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Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Final judging up!

Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

Yeah well...the voter didn't take the time to do good crit :(
 
Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

Well, there is always next time to vote for a picture and do a good vote :)
 
Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

GODDAMNIT FFFFFfuck my lack of Internet for a couple of days. I'm so so so extra sorry I didn't comment, I feel terrible about it. Can I comment on the next round or something?
 
Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

There isn't a next round--I'm doing the judging now. But you can still comment if you like.

Just... talk amongst yourselves while you wait for me not to be lazy? :D
 
Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

Talk talk talk...wait wait wait...wait...

You are having another contest right? You better
 
Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

We'll see, ES, we'll see. ;)

Okay, so. Judging and... and stuff, here we go. We'll start with the honorable mentions, shall we? It's taking me a while to write this and this is going to be a rather large post, so I'll have to write up the judging and all that for the three finalists tomorrow (I hope?). Call it prolonging the suspense, I suppose.

Scores are out of 20 points: 10 for creativity, 5 for adherence to the theme and 5 for technical skill. Of course, you can really only get a 0, a 3 or a 5 for theme: you either didn't follow it at all, followed it partially or did it all correctly. Just about everyone will get at least a 3 there.


Tropiking: I really like the fact that you took the time to color the picture and go for a background as well. Said background is rather simplistic, but at least it's there. The drawing itself is quite nice; the Buizel is very cute, and the Rhydon isn't bad. It's a little anatomically awkward, though. It seems a little top-heavy, the legs could probably be larger and thicker in comparison to the body, and the arms could perhaps be a little shorter. It would also be nice if you'd found another way to hang the 2009 from the Rhydon's face (maybe have it hold the banner between its hands instead, for example); it's a neat idea, but it's a little annoying to have the face obscured like that. The one thing that really bothers me is that the shading is coming from several different directions at once: from the upper right on the Buizel and from the upper left on the Rhydon. I can understand maybe wanting to keep the fronts of their bodies lit instead of shaded for aesthetic reasons, but you still need to try to be consistent.

The New Year's theme fits with the contest. Perhaps you could have done a little more with it, but it's still nice, happy and active. Very well done.

Skill: 3/5
Theme: 5/5
Creativity: 6/10
Total: 14/20


Charizard Morph: This is a really sweet picture. It looks like a very cozy Christmas Eve. The shading and linework are a little too scribbly and shaky, perhaps, but eh, I have a soft spot for sketches. ;) I'm assuming that there's a light source other than the fire in the fireplace, because the way things like the chair are shaded it looks like the light isn't coming from the fire; the dog, which is much closer to the fire than most other things, shouldn't have its back shaded when there's a light source immediately behind it. Speaking of the fire, it looks a little too smooth and straight, too neat; I don't exactly know how to describe how to fix it other than looking at other pictures of flames and seeing how... jagged? they are. The chair itself looks as though it's leaning to the right, so be a little more careful with that. The dog's anatomy is sort of off; I suppose the big nose could be intentional if you thought it was cute, but what really bugs me is its rear leg--it's bending exactly the same way as the front leg, and legs aren't shaped like that. The proper shape is a bit more like a lightning bolt... it's sort of hard to explain in words, so try looking at this and see what I mean. It's old and messy and I've been meaning to redo it, but it should get the point across.

The picture is rather simple overall, but it's still very sweet. The warm, inviting atmosphere really gets me, I think.

Skill: 3/5
Theme: 5/5
Creativity: 6/10
Total: 14/20


Kai: Very simple--a bit too simple, a background or some more props might've been nice--but very quirky. I don't really know anything about Boxing Day so I had to look it up. While your picture is quirky and comical, it doesn't really seem too related to anything having to do with Boxing Day as far as I could tell. I don't know, maybe it's just something I wouldn't know because I'm American; if you'd care to explain, I could give you a little more credit for whatever aspect of the holiday you're paying homage to or mocking.

Art-wise, the picture is nice. The corner's still a bit dark, but I realize that working with the camera can be difficult. There are a few pencil specks you probably could've erased a little better, though. It's shaded and colored which is always good, but do try to be a bit more careful with the lineart--the way one of the lines from your collar is extending up into your chin, for example. I'm personally not fond of the whole animé/manga "seeing the eye/eyebrow through the hair" thing, but if that's what you want to do then fine, it isn't a problem. I think your friend's eyes/eyebrows are too far up on the face given the fact that they're looking down, though. I also don't think that the drink is tilted far enough to really be spilling like that.

It would have been nice if there was more to the picture and if its connection to the contest theme was made clearer, but hey, it's always funny to see drunk people and I like the expression on your face.

Skill: 3/5
Theme: 3/5
Creativity: 5/10
Total: 11/20


Mewtwo: Aww, Kirby is cute. It's an awfully simple picture, and adding more to it than just a party hat with "Happy New Year" written on it would've made it more interesting--something like the confetti and banners in Tropiking's picture, for example, and the way that Buizel is using its Aqua Jet to pop up a little like a firecracker. It's rather hard to judge skill based on a simple, spherical character with a hat and nothing more, so perhaps I could've given you more in that area if there was more to the picture. I can say that the coloring is very, very shaky and patchy, though, to the point of becoming distracting. It looks like the markers you were using to color it in were running out of ink, and if at all possible I think you should've tried to find fresher ones and color Kirby in a little more smoothly.

I think the lesson here is that you need to be more adventurous with your pictures! It would've allowed you to do more with the contest's theme and been great practice as well. It is still quite cute, though.

Skill: 1/5
Theme: 3/5
Creativity: 2/10
Total: 6/20


Blastoise428: Another cute one. Unfortunately, the picture's sort of dark and rather grainy. I don't know how much you can really do about it (did you get access to your friend's scanner or did you have to take a picture?), but perhaps there was another way to at least save the image without it picking up a bunch of pixels along the lines. Assuming that you did use a camera, I'll tell you the same thing I told Kai a few pages ago: try asking Dannichu what she does to get her photographs to turn out clearly. If you did scan it, try fiddling with the settings a little more to see if you can fix it.

Anyway, the picture is very cute and festive. Snover's left (our right) side is a little too straight, I think. And you might have wrapped the string of lights around it too many times, because it is a little distracting. The entire picture is leaning/bending to the left, so try to be a bit more careful and make sure things line up the way they should before coloring. As for the coloring, it's a bit scratchy, and there doesn't appear to be any shading; it wouldn't look as flat if you had shaded it. And what's that little red bit in the corner? It looks like you were testing a pencil there. Maybe you should have done that on a different sheet of paper or at least much farther away from the picture itself, because it sort of detracts from the whole thing. :/ An adorable picture, though, and a good effort overall.

Skill: 2/5
Theme: 5/5
Creativity: 6/10
Total: 13/20


Kinova: Ah, fireworks on New Year's Eve. Of course, I don't really live anywhere that bothers with fireworks unless it's July 4th, so aside from watching a disco ball drop on television this picture's probably as close as I'm going to get to seeing any. :P Anyway, it's very nice. The girl's head is a bit big for her body, though, and I think her left (our right) eye is a little too long and too close to the side of her face (shrinking the eye would fix that, though, so that's the only real problem with it). I really like her hand, and I can see that you tried to do at least a little with the folds of her clothing, so that's cool. The fireworks reflecting in the window are a nice touch, but the effect isn't quite right. They look more like odd little colorful things floating in the house than actual reflections. I'm afraid that I can't really think of a way to fix it, however. Maybe try adding some highlights to the window glass, and finding a way to position the highlights over at least one of the firework reflections? I don't know if that's a very helpful explanation, sorry, but I don't really know what I'd do in that situation, either.

This picture, like many of the others, is really simple, so that hurts it a bit in the theme department; I mean, I know that you said it's New Year's Eve fireworks, but there honestly isn't much else in the picture itself that means it couldn't also be, say, for July 4th or Guy Fawkes day or whatever it's called, or anything else that might involve fireworks. Maybe putting a Christmas tree or other holiday decorations behind the girl or some snow on the windowsill could've helped cement it a little more. Even though it didn't come across perfectly, however, I do really like that you tried to depict the reflections of the fireworks in the window--major creativity points for that. Very cool.

Skill: 3/5
Theme: 3/5
Creativity: 8/10
Total: 14/20


If those scores don't add up properly or if you have any comments about my judging, don't be afraid to speak up. Hopefully I'll be able to get to the three finalists tomorrow, so hang on tight.
 
Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

I. Got. A. 6.

But oh well. Thanks for critting my drawings. Someone told me to use colored pencils in my thread.
 
Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

Sorry for the extra few days' wait, but here we go. The scores for the three finalists and the awarding of prizes that will probably be a little while in coming due to the amount of stuff I have to do sorry D:. We'll go from third place to first, then, mkay?


PichuK: A very simple and very cute picture. I really like the way you added texture to it; not a lot of people around here generally bother too much with that. I think perhaps the whole thing looks a little pixellated, especially the linework and the eyes, but it isn't bad. A color other than solid black (or something so close to it) might have been a better choice there, though; it wouldn't stand out quite as much. It's a little difficult to tell whether what the Delibird has in its beak is its tail or a bag, since if it's the tail it doesn't look like it's attached to the body; I'm also fairly certain that Abomasnow's mouth is underneath that big bear (or, well, I guess it would be a mustache). Those probably aren't huge problems, though; really, the only major structural gripe I can see is that the Abomasnow's fingers are a little awkwardly placed and the fingers on the right (our left) hand are much smaller than those on the other side.

Like many of the other pictures in the contest, I really think this could've used some sort of background, or at least a few more props or something. I know I'm the last person to be talking about working with backgrounds, but even if you don't have a lot of confidence with them they can really tie a picture together more. There was also a lot of white in this particular picture, so at the very least a dark color as a backdrop might've looked nice. Anyway, the expressions are cute and it really makes me giggle. Very cute indeed.

Skill: 3/5
Theme: 5/5
Creativity: 7/10
Overall: 15/20


Dannichu: This picture is very happy and lively, and it feels very festive. And, of course, it's slathered with your trademark cuteness. Unfortunately I'm so out of the loop with everyone in the Obsessive Scribblers club that I don't recognize most of the people in the picture, but it is still really nice. The coloring is very thorough, although there are a few blips here and there. The coloring on the wall is a little patchier than the rest, although I do know it's difficult to color large areas with pencil and keep it all even. I can see that you tried to cast a little of the fire's red glow onto things like the tree, the stockings and your shoulder, but I think you might've tried a little too hard--I don't think the light would be that deep a red. Something a little lighter and more subtle probably would've done the job there, because as things are it looks like those edges were dipped in orange paint. :/

In general your skill with hands is improving. Mine are rather... small, though. And whoever that is that's hanging off of the garland on the left side of the picture... I think her arm should probably be visible, as her fingers look sort of disembodied as they are. Vlad's head looks a little too heart-shaped from the side, I think (but I adore those fuzzy pink slippers, they're hilarious!). I think there's something wrong with the foot of whoever that is behind the tree; it looks like it's at an odd angle. Try to be a little more careful and build up the shape of the leg and foot properly, even if clothing or objects are going to be in the way in the end product. And Kai's hind leg shouldn't be so circular; the joints should be a little more distinct and fold sort of like a "z".

The last thing I have to say is that I'm a little distracted by... whatever's behind the picture. Is it some sort of plastic lei or something? A slightly closer shot, or at least putting the sketchbook on top of a large sheet of cardboard or paper or something as a backdrop, would minimize stuff like that. It's still a really nice, cozy picture overall, though, very Christmassy and sweet (and SLIPPERS).

Skill: 3/5
Theme: 5/5
Creativity: 8/10
Overall: 16/20


Vladimir Putin's LJ: Gotta love that Alwin, man, gotta love 'im. This is a very good picture as always, and of course I have to give you major props for the full color and detailed background. Perhaps the tree could use a little more detail--it looks a little too smooth and soft. I can see that you tried to give it some texture, and it's probably not easy to do a pine tree with markers, but maybe using colored pencils (if you have them) or something might have helped? Other than that I really don't have much to say about the coloring; it's very smooth and well done. There are a few spots you slipped up a little on, Alwin's hand on his hip, for example, and that line in his fishnets (unless that's a scar or something), but for the most part you have to look closely to see those.

Your human anatomy is, as usual, very good, much better than anything I could usually do. I don't know, I think his torso seems a little short, and maybe his hips are too narrow or his shoulders a little too wide... I also think his extended leg is twisting a little too far once it gets below the knee.

All in all, though, it's a well-made, very fun little picture (I like the cookie in his mouth and the little bells by his crotch) and I like it. Great job, and congratulations! :)

What do the words say, by the way? My two years of largely-forgotten German and some guesswork say... something like "happy and lucky something new year", right?

Skill: 4/5
Theme: 5/5
Creativity: 10/10
Overall: 19/20

Okay! So, I think that's it. PichuK gets third place, Dannichu gets second place and VLPJ gets first. As I said before, congratulations to the three of you--PM me whenever you get the chance and we can talk about prizes--and thanks to everyone who entered. We'll have to do this again sometime in the future. Again, if there are any questions about anything, let me know. So, um, thanks again and I hope everyone had fun and got something out of this!

Now if you will all excuse me I am sick of writing this and have some other stuff to catch up on, so ciao, adieu, aufweidersen (or however you spell it, I forgot all my German, remember?), et cetera, g'night.
 
Woo! Third! Thanks, Kratos, for the contest. I had a fun time making my little picture, and I think most of the other people did, too. Good to see something different for a change.
I'll keep these notes in mind for next time.
Grats to Dannichu and Vladimir. :D
 
Eee, that was a fantastic contest~ Thanks so much for running something for the non-spriters on the forum to take part in :3
And the crit aspect especially is fabulous.
 
Re: Holiday Art Contest! Accept no imitations! Judging up soon!

Haha, I wasn't expecting to win, awesome! Alright, I'll definitely message you soon for the prize. Congratulations to both Dannichu and PichuK for making it in the finals too, both of your pictures are sweet, and I could crit them a little as well if you'd like. I won't hijack your thread thiough, Kratos.

Okay, and I'll just answer a couple of things, but not to complain (hopefully!):
VladiPerhaps the tree could use a little more detail--it looks a little too smooth and soft. I can see that you tried to give it some texture, and it's probably not easy to do a pine tree with markers, but maybe using colored pencils (if you have them) or something might have helped?

Yeah, the tree's definitely one of the worst bits of the drawing. Especially with the candles, they look like they're just hanging there, like someone commented earlier. And the tree's slipping/melting towards the right.

Other than that I really don't have much to say about the coloring; it's very smooth and well done. There are a few spots you slipped up a little on, Alwin's hand on his hip, for example, and that line in his fishnets (unless that's a scar or something), but for the most part you have to look closely to see those.
I got really frustrated about the slip-ups. Some (like the red on the corset bleeding on the white of the frills or the red of the tablecloth on the white frills [again]) were because I was using this really thin, regular A4 printer paper that makes Copics bleed everywhere and some (like the red on the hand) are because I was watching Project Runway while colouring and I got distracted ):

I definitely agree that there are lots of issues with the anatomy, like the shoulders being a bit too wide compared with the hips, the weird left (our right) leg, his head being too big and his bum being too flat. His neck's a bit long, too.
And no, the thing on his right (our left) leg isn't a scar, I really just messed up. Those fishnets were hell to do, seriously.

What do the words say, by the way? My two years of largely-forgotten German and some guesswork say... something like "happy and lucky something new year", right?
Fröliche Weinachten und ein glückliches Neues Jähr -> Happy/Jolly/Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Yeah I placed it strangely so it looks like it should read like Fröliche und ein glückliches Weinachten Neues Jähr buuut that doesn't mean much :v

This was a great fun, I defenitely hope someone will make another Art contest soon.
 
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