjwi.png

[Goog]

Icon and Final. Couldn't get the western theme out of my mind.

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo153/mikecurtiss87/IconTC56.jpg

http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo153/mikecurtiss87/teenchallengdeadoralive2copy.jpg

[Linguini]

Dead or Alive?

Icon:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/deadoralivesmall.jpg

Final Image:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/deadoralive.jpg


Child Prostitution

http://www.redlightchildren.org/

Definition:
The sexual exploitation of a child for renumeration in cash or kind, usually but not always organized by an intermediary (parent, family member, procurer or teacher).

Statistics:
- 10 million children worldwide are engaged in some facet of the sex industry. Each year at least one million children, mostly girls, become prostitutes
- In Thailand, 10-12 year old girls service men in the sex industry. They typically have sex with men 10-15 times daily and sometimes as many as 20-30
- In South Africa, there are 40,000 child prostitutes
- Children are more susceptible to HIV and other STDs

[erinel]

I kind of went with the idea "dead or alive, it doesn't matter"

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/lufiamanaelf/page1otumb.png

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/lufiamanaelf/page1o.png

for some reason half the time this is way to saturated and the other half it's fine. I'm hoping it looks okay to everyone :/

[tobbA]

Bah... What good is being 20 years old when you can't join the teen challenges anymore? :P

Though I don't think I'd stand a chance anyway. Some nice looking pictures this round :)

[mc2mc2]

wow lufiamanaelf....i really love yours. Beautiful style!


Icon:

http://i40.tinypic.com/iva3q1.jpg

Don't really like it :/

Final:

http://i44.tinypic.com/1hth00.jpg

rofl.....i just realised i signed the date with an 08 -_-|||...and we're already half way into january....

[xinranliu]

done - final
http://www.ronaldliu.com/hosting/deadoralive%20copy.jpg

Thumbnail
http://www.ronaldliu.com/hosting/deadoralive%20thumbnail.jpg

[zelda_geek]

Final...samurai vs. ninja :D

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4692/character017tc56zeldagext0.jpg

icon:
http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/2862/character017iconnd5.jpg

[paperX]

Was going for like a hanging visual metaphor, but kinda didn't turn out as well as I planned...oh well good practice. :)

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1061/deadoralive24webiconit8.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/2e1dtv7.jpg

[xabian]

Glad to see so many people enter, great entries guys, a great start to teen challenge =D

[zelda_geek]

Yeah, the teen challenge is back! A lot of good entries here. But maybe we need more voters (5 is not much).
Looking forward to next challenge:)

I thought I'd go ahead and crituiqe some of this stuff. Sorry if I'm beeing harsh...all the entries are great, so don't take it personal :P

Xabian: Good layout and interesting design, but watch the hand. It's way too small and the weapon could use some more work too.
Goog: At this point it looks like the man on the ground is a giant compared to the other guy. Big scale issue there. Also, the standing man is leaning way off to the side...tilting him to the right might help (even though that's a bit late now:P)
Linguini: Great idea! Watch the anatomy though, especially the eyes and the bridge of the nose.
Erinel: good idea. Kind of a complimentary colourscheme you have there. In my opinion the child tends to blend in too much with the lady and it ruins the image a little bit. But the woman's head is awesome.
mc2mc2: I don't understand why you painted a shadow on the torso next to the knife. It is not consistent with the rest of the image (doesn't look like the same light source). And no one would hold a knife like that (his left arm) Right now it's pointed toward the other arm (and I wouldn't recommend that because you can cut the arteries :P) It would be more natural to point it more outward toward the enemy. But your piece is dynamic ,and I like that : )
Ronald Liu: The lightsource is not consistent enough and I think more saturation in the flower could help too. But I like the idea.
paperX: I don't see the connection between this piece and "Dead or alive" so I'd apprechiate it if you explained it a bit more. You could also have more values (at this point it looks like you only have two different values and none in between). Maybe lighten the three people would help seperate them from the foreground.

[Goog]

I went for paperx, I "got it".

[JailHouseRock2]

paperX: I don't see the connection between this piece and "Dead or alive" so I'd apprechiate it if you explained it a bit more. You could also have more values (at this point it looks like you only have two different values and none in between). Maybe lighten the three people would help seperate them from the foreground.



I disagree, I really like this piece and I 'get' the connection,

And great work everyone, some really cool entries!

[xinranliu]

thanks for the crit zelda
to me paperx's piece is about 3 assassins/mercenaries trying to get that seated guy

[a la bapsi]

Oh Now I Get It Okay
Thanks Mr Liu Oh God

[paperX]

zelda_geek: Sorry, I usually don't like putting an explaintion with my pieces cuz I believe the art should speak for itself, although in this case I didn't really do a good enough job to get the message across.

Have you ever caught a bus really early in the morning? I often find that the bus would be full of people going to work/school, yet many times dead silent. Everyone is absorbed in their own world, it gives me a feeling of lifelessness sometimes. That's where I got the idea from (kind of supposed to be a jab at technology taking over our lives at the same time), I intended the bus hand rail thing (sorry the term escapes me at the moment) to look like a rope connected to the people cast in silhoutte so the whole thing would sort of resemble a hanging.

I probably should have chosen a different angle though, probably a lower POV so the effect comes across better, I'll give it more thought next time :)

Ronald Liu: haha cool, I didn't think of that!
Thanks JailHouseRock2 and Goog for the nice comments :)


Some C+C:

Xabian - The composition probably could use a bit more space at the top, I like your brush strokes and the colour scheme, but I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the function of the helmet (?) of the figure. The weapon also looks a bit simplistic compared to the rest of the piece.

Goog - I think the scale is fine actually...I suppose zelda_geek thought otherwise cuz theres not much to compare the scale to? I really like your brush strokes, very confident and well rendered. Some crits:
1. The composition is really nice...but I'm feeling a lack of drama? Like the man standing doesn't look like he just shot somebody...his whole body is also kind of fused into one shape, looking kind of rigid and awkward. I think it would alot more dynamic if for example, he was leaning against the tree also kind of hurt.
2.The colours are really nice but somehow it doesn't feel like it suits the situation? the lighting and bright blue sky kind of gives me a calm, serene feeling which I suppose sort of works if thats what you're going for but I dunno, somehow it doesn't give off that 'dead or alive western vibe'
Sorry I'm kind of just nitpicking haha...I like your work and I think you could have pushed this one a bit more :)

Linguini - What can I say? You got my vote for this TC, perhaps you should have written the child prostitution info under the art though, I think that would be a lot more impactful. I disagree with zelda_geek again (sorry no offense!) I think the slight anatomy distortion was a stylistic choice which works really well, the eyes are very haunting and draws you in, probably my favourite part of the piece. Can't really think of anything negative sorry due to your stylistic approach, I wonder what medium you did this in?

erinel - nice mucha feel going on there :) I agree with zelda_geek about the child fusing into the woman a bit too much...for a second there I thought she had an exposed pregnant belly (sorry! :^^;:) the composition also bothers me a bit at the edges of the piece, especially the top of her head and her hands, it feels so closely cropped that I cant but help feel that it looks like a portion cut out of a bigger piece of art. really like the colours though and the woman's face. Is this water colour? I like what you did with the dress too I have a theory on your technique but I love to hear from you about how you achieved the look :)

mc2mc2 - hey dude, kinda agree with zelda_geek about the lighting and the shadow. ALso i still think his left arm (our right) looks kinda weird, still looks a bit pushed out of its sockets at the shoulder joint and I think the muscle anatomy is a bit wrong around the brochioradialis (forarms) example (http://www.wanderworks.com/simply_muscle/poster_plain.jpg). I think you should also watchout a bit for the hair, the rendering kind of looks like fabric/silk more than hair. maybe you should have the skeleton dudes grab him or something, spice up the drama a bit :)

Ronald Liu - I like the macbre look, the pastel-ish rendering is quite effective and doesn't look too tacky. I agree with zelda_geek about the lighting though. Maybe you should make the figures around the central one darker to give it more contrast. I would also extend the composition a bit at the top and possibly make the flower red instead of pink? (thats just personal preference speaking though haha)


Great round guys! Nice to see people participating in TC again :)

[erinel]

hey thanks for the crits guys!
zelda_geek, I agree about the kid, I didnt think him out well enough, so that and the unexpected paper+watercolor challenge didn't work out.
paperx, hey! spot on! I did infact cut some parts out. I decided I would rather have it look "off" than have glaringly awful anatomy. it is watercolor, but like I said, it was on a different, very un watercolor friendly paper so I can't say much for technique. all I did was ink in the texture of the pattern on her dress, then plop down little ovals of color. very simple!

some quick c&cs
xabian: I like the style you painted in, and the character design, but I'm not getting any feeling here. to me, nothing here is different than a plain old character design. I want to see some story! and the color scheme is very simple, try throwing in some complimentary colors to shake things up.

goog: I really like the idea behind your picture, and I LOVE the arm. it's awsome. it shows that you either really know your anatomy or you're a very good faker. buuuut I feel like there's a huge variation in the level of detail you put in, and it seems random. some parts, like the arm, look badass, but other parts, like the shooting guy's body, look unfinished. I also think you could really really push the composition more and make it more interesting.

linguini: I love yours for many reasons. there are only a couple things that really bug me. one being the half obscured eye, something about it, I feel like there should be a tiny bit more exposed, and the nose seems a little too far to our left.

mc2: I really like yours. the colors and painting and composition all look pretty good to me. I feel like it's a little hard to see what's going on, since the skulls bodies are hard to see though, it makes the painting a little less dynamic. also I feel like the guy's expression could be pushed more.

ronald: I love your brush strokes, your concept, everything. it was my favv

zelda_freak: I like your color choices, but no offense, I don't mean to sound like a bitch(!) but your concept doesn't really draw me in. it might just be because Im a girl though and SAMURAI NINJA FIGHT VIOLENCE doesn't really draw me in too much. I can't connect with the characters at all yanno?

paperx: I feel like yours would have come across all the better if we could see the figures eyes. as they are, not only do they look focused on the way too emphasized sitting figure, but they can be interpreted in lots of ways. you can't really get the blank, zoned out look when you don't show the eyes. other than that, I really like it, especially your brushstrokes.

[Linguini]

So much cool stuff in this thread!! Hooray, TC is makin' a comeback.


zelda_geek: Thanks! I definitely see what you're talking about with the anatomy. I think I might've exaggerated the "Asian-ness" too much. Ha ha, samurai vs. ninja, that's great. I love the motion in your piece; I almost want the ninja's eyes to be more defined, though.

paperX: Whoa, thank you so much! You just made my day. Aaah, you're right, I should put the info after the art, I totally just went to do that. I did the piece in watercolor. Again, thanks, I appreciate it! Great idea, btw, I know what you mean about that awkwardness on the bus; I think I didn't recognize they were on a bus previously because it's a bit dark, but it could just be my monitor.

erinel: Yeah, I totally see what you're saying. With the eye, I'm not good at watercolor and it was turning out too light so I kept layering the hair and it turned out covering a lot of it, ha ha. I love your watercolors, great piece - definitely reminds me of Mucha (one of my favorite artists, hooray); I didn't notice the child the first time I looked at it I think because the shirt is the same color as the dress.

xabian: Your brush strokes are really cool; I didn't notice the hand holding the gun at first because it was pretty dark, but that may just be my monitor.

Goog: The western theme is great and the atmosphere is nice; maybe the man holding the gun is a bit short? I feel like the legs could be longer.

mc2mc2: The green stuff floating out of the zombies'(?) eyes is super cool; his pants are kind of distracting me though (the crotch region mostly, I feel like his right leg doesn't look to be in the back).

Ronald Liu: I find the skeleton holding the flower to be utterly adorable (what can I say, I'm a girl) and the texture of the piece is nice; I kind of want more definition in the two left skeletons, though.


Bah, sorry if my English is terrible. It kind of dies when I don't get enough sleep, ha ha.

[xabian]

Wow thanks for all the crit guys =D you truly outdid yourself this round!

New round posted up "Guardian of Ironclawn"

[Wiggles]

Wow! Some really great entries here, it was hard to pick one I liked the most.

xabian: I really like your concept of the sniper dude, or at least a soldier, on the look out. The design is pretty cool and it flows well. I have one thing to suggest about it and it concerns the visor; I think you can improve your design if you adjust the visor a little higher and maybe a little less around his head. By the way, nice use of green!

Goog: I looked at yours and was immediately impressed. The shading and highlights are nice. I too have a couple suggestions for you; The man dressed in black looks like he's leaning backwards and I think his arms are a little short to be in proportion to his body. And, I do not watch a lot of westerns but, do people out in the desert wear all black, baggy coats? I don't know if you were just portraying the idea he's a criminal by his attire or if he just was just because. The man on the ground looks great by the way. :)

Linguini: I have to hand it to you, you have done a great job executing your idea; the stats in the description helped me understand more of what you were doing. I think overall the face is really pretty. Great job!

erinel: I think the blend of the colors here are absolutely my favorite out of this whole thread. Everything looks great, the woman is really pretty and the little child clinging on is a nice touch to your interpretation of the topic. Gorgeous work! :)

mc2mc2: I like this one a lot. The character is really well designed and the horde of undead monsters area pretty cool. I think that there is only two things I suggest to you here; You could reposition the character's eyes so that he's focusing on one of the undead and make them more wide-eyed to give a more dramatic effect of shock. Another is that the closest sword is a bit to wide, I think, from the blade to the back of sword. Very cool idea!

Ronald Liu: This is my favorite. I love the idea of the mass of cloaked skeletons and out of all of them, one holds a pretty pink flower. I think that's what took it for me right at the start. The texture of the image is very interesting and hatchy looking. I like it a lot! I think the skulls are just right for the style you're going for so kudos to you!

zelda_geek: Cool image! Both characters are well balanced making it easy for the eyes to like. I think you could add in a sword for the samurai though, I feel sympathy for the guy. Very well executed. :)

paperX: I like it. The blue in your image caught me attention immediately. The colors otherwise are very dull which bring out the blue even more. I don't get your metaphor honestly :( Oh well, I still like it relentlessly :D Good job!

[Wiggles]

Wow! Some really great entries here, it was hard to pick one I liked the most.

xabian: I really like your concept of the sniper dude, or at least a soldier, on the look out. The design is pretty cool and it flows well. I have one thing to suggest about it and it concerns the visor; I think you can improve your design if you adjust the visor a little higher and maybe a little less around his head. By the way, nice use of green!

Goog: I looked at yours and was immediately impressed. The shading and highlights are nice. I too have a couple suggestions for you; The man dressed in black looks like he's leaning backwards and I think his arms are a little short to be in proportion to his body. And, I do not watch a lot of westerns but, do people out in the desert wear all black, baggy coats? I don't know if you were just portraying the idea he's a criminal by his attire or if he just was just because. The man on the ground looks great by the way. :)

Linguini: I have to hand it to you, you have done a great job executing your idea; the stats in the description helped me understand more of what you were doing. I think overall the face is really pretty. Great job!

erinel: I think the blend of the colors here are absolutely my favorite out of this whole thread. Everything looks great, the woman is really pretty and the little child clinging on is a nice touch to your interpretation of the topic. Gorgeous work! :)

mc2mc2: I like this one a lot. The character is really well designed and the horde of undead monsters area pretty cool. I think that there is only two things I suggest to you here; You could reposition the character's eyes so that he's focusing on one of the undead and make them more wide-eyed to give a more dramatic effect of shock. Another is that the closest sword is a bit to wide, I think, from the blade to the back of sword. Very cool idea!

Ronald Liu: This is my favorite. I love the idea of the mass of cloaked skeletons and out of all of them, one holds a pretty pink flower. I think that's what took it for me right at the start. The texture of the image is very interesting and hatchy looking. I like it a lot! I think the skulls are just right for the style you're going for so kudos to you!

zelda_geek: Cool image! Both characters are well balanced making it easy for the eyes to like. I think you could add in a sword for the samurai though, I feel sympathy for the guy. Very well executed. :)

paperX: I like it. The blue in your image caught me attention immediately. The colors otherwise are very dull which bring out the blue even more. I don't get your metaphor honestly :( Oh well, I still like it relentlessly :D Good job!

[xinranliu]

I really liked erinel's piece, it was IMHO the most artistically accomplished one. However, I couldn't really understand the idea :/ sorry. Linguini's piece was cool too and it conveys an interesting message too.

I guess I shitted mine with a light source fail :) Thank you for your crits and comments (especially Linguini xD. funny how I actually intended to make it look grim and lugubrious)

[The42n8s1]

Great stuff all around.

[Aadarsh]

I really liked erinel's piece, it was IMHO the most artistically accomplished one. However, I couldn't really understand the idea :/ sorry. Linguini's piece was cool too and it conveys an interesting message too.

I guess I shitted mine with a light source fail :) Thank you for your crits and comments (especially Linguini xD. funny how I actually intended to make it look grim and lugubrious)
:lifedrawing:
Out of the many posts, this one attract my attention.
I believe it is possible for anyone to participate.
Excellent ! I like it very much.:geekg: