C.O.W. #280. Game Critter: Spitter - WIPs Thread

[Si_Swe]

For more info and details about the rules go here:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=110879


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ROUND #280 – Game Critter: Spitter

topic:

ROUND#280: Game Critter: Spitter

A while back I challenged you all to create a set of quadruped critters that might be found in various levels of a 3rd person action game. Well, now it's time for the sequel to that round. These weekly activities should really help your get stuff together for your personal portfolio and I'd like to help with that, so I want to format this like you would a sheet of variants you would pitch were you working on a game. For this round I want little to no background, your final drawing should showcase only the creatures and should not take the form of an illustration, more of a design sheet type of deal.

Your task this week is to come up with a creature that you might find in a 3rd, 1st person or isometric-style action game. The creature is a stationary creature rooted to one spot (or only capable of moving at very slow paces), but these creatures can spit (pr otherwise fire) projectiles long distances to hit anything they deem hostile. What kind of projectiles it shoots are up to you as is anything about its general appearance. What I do want from you is 4 variations on that creature. In the quadruped round, I asked you to give me variations based on the differently themed levels. This time I won't ask you for themed variations but 4 design “pitches” around the same theme. You're creating 4 creatures, technically, so I'll give you guys an extra week to spit out some sweet spitters.

Round Requirements:

- The creatures must be capable of firing long-range projectiles via its own anatomy
- The creatures must be stationary or only capable of the most minimal of movements (think snail speed)
- The creatures should feel like they could belong in an action game
- There must be little to no background present in the design sheet
- There should be 4 variations on similar concepts for the design sheet

Deadline:

November 27th, 7:00pm PST (GMT -8 )

Finals go here: http://conceptart.org/forums/showthr...Spitter-Finals

[humboldt squid]

I guess I'm a little confused as to the guidelines, are we supposed to design four variations of the spitting creature concept for a single game (as in, this one instead of this one), four different "levels" of monster or can the four different versions correspond to different games all together ( like something from a halo type game, something from a zelda type game etc)?

[marcoferrigno]

ibrilliant COW breif, spices things up and this is alot more true to the idea of what concept art really is, not polished artwork but the ideas!

[Sjuu]

I guess I'm a little confused as to the guidelines, are we supposed to design four variations of the spitting creature concept for a single game (as in, this one instead of this one), four different "levels" of monster or can the four different versions correspond to different games all together ( like something from a halo type game, something from a zelda type game etc)?

Think it is 4 concepts for the same game.
4 halo themed spitters, or 4 zelda themed spitters.

some reading for you guys!
Wikipedia Projectile_use_by_living_systems

Pretty badass challenge, still playing with the slow moving idea.
will be doodling and noodling...

[Daniel Hurd]

I am loving this! Great COW!

[Sjuu]

I guess I'm a little confused as to the guidelines, are we supposed to design four variations of the spitting creature concept for a single game (as in, this one instead of this one), four different "levels" of monster or can the four different versions correspond to different games all together ( like something from a halo type game, something from a zelda type game etc)?

Think it is creating 4 versions for the same game.
So 4 versions in a halo themed game.

Badass CoW

And some reading materials for you guys!
Wikipedia Projectile_use_by_living_systems

Good luck everyone!

[marcoferrigno]

just some nice basic thumbs to get the ball rolling..

[Epicraft]

Brilliant!, I am very excited to try out this brief, this is perfect practice for someone who wants to become a concept artist, keep it coming I really enjoy this.

[elephant´s stroke]

Great opportunity, i'm glad that i'm (we all, but i can't talk for everyone) pushed not to hide design flaws with bg and illustration...

[DefiledVisions]

2 weeks? might have time for this! great topic

[fireframe]

Here are some thumbs. Numbers 1 and 3 spit liquid, 2 and 4 are kind of like living catapults throwing some kind of jelly. 5 develops pearls like clams do and shoots them like cannonballs.

[Daniel Hurd]

Some quick sketches. Just a vague idea so far, not sure if these guys really emphasize the "spitter" aspect of the design though. My original thought was that it would spit from the orifice in the center of it's head. Not sure this is communicated very well in the image. Plus I only did 3 variations. What are your guys' thoughts? C&C greatly appreciated!

[Whiskey Sour]

I think I've read the topic 5 or 6 times now and I'm even more confused now. Are we creating 4 stages of the same monster? Example: A fire one, water one, air one, earth one? Or the same monster but in 4 different strengths? Example: Private, Officer, Lieutenant, General? Or 4 that are almost the same, like from the same parents, but just a little off? Example: The 4 or 5 different Gremlins that spawn from Gizmo?
HALP!

[fireframe]

Further development of the living catapult idea

[Daniel Hurd]

I was under the impression it was 4 stages of the same creature. Such as level 1-4 ,so similar to rank whereas the creature is more powerful with each level.
That was my understanding of this COW brief. I may be wrong though.

[G@m]

I think its 4 different design based on the same brief, for example, they ask for a goblin, you make 4 different iterations and the first has a huge nose and is really humanoid, the second has longer arms smaller eyes and scales, the third has long legs short arms no hair, the 4th strongly resembles a monkey. Here they ask for a spitter, and you spit out 4 different kinds ò_ò , the rank solution has almost no variation between the four types usually, just minor details and parts getting bigger or changing color each time.

[Daniel Hurd]

You are probably correct. Which makes this brief even cooler!

[Si_Swe]

I hope I can alleviate some confusion. G@m is probably the closest. The previous "Game Critter" round was focused on thematic changes to a creature (lava, ice, undead etc.) this is not what I am asking you for this round. What I am essentially asking you for is 4 highly developed thumbnails that are all based on the same concept. I think the best way for me to explain it is to show you guys an example.

Take a look at this image by Matias Tapia, done for Borderlands 2. Each one of these creatures is an idea for this creature called a "Tyrant". See how all of them share certain elements? They are fundamentally similar creatures with varying designs. What they share is a basic concept.


Concepts accredited to Matias Tapia. Images taken from his tumblr.

What I am asking you to do is almost the same process. I want you to take the concept "The Spitter", which I described above, and I want you to show 4 concepts based around that description. You are giving me four developed concepts for "The Spitter" that all share the traits I mentioned in the brief, but which vary in design. Does that help explain it a little better?

[Whiskey Sour]

Thank you all for helping me understand it! Good thing I asked... that could have been disastrous!
This is my first one.. I have a lot of different directions I can take the other three.

[Prometheus09]

Well, all right, been awhile... this sounds like a fun one. I've been playing with the "stationary spitter" concept, and I keep coming back to certain designs. I started with some basic silhouettes, and then chose a basic form that I liked... a sort of "nest" with a base that consists of organic projectile launchers, most of them based on some sort of gas combustion, but a few based on potential energy a la a winded up gear or taut "rope".

The overall design is the concept of these spherical shapes at the base of the creature (a plant/fungi/animal hybrid perhaps), with a central, "mother" stem that actually sees the player, and then uses its abilities to launch a variety of projectiles at the player. The "mother" stem is the last quick thumb at the bottom... it will sort of be the tie that binds all the different varieties of my spitters. The "eye" or "brain" of the mother exists in all the spitters, but the form and function of the projectile parts will differ.

If you can read my chicken scratch writing, you might see the different varieties of projectile I've toyed around with... I've settled on a few, and will develop them further.

[ricardops]

Hi there guys, im trying to do this cow more profesional, so i will share my wip, lets see, i think that is important to do some black sketches, looking for the composition of the spitter and the anatomy etc... i did it, and here is


The first one is in my opinion the best concept here, i think that the second one dont fix so much so i will change him, what do you think about that?, i was thinking to do something like bones+flesh, like a meat beast with slow movility.

Some advice?.

Gl and Hf everyone , Ricardo Padierne Silvera.

[Daniel Hurd]

@Ricardo - Great job on the black sketches! I actually like the bottom two. I also dig the idea of them being made of bones and flesh. Cool idea, will be looking forward to seeing it finished!

[NickyBeats]

great stuff so far guys! heres just some quick possible design idea...

[AlexaRossi]

Ohhh that's cool! Please make the phlegm bioluminiscent , too!

[Sjuu]

Hello everybody!

Great concepts so far, lets get it worked out!
Here is my first thingymajig!
Mole type creature, now are the creatures allowed to move faster while in the air/earth/water or do they have to be slow in each movement type?

[Crowbot]

Yeah, good ideas floating around in here. Well, after a too-long hiatus from here, thought I would take a crack at a COW. Here's what I got so far:




Working with pen and markers, did a little color tweaking in PS.

[AlexaRossi]

Your skill with markers is impressive!... I wish I was even half as good! What marker brands do you use normally?

[Incinerated]

have a nice round guys

Pew pew!

[zenarion]

Hello.
This is my idea of a spitter critter.
A mollusk with a shell, a cross between a chambered nautilus, and a garden snail.
Photos are for inspiration and reference.

[marcoferrigno]

zenarion & crowbot, nice sketches. really interesting critters.