IOW #4 - MtG: Even the Odds

[Nonobot]

Some thumbs, wanted to try to avoid cliché, but what can I do?
As I was drawing the forms for my knights, I decided that the muscles looked quite cool and Hogarth-y, so I decided to run with it and make metalic men, silversurfer knights or something. A toy around with the levels might be fun. But Im still deciding, might go with another idea if this one jerks out.
Also, I really need practice making cool grasslands.

[jpacer]

@Artfix: Thanks, man! Good looking out! I hadn't checked out any of the links people posted, so I didn't know about the specific ratio for the rectangle. Yours is looking sweet, BTW! You've got some really nice movement and rhythms going on.

I adjusted my rectangle and am just sorta moving things around now and trying different arrangements. This is where I'm at now...

[THEMike]

Great subject and some awesome stuff already. I really wanna try this. I'll try not to embarrass myself... here's a couple ideas.

[Dcritelli]

Update for mine. I've never gone this far without at least introducing underlying colors but the value pattern needed to read so well that I just had to do one thing at a time. I will probly make it monochromatic in the end--probly blue or gold.

I like this a lot. The soldiers have a Dragon's Lair feel to them, but it looks good.

[hunchback]

messy sketching

[Ofidian]

Can I just say.

Nonobot: Love the chess one. Might actually be my favorite one in this competition so far XD.

[Dcritelli]

Can I just say.

Nonobot: Love the chess one. Might actually be my favorite one in this competition so far XD.

I have to agree. Probably the most clever idea I've seen.

[Gadbury]

Update!

[Revolution77]

Can I just say.

Nonobot: Love the chess one. Might actually be my favorite one in this competition so far XD.

It is a cool idea, though I'm not sure if it would really translate to the MtG world. I would still keep in mind that the brief is still to create the illustration as if it were actually for MtG. Just something to think about.

[Nonobot]

Ah cheers guys. I thought the chess idea was kind of cliché, if it was not MtG it would be anyway. I dont know, it's possible for it to tie into the MtG realm.

As MtG has alot of crazy spells and what not, some illustrated with things like, dice or what not. However because the card creates 3 soldier creatures, you would expect to see some soldiers of some kind. Thats coming from someone who plays the game, I always like to see " You make x spore-ling creatures " and then some funky illustration of that creature bursting out of something cool.
One of the main things to do however is keep a close eye on the title of the card, thats what should be your biggest influence.

Im still going for my metal Hogarth dudes, I get a good feeling from it.

[Artfix]

Anyone else having helluva time with the color? I'll post update soon I hope but I am struggling with it now.

[Crowsrock]

Hi all!
I'm in this one.
Here are my first two WIPs.

[Revolution77]

Anyone else having helluva time with the color? I'll post update soon I hope but I am struggling with it now.

Maybe try and play with some cool colors in the background with warm colors on the main silhouettes, or vice versa . combining that with good values will help a small image pop out and be recognizable at 2 in..

I believe one of the articles i posted at the beginning from the wizards site also suggested not getting too many colors going on at the same time. That way, as a small illustration, it wouldn't get too muddy.

Just some ideas, i hope they help.

[zimfin]

Wow, got some catching up to do! I just saw this challenge and since I would love to work for MtG I can't refuse this. Some awesome work so far folks. Will be a tough choice in the final for sure!

[Gadbury]

Plodding on slowly...

[grenogs]

looking good gadbury, really starting to like this, my main crit being though, is where is your horizon line? at the moment your soldier furthest away looks pretty big, and your nearest soldier looks short. Not sure how hard it would be to change it now, but if you've used layers, it should be quit easy. Plus changing the horizon line would make your image much more dynamic looking.

[zimfin]

Okay, sketch done.....for now. I'll see if I still like it tomorrow. lol.

[Gadbury]

Grenogs - Thanks, I see what you mean - I haven't used layers so it'll be just whatever I can do with the lasso tool and transform.

[Dreoilin]

Well still just messing around with my sketch lol. Grenogs- I might borrow your suggestion earlier of adding a few hints of enemies in the foreground, if that's okay of course!

[Kitten Poker]

There is some very cool armour going on ^_^

This still needs quite a bit doing to it, more lighting & some more "Magic-y" stuff, not sure the smoky/misty bits are holding up in small. ^_^

[Artfix]

Well this is the color I am trying but it looks boring. The greyscale gave a nice ghostly appearance to the soldiers. I'll keep trying.

Not to mention that there is no connection between the fallen guy and the others! Argh! I cant make him light like them or the composition breaks.

[Kitten Poker]

Well this is the color I am trying but it looks boring. The greyscale gave a nice ghostly appearance to the soldiers. I'll keep trying.

Based on what I was reading earlier in the thread and the pics of acctual cards posted, I think the colour as you have it fits nicely with the "White card" thing ^_^

[Gadbury]

Artfix - I think the colours are working nicely, I can tell straight away that the soldiers are good guys - Although I think the grey scale version was more descriptive of what is happening because of the soldiers looking like they're coming from out of the smoke. Right now it could almost be just a sort of random mist between them and the dead guy. I think the more defined edge of the dead guy was better too. Its looking good and clear in small size though, mine is looking pretty hard to read zoomed out

[Kitten Poker]

put in "magic-y" bits & cropped a bit, so it filled more of the space. still more lighting to do ^_^

[Revolution77]

Well this is the color I am trying but it looks boring. The greyscale gave a nice ghostly appearance to the soldiers. I'll keep trying.

Not to mention that there is no connection between the fallen guy and the others! Argh! I cant make him light like them or the composition breaks.

Ya it's looking great! especially at it's small size. some fine tuning and it's right on.

[Artfix]

Thanks guys! I will see if I can find a good compromise of things for it.

Kitten I'm sorry I didn't speak up before--I think the middle guy should be facing us. I know they are forming a defensive position but it looks pretty strange.

EDIT: Some more progress. I know ya'll liked the monochrome yellow but I thought this was looking good too.

[Kitten Poker]

Thankyou Artfix, I will try that version also. There are still many layers so it shouldn't be too much hassle to change around ^_^

In the mean time, I think this version is pretty much done?

[Artfix]

Update.

[Andre-Sutherland]

Awesome work everybody!
I'm starting super late oooops haha, heres some thumbnails

[Rist]

Some great work here!

Here is my wip.