C.O.W. - #031: Canyonmaker - VOTING!!!

[Fozzybar]

ROUND #031 VOTING

Topic: Canyonmaker

Deadline for the voting: Thursday, 22nd December 2005

Posting thread (closed):
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=57275









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jahokob:
concept: This is a 20 meters tall Kangrostrich. They jump around like frogs and if not canyons they make big foot-prints and cause all sorts of trouble. Earthquakes, volcano-erruptions and land-slides. Those silly creatures.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d8/Jahakob/sista.jpg
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Standing:
concept: The Moggis Rotundis - or Canyonmaker - is a relative of the wildcat, but strangely imbued with the ability to find the natural resonant frequency of most solid objects. This odd power gives the Moggis the power to render gravity's effect on solids null and to tear things apart at will. In a bizzare show of strength, the Moggis will often refuse to walk around natural obstacles that lie in their way and so they can frequently be observed making huge splits right through land masses, hence their colloqiual name, the Canyonmaker.
http://www.jonathanstanding.com/ca_folder/moggy.jpg
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Negrotuerto:
concept: CabezaDura
This creature is in extinction process because of its prominent and deformed reproductive apparatus. His heavy penis has sharpened ends like nails, and this particulary characteristic plus its interior of ardent rock does of the CabezaDuras one of the main Canyonmaker creatures of the planet.
The CabezaDura male has killed all the females of his species and he can't reproduce anymore.
In the evolution of his specie the CabezaDura's penis start to increment his size and weight. In the beginnings, the CabezaDuras more evolved had a great acceptance between the females, because they had an enormous penis with new textures ( like a cereal bar ), but with the years these textures sharpened becoming into a mortal trap for the females.
Now the Cabezadura vague by his planet looking for some female, and due to its small hands and their heavy penis, the Cabezadura cannot escape of its destiny... The extintion.
http://www.carloscabrera.com.ar/images/ca_foro/cow31.jpg
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VegasMike:
concept: The Canyonmaker is an enormous ancient beast that feeds on rocks and earth to extract nutrients adding to its rocky mass. The Canyonmaker uses its large bulldozer like teeth and mouth to scoop up its meals and plow through the earth at a mile per day pace. The creature expels unused soil and material from a blowhole on its back. The blowhole begins to grow much like a volcano and can grow to the size of a small mountain. The Canyonmaker sweats unused moisture through its cool underbelly where patches of algae and moss grow.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v52/Vegasmike/CanyonDone.jpg
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pr0ph3t:
concept: Griblit
The Griblit is a massive beast of 5 tons and 150 feet on average in the adult stage. It uses a large shovel like jaw to scoop up rocks, dirt and anything else that may be on the ground. Once inside the material is digested and compressed creating a high pressure gas. This gas is forced out between several wing like plates and gives the Griblit the ability to fly. All that is left as an output is water, which is leaked out the small stub like anus. This sometimes falls directly into the resulting canyons creating small rivers and streams. The Griblit's abdomen consists of several segments with a large storage space towards the back. Giving it the ability to stretch to fit in as much as possible.
http://www.pr0ph3t.com/site/special/griblit.jpg
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bluefooted:
concept: The Mugawump
This large creature spends most of its life underground, feeding on organic material in the soil. It's nickname 'the canyonmaker' comes from the great expanses of collapsing soil it leaves in its wake as it tunnels through the ground. Although this creature begins life as a tiny larva resembling an earthworm, the mugawump may live for hundreds of years, reaching vast sizes. They are only seen above ground during the 10 year mating cycle, when the adults emerge and call to attract mates often causing massive destruction to local farms and villages.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/ekelso/canyon2.jpg
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grey:
concept: The Spiders of Mars (a la Ziggy Stardust)
these gargantuan beasts roamed the surface of the red planet for millions of years before the age of man, living for millenia and reshaping the surface with their feeding and migratory habits. Their massive forelimbs were fused together and evolved into a highly specialized shovel-like protrusion, which was used to plough through the martian soil scooping up the microbial life abundant in those times (much like the plankton in Earth's seas). The disturbed soil was swept through a gaping maw, passing fine tendrils that acted as filters. Ingesting the microbes created methane gas, which swelled the Spiders' abdominal sack and helped bouy their massive weight. The barren soil was expelled behind.
Because these creatures followed the exact same feeding path their entire lives, they eventually wore channels, then canyons into the planet's surface, dying out only when the soil refused to yield any more nutrients.
http://www.greystudio.com/ca/COW31_canyonmaker.jpg
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Fozzybar:
concept: Mountain Muncher
Not much to say about this happy and peaceful creature...it's biting its way through huge mountains with its diamond teeth...not caring about statics of course, so the result mostly is a breakdown of the ceiling...turning back and going the same line it eats the rest of the rocks and dirt until nothing remains in this line...there you have your personal canyon!
http://www.kidomatix.com/ca/cow/cow_031_canyonmaker_fozzybar.jpg
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madplanet:
concept: The Canyon Maker is an ancient creature rarely seen near the surface, unless an area has collapsed and is burrowing back under. It burrows like a mole, making tunnels while feeding on the stone itself. The bony plate on its head protects it from damage and the bony plates that line its back deflect falling rock to the sides. Other 'sentient' beings move in when a canyon is discovered and they mine the waste that is left behind by the Canyon Maker.
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/madplanet/cow2.jpg
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Corrick:
concept: Plow Crab (Cancer Aratrum)
When its ocean habitat was destroyed thousands of years ago in a period of planetary hyperaridity, this giant crustacean was forced to become a land-dwelling behemoth. It has since evolved a blade-like ventral protrusion, using its own weight to literally plow the earth in order to excavate subterranean creatures that would otherwise be inaccessible. Following the example of its predecessors, the Plow Crab walks backwards, plucking its hapless prey from the ground as it moves over its own massive furrow.
Planetary biologists have since given this monster its rather appropriate nickname "Canyonmaker".
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b51/Corrick/canyonmaker5.jpg
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bradz:
concept: Canyon Maker, Creation Theory
These timid beasts, slide through deepest space until they slam into a targeted planet or moon, once they have recovered their composure, an egg is laid deep within the security of the core. Then they leap mightily, propelling themselves effortlessly for eons, leaving the planed ravaged and scored with deep gouges. It takes billions of years for the canyon maker to gestate, during which time the generated warmth and liquids the creature gives, causes the planet to flourish and bloom, filling with life, until the inevitable hatching that is......
http://www.chimeras.co.uk/pics/the_canyonmaker.jpg
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masque:
http://www.metrocast.net/~chipartist/ImagePost/ArgoLithCOWweb.jpg
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Eriboss:
concept: Squit Crater
Dubbed The Canyon Maker or Squit Crater by locals, this insane beast lives on a diet of earth and... well anything that gets in its way really! It very rarely does anything but run around devouring the landscape and digesting it instantly with its toxic abrasive stomach acids - then, the concoction that squits out the other end, burns through.. again, pretty much anything, so If you survive being eaten.. chances are you wont survive the anal encore.
http://www.badgertracks.net/eow/canyoncow1.jpg
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Chuck,mate.:
concept: Silex Fames ,the Canyon Maker.
this ill-tempered ancient giant who its species once
roamed free in the wild planes of Desolo Inculta,
is nowadays used at quarries, mines, and marble factories of kumbar-tak, D.I.
the capturing and training of these beasts was harshly disastrous at first, but mankind got the hang of it eventually.
the natural rock-eater is a powerful tool at the hands
of an accomplished master.
the silex fames is also known as "the canyon maker", for its unncany habit of creating..arr..well, canyons, deep and wide across its territory when feeding.
the huge creature`s furnace-like stomach, with its misterious digestion system, burns internaly at a hit that
can go up to aprox. 10,000 degrees celsius.
(which Scientists think might explain the creature`s temper..)
http://images5.theimagehosting.com/canyonmaker_smal_2l.jpg
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walnut:
concept: The Great Worm, believed by the indiginous population of Yukall to be the creator of the strange geological formations that scar the planet's surface, had long been put off by scientists and colonists alike as a superstitious folklore. This all changed on 34 Vanyar 5689 (local calendar) when a scouting plane looking for fertile land witnessed the emergence of Worm's spinal jags pushing up the land's crust. Both of the pilots are now revered by the Yukall tribes as holy men for having been part of such a miraculous and divine occasion. This discovery has upset the scientific world in no little way. The existence of a creature so gargantuan has been thought completely impossible. Furthermore any attempts to gather information have proved fruitless.
Another myth surrounding the Worm tells that until now the beast has only been slumbering, and that the day it rears its head above the ground will spell the end of the world. Suddenly this story doesn't seem so incredible at all...
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/walberg/canyonmakermitbg.jpg
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romance:
concept: The Desert Patch Worm
These creatures can be found in Western deserts of North America. Until recently, it had been thought that the Desert Patch Worm was extinct; a discovery of a small colony of Desert Patch Worms was made in the late 1990's when farmers in the New Mexican deserts found their desolate farm lands turned into canyons.
The Desert Patch Worm usually dwells underground, where it takes shelter from the hot desert sun, but will surface to feed. The patches on the worms skin retain water, enabling it to spend hours, if not days, out in the sun.
The Desert Patch Worm, is a voracious eater. They have been known to gorge for days on sedimentary rock, and anything else on the desert just could become their dessert, as they will devour anything that is on the the delicious sands.
Since the recent rediscovery of the Desert Patch Worm, farmers, cautious of losing their farmlands, have set up sound stations to keep the beasts away. The stations emit the call of the Pack Roadrunner, the same tiny birds that were thought to make this beast extinct the first time.
http://www.artofromance.ca/ca/projects/COW/desert_patch_worm.jpg
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JakkaS:
concept: The Great Animal Encyclopedia of Planet Gobb
Volume 13, Chapter 10 Worms?
Finfly
Those slow desert exiles are the biggest living creatures on the moon Gibilis [the second moon of the planet Gobb]. While looking for a food, they travel across deserts making huge canyons. They feed on rare minerals called Black Quartz – these crystals are full of energy [finfly can convert this energy into a gas for later use in self-defense and... read below]. Most interesting thing in these creatures is in fact that they have “wings”. This wings look like a dorsal fin of fish and are made of chitin. They are used only in two cases when finfly want to move fast in searching food or for breeding, that happen usualy once every 20 years. To fly, they have to wait for a strong wind blow. When wind is strong enough, they slowly open wings and, because they are very stiff, they can lift off – wings work just like a lever. On the right moment they release gas stored in abdomen – similarly to jet engine – and they cover a short distance...
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/JakkaS/COW31-JakkaS.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a314/JakkaS/COW31FLY.jpg
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fes:
concept: The Trisearaton
This large mamal needs certain minerals to survive. These are only found in the Himeria region on the world of Bilear. Herds of these creatures have changed the landscape over generations by using their horns and spiked tails digging away the rock and creating tall canyonlike cliffs.
The Trisearaton has been hunted near to exintion due to demand for the ivory like horns and for it's cheek patchs with are highly valued for native medicines, but which is believed to be used by the Triseraton to sense mineral qualities. Also it's coat makes very soft wooly jumpers.
http://www.fionasansom.com/assets/dsg/canyonmaker.jpg
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young_paddy1:
concept: The Supracanyonator
This giant sea creature evolved to break into the shells of large crustaceans such as durthle whelks and super hammer shells, it pops its beak either under or between the shell(s) of its prey and opens its incredibly reinforced mouth, slurping out the goodness with its long barbed tongue. Over the milennia both predator and prey have grown substantially, and now due to it's body weight of nearly 12000 tons and it's super hard mouth-parts the Supracanyonator has to force its way up rivers to its spawning grounds in the marshland near the tops of hills. After spawning with many of the much smaller females (which live their lives in the marshland) the male liquifies leaving only the skull and dorsal ridge intact. The males body now becomes food for the millions of offspring it has just created. Both young and the males' putrifying flesh flow down the rivers with enormous speed washing away the debris created in the Supracanyonators' quest for nookey.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/youngpaddy1/canyonmaker.jpg
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[Fozzybar]

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br0ken_spirit:
concept: Canyon Bombardiers
These creatures are about the size of a dog, they live in colonies of thousands of millions of individuals. They undergo three main metamorphosis in their lives, the first is the larva/young-adult stage, shown in this picture. They burrow through the earth, feeding and also using their needle-like proboscis to literally, inject the earth at certain strategic areas. They release then a chemical compound like bombardier beetles, only millions of times stronger. After a short while, the liquid chemical will massively explode, destroying large seccions of earth. This is done by the entire colony, cooperating in their targeting areas, creating vast canyons.
They do this for reproductive reasons, because on their second metamorphosis, they loose their frontal digging claws and develop slimmer legs, and the ability to form webs like spider's webs. The entire canyon gets covered in these huge webs, where they make their nests. The young larvas that hatch from their eggs feed on the webs until they are somewhat more developed.
In their final metamorphosis, they will develop wings and fly away to create more canyons and perpetuate the reproductive cycle.
http://usera.imagecave.com/bk7600/cow31f.jpg
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Plate:
concept: The Canyon Grub
Many of the canyons that scar the deserts of Astronia are not the work of nature, but rather are the trails of larvae of the mesa beetle. These larvae, better known as canyon grubs, are solely responsible for making many of the deserts they inhabit practically impassable by ground. Upon hatching, the larva has a surprisingly well developed a set of extremely hard teeth, which it immediately uses to bite into the rocky desert topsoil. It then goes on to crawl straight across the desert, mindlessly devouring all of the earth (as well as the occasional cactus) in its path. The grub may appear ferocious, but it's actually quite harmless to all other creatures, assuming that they aren't unfortunate enough to be caught in its path of destruction.
Once ingested, the rocks are ground down and stored by special internal organs. Once it has eaten its fill (which usually takes about two days and a little over a mile), the larva will stop in its place and begin to pupate. As it sheds its leathery blue larval skin, the ingested rock material is restructured into massive shells for its back and forelegs that flawlessly resemble natural rock formations. These coverings provide the gentle behemoth with excellent armor and camouflage, though they are no longer very necessary – the mesa beetle, being such a shining example of environmental adaptation, has long outsurvived every desert species that it once considered a predator. During extended periods of drought, adult beetles will bury their lower bodies in the ground and enter a dormant state, literally becoming parts of the desert landscape.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c27/Plate11/contest%20entries/canyongrub.jpg
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conundrum:
concept: Terra Diptera
Something of a land mosquito the Terra Diptera shares the genus of its airborn cousins. Although it is significanly larger and (fortunately) does not feed on human blood.
Rather, it gains sustenance from the earth by using its large spadelike external tongue ( which is often mistaken for a tusk of some sort). It uses its large swivelling legs to raise its body in an arc away from the ground. When it has reached the maximum possible extension it swings back and thrusts the tongue into the ground.
Terra Diptera can then inhale the displaced earth and begin to process it. Until the concoction of wastes is secreted through several glands as a pungent green gas.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3291/canyonmaker8hg.jpg
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Haldor:
concept: The Canyon Ant
this little creature spends his whole day moving little stones and stuff making long tiny canyons of 10 cm deep. He is often mistaken for the busy ant, but you can recognise him easily because the simple factor that his last legs are at the back which is not the case with a ant. The locals believe that these creatures once where a lot bigger creating the bigger canyons.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d39/haldor1/ant.jpg
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Zeitwolf:
concept: The Tide Resister - Subaqueous Canyonmaker (habitat: Stedtfield planetes with liquid water and light atmosphere)
This fish, commonly known as the Tide Resister, lives in the powerful stream of river mouths, where the underground is bit spongy but of stone. For the river brings loads of food (Tide Resisters eat dead fish and other carrion), but would wash away the spawn, the he-Resister digs a canyon where the female can lay her lace of eggs in.
The mouth of the male is tube-like. On the right side he has powerful teethy diggin muzzles that can crush the lithified sediments with ease, the small lumps go up the gullet and are spit of on the left side. So the fishes always dig in the same direction (there are some exception on Stedtfeld class-231-planetes). The cart-up gobbing gets washed away by the tide stream instantly.
The food is also going up this long snout. The females do not have the digging-appliance.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/odinsregen/sketches/cow31.jpg
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frostsnake:
concept: Mountain Beast
this guy is the King, and he doesnt like to stay home, in his castle...He likes to flatten out mountains, and.. eat humans. lives out in the badlands.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/frostsnake/conceptartcom/MountainEater.jpg
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Moquan:
concept: The Natives refer to these creatures as ‘canyonmakers’ due to the large deep paths they create with their shells. Hundreds of spiny arms dig and claw to move the massive 150 ton shell. However, most of the land refers to these creatures as plains sweepers. When in the wild, these gigantic docile land crustaceans clean-up after the other smaller scavengers and rid the land of decaying debris or plant matters. However, a market was developed to pave roadways and trenches by taking advantage of their natural land deforming.
Typically in these terraforming operations, the task force is quite economic (a spotter and a wagondriver) The wagon driver drags a fresh piece of carrion (either natural or man-made) behind his team and the trail of blood leads the plains sweeper along a desired course. Depending on the job, either man-made canal or road, the path may be traveled several times for the desired depth.
http://static.flickr.com/34/73677900_4fbb61cd83_o.jpg
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redehlert:
concept: Misas. Ferocious Beast or Just Incredibly Stupid?
"This is Rock Bottom with a news report on a creature ripping up the landscape of Lunar 13.
Territorial. Fierce. Ancient. Dim.
These are but a few labels given to these gargantuan beasts. In constant search of bones buried ages past, they seemingly remake the landscape creating furrowed canyons until they find what they seek.
Next week, we'll discuss their mating rituals and explore the phrase 'Misas horny'. Lastly, on a short called 'Whatsa Misas Saying?', we'll explore the incredible language of this breed.
Until next time. This is Rock Bottom. Farewell."
http://www.cognitionstudio.com/conceptart/redlrt_cow31.jpg
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Hyver:
concept: Morbinus Asinus
This happy little creature is presumed to be a distant relative to the more wellknown mudskipper. The Morbinus Asinus, or Canyon Maker, uses his.. device.. to squirt badass venom acid sperm on shells and rocks. This evokes a chemical reaction that allows this creature to derive much needed minerals from it. And it also helps with stomach burns, to which these creatures are very sensitive... The Canyon Maker has been known to use his squirter to attack menacing opponents, but most of the times he'll just continue munching away, letting his poison armor work in his defense.
The Morbinus Asinus is a slow eater, but when travelling in packs of a few hundred thousand, they have been known to split whole islands in two. Oh and they also ate Atlantis..
http://www.hyver.com/canyonmaker5.jpg
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[Fozzybar]

OK - before voting/posting read this!!!

1. Please give c&c or a reason why you voted for the image!

2. Feel free to comment on any or all entries, the artists will appreciate it!






not accepted entries:

bizarre, possessed, Carnifex
all entries very WIPs in a very early stage...i know that some of you were aware of this and didn't want to enter with them, just wanted to mention :)

close to rejection:

none

[Fozzybar]

JakkaS
next time please compile your images to 1 single image :) I added the second one this time, because it adds a lot to your concept and is beautiful ;)

[Zeitwolf]

Uhm, hard decision. Some very very good entries in here...

My favourites are - judged by concept and artwork - bradz, negrutuerto, masque, Chuckmate, romance, Jakkas, Hyver and mine.
My vote goes to negrotuerto, becuase this is very original and the facial expression of the CabezaDura is unbeatable. XD

[Fozzybar]

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT ROUNDS TOPIC!!! GO HERE:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=679932

[redehlert]

ACK! So many cool entries! Must ponder.




Still pondering. I'll get back on this later on today. :)

[romance]

Booya! First Vote.

I voted for ChuckMate. I thought the rendering and description were great, not to mention the added humour.

Close seconds (thirds and fourths):

Negrotuerto
Bluefooted
Hyver

Honorable Mentions:

Redehlert - For use of traditional and great rendering.
JakkaS - For a greatly rendered sausage with wings :P

[redehlert]

hey, thanks romance! it's nice to pick up the pencil and render away (besides, helzon took all my crayons away until i can learn to render nicely). :)

okay, so i've voted for negrotuerto - loved the story, expression, technique and mood.

runners up: bluefooted, standing, jakkas, foz, bradz and vegasmike.

cheers!
d

[Fozzybar]

shit, so many entries are in the favs list:

Standing, VegasMike, bradz, Chuck,mate., romance, JakkaS, fes, Hyver

Now why are these my favs?

Standing
Your entry has such a power and dynamic, i really enjoy looking at it for a long time...like captured from an animation movie...amazing!!! The creature design is not the most creative :) But the rendering, composition, atmosphere is awesome...also your concept is really standing out from the mass!

VegasMike
I think your creature is the most believable when it comes to design a creature which would make canyons in our world! Great approach and as always eyecandy for Foz :)

bradz
yeah, this is the stuff really cool concepts are made of...leaving the main stream thoughts you came to a totally new idea...love it, also very nice idea of implementing the background color of the forums to the image, so some parts overlay the canvas...

Chuck,mate.
Lovely idea and presentation...i dig the details which bring much life to your entry, like the small silhouettes of the creature lying on its back :) and this little people getting harried by the creature, hehe...

romance
good to see some traditional stuff from time to time...even more when executed so well...

JakkaS
Sweet presentation as always, great colors and sweet idea...

fes
I totally love the fact that your creature design is based on existing creatures like elephants, yaks etc...it gives your concept plausibility...nice rendering!

Hyver
My friend, why don't you participate more in COW, i like this entry a lot, it has personality and the last note with atlantis is hilarious...thank you!

Soooooo after ass-patting 50% of the artists :) i will come to my vote:

I vote for Standing
because the power of the image convinces me...so strong that i will connive at the fact that the creature design isn't very original, but DAMN there is dynamite in this artwork...BOOM!!! :)



Ok now to the crits which came instantly to my mind:

jahokob
you have a nice use of light and shadow to form the 3D shape of your creature, but you should think more of some details which are present on creatures, they are not necessary to explain your concept but they add a lot to the creature-design and personality...eg i can see where the head is, but i don't know how it feeds, what it feeds, which senses it have, why is the head in this shape? etc...just embellish your creature a little bit more...

Negrotuerto
1st class artwork, including colors, composition, rendering etc...but the thing which bothered me so your entry didn't make it to my favs this time is that the story is a little irreproducible for me...i can't imagine how its penis should destroy the ground when it's just running/walking...it's still funny no question, just twisting my brain too much :)

Corrick
Awesome rendering!!! Awesome! But then again not so awesome creature-design...:(...it's "just" a crab....nothing new, wild, creative, unique...it might be that your intention was more an evolutionary approach then it's no surprise of course, but i am awaiting some freshness when looking through the entries, so maybe this was the point which disappointed me a little...:)

ok that's it for now....takes always so long...:)

[walnut]

I ended up voting for Jakkas: his creature looked great, and the idea was real fun too. Stiff competition were Masque, Negrotuerto, bluefooted and romance. But as i like to think: we're all winners at the end of the day! :)

[brokk]

Really cool stuff! I can't comment right now but I will later, just wanted to say that I voted for Corrick. Thumbs up!

EDIT: my second pick would have been Standing, its really dynamic, I love the saturated green sonic waves. Really captured the "canyon making" moment!

Others I liked a lot from were JakkaS, frostsnake, young_paddy1, Negrotuerto, romance (would have loved to see a color version), VegasMike, and Zeitwolf (could have used some brighter areas).

Cheers all around!

[Hyver]

voted for bluefooted - great text bit and very cute design in a refreshing style - well done!
more favs + crits later on

[frostsnake]

I like to think that to walnut. my vote goes to -VegasMike

[Aly Fell]

Goodness there's some outstanding work here! I'm going to vote for JakkaS who comes close with Hyver as second place for me. I love the idea, and the image; excellently presented. I really like Bluefooted's as well, as it looks a bit like it's destroying Derbyshire! ;) Props to all!

[Thoras]

Im voting for VegasMike cause thats my favorite; I accept it aint the best, and i like Fozzy's and Chuck's too; but Mike's seems more realistic, since it is all brownish; everybody, nice pics.

[pr0ph3t]

I had so many favorites as well, which includes jakkas, bradz, vegasmike, romance, walnut... ack to many in all. But my vote went to Negrotuerto, out of all the concepts his was the most absurd but he sure followed it through with a wonderful, no brilliant piece. THere were so many seconds for me, I really liked Bradz idea too. Everyone seemed to think worm or something that had large teeth, and the penis thing stood out. Foz your creature is cute and needs to be mass produced as little collectible figurines. If you do that make sure you tell me. This is the first time I really have gotten involved on this forum and I had alot of fun.

[fsol]

Great turnout this round. I really wanted to get involved but my 8 month old daughter got really sick and time just flew by. (excuses excuses, I know) lots of great images and designs here, I had to vote for bluefooted. I love the overall feel of the setting and creature, The watercolors, (digital or natural) just give a perfect feel for the gigantic, friendly looking Mugawump. The cows just doing their own thing, not scared at all that theres a huge beast passing by is just hilarious to me. Good job!

Negrtuerto - just a great concept the guy actually looks tough and hard like rock. I wanna feel sorry for him, but kinda jealous. Would be my vote for second place.

Corrick - The crablike creature turned out really well. I can see how the deep crevice would be made by its movement. I like the loose feeling of the drawing and the muted colors giving focus to the Plow Crab.

Bradz - Just superb concept, sorry for not really giving you a critique

Masque - I like the completely different approach.

[madplanet]

Of course Negrotuerto gets my vote. How can one go wrong with a stone cock? Hilarious. And I like the little diagram showing just how the canyon was made. This was a nice touch.
My runners-up:
Hyver: Just a great illustration. The acid-sperm is truly disgusting and you showed us all too well.
Chuck,Mate: Another humorous creature and I love the jaws. Good stuff.

[Thoras]

Seems like Negrotuerto will win this one...
A huevo!! Que viva Latinoamerica!!!!
Jajajajaja
The only one that has a chance to beat him is Mike... and hes too low...
Anyways, hope Mike wins...

[masque]

my vote went to bradz's critter, but was seriously challenged by chuck,mate's. i think the verbal concept nudged me into bradz's corner, was just different enough to appeal more than the somewhat more expected concept of the Silex Famis (i like the name though). both well-rendered, nice crisp details on solid forms. well-knit color schemes. bradz's partially silhoutted design is also very strong, a welcome break from the square-ups.

very strong work from all, but a few others that were standouts for me:

JakkaS & Hyver -- excellent painting techniques, both of you, extremely textural and yet with solid forms underneath. good balance between basic masses and detailing. excellent coloration, good examples of diverse pallettes handled well.

walnut -- i like the terse but well-defined shapes and use of perspective (of both types); biggest crit is the rather generalized lighting, which could maybe have used some stronger shadowing and highlighting for enhanced definition; also the lack of a ground-shadow for the craft keeps it floating in a kind of indeterminate space, hence its scale in the scene is ambiguous. but overall quite strong and a good introductory entry.

redhelert -- dog-owner, by any chance? :) Rock Bottom's report had me in stitches, brought back memories of my childhood mutt (actually a purebread Shepherd but kind of mutt-brained, y'know?)

negrotuerto -- great technique, color, lighting and composition, the concept just didn't appeal much

PS. thanks, Fozzy, for keeping an open mind (and imagination) regarding the creaturelyness of my concept. Oregano -- thanks for the vote, man, means a lot.

[Moquan]

I voted for bluefooted. There was something about the story and the soft nature of the work that really appealed to me.

I have a few favorites of the group. For pure originality, I was almost going to go with Masque’s entry. I thought the explanation was rather plausible and I enjoyed the advertisement approach of it, but bluefooted ended up with my vote.

Standing, Negrotuerto, VegasMike, fes were all at the forefront of my mind. Their pieces were done very well and we all enjoyed the humorous entry Negrotuerto! You guys are really good.

I have a favor to ask, whether in PMs (if those are fixed) or here in this thread could some of the weaker entries (i.e. mine) get a little pointer or two for next time around? Thanks!

Great work in general all. I admire the turnout!

[EDIT] I thought out my request and figured if someone wanted to throw a quick tip, they would have. PLUS! I don't wanna crowd out the praise with tips, sooo, I'll throw this on the critique area. However, if you can throw a bit of wisdom my way, I would REALLY appreciate it, thanks!

[VegasMike]

Wow 6 votes! Thanks conundrum, frostsnake, Phaytfool, Plate, Sundance, Thoras I appreciate everyones feedback too...My vote goes to Hyver, I love the mudskipper look and alterations, weird. Everyone brought there A game this round, good to see. Some standouts for me,negrotuerto-Loved your tutorial and looking forward to the vampire one!Chuck,mate Great style, reminds me of Michel Gagne. Fozzybar How do you get that grainy texture on his beak/jaw?

bluefooted
grey
walnut
romance
JakkaS
fes
young_paddy1
br0ken_spirit
Plate

Great work all around!

[redehlert]

Hey Masque! Actually, no....cat owner, but just got back from a trip where there was a family dog - a lil lady named Misa. She was the type of dog only a mother could love, but she was a ham. Guess she stuck in my mind there. :) Glad you enjoyed the copy....sometimes the fun just flows outta me. LOL.

Cheers!
D

[inkerton]

VegasMike - What can I say, I always love your work. It took me a lot of thought before choosing, but this one really stood out to me because it has a believable concept and such a terrific sense of scale, and of course, your great style and use of texture. I have to agree that Shadow of the Colossus is a wonderful experience of a game, and I can really see the influence here.

Also, thanks a bunch for the mention - it means a lot to a noob like myself. :teeth:

Great entries all around, too many for me to go into. Everyone's a winner in my book.

[possessed]

yeah my entry was a WIP and I couldn't find the time to work on it further. There's a few really great entries imo. Redehlhert, grey, vegasmike, brads, chuck, mate amongst others.
My favorite is still Negrotuerte. Awesome design, unbelievabley great rendering (sigh) and that cool little illustration make for one hell of a fun concept.

[JakkaS]

JakkaS
next time please compile your images to 1 single image I added the second one this time, because it adds a lot to your concept and is beautifu
Sorry Fozzy. At the beginning it was a part of my final entry, but I couldn't decide to include it or not. So I have posted two pictures.

[fes]

This was tough. In the end I voted for Negrotuerto because I felt the image just bet everyone in the rendering and was really eye-catching/dymanic (more than the idea).

A real dilema 'cause I really also really liked:

bluefooted (loved the creature and the delicate rendering)
VegasMike (sense of scale and rendering)
romance (great sense of weight)
Jakkas (great creature and idea, but the background lost it for me)

[Hyver]

Here we go! Flags for favs...

jahokob: i think someone has mentioned the lightsource thing already, se let me just emphasize that bit. i like your basic idea a lot actually, but the bone/muscle structure isn't convincing me to believe in it enough. great rendering on the fur bit, although i find the top outline a bith harsh in contrast to the fluffy texture. also, next time, try to add a (hint of) background to give him a sense of scale and placement in the world. i like how the shape of the "nose" conforms the shape of the feet there, good job

Standing: :yayca: Great concept with the sound, great rendition, awesome sense of movement etc.. the only thing that kept me from voting for you is the design of the creature itself (and in the end, that what we're here for innit? :)

Negrotuerto: :yayca: What can i say, a design that would fit any under-the-counter version of Discworld, flawless rendering, composition and moodsetting skills at work here. Only two things held me back from voting: i seem to naturally misread the face area, thinking that the bright orange spot is where his eye is, and then only later i notice that it's actually his open mouth. it's probably a center-of-attention thing where my eye jumps to the brightest spot instantly. Other thing is i'm lacking a sense a scale, probably confused by the patch of grass (or are those trees?) and it's size-relation to the mountain peaks. Oh and i'm probaboly missing something, but what's exactly happening in this pic? he seems upset/surprised/in fear for some reason. All minor crits though, awesome work!

VegasMike: :yayca: Awesome as well! hardly any crits for execution. the idea is cool, but doesn't stun me like others did. i guess i have the feeling i know this creature already, which obviously helps to make the scene more believable, but takes a point off originality. Let me emphasize that it's really well executed! Minor crits would be the placement of the back leg, it seems just a notch too far in this perspective. Love the tiny chars on the left, but not sure what's happening on the tip of his (long!) horn there. The velocity at which that tip is moving in all directions as the beast's head turns and tilts, must be MAD! Might be a cool subject for a future COW though - design a creature that lives there :)

proph3t: absolutely great design, as written in the text bit. i'm positive we're gonna see some great stuff from you in the near future. practice practice to boost them skills! couple of constructive tips for ya: try out different ways of shading, they way you inked the creature makes it stand out in relation to the background. Try out different angles of viewing at your subject. Camera placement is key to give a sense of scale to your subject. Objects drawn from a lower angle will seem greater, more powerfull, bigger.. etc. You've come to the right place to learn, enjoy the ride!

Bluefooted: :yayca: My fav this round. I'm simply touched by how well this is done, especially with this technique. only crits would be the clouds, but i'm just noticing this after a third view so no biggie.

grey: i like the idea, although some bits looks more like hairy than sharp and able to dig in rocks. too bad you didn't add more background or whatever for scale. there's also a weird perspective thing going on in the are right where the headpart attaches to the asspart. the veinlike things in the top ass part don't seem to follow the spherical form which is too bad. kudos on the rest of the rendering though. maybe a little more color variation would've been nice, minor issue though. nice work

fozzybar: :yayca: ubercute as usual :) your rendering skills are jawdropping, so many subtle effects that make it alive. great stuff. not too fond of the creature design itself though.. the beak/jaw combination bothers me a bit and i fear he might fall over if a bird lands on his lower jaw. yay to you

madplanet: try to use more colors to achieve deep intensity and widen the value range form darkest to lightest. nice work on the composition, although not every aspect of the design is clear to me - but that will get better with practice i'm sure. keep it up.

corrick: :yayca: definite runner-up here! big feather on the hat for your amazing lighting and rendering - also love the colors! only too bad that the creature design isn't all that inventive imo. other than that, sweetstuff!

bradz: lmao nice one! not much to crit on except maybe use more hue variation.. you know, get some greens and reds in that blue etc. also, remember in space the light is very direct (no diffusion through atmosphere), which would affect the shading immensely. i do like the touch of nebula in the bg!

masque: as much as i like the idea behind it, and the well-executed rendering/lighting, the picture as a whole doesn't appeal to me all that much.. i can't put my finger to it, so let's leave it at personal preference. nice job in any event

eriboss: ewww kaka - too funny man :dead: great idea! not too fond of the swirly leg action - it gives a sense of speed in motion that doesn't quite fit the heavy action the creature is in fact doing. think abot lineweights and how to use them where. try to guide the viewers eye doing so. anyway nice work, keep it up!

chuck,mate: :yayca: cool creature design, nice pose and action with the lil peeps hanging and all! the icons below it make the whole absocutely (yes i just invented that word). on a c+c note, i'd like to have seen somewhat more refinement in the muscle structure. given the scale of it, perhaps a slightly lower angle would've been a good way to emphasize it. great work all in all!


to be continued.. a lot of entries here! :)

[Fozzybar]

Fozzybar How do you get that grainy texture on his beak/jaw?

Well, i think it was just the structure of a brush in painter...:)

[masque]

hyver: thanks for the crit, and i know what you mean. truth be told, in hindsight (always 20/20 or better) the pic no longer appeals as much to me, either, and at arms length i think i have an idea why. self-crit: the concept & execution are too intellectual, even down to the pallette. not quite enough emotional appeal, something to give a viewer a "hook" for caring about the picture. it's a bit like some of the old Chesley Bonestell space station stuff he did for Collier's, but without even the retro/nostalgia appeal -- intellectually interesting, technically sound, but a bit cold.

so, beyond the color and tonal pallettes is the emotional pallette -- good to keep it in balance, also.

[grey]

curse the transparent voting process that foils me from voting for myself:P

my vote's jakkas for a clear first, I think the final render really delivers the goods on that creature, I like the plump red flesh and the concept of the fins cutting through the landscape like sharks underwater, all good

eriboss and blue footed a close second for crazy expressive linework (e) and highly developed personal style (both)

[ToxicDustbunny]

Hello,

I voted for Chuck-Mate.

I did so because I enjoyed the humor of it as well as how it showed scale with the figures flying off at the same time. The rendering of it was also sweet. I know I'm new... but great job. It was a hard decision with so much awesome work posted by everyone.

[pr0ph3t]

hey hyver! thenks for the crit dude, this is the first time i have tried drawing for something other than myself for once and not for someone else and usually I like drawing really complex creatures, as in alot of wrinkles or such, helps out my shading, im still working on how to work in a background with my creatures and would love any advice anybody can give me. i'll take yours to mind bud.

[silentkitty]

Voted for VegasMike. :) I love the design and the drawing itself is top notch. There were really a lot of great entries this round, some of my other favorites were chuck,mate's, standing's, and Corrick's.

[Negrotuerto]

Hey! Thanks for the votes people! My vote goes to VegasMike, I love the render, scale and concept of that piece. Congratulations! :hatsoff:

Zeitwolf: Thanks man!
redehlert: :) Thanks for your vote! Your canyonmaker is like my dog :^^:
Fozzybar: Well, I have an answer for that.. The Cabezadura male lives to find its fiance'e so.., the excitation plus his lava-blood makes his penis cuts the ground like a butter. :^^:
pr0ph3t: Thanks for your vote and comment!
fsol: haha yeah I'm also jelous.
madplanet: thanks man, XD
masque: yes, is not the most original concept.. Its only a funny concept, thanks for your comment.
Moquan: :teeth:
VegasMike: It's coming... it's coming, and a pdf tutorial too ;)
possessed: Thx! I like draw this type of cartoon illustration
fes: thanks for the comments man! Another vote :_) weee
Hyver: Thanks for the critics, I had the same ones..
Yes, the green spots are trees :S and the sense of scale is incomplete..maybe with a little houses it was fixed. And what happening in the pic? Well the Cabezadura is taking a breathing and he cries/yelling because his penis is burning like hell... and thanks again for the crits :D

ok, enough for now,.. too much google translator for me :P

Cheers! :yayca:

[Corrick]

My vote's for Standing. Sure, it's a cat with three tails, but the violent action going on in the illustration is great. My take on the activity wasn't just designing the creature but what it did, and this sucker is definitely doing it.

As for the other entries, I loved most of them for one reason or another, there were great examples of execution all around. Considering most of the critiques have already covered the majority of pros and cons I had, I won't waste the space. Fozzybar, thanks for the crit. I'm sort've an evolutionary realist when it comes to creatures, and most of them have been Earth-patterned beasties, but I'll keep pushing the imagination envelope.

This was a really cool topic, can't wait for the next one.

[Zephrym]

I voted for bradz because I loved the way that thing is just gripping a whole planet and making canyons just from its celestial bear hug. A more interesting way to go about it than most of the other entries, imo. I also liked the supporting story. Lots of great work from everyone though!

[S.C. Watson]

I can not believe that I am the *only* person that voted for masque :nohope:

Ah, well. Excellent critter there masque. For what it's worth, I thought it an excellent concept ^__^

[masque]

again, many thanks, Shane. i do think my self-crit (above) applies, though, and the colors could have been a bit more lively, too. lots of fine folk mentioned my work positively, and in this bunch of highly talented and highly opinionated peeps, runner-up and also-ran don't seem bad at all.

[jahakob]

Wow, thank you Fozzy and Hyver. Always nice to be mentioned. I'll keep those pointers and improve. My vote went to bradz but bluefooted got a really nice children-book-ish thing going on there.

[madplanet]

Hyver, thanks for the crit. I knew going into this one that my critter wouldn't amount to much but, I had to jump in at some point and take my thumps. Crash and burn and hopefully learn.

[asoir]

It was between Negrotuerto and Vegasmike for me... Negrotuerto's was just too sweet not to vote :D

[Razorb]

it was out of Negrotuerto and bluefooted loved them both lots.. but had to vote for one! i think that small diagram pic on the bottom left took it for Negrotuerto LOVE them all GJ!

[Chuck,mate.]

thanks alot people.
i appreciate every vote and every crit.
you guys fucking rock.
:yayca:
:)

lots of GORGEOUS pieces this round.
vote went to bradz this time.
the idea that canyons are made by the claws of a gigantic
entity just grabed me. the art is beautiful as well.
a concept well done.

all you other crazy people - great works too,
you never cease to amaze me.
:)

[bumskee]

Standing for being so wacky, nice concept and sense of motion!

awsome round everyone, it was soooooooo touch to vote!

My other favs were, Jakass, romance, bluefooted, fozzy, Negrotuerto, Eriboss and Vegasmike.

[romance]

Thanks Bumskee, Fes, VegasMike, Pr0ph3t, Br0k3nSpirit, Walnut, and Fozzybar, for you positive feedback!

Gwate jhawb ehvwhee bhuddy!

-Rob