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Concept art comments follows 3d comments. Click here to view
Brutikong |
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Old Damaged Pillar
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El Scorcho
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onelung
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Red Republik
DiegoMaia
modeling_man
ThatDon
theerapol
PauloItalo
dkreset
ShadyD
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Community awards are given to two individuals (1 per category) who take time out of their busy schedules to help artists in need. Serious critiques, friendly advice, image samples etc are all ways in which one can help another. Gameartisans’ staff reserves the right to choose these two individuals .
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What the Judges had to say...
Josh [Josh Singh] Singh - Senior Character Artist - 38 Studios
What a great competition! So many great works of art came out of this comp, a lot of artists really stretched themselves creatively and technically for this one too. It was really a fun one to watch, and though I can think of about 20 pieces I really liked, I hade to narrow it down to my favorite 5. So here it goes:
1st Place - Brutikong: Rocksteady.
This piece blew me away, I found myself pouring over his texture maps and his final images wondering "How'd he do that?" There was an element of humor, as well as the grotesque that kept my eyes glued to His mutated Rhino. With so much attention to detail, and in all the right proportions, Rocksteady is the winning entry for me. Great work Brutikong!
2nd Place - El Scorcho: Gunlsinger Spawn.
I watched this thread everyday, looking for updates, and El Scorcho did not disappoint. Oh man! The execution of this entry was so flawless. Lean and mean. The textures, use of u.v. space, The high poly sculpt! it was all a visual feast. This version of Spawn is so bad ass! Somebody should make an action figure out of it....
3rd Place - Onelung: The Penguin
I have to be honest, when I think of the penguin, I usually think of Burgis Merideth's 60's era portrayal. Not very intimidating. But Onelung took the Penguin and pushed the character to a very dark, and awesome place! The pose is great, the Idea is just phenomenal, and the execution tied it all together in a fat, sweaty, pinstriped package that truly shows why this guy is one of Gotham's worst. Simply kick ass.
4th Place - Red Republik: Dark Seid
I am not too familiar with this character, but Red Republik's entry definitely piqued my interest! The sculpt was awesome, the textures made him feel like he just popped right out of a comic book, but what really shines on this entry is the presentation. Like I said, I'm not to familiar with the character of Dark Seid, but the presentation tells me everything I need to know. And the consistency of the presentation from the Winning pose, right down to the Construction sheet really impressed me. Screw Lex Luthor, this guy should be Superman's Nemesis.
5th Place - Theerapol: Predator
Now here's where it gets tricky for me, there were a ton of entries that I loved and that really kicked ass. I must say that in my opinion, The Predator is kind of a tired Character, I am a little burned out on him, BUT! This entry is sooo technically brilliant, I had to include Theerapol in here. I have seen hundreds of Predator models through the years, and this is by far the best real time Predator I have yet to see. There is a saying "It's not who does it first, it's who does it Best." and when it comes to Predator game models, in my opinion, this is the best.
Shout Outs!
grassetti-your Thor felt so Joe Mad! so awesome.
ThatDon- Best Wolvie in the Comp! I think you leveled up as an artist during this comp!
Kotter- Penance was awesome. Loved your material treatments!
modeling_man- Poisoin Ivy, Totally PRO. Your females always rock.
cowboywowo- Cell was spot on! I loved the realistic treatment of the old DBZ style.
DiegoMaia- You nailed Joe Mad's style! I told you in my thread, possibly my favorite Captain America Model ever.
Joxx- Your Morrigan was simply beautiful. Her proportions were just smoking hot.
Rafe- Your Dredd was amazing. I loved the Render, I loved the Sculpt, especially under the helm.
Rawkstar- What a kick ass rendition of Batman. I loved the render, and you engineered the style and design to work well with a simpler diffuse map.
fabmoraes- Your Rocketeer was classic. Just wanted to say you did the character justice.
g2000- Your Batman felt sooo solid! It felt very Jim Lee, and I love that. Very recognizable, very well done.
Ketka- Your Wichblade was absolutely gorgeous. Her pose was so feminine and powerful. I loved how you pulled off the hair as well.
Ben [kongni] Ridgway - 3D graphics, game art, and concept development teacher 每 Detroit College forCreative Studies
1st place - PauloItalo Batman Black & White
This is an absolutely stunning and evocative interpretation of Batman Black and White! The stylized proportions, the chiseled mature features in the face, and the dynamic blend of the classic Batman outfit with ultramodern gadgetry push the design of this classic character to new heights. Congrats Paulo on a job well done!
2nd place - El Scorcho Gunslinger Spawn
This is an incredible artistic translation from the Gunslinger Spawn comic. The attention to costume details makes the renders of this character quite eye catching. I think that choosing a color palette and body proportions that more accurately reflect the comic book rather than the McFarlain toy was a good choice and is refreshing to see. The mesh and texture usage is absolutely flawless as far as I can see. Great work Hector!
3rd place - dkreset Neo Devilman
I really like this design and final presentation of this character! I think that sometimes a 2D comic book character can lose its essence when being translated into 3D but David's stylistic decisions retain the original aesthetic of the character quite well. Also, the painterly style that is present in the final renders looks like it could be a comic book cover illustration! Technically, this model is well executed and holds up well without any reliance on fancy rendering tricks to improve its appearance. Excellent job!
4th place - collings Abe Sapien
What is there not to like about this character? The attention to detail that was put into the skin is really impressive! It made me want to see it up close from all angles just so I could see all of the subtle surface variations throughout the body. The interpretation of the clothing from both comic and movie sources came out really well. The addition of the red trim pieces contrasts nicely with the rest of the clothing and the character's skin color. Very impressive work Nicolas!
5th place - DiegoMaia Captain America
Ok, so there were a LOT of very accurate translations of well known comic book heroes and villains for this comp so my choice of Diego's character over the others was simple. The presentation of his character is one of the most engaging in the competition. The winning pose is clean and well executed and the beauty shot really showcases a sense of strength and determination in the character that is an integral part of the Captain America persona. Overall, this is solid work and will make a strong portfolio piece.
Dan [draxxuss] Rickard - Art Manager - Animation Lead - REDJADE - www.redjade.com (website currently being updated)
I've judged a few times before over the years and this is by far one of the more difficult times I've had to date. I was down to about my top 25 and I was stuck. I would say that at least half of the entries were created at a level that any professional artist would and should be happy with but in many instances the amount of creativity put into the final piece tended to sway me one way or another. Another large factor this time around was listening to my instincts. Like I mentioned there are so many great entries I needed to rely a bit on personal preference. Years ago someone might have gotten extra attention because of the normal maps he had created or that there was some type of new technique used in his texture creation process, but everyone in my top 25 has definite skills.
1st Place Champion - Captain America by Diego Maia
I love it. Easily number 1 for me. Instant desktop wallpaper not once but twice. I am hard pressed to find fault in it except to say that I miss the traditional tiny white temple wings. I'd very much like to see this rendition of Cap in his own solo game. With arguably the most eye catching winning pose submitted, Diego has done himself proud with this beautiful piece of art.
2nd Place Champion - Darksied by Red Republik
You have created an excellent representation of this villain. Clean, strong silhouette and great highpoly are just a few things to mention, however, the impressive presentation played a huge part in getting this entry into my top 5. Very slick! You even made the Construction Sheet interesting. Bravo! I would have like to have seen the red glowing trails emitting from his eyes but overall very good work. Congrats Jeff
3rd PLace Champion - Poison Ivy by Modeling Man
What a Beauty! Solid proportions, excellent high poly, superb colour choice. The beauty shot pose on the left works well but could probably work better with her legs in view if the pose on the right was moved behind. The pose on the right is slightly hard to read and might be better positioned with the left hand slightly out to the side to break up the silhouette slightly. I would like to have seen hair that was slightly longer and bit fuller. Gorgeous eyes. Well done Brian.
4th Place Champion - Rocksteady by Brutikong
What a Beast! You have handled the rendering very well through texture use and lighting. The skin is fantastic. Very creative and imaginative blend of physiological traits. Every time I look at it I see a different part that I'm not quite sure belongs to what type of species. I think more could have been done with the some of the presentation. The construction sheet for example could probably have been laid out more strategically. The winning pose scene is probably the most elaborately made and is a thing of excellence. I laugh every time I see the turtle getting slammed. Way to go Alex.
5th Place Champion - The Penguin by Onelung
This character, aside from the high level of art it was created with, moved into my top 5 for its higher level of creativity. There needs to be a separate award for character props. Batman's head would win! The Penguin has never looked more sinister than now even with his curly nose and gut busting bloody shirt. Even though it wasn't a requirement, I would have spent a bit more time on the pedestal as it is the weakest part of the entry. Also the lighting could have been a bit stronger OR the background colour lightened as the character's silhouette is suffering. The beauty shot read better than the winning pose. This entry also included original concept art. Excellent work Adam.
I'd like to give a few honorable mentions. There were many artists that were right up there for me and, due to one thing or another, had to "leave the island". For some, even though the character was great, there might have been a lack of creativity, or the presentation was dull, or the character choice was unimaginative, personal preference, etc. The following artists have all shown fantastic skills and could easily have gotten into my top 5 with a tweak here or there.
in no particular order:
Donovan Keele -Wolverine
Rafael Grassetti - Thor
Hector Marquez - Spawn
Marcus Pettersson - Penance
Theerapol Srisuphan - Predator
Paulo 赤talo Medeiros - Batman Black&White
Fabricio Moraes - Rocketeer
Goran - Batman
Gabe Jackson - Doctor Octopus
Nicolas Collings - Abe Sapien
Andrew Baker - Lighting Director - Surreal Software [a division of Midway games]
Wow great field! Normally, its not all that tough to pull out 5, but I had to really make some hard calls because there were about 8 that really stood out as notable entries to me. Here is my list of winners.
1st Place Champion - ThatDon - "Wolverine"
Fantastic attention to detail in this characters anatomy all around. This artist chose a very strong, stern & striking pose that is indicative of the characters demeanor. I also think that the choice in color direction was very strong with the play in high and low contrast color. The relationship in specular levels within the range of materials has a subtle balance to it that is just excellent in execution, and a very solid approach to the rendering of the skin tones as well. This is my top selection due to an overall excellent balance of artistic interpretation, character selection, and superlative execution in modeling.
2nd Place Champion - modeling_man - "Poison Ivy"
Solid character selection with Poison Ivy. With this being a more traditional relationship of the female anatomy, this artist was not able to hide behind masks, clothing, helmets, weapons, or the likes to simplify some of the difficult challenges that come with nailing anatomical proportions. A bold approach that was executed with resolve, and fantastic artistic interpretation with the attention to details that make it really pop. The dichotomy of the soft and supple female curves, mixed with the starker, lanky, even creepy details in the hands and feet work fantastically well together with this character selection. I also took notice to the fine attention to details with the addition of the floral elements, not only in their support of "beauty and the beast" metaphor of this superhero, but with the added counter injection of some much needed contrasting colors, a very nice subtle detail that helps sell this phenomenal entry into 2nd place in my book!
3rd Place Champion - DiegoMaia - "Captian America"
DiegoMaia took my 3rd place slot with his fine "Captain America" entry. Of all the entries I thought that this artist brought the best pure comic book stylization with their entry. The post work ads a lot to making this piece "ready to go" as a stunning graphic novel cover right out of the gates. A fine selection of camera angle for the final render that gives this piece that bigger than life feel, and just pulls the viewer right into the scene. I also particularly appreciate the consideration to lighting in this pieces to help establish its tone. A very strong entry, and one that's truly very difficult to place anywhere but in the top of the pack.
4th Place Champion - onelung - "The Penguin"
Onelungs interpretation of the Penguin storms into my 4th place selection with it brazen general attitude and emotion that is exuded with this particular choice of pose, and stylized interpretation of this menacing foe. This artist has depicted a character that exudes a dark disposition and a very ominous presence that is simply striking. While this particular modeling choice of the Penguin does not perhaps test the limits of the most complex modeling challenges; this artist took the extra steps to show that they can flex those muscles too with the addition of the "head of batman" that's truly gruesome with fine details to gawk at. I really like this submission, it has a lot of style, great design decisions, and emotions that help bring it to life.
5th Place Champion - stacey0822 - "Clown"
Stacey0822 takes my 5th and final selection of this comp with the charismatic "Clown" from the Spawn series. I think that this was a very bold character selection that had a lot of more advanced modeling issues to tackle right out of the gates with this particular character depiction. I think that the overall attention to details is fairly sound. The selection in color choices, and lighting were executed well, and the added bit of grit and grim help to solidify this entry into a well balanced submission. I think it's a fun, playful, and energetic piece that goes in the right direction in depicting what being a good comic book villain is all about.
Daniel Cabuco - Studio Art Director - Liquid Entertainment
1st Place Champion - Darkseid - Red Republic
I looked at this piece and was immediately struck by how convincingly this felt like it jumped off the pages of Superman. This piece has great presentation and color. Jeff creatively blended 2d and 3d art together to make a striking image of the Lord of Apocalypse. Additionally it makes good use of the specular, normal, and diffuse maps to bring detail and clarity to the model while truly capturing the essence of a comic book. Every aspect of the image sells Darkseid from the lighting to the pedestal and background image.
2nd Place Champion - Predator: Theerapol
Amazing realism on this model. It feels like it could be in a movie screen. The materials all feel realistic, and his maps make good use of normals to add detail. There was a lot of expert skill involved with his modeling and lighting. I'd love to see more of his eyes (one of the striking things about the original movie when the Predator took his helmet off). The armor around the thighs is a *little* convoluted, and the cloth hanging off the calf looks a little low poly and metallic.
3rd Place Champion - Rocksteady: Brutikong
This awesome re-interpretation of TMNT's enemy makes him feel badass and really mutated. The skin on it feels fleshy and thick, and no part of the design feels overbearing. Alex did a great job with creativity, anatomy, and storytelling. His left hand doesn't quite feel like its holding on to the cleaver, and the lighting doesn't quite tuck in between the toes and fingers enough. The specular map on the pants feels a little too glossy and plastic as well.
4th Place Champion - Captain America - Diego Maia
It's really easy to make Comic Book characters look silly once they're interpreted into 3d or real life. Diego made Captain America look badass. His materials feel plausible (especially the 'snakeskin' of the costume) His proportions are heroic and powerful, and his pose/modeling reminds me of a 'Joe Mad' piece in
3D.
5th Place Champion - Penguin: Onelung
Awesome reinterpretation of the Dark Knight's killer foe. Everyone thinks of the penguin as a stodgy, intelligent, but physically harmless character. With this design Adam challenged that notion and made a character that the Batman could go toe to toe with. The lighting and materials here compliment the mood of Gotham really well. The texel resolution is a little low around the stomach area, resulting in it feeling stretched.
Marcus Dublin - Freelance 3d artist - www.marcusdublin.com
I have to say that this has been one of the best competitions yet and the quality of work displayed throughout has been inspiring to say the least. Now onto my picks!
1st Place Champion - Brutikong
This competition was broken down into two categories, artists who executed on an existing design and artists who put their own spin on an existing design. Alex clearly chooses the latter and it’s one of the reasons why his entry came in number one on my list! The other reasons were due to the sheer polish and execution starting with the design itself. Alex could’ve gone with a symmetrical look for his character and still come away with top honors. Instead he pushed the design and made a freakish representation of a classic character, the mutated rhino look was a great design choice and served the final piece well. Along with the design is the top notch 3d work. The high poly model is extremely well done and carries a nice sense of character to it displaying both technical and artistic skill. Next up is the low poly model itself, which captures the high poly form quite well without sacrificing the edge loops needed for animation. Last but not least is the texture work, the diffuse and specular maps do a great job working with the normal map instead of against it. The diffuse map in particular is well done and has a beautiful sense of contrast, color balance, and detail. The only critique that I have is some of the negative space on the texture sheet; it looks as the through real estate could have been used a bit better in this regard. All in all this the total package for me and I can’t wait to see what this artist comes up with next!
2nd Place Champion - El Scorcho
Hectors Gunslinger Spawn borders on perfection, I mean really how can you poke holes in this entry! Hector did a remarkable job capturing the look and feel of the original design without sacrificing the overall tone the character possesses. Everything from the high poly model to the final game resolution model screams excellence. The texture work in particular is some of the strongest in the comp displaying a number of convincing materials that are easily identifiable to the viewer. On top of that is the attention to detail in the actual sculpt itself, which has just enough detail to make things interesting without coming off as overblown. Add a clean and functional low poly model to the mix and you have yourself one hell of an entry! Ultimately this was an excellent accomplishment and another home run for a super talented artist.
3rd Place Champion - modeling_man
If I had to choose one word for this entry it would have to be sex appeal! I mean there were a number of female characters in the comp but none of them had the level of finesse and polish as modeling man’s Poison Ivy. For starters both the sculpture and modeling are really well crafted showcasing not only the artist’s talent for anatomy but attention to subtle details as well. I’d also like to point out how well the hair was handled, hair is never an easy thing to manage which is makes this entry all the more impressive! With that said the star of the show for me is the textures, and the way in which they were handled. Hands down this is the best texture work of the comp and totally illustrates the artists understanding texture balance. The diffuse map has a beautiful painterly feel to it adding just the right amount of shadow, highlights, color, contrast, and detail. Speaking of detail it was fun looking at all of the little leaves around her body and wondering how it was executed! Last but not least is the beauty shot, which came out fantastic and does a great in showing off the character! With all of that said the artist came through with a strong entry that demands the viewer’s attention. Great job!
4th Place Champion - Red Republik
Let's face it, Darkseid isn’t exactly a fan boy favorite and his design leaves much to be desired! That being said Jeff has somehow managed to turn the simple design into an ass-kicking piece of 3d art. The characters model was very well handled along with the texture work, I especially like the action figure feel the character gives off in the final renders. With that said the true highlight of this entry has to be it’s sheer presentation, which is easily the best of the comp. The comic book feel is evident throughout the final images and does a great job in illustrating what this competition represented! At the end of the day the artist did an amazing job, way to go!
5th Place Champion - Onelung
If Warner Brothers decided to make a stylized CG Batman movie featuring the Penguin, then my vote would have to go towards Adam’s design. This primarily the reason why the character made my top lists! It’s not hard to look at the model and say I want one of those for my desk, the character posses that much charisma and charm! The modeling is spot on from both a technical and artistic point, as it demonstrates a terrific sense of proportion, form and detail. Unfortunately the same can’t be said of some the texture work, which looks to be a bit too dark and gratuitous in certain spots. The contrast and brightness levels tend to work against the silhouette making the characters details hard to read from a distance. Aside from some of the negative points the characters originality won me over in a big way. Nice job!
Runners up:
These were entries that at one point were shifted around the deck and for one reason or another just missed the top spots!
1.Rawkstar: A kick-ass take on Batman that does the character justice. Awesome render as well!
2.ThatDon: Quite possible one of the best representations of Wolverine that I’ve seen in game art format. Totally pro!
3.DiegoMaia: This artist created a killer version to Captain America that really captured the style and sprit of its comic book origin.
4.theerapol: I can’t remember a better take on the Predator and in the game art space, it’s just a shame all of the elements don’t hold up as well as the head.
5.Ketka: Beautiful sculpt with lots of interesting details throughout. Perhaps if the artist had another week this would have place much higher!
6.grassetti: Awesome work across the board.
Jon Rush - Senior Character Artist - EA Bioware Austin - www.pig-brain.com
First place - Gunslinger Spawn - El Scorcho
This is just a solid piece across the board. Very interesting character, exceptional high poly model, perfect translation from high poly to low, efficient low poly construction, creative use of UV's, and a diffuse map that compliments the character perfectly. The poses reveal heaps of character, and are all desktop background worthy. It's a very smart piece - people could learn a lot by studying the assets (ie- check out how he utilized camera facing quads for the drooping chains).
There's really no flaw in this character. If I had to nitpick one thing, it would be that I don't like the wrinkles on the knees - but that's one hell of a nitpick.
Second Place - The Penguin - Onelung
This is another very solid piece - I actually had an extremely hard time deciding if this character or Spawn should get first. Lot's of character punctuated by slick stylization in the model and gesture of the pose I really like how there's a story to be told within the beauty shots- masterfully done.
The attention given to material tactility is paramount in this character. Very well done specular map which shows off the surfaces well. All the colors within the diffuse work great together, and give The Penguin just the right amount of on-screen punch, up close and at a distance.
Like I said, I had a hell of a time deciding which character should be in first place. One item within this character that stood out to me was the texture bluriness on his belly. I realize that's a hard area to tackle perfectly since it's so bulbous, however more UV space should have been alotted to that area to tighten it up, especially since it's such a prominent feature of the model.
Third Place - RockSteady - Bruitkong
The first thing that jumped out at me when I saw this piece was the attention to detail, ranging all the way from the fantastic hoof/hand to the dead turtle keychain. The fusion of human elements with rhino is perfect (and creepy!)! The high poly model is great, and the low poly model is awesome- even though you stopped sculpting at 6,412 tris, I don't feel that any part of the model suffers from blockiness.
I feel the UV's could have used a little more attention since there are some decent sized blank spots in the layout. The textures also feel too clean, and would have benefited from some dirtying up in the end.
Fourth Place - Wolverine - ThatDon
The high poly sculpt is undoubtedly the best Z-sculpt Wolverine I've ever seen. It maintains the look and feel of the comic book hero, but also amplifies the highlights of his persona just the right amount. The translation from high to low is pretty solid- only a couple areas that stand out a little and could have used more attention.
The UV layout is very well done spatially, however there are a couple areas that probably could have been mirrored as there isn't enough visual difference to warrant unique space.
I don't feel that the diffuse complements the model as well as it could. It's seeming to take over the normals due to the very heavy use of baked overlays within it. The end result appears very shadowy and dirty in most places. A little less use of the bakes, and a little more use of color would take this character that much further.
Fifth Place - Witchblade - Ketka
Creating an attractive female using next gen technology has to be one of the most difficult tasks facing a character artist. Your character looks hot! The heroic proportions work very well with her- she's sleek, athletic, and did I mention she's hot stuff?!
The attention to detail in the metallic forms flowing over her really makes the character - very crisp and hard edged. They compliment the curves of her body without detracting from the visual appeal.
The diffuse map is gorgeous, especially in the face. There's a weird orange tone going down the middle of her abdomen, but I don't think that's hurting the 3D asset at all in the final appearance. I feel you would benefit from having color in your specular rather than black and white, especially since so much of this character is exposed skin. Blues in the spec map woul dhave really pushed the feeling of skin even more so.
The UV space could have been laid out a little more efficiently- there seems to be a lot of blank space. In my opinion, sometimes it's worth it to stretch a texture (just a tad!) in order to better utilize the overall sheet space. If a little stretching in a low importance area frees up ample space for other chunks, I feel it's worth it in the end. The legs could have also been mirrored.
Her hair stands out to me quite a bit. The way it's styled coming off the head looks a little unnatural.
Creath Carter (Artician) - Environment Artist, Lord of the Rings Online, Turbine Entertainment - www.creathcarter.com
1st Place: Onelung - The Penguin
This was a tough choice, but I chose this piece for first place due to its unique take on the classic character, its functional design, and fantastic use of poly budget and texture space. The stylized direction of the character grabbed my attention with its obese silhouette, while still retaining all the key characteristics of what gives the Penguin his name. At the same time the modeling and topology looks to allow for a perfectly functional game character, and I'd love to see this guy walking around an environment with his huge, swaggering gut, with that enormous double chin jiggling during dialogue sequences. Add to that a UV layout that makes excellent use of all available space, with enough room left over for props, great texture work in the diffuse and normal channels, and a few, key concepts by the artist for planning; this piece just edged out RockSteady for my number one pick. If only we could get a published Batman game that took this direction with its art!
2nd Place: Brutikong - RockSteady
This model oozes with so much detail and character, I really could consider it 1st-place-number-2. His overall design pulling from the original mythos of the Ninja Turtles universe, with a phenomenally darker, grittier twist, is executed flawlessly. The great story-telling props, texture work and game-functional modeling and topology push this guy over the top. You can immediately tell what this character is all about from a glance, and it's another piece I would love to see running around an interactive environment. The only thing that cost this guy the first place spot for me was not using the full budget of polys to round out some blockier areas of the model, some dodgy specular details on some materials used, the few tiny gaps in the texture sheets, and lack of artist-drawn concepts for this particular design. It was a very hard choice to make. Otherwise this model is one of my all-time favorite takes on a classic comic book character.
3rd Place: El Scorcho - Gunslinger
While it's nice to see peoples personal takes on their favorite characters, this model stands out for its spot-on portrayal of his 2D representation. Everything from the modeling, to the lighting, right down to the materials themselves seemed to jump straight from the pages of McFarlanes art. The texture and material work in particular is absolutely wonderful. The modeling itself showcases great topology and a functional design. The only thing I'd have liked to see further would have been a wider range of motion, particularly in the fingers and hands, and as boring as it is a shot of the spec map would have been a nice addition, just to see how the artist was thinking in terms of material response to lighting. Regardless of these areas this is a pinnacle example of character work.
4th Place: cowboywowo - Cell the 1st
This character is yet another model that is spot on with its comic book counterpart, but what set it ahead of the rest for me was how well suited it was for motion. By far my favorite element of this piece was the wide range of movement you would expect to see from the character. A great sense of control went into crafting this model to suit several dynamic poses, fully capable of recreating scenes straight from the source material. Not many other models in this contest went so far in their accuracy and capability. Not only does this piece feature a beautifully rendered topology that just screams a superior sense of control on behalf of the artist, but capturing of the character from the original design is excellently done. The artists use of color in the specular channel was nicely used to bring out complimentary highlights in the final renders, and it was also nice to see such a high texel-density achieved up close in the finer details.
5th Place: That Don - Wolverine
After staring at this piece along with half a dozen others for a great deal of time, I concluded that I do not think a superior Wolverine model is possible. At least not in this style. The artist has so masterfully captured the proportion, anatomy, posture and attitude of the character that I wished he'd taken more liberties with the design to challenge himself further. The character features a subtle precision. Almost too subtle, to the point that it is so well done that it's flawed in its perfection. In the end what made this character outdo so many others was the material work, particularly the grittiness of the dirt map and AO, which made this Wolverine pop to life more than many others along the same lines. My greatest regret, aside from wishing to see spec map and a better wire-frame shot, was that the artist did not give the character a more dynamic pose. The topology seems so tight and skillfully modeled that I desperately want to see it put to work, and showcase some of that wide range of motion I know it's capable of.
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marco nelor
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Old Damaged Pillar
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1 Year Enhanced Membership
1 Gold GameArtisans profile award (worth 3 points) |
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Bluefley
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1 Sony Piano Black PSP or $150 Cash
1 Silver GameArtisans profile award (worth 2 points) |
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1 Year Enhanced Membership
1 Gold GameArtisans profile award (worth 3 points) |
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robogabo
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$50 credit for Amazon.com (includes shipping)
1 Bronze GameArtisans profile award (worth 1 point) |
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Nolaj
dwinbotp
axelalonso
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Community awards are given to two individuals (1 per category) who take time out of their busy schedules to help artists in need. Serious critiques, friendly advice, image samples etc are all ways in which one can help another. Gameartisans’ staff reserves the right to choose these two individuals .
$30 credit for Amazon.com
1 community gameartisans profile award |
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What the Judges had to say...
Jeff [JeffZugale] Zugale - Concept Artist - 7 Studios
1st Place - marco nelor - Omega Red
Superior technical execution, painterly style and flair, and capturing the spirit and menace of the character gets this one my top pick. Marco has brought out the details where they most need to be and let a looser feel tell the rest of the story. The painting and concept sketches are precisely what you want to see from a professional illustrator. Well done!
2nd Place - nolaj - Barbarella
This one's a lot of fun - I think it would make a stellar trade paperback cover, if anyone ever did a Barbarella comic. Her expression is priceless and playful, her pose is alluring and appropriate to the character. I really like the composition - even though the art has a graphic feel, there's still plenty to look at and the rhythm of movement is pleasing to the eye. I like the color palette a lot too, nolaj is getting a lot of impact out of a narrow range of well-chosen tones and accents. There's some fun evolution through the concept sketches, which are also solid and professional. This one makes me smile every time I look at it!
3rd Place - yaril - Hellboy
yaril did a great job choosing what was obviously a very strong initial sketch and executing it with painterly style and knowledge of the character. Hellboy can be pretty hard to capture - I've done some work with this character, and whoa, Mignola, HELLO - and this image does it well. Another fine pro-level piece!
4th Place - artkitty - Sailor Moon
Oh, now that is just adorable. This one gets a win from me on kawaii factor, as well as top-notch execution! To me this is a very original take on a well-known character, the style reminds me of some of the best animation character designs. artkitty's concept art is as fun as the final piece and the various style attempts on the way to the final are all loaded with life and personality. The background art and color choices do nothing but pop that girl right off the page at me. Nice work, artkitty!
5th Place - Marco Mazzoni - Thanos
This is a spectacular rendition of what probably would have happened had Thanos been able to retain the Infinity Gauntlet! Oh yes, I have that entire series bagged and boarded in my long-box closet. I might pull it back out again now that I've seen this! Thanos is one of my favorite bad guys, and this painting really shows his triumph - come on, he's sitting inside Galactus's head, what a bold statement. Another well-executed painterly piece, this one also gets a lot of mileage out of a limited palette, and the peaceful, organized composition both captures the "calm after the storm" and offsets the somewhat grisly results of Thanos's victory. Excellent!
Honorable Mentions
dwinbotp - Captain America
suppaimon - Wonder Woman
David [-kube-] Kubalak - Art Director - Ensemble Studios/ Microsoft Games
1st Marco Nelor 每 Omega Red
This was a real nice take on the cult-classic villain, Omega Red. From the beginning of the process, the artist nailed the visceral feel of the villain, and carried it through all the way to the end. I really enjoy the extra tid-bits of information put into the model sheet. As a modeler, you would get all of the needed information to allow you to lay out the body, and flush out the geometry needed for his costume. In addition, you get some of the extra lore on his weaponry, which make this model sheet just as interesting as the final piece in my opinion. The winning pose is carried out with as much accuracy and fidelity as the previous concepts. It＊s rendered brilliantly, and has a very engaging palette and composition. This is a great set of pieces, and is a great accomplishment Marco. The whole Package really stands out from the rest of the competition.
2nd Dwinbotp- Captain America
Captain America is one of the most iconic characters in all of comics, and this artist wasn＊t afraid to take some chances on changing up his costume design. From the very beginnings of this design with the concept sheet, the artist was able to keep the key elements of the costume design, as well as refine them and flush out the additional details in the well rendered model sheet. Even with the addition of elements into the costume design, the artist was able to keep Cap＊s tried and true red, white, and blue color scheme. The Winning Pose sheet has a great composition to show off his new design in addition to some additional things about the history or lore of the character. There is a lot of action going on in the piece because Cap is a fearless super soldier, and he＊s battling the Hydra with his nemesis, the Red Skull, also imposed into the red, explosion filled sky line. The image is well rendered and as great pacing to the composition. There are some issues with anatomy in the final piece, but it didn＊t bother me too much because of the complexity of the final piece. This was a really well done piece, nice work Edwin ※dwinbotp§ David. This looks as though it could easily be a cover currently on the latest Captain America series.
3rd robogabo 每 Fallen Angel
This submission has a lot of energy in it from the very beginning to end. The initial concept sheet shows the work flow and process for flushing out the design and composition. From the initial sketches, you can see the life the artist was going to breath into the final piece in the Winning Pose. The model sheet is very clean and clear showing all of the construction lines needed for fast model and texture creation, as well as clear textures on the different materials. The added touch of adding the arms on straight 90 degree angles was a nice addition. The Winning Pose image is nicely crafted, and does a great job of showing off the special attributes of this character, accenting her modified legs which enhance her speed and agility. The pose is great, and the palette and additional views of the characters imposed in the background is a nice touch. Great work Gabriel ※robogabo§ Garza.
4th Nolaj 每 barbarella
Nolaj＊s rendition of the classic Barbarella is extremely spirited and refreshing. There is a great look and energy about all of the accompanying pieces that went with this submission. There is so much character in all of the poses and illustrations in the initial concept sheet. The artist knew what design they wanted from the beginning, and just focused on the depth of the character in the sheet which ends up giving this submission a lot of depth. The modeling sheet is done nicely, and really shows off the style in the unique proportions and energy of the character. The winning pose brings everything together nicely. The character was previously just in black and white, but the color choices and rendering techniques complement the design perfectly. This Barbarella character has a lot of appeal and is extremely animated. This is a solid submission, really nice work Aime ※Nolaj§ Jalon.
5th Bluefley- Hell Spawn
This piece was pulled off well. There is a lot of great imagery out there for Hell Spawn, especially the amazing covers by Ashley Wood. The artist looks as though he started closer to the more slender version at first in the concept sheet, but as the piece evolved＃ he made it his own by shredding his physique among other design choices. The model sheet is well done, and carries a nice stylized look throughout the design. Hell Spawn will look big and imposing. The winning pose has a great unique look to it. It＊s very nicely rendered, with a look that resembles a water color finish. The palette is well thought out, using complementary colors between the background colors and the cape to help it really pop off of the piece. The additions to the design of the model sheet fit right into the design. The weapon is well done, and I really like the idea of carrying the ＆bolts＊ over from the gauntlets into his costume design. It＊s a suit grafted on in the pits of hell, it doesn＊t have to be comfortable! This is a well executed piece, great work Marc ※Bluefley§ Brunet.
Christopher Bonura 每 [cbonura] - Concept Designer - www.cb-concepts.com
Marco Nelor - Omega Red
The subtle palette and crisp render really spoke to me on this one. Nice area of focus, far to often people over render there work and you have no idea what to look at. Great job!
Marco Mazzoni 每 Thanos
Interesting composition. I can tell you put allot of thought into all the elements. I wish you had used a harder brush to indicate your forms though. Harder darks and lights might make this read a little easier. Nice piece none the less. Keep it up.
Blue Fly - Hell spawn/Al Simons
Great render. Really push those shapes when going for an exaggerated look. Try playing with some core shadows in the future to make the lights more defined. Good stuff.
Robogabo - Battle Angel Alita
Really nice composition and palette. The main characters head is on a bit of a tangent with the background elements. Moving the background images left more could really help. As this piece is nice and loose tightening up the main characters face could really make this piece sing. Nice stuff, Keep on painting!
asstornado - zealot
Nice composition. Knocking that creature back might help your focal point. Overall very nice work.
Armando [Mando Magic] Durruthy - 3D Environment Artist at NetDevil, LTD. - 2D Contract
Penciler & Inker at Marvel Comics
1st Place - GuyGrr - KATE BISHOP - The New Hawkeye by Mike Geiger
2nd Place - Bluefley - Spawn - By Marc Brunet
3rd Place - marco nelor - Omega Red - Marco Nelor
4th Place - ZDCoe - Iron Man - By Zachery Coe
5th Place - dwinbotp - Captain America - By Edwin David
Nathan [nazeil] Brock - Senior Artist - Sony Online Entertainment - www.nathanbrock.com
1st Place - Bluefley, Hellspawn
This piece immediately jumped out at me because it felt like a real painting, like I was browsing Greg Staples' gallery. The color choice is impeccable, as is the desaturated tones punctuated by that strong red cloak and glowing gun. The composition is great and keeps my eyes moving round and round, from detail to detail. The modeling sheet retains the feel of the Winning Pose, and the concept sheet is well done. I like seeing the initial thoughts on the different proportions of your character. I have nothing to complain about! Great job!
2nd Place - robogabo, Battle Angel Alita
I love the movement of this piece. The cover is well done, and I really like the three different expressions and poses of Alita. For the same reason I really enjoyed the concept sheet. Each pose and variant is full of character, showing me the artist put thought and effort into each image, exploring a lot of possibilities to find the best one. My only complaint is that she lost some of her femininity in the modeling sheet, specifically around the hip area. Great job though!
3rd Place - marco nelor, omega red
Great dynamic pose and motion in the winning pose - you know right off the bat this guy is a villain. The modeling sheet is well done and well presented. The little details, like showing material types, will certainly help when this is handed off to the modeler. The concept sheet is good and shows a variety of styles, although I would have liked to see more full body/armor variations.
4th Place - asstornado, zealot
Great stuff here. This one feels like it is straight out of a comic book. She is in a good pose, is well rendered, and most importantly sexy! The monster in the background is well done, and I love the silhouettes of hands and tentacles creeping up the image. The modeling sheet is good, and the concepts are well done.
5th Place - yaril, HellBoy
I love the mood of the winning pose. The burning city and Hellboy's dynamic pose are great. It is well rendered and lit well. The rough sketches are good, and give a good variety of cover options. My only complaint is the modeling sheet. It doesn't capture the character shown in the concept sheet or winning pose, and isn't as polished as the rest of the images submitted.
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CHALLENGE EXTENDED TO:
11:59 p.m Eastern Time, Wednesday August 13th 2008
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