Mini Comp suggestions thread.

[Tuke]

It'd be cool to have a mini-challenge with significant design constraints.

Examples: only use 2 or 3 colors, only have curved surfaces, characters without legs, etc etc.

[womball]

How about a well advertised challenge where you have to help a noob or just decent crits in the WIP section with crits and paintovers. A lot of people only show up for the challenges so perhaps this may help with greater forum participation. Offer awards to people who really help others improve and link back to the thread for references in the future.

Anatomy contests about common issues could also help too. Clothing and metal texturing is another potential contest.

A color spec contest where your given a model, normal and diffuse and have to create an effective color spec. Rendering and material effects are also part of the contest.

Lighting contests in marmoset and UDK. Go over the concepts of 3 point lighting, portrait lighting, studio lighting, bounce cards and more.

[Frostburn]

I suggest a cross-genre contest -- depict an environment, character or concept from one setting as it would appear in another. The difference can be as extreme as a Drider from the Dungeons and Dragons setting remade as a utility bot in the year 3000, or as simple as re-equipping an elf sorcerer with an archaeologists outfit from the early 1900s.

A drawbridge in a Tron universe or an electric power plant in the fantasy world (where they literally have to tame lightning) are potential examples for environment pieces.

Just think of something that you've only seen in one genre and attempt to translate it into another. Genres include (but are definitely not limited to) Sci-Fi future, post apocalyptic, steam-punk, horror, fantasy, modern day and alternate-modern day. (Alternate-modern day is a world like ours where a different history has changed our daily lives. Steam-punk is one example, the world of Full Metal Alchemist is another -- alchemy replaces physics in terms of technology).

Some examples of cross-genre works include these:

"Steampunk Dragon" by kerembeyit on Deviant Art http://kerembeyit.deviantart.com/


"WhoIsSpock" by Andreiszasz http://www.andreiszasz.com/

[EyeforanI]

xPunk Makeover. You've seen these styles at work before.

Steampunk: Back to the Future 3, Final Fantasy 6, Wild Wild West
Atompunk: The Jetsons, Incredibles
Cyberpunk: The Matrix, Blade Runner, Deus Ex
Decopunk: Sky Captain
Biopunk: Frankenstein, The Fly, Dark Angel (2000 TV show)
Dieselpunk: The Rocketeer, Captain America The First Avenger

Take any game character and redesign them retro-future sub-style. Examples: Cyberpunk Shinobi, Steampunk Super Mario, Atompunk Lord British, Biopunk Sonic, or Decopunk Kratos.

[Melrick]

just was reading this http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012...overed-germany and thought we could do some fairy tale comps

[Draxxuss]

I like that idea Melrick.