My vote goes to Chris Cote's Golem Lord. The colors are rich, and the pose is relaxed but the eyes are fixed and intimidating. Silently powerful, just like I would imagine a golem! He really looks like a Lord!!!
Favorite part is the crown, though, and the bits of wire holding it together.
Wow, I'm impressed -- everyone uses such different art styles, and they all look awesome!!
I voted for Aeontropy's Future Sight. I really like the eye symbols, and the level of detail is incredible, especially at such a small size. Full bleed looks great, plus the contrast of orange and blue is nice.
I participate in contests because contests ARE motivation for me. It's hard to set a deadline for myself, and then stick to it -- I guess I think because I *created* the goal, I can also change the goal, or get rid of the goal altogether.
I'm going to be a bit of an ass, however, and admit that the quality kind of takes a dip. Not going to lie -- I do a much better job on my own projects, or projects I'm getting paid for, because I either LOVE what I'm drawing, or I'm getting enough money to PRETEND I love what I'm drawing.
Nevertheless, a contest is a wonderful way to stretch my boundaries and to get my lazy butt working at something. A contest gives me the opportunity to draw things I normally wouldn't. And at the end of it all, I'm left with a sense of accomplishment, along with a pretty nifty (and strikingly different) piece for my portfolio.
-Snip-
Anyway, I went with Zombie Shakespeare. Excellent movement and direction, clean and (deceptively) effortless style. Plus I love the lens flare!!!
One month is plenty of time, does it take you guys a month to paint a single card, honestly? A few hours? So you have to set aside a few hours one day out of your month to enter the contest. Sometimes things come up in a person's life and they cannot find those few hours, that's fine.. extended the contest for another month is pointless, they can attend the next month's contest.
Hmm ... there seems to be a bit of a *difference* between the Alters and the OriginalArt entrants. I don't do alters, but coming from a fine arts standpoint, a lot of Altered cards I've seen either end up as 1) a seamless extension of the original card as printed by Wizards or 2) something that's COMPLETELY different (and better).
But are the contests that run for Alters, DigiAlters, OriginalArt, and Photoshop staying separate? Or are we combining some of them? I'm a bit confused.
Erm, I've never entered a contest, but if I WERE to enter a contest, I'm going to voice what's been said before me -- I'd prefer a strict deadline, but a flexible category.
I definitely only draw people and not landscapes, and not creatures, and not anything else. I imagine other artists also have their niche, and allowing us to draw/paint/render what (honestly) we're probably already working on prior to the contest announcement will boost the number of entries.
Yeah, it may not get us to stretch our boundaries (paint what you already love to paint!) but I'm guessing by the OP that you're worried about participation ... so I figure we ought to address the numbers issue ...
Also, since I'm slow, I'd prefer 2 months instead of 1 month, but I realize I might be in the minority here ...
Oh, wow, that is incredible. And you only used Sharpies? You got such amazing color and depth -- there's SO MUCH DETAIL, it's just insane. Mind posting a few more detail shots, so we can see what you've done to the cities and everything???
Great job on this. It turned out spectacular!!! You should be proud!
Hehe, I have to agree. That Angel's Mercy card is pretty awful. Just ugly, plain and simple.
And I know you all might kill me for saying this, but I REALLY hate how the Avacyn card turned out.
I mean, seriously. Her pose is just awkward. Blossom and Bubbles and Buttercup ALL look more epic and more interesting than she does, and she's the namesake card for the set!
Granted, she's not anatomically incorrect, nor is the problem about painting or skill, because the wings are very well done.
But that moonsilver spear is so big and unwieldy, it makes me want to cry. The foreshortening is just plain WRONG, and you don't hold a weapon that high up on the shaft if you're intending to show it off (or you know, actually STAB something with it). Moreover, the legs have to compensate for the weight of the spear, which just throws her body into the ugliest diagonal ever.
Now, the following is just a spoof card but I swear it looks better than the real card ... Oh Jason Chan. Why, oh why didn't you paint two equally awesome Avacyns, instead of one really good, and one really not-so-good?
Yay, thank you everyone for discussing this so in-depth! I would be really excited if it actually came to fruition, because I think the end product could be SPECTACULAR.
Granted, I am a newbie to these forums, but from just a few days around these boards, I can tell you that there is a very small, but very talented art group here. I wouldn't mind contributing artwork myself, and commission-free, of course, though I will admit that my limitation is that I only draw in grayscale and not in color.
I will say, however, that this community has some excellent original CG artists, and given enough working time, I believe they could put out a product on par with Wizards standards. Also, the artists who participate in the DigiAlters and traditional Alters forums are also quite amazing. Photomanips are beautiful, and while I know they can't really distributed on account of copyright, basically it comes down to the fact that these Custom Card things are NEVER going to be made into prints or sold at conventions ANYWAY. They're just a fun thing for our boards, after all.
My final opinion: If the artists on our forums were given a longer time limit (say 2-3 months to work on a piece instead of just 1 month) I think we could get more artists to participate, and at a much higher level of quality as well.
Hehe, yes I have been to a couple cons -- an anime con and a sci-fi con -- but I haven't been able to find the *perfect* convention yet, one that I'm absolutely in love with. I hear the MTG Grand Prix and Pro Tour things are pretty interesting, so I'll have to check those out ... and OMG, San Diego Comic Con would be a dream come true!!!
I'm curious though -- mind sharing what your coloring process is? I saw your Saproling and it looks freaking fantastic. At first I thought it was ... uh, watercolor and pastel, but now that I'm looking at it, do you work completely in CG?
Also, since I'm just getting started in the game, I'm curious -- is it common for the lands to run in one panoramic picture, or was that just an Eldrazi thing?
As for my personal fav ... I know Ravnica is pretty standard as far as "best land" goes but man, this island! The perspective, the colors, it's just so incredible ...
Anyway, are there any other sets that have good lands?
The battlemages also have the additional cost which makes it feel like they are casting extra spells. And they don't have any strictly combat related abilities, which matches their creature type being just Wizard but not also Soldier, Warrior, Knight, etc.
I suppose I do not want to design a battlemage after all ... Correct me if I'm wrong here, but a battlemage reminds of this:
Actually, if I had the best of both worlds, it would be a multiclass ranger-druid character, because ranger by itself has crap spells, and druid by itself can't melee very well.
Anyway, this ranger-druid thing is why I opted for a 4/4 power-toughness right off the bat ... I thought, erroneously, that simply having a high P/T beater in blue was enough of a "hybrid" mage-warrior thing ... Clearly, that is not the case, and I am glad you all have shown me that!
I just want to take a second to say how grateful I am to everyone who's posted here. I've definitely skipped a step -- trying to design cards without knowing how to play MTG is like being GM for an MMO and not knowing how to play the MMO.
I will definitely keep all your suggestions in mind. As in, what situation, or what kind of deck, do I see my card working well in? And making sure that the abilities match the creature type and the color, too. I love all the cards you have designed, or what you've done to tweak my creations into something that actually makes sense/works. I might just end up plagiarizing you all if I'm close to deadline -- I do need a birthday present *before* the birthday, after all!
Also, I think I found a hobby shop that hosts sealed deck and booster draft tournaments several days throughout the week! That way, I'll get a much better sense for how the game works! I'm excited!
If you don't mind, I will show you my progress on the card, as I am drawing it atm. Would that be more appropriate in the Artwork section, though? I don't want to necro this thread for no reason ...
Favorite part is the crown, though, and the bits of wire holding it together.
Question: would Gargoyle or Shapeshifter be legal for the contest?
I voted for Aeontropy's Future Sight. I really like the eye symbols, and the level of detail is incredible, especially at such a small size. Full bleed looks great, plus the contrast of orange and blue is nice.
I'm going to be a bit of an ass, however, and admit that the quality kind of takes a dip. Not going to lie -- I do a much better job on my own projects, or projects I'm getting paid for, because I either LOVE what I'm drawing, or I'm getting enough money to PRETEND I love what I'm drawing.
Nevertheless, a contest is a wonderful way to stretch my boundaries and to get my lazy butt working at something. A contest gives me the opportunity to draw things I normally wouldn't. And at the end of it all, I'm left with a sense of accomplishment, along with a pretty nifty (and strikingly different) piece for my portfolio.
Anyway, I went with Zombie Shakespeare. Excellent movement and direction, clean and (deceptively) effortless style. Plus I love the lens flare!!!
Yeah, if it comes down to it, I'll draw a card for some CC contest winner. Whether they actually want me to or not.
Hmm ... there seems to be a bit of a *difference* between the Alters and the OriginalArt entrants. I don't do alters, but coming from a fine arts standpoint, a lot of Altered cards I've seen either end up as 1) a seamless extension of the original card as printed by Wizards or 2) something that's COMPLETELY different (and better).
But are the contests that run for Alters, DigiAlters, OriginalArt, and Photoshop staying separate? Or are we combining some of them? I'm a bit confused.
I definitely only draw people and not landscapes, and not creatures, and not anything else. I imagine other artists also have their niche, and allowing us to draw/paint/render what (honestly) we're probably already working on prior to the contest announcement will boost the number of entries.
Yeah, it may not get us to stretch our boundaries (paint what you already love to paint!) but I'm guessing by the OP that you're worried about participation ... so I figure we ought to address the numbers issue ...
Also, since I'm slow, I'd prefer 2 months instead of 1 month, but I realize I might be in the minority here ...
Great job on this. It turned out spectacular!!! You should be proud!
The one I showed the picture of, this one by Richard Wright. It's just fantastic.
And I know you all might kill me for saying this, but I REALLY hate how the Avacyn card turned out.
I mean, seriously. Her pose is just awkward. Blossom and Bubbles and Buttercup ALL look more epic and more interesting than she does, and she's the namesake card for the set!
Granted, she's not anatomically incorrect, nor is the problem about painting or skill, because the wings are very well done.
But that moonsilver spear is so big and unwieldy, it makes me want to cry. The foreshortening is just plain WRONG, and you don't hold a weapon that high up on the shaft if you're intending to show it off (or you know, actually STAB something with it). Moreover, the legs have to compensate for the weight of the spear, which just throws her body into the ugliest diagonal ever.
Now, the following is just a spoof card but I swear it looks better than the real card ... Oh Jason Chan. Why, oh why didn't you paint two equally awesome Avacyns, instead of one really good, and one really not-so-good?
Granted, I am a newbie to these forums, but from just a few days around these boards, I can tell you that there is a very small, but very talented art group here. I wouldn't mind contributing artwork myself, and commission-free, of course, though I will admit that my limitation is that I only draw in grayscale and not in color.
I will say, however, that this community has some excellent original CG artists, and given enough working time, I believe they could put out a product on par with Wizards standards. Also, the artists who participate in the DigiAlters and traditional Alters forums are also quite amazing. Photomanips are beautiful, and while I know they can't really distributed on account of copyright, basically it comes down to the fact that these Custom Card things are NEVER going to be made into prints or sold at conventions ANYWAY. They're just a fun thing for our boards, after all.
My final opinion: If the artists on our forums were given a longer time limit (say 2-3 months to work on a piece instead of just 1 month) I think we could get more artists to participate, and at a much higher level of quality as well.
I'm curious though -- mind sharing what your coloring process is? I saw your Saproling and it looks freaking fantastic. At first I thought it was ... uh, watercolor and pastel, but now that I'm looking at it, do you work completely in CG?
Also, since I'm just getting started in the game, I'm curious -- is it common for the lands to run in one panoramic picture, or was that just an Eldrazi thing?
As for my personal fav ... I know Ravnica is pretty standard as far as "best land" goes but man, this island! The perspective, the colors, it's just so incredible ...
Anyway, are there any other sets that have good lands?
I suppose I do not want to design a battlemage after all ... Correct me if I'm wrong here, but a battlemage reminds of this:
D&D druid/cleric = moderate armor, strong spells, moderate HP, moderate attack
When, really, in all honesty, I guess the MTG card I want to create is definitely leaning more toward the fighting side, as in:
D&D ranger/paladin = moderate armor, minor spells, strong HP, strong attack
Actually, if I had the best of both worlds, it would be a multiclass ranger-druid character, because ranger by itself has crap spells, and druid by itself can't melee very well.
Anyway, this ranger-druid thing is why I opted for a 4/4 power-toughness right off the bat ... I thought, erroneously, that simply having a high P/T beater in blue was enough of a "hybrid" mage-warrior thing ... Clearly, that is not the case, and I am glad you all have shown me that!
I just want to take a second to say how grateful I am to everyone who's posted here. I've definitely skipped a step -- trying to design cards without knowing how to play MTG is like being GM for an MMO and not knowing how to play the MMO.
I will definitely keep all your suggestions in mind. As in, what situation, or what kind of deck, do I see my card working well in? And making sure that the abilities match the creature type and the color, too. I love all the cards you have designed, or what you've done to tweak my creations into something that actually makes sense/works. I might just end up plagiarizing you all if I'm close to deadline -- I do need a birthday present *before* the birthday, after all!
Also, I think I found a hobby shop that hosts sealed deck and booster draft tournaments several days throughout the week! That way, I'll get a much better sense for how the game works! I'm excited!
If you don't mind, I will show you my progress on the card, as I am drawing it atm. Would that be more appropriate in the Artwork section, though? I don't want to necro this thread for no reason ...