ChOW#300 :: THE MONARCH OF DUALITY

[Eofn]

Character of the Week #300
THE MONARCH OF DUALITY
DESIGN THE MONACH FOR THE NEXT 100 ROUNDS!!!

DEADLINE: SUNDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER 8PM GMT+1 (9PM British Summer Time)
Check your timezone!

Well here it is folks, round 300 and it's time to pick a new monarch to reign for the next 100 rounds.

This will be a two week challenge, and we want you to create something really special as it will appear as the mascot on the new challenge headers that will appear at the top of each new challenge! Yes, that's right, we're bringing back the mascot as part the new look for ChOW 300+

So what is the actual challenge?

Over the next two weeks we would like you to create TWO, yes TWO characters to represent two opposites. One must be male and one must be female, but what they represent is up to you! Some ideas are day and night, light and dark, love and hate, peace and war..... it really is your choice.

Keep the designs clear and remember, this challenge is about character design and not illustration!

Also: You do not have to worry about character sheets for this challenge, but make sure at least 3/4 of each character is visible. Characters that have not been well thought out will not be entered into the poll. This is at our discretion.

The Guidelines:

• Must be two characters
• Must be ONE male and ONE female character
• Can be any age
• Does not have to be human, but should be humanoid.
• Both characters should be presented in a single image
• The opposites must be clear
• Can be any style/genre

THE RULES
In addition to the brief, if you do not follow these rules, you will not be included in the poll.

• Files must be named: CHoW#300_Username 
(Files with any other names such as final.jpg or even chow300final.jpg will not be accepted)
• Finals must be posted in the finals thread BEFORE the deadline
• Final post must include the CHoW number and the artists username at the bottom of the image
• At least 3/4 of the focus character must be visible
• Follow the brief!

[jsn]

Awesome!

[Rob Powell]

Cool topic! I think I'm gonna go with a queen of good and king of evil or something like that....this should be an interesting round!!

[sony]

yummy!!!
-----sweet and salt----

[BozoTheClown]

Sounds awesome. I'm excited to see what everyone can come up with.

[JanJager]

Interesting topic

[ChromaticCodex]

Just to clarify: Do the characters have to be literal rulers of something or are they metaphorical Monarchs of the quality they represent?

[Eofn]

They are the embodiment of those qualities so in a sense, yet they are literal rulers.

[ChromaticCodex]

Don't know exactly how I will word this idea. I'm thinking Comfort vs Risk or Familiar vs Unknown. Trying to get outside of my comfort zone style-wise. I feel like this is an interesting duality because we look to make things stable and safe in our lives but grow bored with predictable and consistent life. Anyone else relate to this?

[ChromaticCodex]

Thanks Eofn! Just saw your reply after posting my idea. I'll try to make my characters look more like they're in charge of something.

[Pixeltuner]

I actually took this quite literally and thought of a king and queen of the realms of Dystopia and Utopia.

[Jaik]

Hmm, my i9dea involves a number of opposites, but one main one. So long as it isnt too confusing is that okay? or does it miss the point?

[NickyBeats]

posted yesterday...

Pixeltuner is finished today...

[Dread_Reaper]

So we don't have to go character sheets, but do we have to show WIPs with the final image? Just wondering, want to make sure I don't screw it up (as I tend to). SO EXCITED!

Nice work PT. Conceptually I think it would make more sense if you really pushed the "dystopian" aspect. Maybe instead of having him be all chubby have the dystopian guy be all gaunt and haggard, like he's starving or something, and fill out the utopia maiden a but? Just a thought...

-Dread_Reaper

[NickyBeats]

i just wanted to ask if fighter and lover would be opposites?

if not im leaning towards rich and poor (with a sci-fi variation)

[Rhdnor]

Nice work PT. Conceptually I think it would make more sense if you really pushed the "dystopian" aspect. Maybe instead of having him be all chubby have the dystopian guy be all gaunt and haggard, like he's starving or something, and fill out the utopia maiden a but? Just a thought...

-Dread_Reaper

That made sense at first, but then wouldn't a dystopian monarch would have fattened up on ill-gotten gains?

[NickyBeats]

seriously awesome stuff so far guys! i hope this challenge fills up with people!! the more the merrier! tell everyone you can to get in on this! make it something crazy!

anyways, heres just something to get started... i guess im going with rich vs. poor with some type of sci-fi element... kind of like Tron type sleek design for rich, with a more lived in feel for the poor, like more bladerunner feel. anyways, lots more to do!

[NickyBeats]

[Pixeltuner]

DreadReaper: I'm with Rhdnor on this. A totalitarian techno-infused fat nazi-pope as a dystopian king works better as I'm taking the ruler part quite literally Your argument does make sense though if it was a representation of the concept of dystopia.

Nicky I'm sorry. It's far from done though

[jsn]

Looking good so far people!
When I get time I will do Land and Sea!

[Rustveld]

Great topic! I've been wanting to do night/day themed characters, so this is perfect timing.

[BozoTheClown]

Everything is looking so sick. I think im going with order/justice and chaos/injustice. Will post wips asap.

[Suneater]

Excellent topic

Going for a pair of chief deities, representing hope and despair respectively.

First one is the goddess of despair, the Queen of the Abyssal Depths. She dwells in the deepest, darkest part of the ocean and drags down the hopes of mankind with iron chains. Her sacred animals are squids and octopi.

Haven't got any solid ideas for her twin yet (god of hope, King of the Celestial Heights). But its probably going to involve birds P:

[BozoTheClown]

Alright here is what I've been working on, currently i've only done the Order/Justice figure. I'll edit the post when the chaos/injustice wip is done.

A bit on my thought process: The embodiment of order is tall, thin, and is covered in a series of interlocking, symmetrical plates. I'm contemplating making him sightless, since he would be fair. He has two giant hammers, reminiscent of gavels. As well, I'm using his height to convey a sense of authority, similar to the sort seen in judges.

[NickyBeats]

starting to flesh these two out a bit more...

[elephant´s stroke]

Hi there Nicky, if you don't mind a critique, i think that despite the characters looking very cool, the idea of rich/poor is not very obvious. The female looks like a heroin of a comic, and the guy looks kind of a traveller/soldier. I mean if you don't explain the concept, just by looking at them i'd say the duality is queen/slave, power/weakness or something in that line.
Technicaly speaking you are doing a nice job though, specially the guy.

Cheers!

[tianrebzuan]

spam.

[Rhdnor]

Hi there Nicky, if you don't mind a critique, i think that despite the characters looking very cool, the idea of rich/poor is not very obvious. The female looks like a heroin of a comic, and the guy looks kind of a traveller/soldier. I mean if you don't explain the concept, just by looking at them i'd say the duality is queen/slave, power/weakness or something in that line.
Technicaly speaking you are doing a nice job though, specially the guy.

Cheers!

I'd second that Nicky, I get the sci-fi bladerunner vs. slicker sci-fi twist when you explain it however it's not as obvious with just the visual (as 'opposites'). However you are only at the beginning stage so as the drawing progresses it might become more obvious. Having said that, it's only the first week so you have time to explore other ideas that might be more descriptive of the challenge visually.

[cunananm]

spam.

[NickyBeats]

elephant´s stroke - first, thanks for the input dude! really appreciate it! - all valid points, at this stage im more exploring the design, rather than setting up anything final, as far as pose/setting/comp... i do like this idea im going for, and hopefully i will better be able to show that clearly through the image alone. thanks again!

Rhdnor - thanks man! exactly, im still just roughing out a shape for whats to come. it will be more apparent that the topic is rich versus poor in the final image set up (hopefully), so that is what ill be trying to layout tonight. thanks guys!!