C.O.W. #214 ,the 4 apocalyptic mounts. VOTING!

[(lark]

C.O.W. #214 the 4 apocalyptic mounts_Voting!

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ROUND #214 VOTING

Topic: the 4 apocalyptic mounts


Deadline for the voting: June 8th

this weeks requirements...

-Your design should embody visual characteristics of the horseman you decide to represent (you can do more than one if you're feeling daring, but you are only required to do one).

-Your creature must be able to carry a rider (although including the rider is optional).

-your creature must be primarily colored according to the rider. Those being...

Conquest... white.

Slaughter (or war)... red.

Famine... black.

Death... pale or greenish.

[KleeWyck]

Artist: KleeWyck

Concept: Equus Mortis
Known as one of the apocalyptic mounts, information on the Equus Mortis is mostly based on speculation rather than fact. It is said that you can smell the rotting stench of these creatures for miles; a warning that Death is coming.

[njoo]

Artist: nJoo

Concept: 4 Horsemen


The four horsemen....

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Individual shot:

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[maeganite]

Artist: maeganite

Concept: Famine's Mount


The Decrepit Gauhlig creature has always been Famine's preferred mount; these creatures have a generally disgusting smell that is reminiscent of human suffering. Any plant that falls under its shadow dries up and begins to rapidly wither away from a sudden lack of nutrients.

[metal_militant]

Name: Metal-Militant

Concept: War-cat of the Apocalypse

[Tamarin]

Artist: Tamarin

Concept: Callabus Pestilentia

[Migsta]

Artist: Migsta

Concept: πυρρός
This mount is often taken to represent War and/or Violence in general. The color is specifically a "fiery" red. This color, as well as the rider's possession of a great sword, suggests blood that is to be spilled.

[Camel]

Artist: Camel

Concept: Conquest's Mount

[DavidTenorio]

Artist: DavidTenorio

Concept: Ley'Aneex
Ley'Aneex, mount of conquest, stands tall and wears a crown of fierce locks to symbolize victory will be won today.

[APW]

Artist: APW

Concept: Famine's Mount

Cheers! :yayca: enjoyed working with everyone!

[Whiskey Sour]

Artist: Whiskey Sour

Concept: Seahorseman
The Mormons believe the horseman came during past biblical times. The second of them, the Horse of Slaughter, appeared during the time of Noah (3000-2000 BC). With his arrival came the Great Flood.

[Arbinn]

Artist: Arbinn

Concept: Crawling Peril

Not so much crawling as it is balancing between the worlds of life and death. Grim Reaper's trusty steed gathers the souls its master releases from the grip of life and guarantees them safe journey to the other side. Crawling Peril can be sometimes seen in the "real world" as a thick moving mist over swamps or moorlands.

[lkjhgfdsa]

Artist: lkjhgfdsa

Concept: Binky
Deaths apocalyptic mount.

[RXMT]

Artist: RXMT

Concept: Urh, Famine's mount
This poor immortal beast is painfully walking its rider around and suffering from perpetual hunger. The fact of eating its own guts represents the extreme side of starvation.


(I know some people felt uncomfortable with the guts, but I decided to go with it anyway because it is one of the best drawing I have done on Photoshop, I improved a lot by doing it.. ;-p)

[wizo5454]

Artist: wizo

Concept: Slaughter


chaos,we heard chaos comming at us, and then lava...we knew it was the end.

[Rob Powell]

Artist: Rob Powell

Concept: Apocalyptic Glutton Beast


This beast of famine has a huge gaping maw. As it travels it tramples many crops and feasts on livestock, bringing hunger to the people. It's hunger is never ending.

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[Graveswood]

A very rushed attempt at a War Cat

[Syle]

Artist: Syle

Concept: Bane

A powerful and complete destroyer of lives, Bane, unleashes the slaughter.

[(lark]

Artist: (lark

Concept: deaths mount
deaths apocalyptic mount

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[(lark]

single vote this week guys.

really great turn out this week. lots of great stuff in here. thanks to everyone for keeping this place full of quality!

had to vote for njoo. just insane work dude!

[Si_Swe]

Some really quality work this round. I voted for lkjhgfdsa because I really enjoyed the intricacies of the creature which made it really look like a magical beast, rather than just a mount. I'll post crits when I get the chance (I really should this week considering I skimped out on last week's crits).

[Art-kritik]

A lot of really exciting stuff this week!!!

I went back on forth on where to vote, but in the end had to go with Camel. There's just something ineffably Biblical about that image and it just worked for me on a level that necessitated my vote.

As a side note, there were several artists in the WIPS thread who didn't make it to the final (Jää, Edward B, etc), and I hope they at least show their finished work at some point, even if it didn't make the cutoff for the contest!


KleeWyck: I like the way it turned out, good evolution from your WIPS.
njoo: Obviously very well done, I can't wait to see what you'll do in coming weeks .
maeganite: The watercolor work is outstanding and I felt that you got the best "creature of a whole species" vibe.
metal militant: Great cat-thing, I like it.
Tamarin: I just had goat last week at a Jamaican restaurant... I'm glad it wasn't this guy... very imposing!
Migsta: Great work, another strong contender, really felt like a member of a species.
Camel: As above, fantastic, loved it.
DavidTenorio: I really liked this one, VERY original, but it didn't quite capture the mood of "conquest" for me. The creature itself was exceptional.
APW: Another good job, that thing is awesome, and I like how you re-worked the "wings".
Whiskey Sour: I wouldn't normally find myself afraid of a seahorse, but this guy might be an exception, very mean looking.
Arbinn: Nice concept and good execution. I can really visualize it swooping through the air bringing Death with it.
lkjhgfdsa: Great final version of very good WIPS, nice job!
RXMT: I was iffy on the sketch, but the final version is awesome, nice job. I like the theme of self-consumption too.
wizo5454: A bit sketchy (as you noted) but the core concept seems strong.
Rob Powell: I like this a lot. With a mouth like that, you know why there's a famine!
Graveswood: Nice concept, would like to have seen it more fleshed out (depth/shading).
Syle: A bit sketchy, and the front end seems overly heavy, but I really like that head guard.
(lark: Very nicely done, excellent addition of the rider, a very strong contender.

[Rob Powell]

Was really difficult to vote this round; (lark, Camel, lkjhgfdsa, and Migsta all had awsome entries and were just slightly beat by njoo, because he went all out and did all 4 creatures! Great round guys!!

@KleeWyck: Neat looking centaurian creature, although the pose looks a bit awkward seeing the way it is stepping while the top half of the creature is turned toward the viewer. The red on the saddle and ribcage seems to contrast with the greenish body a little too much and takes away from the head of the creature. And the front legs would've looked better without human-like hands.

@njoo: You just had to go and PwN everybody didn't you, it wasn't bad enough that you had to go and do all 4 creatures, lol! Great work. This style of cell shading works quite well, and gives your creatures a very stylistic approach to concept design. Keep up the good work. And seeing as you're the only one that has created more than one (let alone four) you've earned my vote. I do have to say I would've liked to see one of these creatures with the amount of time you put into making all four.

@maeganite: The creature looks pretty cool. Although for famine the creature needed to be closer to black so it matches the theme you chose, It looks like it's better fit for death, seeing as the colour is closer to a pale/greenish, and there are parts of the design that goes well with the theme of death. In general this is a good piece done in watercolour, I'm a fan of the watercolour effects on paper and it's one thing I want to get into when it comes to art.

@Metal_militant: The creature design seems to be a bit over powered by the dark background. As I've stated earlier the background should be more of a neutral colour/value, if you use a dark background be sure to compensate for the lighting on the creature. The lighting on the creature itself is a little confusing, it seems there is some underlighting, especially on the neck, when the cast shadow suggests there is a light source above the creature. Study a little more about lighting and shading and use that to better illustrate your concept.

@Tamarin: It is a very neat design, however because it is black and white, and you didn't state which rider you chose it is difficult to determine which one you chose.

@Migsta: Awsome looking beast. There is still the issue with the head looking a little flat, but it is only minor, the design of the creature is well illustrated and fits it's theme well. Good Job!

@Camel: I like the biblical feel of this piece. Glad you took my advice, but I think the background could've been pushed a little more in detail, mainly on the clouds below the creature. Some of the wool still needs a bit more textured, because in some places on the wool it's looking a bit flat. But in general you've done a good job here.

@DavidTenorio: As stated by others before, you get this Dr. Suess vibe, which isn't nessecarily a bad thing, Dr. Suess has come up with plenty of interesting creatures. One thing that bothers me are the legs. With the exception of humans, almost no creature walks flat footed, just about every animal basically walks on their toes, especially, tall bird like creatures as yours, just look at the legs of an ostrich.

@APW: Neat comic book style. It has a pretty decent perspective, but as I've suggested before the pose is a bit iffy to me, it's mostly the arms the way they just swayed to one side, it would look more dynamic if they were both raised as if they would attack something. Also the it's a bit difficult for me to see how this design fits your theme, for death or war maybe, but famine, the creature looks more undead than malnurished. But overall there is some good detail work, for a line drawing like this you want to push the lineweights around the edge, to make it stand out more from the white background.

@Whiskey Sour: Neat idea making an underwater steed. Not sure if it was intentional or not but he's got sort of a cartoony expression on his face. anyways, this is an improvemnt from your last entry, although the design could have been pushed so it doen't resemble a seahorse as much. And a little more highlighting to push the form.

@Arbin: Awsome work dude! Really cool concept and really cool idea, although the pose is a little confusing the way it portrays the creature, is it his back facing us or is he more sideways? I feel like the rendering could have been pushed a little further in some places as well. But good work overall.

@lkjhgfdsa: Binky looks awsome, dude.^^ Still a bit recognizable as a horse, but far enough from it to look like a different critter. This could do without the white background as it overpowers the creature.

@RMXT: Looks cool. The creature is looking a little too flat though, you need to focus on building the form to make it stand out a bit more.

@wizo5454: Your creature is very roughly painted, making it very difficult to read your design accuratly. A little more detail would makes this look a lot better.

@Graveswood: Your design is lacking some highlights, and the shading needs to be pushed a bit further, because it is looking flat. Also the texturing on the hair needs to be refined. Also adding a cast shadow would add a little more depth between the cat and the background. As for the design, it is nothing more than just a red cat, you should add a few more design elements to make it look like a completely different creature.

@Syle: You should try to avoid keeping the pencil lines when you colour, it makes your pic look a bit too messy. Also use some more saturated colours because it is looking a little too dull, especially on the white background. Another thing your creature looks too pink for slaughter.

@(lark: Cool to see you enter again. You've got one sick looking death mount. The rendering is fanastic as I've expected from your work. Keep it up dude!!! If I were to give you any crits, the hair looks like it needs a bit more highlights and maybe add a few stray strands coming from the beasts neck so it look more feral and not too tidy.

[ninety9]

sry, busy and too many to comment on. i´ll pick my faves:

(lark - my winner. when i saw your wip i didn´t like it that much but the final piece kicks ass. the rendering and lights are awesome and the mount is very original and dosn´t remind me of a horse in any way. one of your strongest entries i´ve seen so far. don´t know why there´s not more votes. it reminds me of JP Targete´s style, whom i really admire.

lkjhgfdsa - although it reminds me of a horse in the overall pose and impression i get from it this mount is awesome. so many details and parts/limbs/bones/stings/horns, forms and patterns to look at.

Arbinn - i like the aetherial approach but the "tail" seems a little rushed (many visible rough strokes).

Camel - now THAT looks like a beast from mythology - unfortunately that´s a good and a bad thing at the same time. i don´t see this fit the topic wich i picture as dark. your creature leaves a more godly impression on me. anyways a cool beast.

Migsta - nice rendering but looks a little flat, especially the head.

Metal-militant - nice lighting but i think another pose would show more of he beast and therefor make it more appealling.

njoo - delivers as usual. 4 mounts, that must´ve been some work. don´t have any negative crits it´s just that i liked (clarks more :)

KleeWyck - that´s a great one too but i cannot imagine the apocalyptic riders ride on it - it doesn´t look frightning enough to me due to the human parts and the very undynamic physique. it reminds me of the style of (and that´s one the biggest compliments i can pay to an artist) Zdzisław Beksiński! one of my alltime-favourite artists

[Camel]

Hard choice this week!
It was a close race between (lark, Lkjhgfdsa, Arbinn and Njoo for me, but in the end I went with Lkjhgfdsa – I’m a sucker for detail.

KleeWyck: unique design – love the texture and colors. The middle of the creature comes off a little flat, though, some darker shading around the underbelly would give it a more barrel-like feel. Also, the limbs aren’t as anatomically believable as the rest of the creature – study the anatomy of hooves and hands some more – I’d love to see this guy with some really gnarly, bony hands for legs.

Njoo: Great job doing the whole crew – they all have a unique spin, but they still look like a cohesive team. Not really a critique, but I’d love to see these in a more realistic rendering style so we could see the different textures these guys are made of – are they furry, scaly, slimy-skinned, hard-skinned, are there manes stringy, course, soft, etc.

Maeganite: I really like this guy. The foremost front foot looks a little off perspective-wise, I think that the middle toe would come out slightly farther than the outer ones. I would also like to see some more of the environment surrounding him just to get an idea of the scale – right now I can see him as really huge or as smallish, depending on how I look at it. Love the textures you got with those watercolors, they definitely add a creepy factor.

Metal Militant: Neat idea, but the pose of your creature doesn’t allow us to get a very good look at him. The tusks are a good touch, but they get a little confusing anatomically when they reach the mouth – think about how the roots of the tusks will fit into the creature’s mouth and try and make that clear in your drawing.

Tamarin: Cool concept – love the hind legs especially and how the wings attach to them. There isn’t much value contrast here, though, and it gives it a look of a stone statue rather than a creature – maybe some lighter values in the wing skins, hooves, or around the face would vary it up and make it pop a little more.

Migsta: The armor on this guy is awesome. He does seem to get a little flat-looking in the mid-section – I think maybe those three plates hanging off the armor are too dark, making it look like there’s a dip there when there should be a bulge – making those plates highlighted would probably give it a more 3d feel.

DavidTenorio: This is a unique take – I like how much character you put into the face, as well as the piebald pattern on his legs. The hair on top of his head looks too blurred, though, and doesn’t match the rest of him. I would put some harder lines up there to define the locks more clearly.

APW: I like the details you gave this guy – I would like to see some softer shading to define the form and give some idea of local color. I would also like to see that side view continued so we could see how those shoulder spikes look from the side.

Whisky Sour: I like your well-researched take on this. The scale of the creature is a little confusing, though – the saddle makes it look like it’s a rather large creature, whereas the proportion of the eyes to head make it look smallish – maybe make the eyes smaller to give it the feel of a large-scale critter. Also the rendering on the back fin and tale seem to be less clean-cut than on the head and chest.

Arbinn: I really love this concept and the rendering you did on parts of it – I just wish that the rendering was consistently done throughout, as there are some parts in the smoke and in the bones that look unfinished. The little glowing green things are neat – maybe add a little more glow around them to really bring them out.

Lkjhgfdsa: Love this guy – the details and rendering are excellent and I love the way the rider seems to materialize out of the creature itself. The only thing I can see is that the hair on the tail seems a little out of place – I like it, but there should be other patches on the body somewhere to make it less singular.

RXMT: This is an interesting design, but the majority of your creature is rendered too darkly for me to distinguish it. Another light source coming from the side or rear would give it depth and allow for more of the creature to be seen. Also, the chains seem to be too light compared to where they are positioned in the shadow of the creature.

Wizo5454: I like the look of this guy, but I wish the rendering style was a little more clear so that we could distinguish the anatomy. The idea of the lava pouring out from the creature’s legs is neat – but, again, I’d like to see it more clearly rendered.

Rob Powell: I like the crazy look this guy has – I would like to see some color variation, as right now his skin is all one, solid, unvaried color, which rarely happens in nature.

GravesWood: I would like to see you try and push the creativity in anatomical design here, as this is basically just a red wild cat. Think about the changing up the body, leg or head shape, adding elements from other animal species or changing up proportions to give the creature a more unique look.

Syle: I like the beak-like horn on the creature’s face, but I would suggest adding similar elements to the rest of the creature (running down the spine, on the hooves or shoulders, etc.) to make it seem less out of place. I think that it would also benefit from more saturated colors and shadows.

(lark: Great design and rendered beautifully. The only thing I can think of to improve would be to maybe add some kind of natural skin pattern – a bull frog or sucker fish inspired pattern on this guy would be epic.

[Thalion]

My vote goes to njoo

Migsta, lkjhgfdsa - great work too!

[Lady Medusa]

My vote went for Njoo. Not only did you make amazing artwork of all four of them, your famine alone would have my vote. I would absolutely love to see your version of pestilence (Some say pestilence instead of conquest).
lkjhgfdsa's entry would be a close second! Amazing work guys.