C.O.W. - #072: Blue Mountain Glider - Voting!

[Fozzybar]

ROUND #072 VOTING

Topic: Blue Mountain Glider

Deadline for the voting: Monday, 15th January 2007

Posting thread (closed):
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=85928


------------------------------------------------------------------------

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!

3. No voting for your own entry!!! If a participants votes for his own entry, every member has the right to call him a stupid lame moron in this thread! And i will delete his/her vote anyway...

[Fozzybar]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Lazy
concept:
This peaceful creature lives high up in the mountains and glides around above the ground.
The fur keeps it warm when it is gliding about around the coldest parts and has soft organic bubbles under it so it simply bounces of any sharp stones or pillars if it

should collide.
The "gliders" are held up by the thin "arms" that hold it like a tennis-net.
Because of it's peaceful nature sometimes birds rest on it and lost or tired travelers can jump up on it's back and ride it until they find a familiar spot again.
The Blue Mountain Glider is very quiet and could easily glide past you from behind without anyone noticing so it is a treat for mountain climbers to spot these

creatures gliding around due to the fact that there only live around 2-4 Blue Mountain Gliders on one mountain.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Kougansharde
concept:
The Siamese Lizards of the Belnorthian Highlands spend most of their time doing two things, arguing, and gliding. Sometimes both at the same time, but not to the

most positive of results. These harmless herbivores using the flaps between their necks to glide from mountain to mountain in search for food, and are also known

to use their large webbed feet in aid of steering in strong wind currents. The heads are recorded to have varying degrees of intelligence, with the most intelligent

one normally being the center, and the dumbest one routinely steering them off-path to either the right or left.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Saise
concept: Oo'buba
S-Name: Blue Mountain Glider
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Oo'buba, also called the Furry Salmon, is a very strange kind of mammal. Nature provide them a five pairs of soft, leathery wings, that are to weak to grant

Oo'bubas an ability to fly, but those wings give them ability to glide gently. They nuptial ritual is very similiar to the salmons - but instead of jumping up the river,

Oo'bubas jumpin' up the hill or mountain, and when they reach the peek, they slide gently from the top to impress the female Oo'buba (pic2). Of course, higher

mountain grant the Oo'buba with more females attention. Oo'bubas are small, furry limbless creatures (size comparison on pic1). Those little herbivore are harmless

to humans.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Greenjack
concept:
The cloud grazer lives in the thin atmosphere of a low G frozen planet. It is a social animal living in herds and surviving on helium plants.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: faxmaster
concept:


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Rhineville
concept: (tectonicus eruptus)
The Blue Mountain Glider is a gargantuan, mainly hollow creature the size of a mountain which lies dormant for decades, feeding on nutrients and ores in the soil

and rockface of its surroundings. While it feeds, it slowly collects and filters gasses through 'veins' on it's outer surface. When the nutrient supply runs low, it fires

the gasses out of a 'mouth' on its underside to jar it out of position and propel it into the air. With the remaining gasses stored in concentration pockets, it glides

through the air in search of a more nutrient-rich location. Even though it's massive, the huge amount of helium and other gasses it absorbs over the years gives it

enough lift to float miles away. Trees and other plants cannot grow on its topside, and vigilant explorers can spot a Blue Mountain Glider when they spy a pristine

spire of deep blue on the horizon.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Ksama
concept: Aerial Reptilian Blue Mountain Glider
30 - 50 ft. in length, Movement through the air is similar to that of a snake's movement through grass. Its small wings arise question as to how it stays in the air, and

it is widely accepted that they have magical energies keeping them aloft.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: thediligent
concept:
The creature is a single creature he is the spirit of the Mountain Island called Bysch and also known as The Blue mountain Glider because he can be seen gliding in

the night sky from mountain top to mountain top.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: mattbyng
concept: Blue Mountain Dragon
This peaceful creature is found in the Himalayas. It is almost twice the height of your average human being. Because of it's large size, it needs to feed regularly.

Mountain goat are a favourite in this creatures diet. These creatures are completely harmless, with the exception of hunting. They are merely curious, shy

creatures, who do nothing but feed and fly.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: wizo5454
concept:
The Careabeas are feathered mammals that inherited the bird's ability to glide. The long feathers on their upper arms permits them to glide for a few seconds; just

enough for them to leap, glide and catch whatever prey they are seeking (birds, small animals). Their feathers also serve them well as they offer additional stability

when jumping good distances when needed. Their sharp feline senses combined with the bird's precise eye makes them a very ferocious predators.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: eirenicon
concept:
He's just fat, fat in a way that makes his back look sort of mountainous. He's got great big wings to help him get along as well.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: longshao
concept:


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: crazyace31
concept:
A very territorial creature, one Mountain Glider can guard anywhere from 5 to 10 peaks. They are aggressive to anything that crosses onto their territory. though

some caravans try passing through these infested mountain paths to cut their deliver time down, their likelihood to survive is slim. With The Mountain Gliders keen

eye sight and Incredible since of smell and Razor claws that cut even stone make this creature one of the most deadly mountain dwelling creatures. Even though

the Mountain Glider is very aggressive, it rarely eats do to its reptilian metabolism. that is how the ecosystem can stay in balance.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Eriboss
concept:
The Blue Mountain Glider is an unfortunate bird because of its poorly evolved defense mechanism. It subtley takes on the colour of its surroundings in the fashion

of a chameleon, except for when it passes objects of the colour blue. When it turns blue it explodes in a mess of eggs and jaws. It has only survived as a species

because any other predatory animals consider them too volatile to hunt.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Mydrim
concept:
“…I shot one, right into the heart I swore! But the demon just screamed and jumped away! Oh, that jump! No like jump, it was more like flight, I’ve seen! Good

mile it have flight, and then, the beast just barely touched a mountain and jumped again into the distance I even couldn’t see! The other monkeys, for our luck, got

frightened, let Roger as he was- in coma and blood, and they disappeared too. We quickly decided to quit with that blue fur job, coins or no coins, I can tell you.”


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Trashy
concept: Blue Alpine Danlin
The Blue Alpine Danlin lives in desolate environments high up in the mountains. Due to the short supply of foods or prey the Blue Danlin only eats a rare butterfly

that also lives within the mountains, however only one of these is needed to keep the Blue Danlin full for itleast a whole week. It is a odd creature that almost looks

like it's skin is inside out but it is in fact a hard outer skin and it's wings are shaped like rock. It is spotted easily from it's striking blue colors.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Hyptosis
concept:


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Evui
concept:
These massive dragon-like creatures carry boulders from one place to the other in order to build a sturdy nest for their young. They are very efficient builders, mostly due to their length and multiple arms to carry the large rocks. They glide high over the clouds, only dropping down to land at their nesting site. Its graceful movement gives it the nickname "the blue mountain glider". Occasionallyboulders are dropped, causing massive, destructive avanlanches, and it is feared by many people, despite its gentle nature.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: misledtomisery
concept:
The Mowhawk Beast is a blue furred carnivore that lives in the mountains. The species varies from sky blue to vibrant blue-purple. They are anatomically similar to a wolf and lion, wich allows them the comfort of being high on their fod chain. Most notable predators of the mowhawk beasts are rocs and hydras, whom also dwell in the same habitat. They grow a wild mane and 2 mowhawk-like wings on their backs that consists of feathers. The long feathered backs serve their mating rituals, as well as their hunting needs. High in the mountains, these creatures are able to jump across vast open or steep rocky areas and glide safely to solid ground. This is possible by extending their mowhawks out, like wings. This increased ability allows them to hunt flying prey, as well as dropping down upon their unknowing victims from above.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Fozzybar]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: wagon
concept:
05 January 1928
Dearest,
A great discovery has been made from within The Ancient Kingdom of Gu-ge. Our workers have been excavating diligently (when well fed), and have presently uncovered an unthinkable amount of artworks, presumably crafted by artisans of The Trans-Himalayan Mountain Range. It seems the creatures displayed in this particular piece of art had been revered by the Monks of this region. The structures seem to serve as a resting perch for these wondrous beasts... perhaps they were domesticated, such as our beloved Reginald Fluffykins? My, how they must have eaten. I'd wager the wingspan dwarfs that of a pterodactyl. O! We must keep searching, perhaps we will find this land of flying wings, and perhaps there will be gold there, and then, my dear, we would be married in a ceremony fit for a king.
Love Always,
Philip
P.S. Please feed the dog.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: davi
concept: Blue, Blue Blue-mountain Glider
The blue glider is a very depressed bird, some would describe his personality as blue. The blue glider goes bald and gets a gut at a short age and is unable to glide because of the weight. The creature lives in the blue mountains and can be distinguished by its blue coat of feathers. blue.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Oddo
concept:



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: dragon4lunch
concept:
Specters are huge flying creatures - carrying a magical orb. These orbs enable Kerkex, a powerful wizard, to keep an eye on far away places. Since Kerkex can not be trusted, it is best to avoid being seen by the specters... they are a frightening sight, due to their size and their silent, creepy floating about...


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: paradoxba
concept:
This is a peaceful little creature that can be seen gliding in the mountain forest with the help of its big ears that can grow quite large.Because of small size insects and fruits are the main food source.The legs are quite developed while the hands are lost in the evolutionary process.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: redehlert
concept:
The winds of the mighty Cordillera Range are fierce. Not much can survive in this harsh arctic habitat, but one such creature able to sustain itself is the Azurians. Named for their blue skin, these nimble creatures about a meter in height are able to glide on the currents of air thanks to a slight body structure and air sacs that are continuously inflated. small fins, almost invisible to the naked eye, beat a 100 times per second, allow the azurians to navigate harsh terrain to feed and mate. The female bellies hold a blue sapphire-like orb where the Azurian newborns are kept, much like a papoose. Males on the other hand have a continuous armored crest along their midsection.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: projectghost2501
concept:
native to the mountains on Rylon. Not unlike the common variety of bat the Mountain blue glider uses it's voive to stun it's prey from a high perch then glides down and devours its prey.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Ernie82
concept: "Blue Naka dragon" or "Kashtrol Laitho"
These animals can reach a length of about 20 feet from the head to the end of their tail. They are only found in the Naka mountain range. The natives living in the valleys of Naka believe, that they are the messengers of their god Laith.
When I was travelling through the mountains with my local guide Yeiba, I could watch the following ritual:
When we met one of the dragons, Yeiba took a piece of bacon and a piece of cheese and laid them down on a rock. Then he said to the dragon "Piimarl shi Naka, banar uyaenas yhor Aberil ar nuyeng yhored Vonet." This means "Ruler of the mountains, please accept our gift and bless our journey." Then he stepped back from the rock and waited. He took it as a good omen when the dragon went to the rock and ate the bacon.
Yeiba told me, that these dragons always live in couples, one male and one female. Only young dragons live in larger groups. I asked Yeiba if the dragons are dangerous and he told me that they are strong enough to kill a man. But he added, they are peaceful and only attack to defend their offspring if somebody approaches their nest. I was abled to observe, that they do not fly like birds and only can glide down from the top of the mountains. To get to higher altitudes, they need strong upwinds or they have to climb.
- Extract from "The memorable travels of the discoverer Tronja Honborn"


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: gazthing
concept:
A small, shrew-like mammal whose unusual colouring aids in camouflage while in the sky. It's elongated fingers have webbing between enabling the Glider to leap from tree tops or cliff faces and catch thermals rising from the ground. These thermals are also used by many insects which the Glider preys upon, using it's long snout to suck them into it's mouth.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: TomCardin
concept:
Among the peaks of the towering Aether Wall lives a breed of wingless dragons, called Blue Mountain Gliders by explorers and adventurers who've travelled the region. These silent predators glide for hours on the hot updrafts coming up the western slops from the oppressive heat of the Aether Desert. In fligh, their blue undersides make them difficult to see in the brilliant sun which shimmers off the fused glass of the mountain peaks. On the ground the Gliders are imposing and bulky looking as their specially adapted scales curl around their sides and give them the appearance of much heavier dragons. The topside of their scales shine like the glass that makes up much of the Aether Wall, though their need for camoflage is dubious while they ascend to the mountain peaks. When they leap into flight their lateral scales snap out into the sweeps of beautiful airfoils and the true shape of their flattened bodies is exposed. An adult Blue Mountain Glider will reach a length of over 80 feet and is more than capable of plucking a fully laden pack mule from the heights of a mountain trail. Sages have marveled at the Gliders obvious dragon origins for though it is clearly wingless, lacking the intermediary set of vaned limbs, it has yet managed to claim the sky as its territory.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: Michael Jaecks
concept: Planazul
Like a lightning strike on a clear day, a Planazul is a swift and unexpected predator. Camoflagued high in a summer sky, a Planazul decends rapidly, snatching prey off cliffs and mountain tops, ascending back to its lair nearly as quickly. Few have seen a living Planazul in action. For those that do, it's often too late...


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
artist: blobs
concept:
On the moon planet of Plutonus exist creatures so enormous so as to be larger than the great mountain ranges themselves. The Blue Mountain Glider is one of these creatures. Its huge body somehow floats across the surface of the land, hovering over great ranges and drawing up liquid by causing the local weather-system to change as air currents flow over and under its bulk. This causes freak weather conditions for miles around and has caused the farmers unions to call for the elimination of these creatures by the government.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Fozzybar]

not accepted entries:

All WIPs/sketches/not finished yet/placeholder/yaddayaddayadda images...

wheezy
Sorry, but you need to work more on your art skills. Currently it's not possible to judge your entries by design or form. Don't take it personal, it's just that COW is orientated more to somewhat advanced artwork


mr-nick, sourgasm, ahbeejieh, Brand_X
I tried to make it clear with my "text-size" skills with level 6 The creature must be blue...and it's meant to be a characteristic attribute of the creature. Your creatures were gray, green or similar colors which had very very little blue in them...otherwise we could have named the topic Mountain Glider, but the blue was an essential part of the design. Sorry, if it's frustrating, but i really need to keep things on track over here




close to rejection:

none




special note:

none

[Fozzybar]

new round is on:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=86690

[wizo5454]

Truly a great topic!!!! Great job guys. My vote goes to Oddo for the idea and the rendering. I really love the sense of action in this piece and the creature's design.

[Fozzybar]

i am a sucker for fresh creature designs, even more if it works (at least looks so ).....and

dragon4lunch

hit the nail on the (hammer)head...bravo pal, this creature-design is amazing and the rendering looks awesome!!! It makes me happy even more to know that someone like you got my vote and hopefully will win, since you are one of the confirmed regulars in COW

Same goes for Michael Jaecks, your renderings get better and better with each entry....unfortunately this time the design wasn't that convincing for me

[Simon Boxer]

Voted for Longshao, cool concept, and plausible. Well thought out - not all concepts had a real reason for gliding around, and it was nicely integrated with the overall design.

Also really liked dragon4lunch's piece - great render, not sure how they would land/climb/move around on the ground while holding an orb though

and Redehlert's piece rox0rs.

Agh, I'm out of time... Gotta scoot

[Oddo]

Hello

After looooong thinking between my personal finalists dragon4lunch, hypstosys and rehehlert, had to go with dragon4lunch, even though the other two were better illustrations overall, dragon4lunch's creature design was the most striking and imposing. Really really hard to chose though.. if only I had three votes .



Since photo bucket limits picture size, I have cut my work and description into three separate pictures (meant to be displayed one near another as one picture) but only one of them is displayed here , the head detail and mini rough orthos and descriptions are missing..

The face details a can be seen on the old thread here . .


If it is not too much to ask, can they be added up there as well ? Or if the detail shot is "illegal" at least the lower part with the description and mini orthos ?




On with the crits

Also posted them on the old thread, but since it got closed right after and not many people visit a closed thread and it took quite a bit of time to put it together, will post this here too. My appologies if it is against any rules.

These are just personal opinions, offered for those who want to hear them. They may very well be worth nothing as I do not claim to be a concept art critic .



wheezy:
What I liked most: The BIG shapes read clearly and their values do give a sensation of depth. Pink sky, gotta have guts to use pink sky .
Cons: the creature tend to be a big blotch of color, I would have liked to see some more defined shapes, lit in a more defining manner.





Lazy:

What I like most: the spec highlights really help underline the shapes. Nice work experimenting with brushes on the wings.
What I didn't like: The creature looks too "crammed", the composition is a bit too jar-like. Also the light that falls on the cliffs to the right seems to come from the left while the one that falls on the cliffs to the left seems to come from the right . I know light bounces, but the bounced light usually changes color and intensity.




Saise:

+ : Lovely face and colors on the critter, it is adorable.
-: background does more harm then good. Better lighting on the creature could have made it "pop" out more.




Greenjack:

+ I love it that you drew several of the critter. Big mouth definitely a feature that stands out.

-: The composition doesnt quite work there's too little room in front of the big critters in the background, by their suggested motion lead the onlooker's eye right out of the picture before it has time to actually enter . Also referencing a bit of snowy peak lighting would have helped, right now the light looks a bit artificial.



faxmaster

+ : The delicate change in value that "sculpts" the creature really nicely.
-: no hue variation between light and shadow, only value variation. Also a bit of anatomical mimicked shapes would have helped.



Rhineville

+: Like the juggernaut-ish look it has.
-: A bit stronger highlight would have helped the creature red better, right now it has no real highlights.



Ksama:

+ : wise choice using complementarity on the eyes, nice camera angle
-: doesn't really seem finished, a but too dragon like.



thediligent:


+ : Looks really nice , pretty "alien", kick-arse idea on the fingerprints (you did use some fingerprints, am I right ? , its aura/wings I totally love.
-: the body of the creature is below the level of rest of the picture (head is nice)




mattbyng

+ nice idea with the hexa texture on the wings
-: really.. not a lot of effort went into the piece, did it ?



mr-nick

+ I like the critter's shape and eerie feel.
- the background does not help the picture; the distant mountain kind of looks like fabric put over some objects rather then actual mountains.




wizo5454

+ I like lots of things here , color choices, stance of the critter, the fact that you did two of them. lovely illustration...
- Not many minuses except the rocks . They don't seem up to snuff with the critters and the sky, some parts look really .. not real .




eirenicon

+ good color choices, good lighting
- It is a bit too much like a bird to be a "blue mountain glider".And the illustration does not give us much else.



longshao

+ I like the angles and the "evilness" of the creature, it looks really dangerous.
One of my favourite designs. I wish we could have seen it from more then one angle, even if it would have been rough .
-: the mountains in the back aren't really up to snuff . Lighting could have been more subtle.




crazyace31

+ Nice lighting setup, good to see some action.
- The composition kind of only shows us the butt of the creature, and the top of its head. Its victim is so dimly lit it goes unnoticed. Horizon line is on the middle of the picture, which makes the things a bit less interesting then they could have been.




Eriboss

+ Color choices, combining a seemingly harmless bird with those teeth and mouth
- Shapes don't read very well due to the color scheme, good for illustration but does not help show the concept.



Mydrim:

+ Can't go wrong with huge cyan monkey
- More anatomy, more lighting , more drawing from nature are required.



Trashy :

+:nice colors, nice textures.
-: the bird and background seem too different in rendering style to go well together.



Hyptosis:

+ another favourite, big mean creature, I can almost feel its weight, good lighting good colors, good details
- human with funky proportions is ruining the otherwise excellent illustration



Evui

+ Nice idea with the really long long dragon
- mountains are too "invented", lighting could be better and I wish we could see the whole creature.



misledtomisery

+ god mean look to the critter, very believable.
-: doesn't really strike me as the gliding type, I wish its body fur would have gotten more "love"



wagon

+ Nice illustration, very interesting creature.
-: lighting and colors make everything seem less real and have less punch.


davi

+ Very nicely executed.
-: Somehow I think there is too much sadness in the concept of a bald sad depressed bird with a gut.



sourgasm:

+The photo-ish background in integrated nicely with the foreground
- composition is a bit .. 2d, there are little elements to give depth, also the horizon line is dangerously close to the bottom edge of the picture, and that does not help the composition.



dragon4lunch:

+ the creature design/face feeling is totally kick-arse
- detail is rather equal across the composition, there is not enough playful variation of textured areas/smooth areas to make the illustration interesting.



Oddo

-: very very bad ideea to do most of the concepting in the details and behaviour and leave the overall big shape way too familiar. Especially since the detail shot and behaviour description did not get posted here . No pluses for you!



paradoxba

+ Nice work with the plant shapes. Contrast make things really pop out.
-: saturated colors overkill. Maybe too much pop out .




redehlert
+ Another favourite. Not much to crit here. Loving the design.
- Perhaps more background would have been nice ? Just nitpicking though.




ahbeejieh

+ nice lighting, nice colour, you have gave thought to the critter
- He is GREEN!




Brand_X

+ nice mood you have there with those values/colors/shapes. digging the insectoid look.
- not many minuses.. maybe more detail ?




projectghost2501:

+ Nicely laid out, easy to understand
- Not interesting enough.




Ernie82

+ Expression on its face is really something
- No working anatomy seems to be present. Lighting needs more work.




gazthing

+Nice use of texture on the mountains, nice work putting some action in, cute design.
- Lighting needs more work , the atmosphere and clouds behind do more bad to the illustration than good.



TomCardin

+ Nice design with the armadillo-ish dragon glider .
- Not enough color variation.



Michael Jaecks

+ Lovely overall colors, nice action.
- Somehow the lighting does not describe the shapes very well, for instance the front of its left wing seems like a straight line, doesn't seem to have any curvature on any axis.



blobs

+ lovely colors and good composition
- he really does not seem all that large, based on the type of ground details and his shadow.


Kougansharde
+ nice ideea with the three heads . Lovely delicate skin folds.
- background, color subtlety.

[ikuru]

Michael Jaecks, that looks really good. One off the best Ive seen from you, the light is verry cool to me.

TomCardin, Verry peacefull, you allso capture the theme verry nice.

mattbyng, verry cute, makes you happy looking at this.

wizo5454, this one is simply a beatyfull creature.
Im glad to see some creatures like this, to me I actually got a bit tired of evil monsters. many of this cow (like someone said) tend to
go towards ading "from hell" to every theme.

Blobs, you get my vote for a big soaring creature that I could totaly see in a dreamworld or a myazaki movie or something.
(what kind of music do you listen to dude? your stuff look verry ambient to me ) One smal crit would be I think it could look better further down to the ground.


thanx!
over all a verry different set this week.

[jbballaran]

Aww shit... I didn't make it?! C'mon Fozzybar, give the noobs a break I was really excited to have my piece up there.

On my defense, my creature had a hint of blue on his wings and not green overall... Not meaning to drag anyone along with this but wagon's creature is gray and not exactly blue either. dragon4lunch's specter is a bit on the purple side too and the only thing blue on it is the orb. What's up?

Ah hell, I had fun with my creature... But still... It think my creature is actually bluer than wagon's and dragon4lunch's if you really look at it.

Voted for dragon4lunch. Cool concept with that thing holding an orb for a wizard. He's a got an eerie vibe going on in there too. My only crit in the image would be I wish he kinda broke up how all of em is staring and kinda pointed towards one direction.

[Ernie82]

I always love to see how different the results are when many people are working on the same topic because everybody has own ideas and a different style.

longshao - You have got my vote! Cool concept and excellent execution!

TomCardin - I love your dragons! I like their metallic look and the way they are gliding. Their anatomy looks very realistic, like a real animal. If I had a second vote I would give it your picture. I have only one critiqe: the clouds in the sky look to regular.

Hyptosis - Very dynamic picture and I like the way the light is shinig through his wings. One of my favourites.

Oddo - Your creature shows a highly developed painting skill. Wish I could paint this good. But I don´t like the idea of a flying turtle steering with its tongue.

MichaelJaecks - Great action but his wings seem to be to thick.

Kougansharde - Sweet!

thediligent - The glow is cool but the creature looks like a skeleton.

davi & Eriboss - I like birds. So no vote from me for depressed or exploding birds.

[Michael Jaecks]

Fozz, you make me blush with your comments. If only I had thought of a more interesting design. What can I say; I've been on a little bit of a dragon kick of late...

And speaking of dragons... dragon4lunch you get my vote and I suspect you will receive the well deserved star this week because that critter is just too damn cool. Floating from the head, I just love it. They must have awfully strong spines. Love the palantir-like orb they spy with as well.

I was also quite fond of Oddo's as well. You've got a real command of pictoral space and rendering. Just tons of credibility in your work. Its wonderful to see. I can still close my eyes and remember your blue chicken from oh so long ago.

[dragon4lunch]

Fozzybar thanks for the kind words. I do think you should include ahbeejieh though, because it is a cool creature that was clearly designed extra for this poll. I assume you might have simply made a mistake? Please make an exception just this once

[Jason Rainville]

Wizo takes the cake for me; beautifully rendered, realistic design and creative design. I must say though, there IS a lot of grand stuff in here. Except that bastard blobs who stole my idea and somehow did it better. Ima killll you!!!!!!!! (at nintendo... )

[Trashy]

dragon4lunch- you got my vote. In terms of a original creature and design you pretty much win all across the board.

Otto- Likely the best looking piece here. I had to bang heads over you and dragon4lunch piece. You also have a nice creature design. I just favored dragon4lunch more. Still a great illustration!

[wheezy]

Well I learned a lot about the wacom and photoshop in my first CA activity. I am looking forward to COW #73. Thanks for the crit, I will work hard to improve each week. I really enjoyed reading and looking at everyone's entry, there were some great entries from very creative and talented people. Keep it up and long live the COW. Now if the CHOW could ever get going again...

In the end thediligent was my favorite, however it did not tackle the subject with mountains etc so I voted for my next favorite dragon4lunch.

[Moai]

My vote goes to dragon4lunch. The creature design is truly inspired, and the execution is great as well. Though the voting has just begin, I feel fairly confident in congratulating you for your first CoW star.

[redehlert]

good job all!....and i have to agree with foz....if it isn't brue than no vote for you. i had that prob a few cows back....you live you learn you move on.
cheers,
d

ps. wizo got my vote.....i dig it. runners up: davi, dragon, m. jaecks and t. cardin.

[TomCardin]

I voted for Faxmaster. Very well crafted and true to the theme.

Everyone's beasties look great...however many are flappers and floaters and levitators. Another thing that swayed my vote from many was that many didn't seem to have to have enough connection with mountains...Blue Mountain Glider. I see some were not even admitted because they weren't blue enough. I think the full title of the COW shares equal importance...so I nixed many Blue Mountain Flappers and Blue Mountain Levitators.

I had a great time with this, my first COW entry! Can't wait to start on the next.

[longshao]

Oddo my vote goes to you.
I was choosing between yours and dragon4lunch. Both of your images are very interesting. dragon4lunch, I like your idea of having a creature flying gliding with its head and magic power. It's rather different from many others since the creature doesn't really have wings. But I have to say I enjoy Oddo's image a little more. Like wizo5454 said, the implied motion is a really nice touch. Heck, I like reptiles, so a leatherback&ankylosaur hybrid gets my vote.

And thanks for the comments and crits, Oddo.

[wizo5454]

Oddo,- thanks for the crits. I always love em!
Ikuru - im glad you like the design, thx for the kind words.
Rhineville - Thanks! You are right, alot of great entries this round made it hard to choose.
redehlert- Thx for the vote. awesome entry as usual.... I thought the rendering and design were awesome.

[mattbyng]

I decided to vote for Wagon, in my opinion, it captures the "glider" factor very well. Though could be bluer..still got my vote

[Brand_X]

Looks to me like there are more then a few gray and purple creatures included in the poll, not to mention the flyers and floaters, but its your show I guess.

[Vulgar`]

v - Oddo

Runner ups: Saise, Dragon4lunch, Tom Cardin

A week to be recognized. Hit up the EOW!

Keep doing you

[jbballaran]

I decided to vote for Wagon, in my opinion, it captures the "glider" factor very well. Though could be bluer..still got my vote

Totally uncool bro. I rest my case.

See you guys on the next round.

[Mydrim]

Ok, I vote for dragon4lunch's too, that's amazing... My second best is then TomCardin.

[thediligent]

Everyone's stuff was so good in this thread it was hard to pick a favorite. I liked Oddo's and Dragon4Lunch's designs simply because they were very original. I wouldn't have thought to see a tortoise like creature in the mountains let alone gliding. And Dragon4Lunch's design was just very original. These guys did a top notch job on rendering out the characters too. My vote went to Dragon4Lunch, but it was hard to pick just one.

Thanks everyone for the Crits and Comments!
I can't wait to enter another competition.
Rules

[wagon]

Attitude aside, I think ahbeejieh's glider should have definitely been included as well.

Voted for dragon4lunch

[Supervlieg]

Voted Davi. I liked how his entry was blue in more ways then one. It really shows in its expression. And I love the paintery execution.

Big up to Dragon4lunch as well, excellent entry. I'm not a big fan of species working just for one magician. But it is very well rendered and the composition is really well done.