CHoW Topic Suggestions

[Martheart]

THE GODS OF MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY

In ancient cultures, there existed many gods who represented different aspects of everyday life: Apollo, god of music, Amaterasu, goddes of the sun, Osiris, god of death etc. What if this polytheistic system of gods and guardians still existed today? How would our modern gods look?

Assignment: Design a god of modern media and/or technology. Give him appropriate attributes (like Zeus, god of thunder, usually carries a thunderbolt).

Examples:

Goddess of mobile phoning: A young girl with lots of jewelry
God of internet: A huge, obese god

Goddess of videogames, god of magazines, god of television etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media

[Rabies]

Dull Gret

Dull Gret is a women who went mad, assembled an army of village women and pillaged hell. She could either be drawn as Sci-Fi, Modern day or just ones own version of her. There would have to be focus on the fact that shes mad and very manly, but that does not mean she cant be hawt :3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dull_Gret

[Avarwen]

The queen of hearts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_o...in_Wonderland)

Vlad the Impaler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_III_the_Impaler

Ed Gein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein

[Qitsune]

I'm not a CHOW regular, but for some reason, I had a CHOW idea today at work (I know, that's weird) how about a CHOW that is not conceptart/entertainment oriented but more editorial illustration-ish.

Here are my suggestions:
1)Time magazine is running a long article about the Madonna- wh0r3 complex (stupid forum won't let me post the word wh0r3, or the link to wikipedia ) and they want to have at least 4 illustrations in the article. They want to have a female character, looking to be between 25-35, healthy, urban, girl-next-door looking. This female character will have both a and a madonna outfit/look but it's important that the reader understands that she's the same person. Style doesn't have to be realistic. You job is to design madonna girl and wh0r3 girl, but not do the 4 illos.

---------------
2) Wired magazine is running an article about Pirate Bay and media piracy in general, they want a cast of 4 characters, your job is to design the leader of the group. The leader is both a game geek and a captain of a pirate crew, aged 17-24, not especially good looking but looking confident. Wired doesn't want the Pirate captain to look like a hero, he's more of a mild villain in this story. No pegleg please.

[Krato]

my idea was, if its not already taken (probably is)

what if someone was to live forever wouldnt they eventaully be forced of their home planet and sent adrift in space for eons? That person would eventually after many many failed attempts land on a planet with intelligent life. He would learn their culture and over time move on too a new planet with new people and cultures after the last planet he visited was naturally destroyed. This process would repeat forever.

so how about someone immortal with the culture of several worlds and countless experiences. keep in mind that they are extradinarliy old, even though that might not appear becuase they are immortal.

[{CKL}]

1. Elvis vs. ?
2. The Beatles - any combination at any era
3. Raskolnikov and/or Porfiry from Crime and Punishment

[AlisonRobin]

Ok....I have two ideas....
First.....
Dimon from The Golden Compass movie and book.............it could be kind of a self-portrait with your dimon together (you would need to have a great imagination for creating your own dimon) what animal would it be? what would ne its personality, as the dimon is aprt of your own soul.....it could be interesting.........Or just forget about the self-portrait and create just your dimon...

I like this idea. The idea of daemons from the His Dark Material series is very deep, and the daemon's form says something about the character.
While I like the idea of drawing oneself with their daemon, I don't believe that we can all be honest with ourselves- I don't know if anyone would like to admit that they're a sparrow rather than an eagle or a rat instead of a badger.
We could instead start with the species of daemon and proceed to design a [human] character based on the animal.
For instance: The main character of His Dark Materials is Lyra, an intelligent preteen girl. She proves herself to be determined and kindhearted through the series, and in the end her daemon settles as a pine marten. Instead of starting with the character and ending with the daemon, let's do it backwards.

[kaikai]

Okay so I'm just a lurker and too scared to really do any input but, a couple of ideas just popped into my head as I was browsing...
1. The king or queen of a cannibalistic tribe (weird but could be interesting considering the the anarchy that comes with cannibalism.
2. OR...Christopher Colombus? We were discussing him at work. Classy gentleman or Swarthy sea dog?

[Chicklet]

Design a cheesy harlequin romance cover!

She was the wealthy baroness, trapped in a cold and lusterless marriage.

He, the humble vassal, determined to show the baroness what money and social status could never buy.

Will the flame of their love burn eternal? Or will it be torn asunder by the barbarous and brutish Baron?

I'm thinking bodices, chest hair.....and massive amounts of cheesy goodness.

[Giorge]

Hundred-Handed (Hekatonkheires) - were three giant gods of violent storms and hurricanes (theullai) summoned forth from the stormy pit of Tartaros. Each had a hundred hands and fifty heads, for the weilding of the destructive power of storm. Their brothers were the Kyklopes, crafters of the thunder and lightning of Zeus. The six were connected with the stormy season in Greece which followed the rise of the Constellation Altar in November.

As soon as these six gigantic storm-brothers were born, their father, Ouranos (Sky), bound them in the pit of Tartaros, in fear of their power. Zeus later released them from this prison in his war against the Titanes, utilizing their power to achieve victory and become master of the skies. After the war, Kottos and Gyes were given palaces in the River Okeanos and, Briareos, a home in the depths of the Aegean Sea. Together they appear to have functioned as doorkeepers for the storms of Tartaros, releasing them at the command of the gods.

A fourth Hekatonkheir-like daimon was Typhoeus, a god of destructive storms. Unlike the Hekatonkheires, he was a son of Tartaros, rather than Ouranos, and an enemy of Zeus. After being defeated by the god, he was bound in Tartaros as the primal source of all Anemoi Thuellai (Hurricanes and Storm-Winds). He was similar to another Titan ally named Aigaios, a storm-giant sometimes identified with Briareus. The Hekatonkheires, as storm-spirit sons of Sky (Ouranos) trapped in the Tartarean pit, bear a resemblance to Aiolos (Sparkling) and his cavern-bound storm-winds (thuellai) as well as Astraios and his three wind-god sons.

This would be and interesting challenge for the imagination of the people that take on chow challenges as there are few descriptions .

The characters don't need 100 hands , i don't think that's possible in and illustration and if it is , it will a waist of imagination ^^ , anyway , the character should have as many hands as possible , give the impression of Greek mythology character and that he's a titan

[Liam Harvey]

The personification of an art movement.

[Carnifex]

redesign any legend of zelda character.
Vranoch the pig-demon.

[zenichi]

Gautama Buddha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_...atar_of_Vishnu

or any of the Bodhisattvas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bodhisattvas

[SephyCloneNo15]

I like this idea. The idea of daemons from the His Dark Material series is very deep, and the daemon's form says something about the character.
While I like the idea of drawing oneself with their daemon, I don't believe that we can all be honest with ourselves- I don't know if anyone would like to admit that they're a sparrow rather than an eagle or a rat instead of a badger.
We could instead start with the species of daemon and proceed to design a [human] character based on the animal.
For instance: The main character of His Dark Materials is Lyra, an intelligent preteen girl. She proves herself to be determined and kindhearted through the series, and in the end her daemon settles as a pine marten. Instead of starting with the character and ending with the daemon, let's do it backwards.

Ooh, I like this one. Maybe I could finally get down on paper that creepy, power-hungry, Magisterium Higher-up with a Widow daemon who hasn't gotten out of my head ever since I first started plotting my failed HDM RPG years ago.
----------------
For something completely unrelated, I Googled Secret Decoder Rings, hoping to find some ads that could be altered to satirize the impenetrable language of Congressional Bills, and I chanced upon this:

http://www.threecentstamp.com/wp-con.../11/box678.jpg

Apparently, at one point, Chex had, as a mascot, a Scarecrow/Secret Agent. If this isn't a ridiculous concept that should be re-imagined, I don't know what is (or some similar nonsensical combination of characters)

[The Imagineer]

http://www.threecentstamp.com/wp-con.../11/box678.jpg

Apparently, at one point, Chex had, as a mascot, a Scarecrow/Secret Agent.

Just building on this idea why not create or redesign a cereal mascot for a fictional or an existing cereal

[IgnusDei]

Gargamel. Darker and Edgier.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargamel

[cAstAwAyLOVER]

Princess and the Frog/The Frog Prince

We are all looking forward to the new interpretation of Disney to the Brothers Grimm "The Frog Prince"(or at least I am..after all I'm an animation student..lol). Although, I am sure it has been redesigned to fit a more children oriented audience.
I would like to see how far we as artists can take this fairy tale. The Princess was not the nicest of persons and some versions of the story have her even cutting the frog's head off for him to transform.
A two character Illustration that could portray both the selfishness of her highness and transformation of the prince. Or we can also approach this topic with an illustration that portrays how she made the prince transform...any means necessary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Frog_Prince_(story)
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-st...FrogPrin.shtml

_any other suggestions for the topic are welcomed too...

[Sketchzombie]

Simply:
an remake of any of the characters from a old,fun, but overlooked "beat-em-up video game"

Ninja Baseball Bat Man
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B96mES5oBWo
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja_Baseball_Bat_Man

[Sorknes]

So... I was needing a bit of weird input and sat down and wrote about a few chars for inspiration, and thought maybe I might as well post one of them here...

Khe'strail (or any other usable or better name, heh) - Intergalactical advisor and third queen.

The third wife of the current ruler of her home planet, a small planet known for its beautiful architecture as well as any other kinds of art, be it paintings, sculpture, gardens and parks and fashion. Married as the third wife she had her life set for her, but this was not enough for Khe'strail. Being of noble ascent she's been through life's school of politics and court life, and dived into the smaller aspects of running the planet while the ruler and first wife was travelling around and being in the different foras, senates and unions of her part of the galaxy. Where the first wife has been nothing but a pretty face to bring along, Khe'strail has made herself a name as she's been aiming higher and higher, and she is now the rulers first advisor in intergalactical questions as well coming along with him and his first wife to any occasion happening. The first wife always being the host and the glorious front of various parties on these occasions, Khe'strail is the one luring in the background, picking up rumours and making deals for further negotiations, agreements and political talks, Even though always behind the first and second wife, it should be noted as Khe'Strail follows the rules of conduct and dressing, and is a very fashionable lady with the intricate and old rules of clothing followed like any noble of her planet, being lavish and eye pleasing as well as modestly elegant. Her species is also known for their beautiful looks, humanoid, tall and thin, with elegant features.

- Should be open enough for clothing for anything, be it SW, ST or any other inspirational bg, or completely from your own mind?

[dashinvaine]

Peter the Hermit

[fluorine]

Howard Roark

The protagonist of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. The ultimate idealist, Rand's image of a perfect man in a flawed world. He represents "what a man should be". He doesn't care what other people think of, he lives in his world of creativity and never compromise. He is the example of a starving artist with integrity, an old fashion knight fighting for a lost cause, although he didn't see it that way. Simply being himself is a show down to the rest of the world.

(Ayn Rand is really paranoid... a world's collective cognition out to get the perfect man? i mean........)

-----

Dominique Francon

The heroine of The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand's version of a woman for the perfect man. Unlike Roark, who's a bit single dimensional, Dominique went through changes during the course of the book. Because of Howard, she evolved, give up her hear and be set free.

---------

I feel that these two characters would be good for chow because both of them are extremely symbolic, They represent ideals, concepts, more than just one human being. It would be a nice challenge trying to deliver such symbolic meaning through the character design. Also, Ayn Rand has very specific descriptions about this two characters, making them easier to visualize.

And I just really want to do Fountainhead characters because of the following quote from The Simpsons:



Marge: "Oooh, The Fountainhead."

Lisa: "Mom, isn't that book the Bible of right wing losers?"

Old Lady: "Yeah, but the guy on the book jacket is one sexy slice of beefcake."

[Aly Fell]

Interesting idea.... they are quite.... 'normal' people, certainly if set in the time of the book's writing 1943, but as abstracts they could be an option for ChOW. Ayn Rand I find facinating, although I disagree with much... "Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves - or whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth."

This might be quite topical as well, apparently they are filming 'Atlas Shrugged' with Charlize Theron!

Howard Roark

The protagonist of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. The ultimate idealist, Rand's image of a perfect man in a flawed world. He represents "what a man should be". He doesn't care what other people think of, he lives in his world of creativity and never compromise. He is the example of a starving artist with integrity, an old fashion knight fighting for a lost cause, although he didn't see it that way. Simply being himself is a show down to the rest of the world.

(Ayn Rand is really paranoid... a world's collective cognition out to get the perfect man? i mean........)

-----

Dominique Francon

The heroine of The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand's version of a woman for the perfect man. Unlike Roark, who's a bit single dimensional, Dominique went through changes during the course of the book. Because of Howard, she evolved, give up her hear and be set free.

---------

I feel that these two characters would be good for chow because both of them are extremely symbolic, They represent ideals, concepts, more than just one human being. It would be a nice challenge trying to deliver such symbolic meaning through the character design. Also, Ayn Rand has very specific descriptions about this two characters, making them easier to visualize.

And I just really want to do Fountainhead characters because of the following quote from The Simpsons:



Marge: "Oooh, The Fountainhead."

Lisa: "Mom, isn't that book the Bible of right wing losers?"

Old Lady: "Yeah, but the guy on the book jacket is one sexy slice of beefcake."

[fluorine]

Interesting idea.... they are quite.... 'normal' people, certainly if set in the time of the book's writing 1943, but as abstracts they could be an option for ChOW. Ayn Rand I find facinating, although I disagree with much... "Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves - or whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth."

This might be quite topical as well, apparently they are filming 'Atlas Shrugged' with Charlize Theron!

Ayn Rand is a rather difficult writer, and I guess that's how she wanted it. Her talent and equally enormous ego was shown everywhere in her works. I don't think we need to stick with the time period, I'd imagine Ayn Rand wouldn't care either way.

Roark and Dominique are indeed "normal" people, but I find it a much harder challenge to depict their inner soul and represent it with a portrait. Isn't that the essence of portrait, to show not only the likeness, but also the personality inside?

[leuparaleu]

Hey guys. I love this CHOW thing. Thanks for keeping it going. Here are some of my ideas:

Samantha "Ice" Lohan - near-future airforce pilot. Born in 2010, now 30 years old. Got out alive from the worst situations, against incredible odds. Experienced, reliable, always keeps her cool, always fulfills her mission. She likes flying alone.

Vladimir - ex-boxer. Now works as a henchman/bodyguard/thug for a local russian mobster. About 40 years old, massive, built as a bull. The man is a failure and he knows it. He takes revenge over his wasted life through overuse of violence and alcohol.

Allyssa "Monalisa" Monett - rock band guitarist/singer. Young, hot, hip. She likes to party and she loves to rock. The crowds go crazy when she is on stage and for good reason. She always puts up a hell of a show. She enjoys the power she holds over the crowds and basks in her fame.

[Undeadartist]

Elemental Colossus
4 of them based on mother natures most horrible natural disasters
hurricane
volcano
tornado ect.
they are the first attempt at life being imperfect and cast down becoming giant beings that feed on destruction, unable to die but able to be imprisoned but the elemental aspect of them should be promonent. (feel free to use just a single one)

Remake the ninja turtles : D

[GentlemanCrow]

I just want to chime in and give a little bit of my opinion. Firstly I think the more open character themes are more appealing because then its more of a variety.
Also I may be wrong, but the name thing is kinda wierd because usually it makes it gender specific .

Anyways heres a few suggestions.

Post Apocalyptic Gang Leader.
Spanish Crusade-Spanish Crusader or Mayan defender
(obviously you would be free to create your own persona for these characters and give them their own unique personality etc. leaves more to the artist :], often you will have to be able to come up with creative and unique characters that fit a time period or a set role and have to be Original! )

And i may add a few more suggestions later :]

[Platonist]

The Planets:

Choose one movement from Holst's Planet Suite and portray it as an appropriate character, for example Neptune would be a mystical figure such as a prophet or seer.

So everyone can double check the epithets http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Planets

John the Pixie Slayer:

John suffers from chronic insomnia which he blames on the pixies, thus he has set out to rid the world of these pests.
It is up to you whether pixies exist anywhere other than in his head. Only specifications are: Male, sleep deprived and vengeful.

[Gavage]

A bit grotesque but would allow for some elaborate designs - making a unique Cenobite from Clive Barker's Hellraiser franchise. They generally feature sadomasochism-inspired outfits and heavy body modification. Some have earthly pasts that could be explored, and others were more 'created'. Servants of Leviathan, they exist to taunt and torture so the main goal of design would be to create a character that is menacing without going into too many cheesy horror antagonist stereotypes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenobite_(Hellraiser)

Sorry if anyone has suggested this before, or if it's been done already.

[Pixeltuner]

This sounds a bit weird maybe but: Just a basic nude male or female. (of different postures or ages even) I tend to see a lot of nice renderings with cool details in costume and everything while the underlying anatomical structure is just way off,not carefully paid attention or not understood well enough and it hurts a lot of images (including mine) so consider it a back to basics topic.

[Undeadartist]

The first necromancer and warlock engaged in battle