Wow, you all outdid yourselves in our first non-UGO event, Character Contest 80: Wrath! We have a ton of great Finalists to present, so without further ado, here are the ones I thought stood out the most for one reason or another.
No, wait, a few more ados. First, I very much appreciate everyone who takes the time to name their entries properly and to post the direct links. It makes things so much easier.
Second, I believe that dblade is generously starting a new award where he'll randomly select one non-winning Finalist for whom he will do a custom HeroMachine 3 item, which is pretty awesome. Thank you, sir!
Third, I am now in Austin and I start my new job today. I'll be doing my best to keep blog content and administration flowing at its usual pace, but please bear with me during the next week or two as I continue this major life transition.
And NOW with no further ado, your Finalists!
I loved the wide arms creating the effect of the character looming out of the darkness to embrace the viewer in Abominal401's "Imperial".
ajw put together a wonderful environment of a city in flames, with a looming demon in the skies. It's a great effect.
Alvacascus consistently brings an unusual and wonderful perspective to these illustrations, and this week is no different. I love the character design, but the real star is the way the environmental elements are cropped and arranged to bring a ton of life and interest to the composition.
AMS gives us a wonderful angry futuristic pirate. I love the colors, the item choices, and the overall impact of the figure itself.
I got a good laugh out of this one from Atomic Punk.
Blue Blazer tells a great story with this character study.
dblade makes wonderful use of color here to make certain elements pop.
FRM put together a great environment, including simple but effective touches that definitely sell the effect of a rain of fire.
Gendonesia's "Kung Fu" features a great central pose, but what I love about it is the setting, especially the lighting. The menacing figures in shadow behind the well-lite main actor are a fantastic touch.
Gurong7's "Clown Wrath" is just wonderfully bizarre.
I love headlessgeneral's composition here. The bloody letters in the background and the character's expression all work together with that composition to sell the concept beautifully.
Imp's Wrath features both a great character and composition, plus something I never thought I'd like -- a letter belt buckle that actually works!
Kaylin88100's red-dominated female fury has a ton of great touches that make for a great illustration.
Kwnnos' "Burning Rome" captures a classic "postery" feel. I made that word up. Anyway, the poster looks awesome.
Kytana wrings emotion from her composition that really hit hard.
I loved Luclucluc's background elements in "The Troll".
I like horses and I am thankful ours can neither turn into smoke nor set their hooves afire. Unlike Martian Blue's.
I can't figure how Moognation managed this "beam of light: effect but I really like it.
After a bit of a hiatus, I'm very glad MScat is back, and you can see why in this awesome illustration.
Finally, PapaKrok put together a great composition that looks like it could have come right out of a comic.
Alas, there can be only winner, and this week the award goes to an illustration that I thought had the best combination of theme, composition, and execution. That illustration belongs to ... AMS and his "Ahab"! I love his expression, his outfit, the colors, and the understated yet unmistakable rage on his face. Well done, sir!
Congratulations as well to all of our Finalists as well as to everyone who entered this week. I sincerely appreciate your hard work and creativity, one and all.
Good contest. I really like Papakrok’s entry.
Amazing work, all! I can’t imagine how much time and effort these took. Even for me to do something really basic takes two to three hours.
Congrats, ams and all of the other finalists! Ahab was a wonderful reimagining of a classic character. And he certainly looks angry.
Gratulate for all the finalist. Great pictures.
I made five entry and neither finalist, im a little bit sad, but i also give my best next time.
i was, honestly, not expecting to be a finalist. Congrats to all.
Glad to be a finalist, the way some of the illustrations personified anger was great, and captain ahab certainly does.
And the roll of the dice is 15 (starting from top to bottom, random d20 roll, rerolling ams and dblade if necessary)…which means Kytana is the first recipient of dblade’s Random Finalist Consolation Prize! Congratulations, Kytana!
I’ll get back to you on the “guidelines” but essentially you choose an item and I create it for HeroMachine 3. I will say that I’m taking “Backgrounds” and “Companions” out of the choices, but the other categories are fair game.
Poor Moby.
🙁
Congrats AMS and his “Ahab”, if this character be included at the video game it must be the final boss.. 😀
Also congratulation for every finalists, this contest was full of stiff competition, and my favorite is ajw’s entry, that looks like a hollow from Bleach anime..
Finally thanks to Jeff, tough you didn’t put my last revision but it doesn’t matter..
I want to make critique for the finalist pictures, but now i angry, sad and dissapointed, and now my state i don’t want to wrote bad or disturbed others. Maybe tomorrow, maybe…
wow, congratz to all finalist! and special to AMS!
dblade, again, what a complex coloring! O.o
*@alvacascus, save ur logo for next contest! (LOL)
Congrats all, especially ams and also Kytana for winning the first dblade prize. I couldn’t get my head into this contest, and never entered, although maybe I’ve been a little intimidated by the great entries this week.
WOW! Didn’t think that was coming. There were so many awesome pics this week and the bar was set very high. Congrats to all the fianlists and special shout outs to ajw, headlessgeneral, Imp and Moognation.
Thanks for the win, Jeff, and all the best on Day 1 with the new job!
Cheers!
🙂
I’m quite glad to see this contest. Congratulations to Ams, and (AGAIN!!!) many thanks to DBlade for improving Hero Machine for us all.
(And congrats to Moognation, I love his pic and was quite happy to see him among the finalists)
Sorry to have disappointed you, Tarkabarka. As you know, this is all just personal taste by me based on how I’m seeing things the day I do the judgments. Your images are always really good.
Congrats to all the finalists! Job well done! ams, that is an awesome picture. I love how he radiates attitude! Congrats to Kytana too. Could really feel the emotion in this pic. I meant to do one but life got in the way this week. *sigh* Next time…
sorry you’re dissapointed, Tarkabarka. but you can look forward to dblade’s new HM3 additions!
Wow, these entries just get better and better and more complex every contest. It’s getting ridiculous how good these things are. Creating basic characters with HM3 is impressive enough, but some people take it to a new level.
Anyway, I’m glad I didn’t get around to entering this one. 🙂
Wrathtastic all! I’m itchin for the End Times and this was most welcome!!!
Hurray. Yeah. And…. I admit Dblade great work and item, but now this moment i can’t look forward for the future.
Gratulation/Congrats on all winners and ams too.
Hm yeah…a random prize… wie aufregend… so happy then i can write more. So…i think later for that, when its ok on next day.
People please not sad when you not in the finalist choice. You have chance next time.
Congrats to AMS and also to of all finalist!!!
But my favourite is dblades
He were amazing.. I studied the character that he created, from the perspective of color that he made 😀
and also very impressed with gendonesia and alvacascus, they really gave me the idea to create a bizarre character 😀
Special thanks to Jeff, because with this I can be creative as free as possible 😀
Yay! I’m so glad I did that picture now, I was only going to do one entry and that was my second. So if I’d stopped at one I wouldn’t have a finalist 🙁
Well done AMS 🙂 I like your picture 🙂
Everyone else, there will, as Kytana said, be other opportunities. Your turn will come, and hopefully mine as well. 🙂
It’s Monday already! I’m not finished!!!
Darn time. Never enough if it.
Great work all!
Whoa…i was really not expecting to be a finalist…congrats to all the other finalists and to Ams! These entries are amazing!
Congrats to the winners, you’ve got some incredible work there.
been thinkin bout an idea for a Character contest for a while now… here it is: use the lyrics to one y’all’s favorite song an make a character/portrait outta the lyrics
good idea? any way to improve?
Thats an awsome backgrond Ajw you should add it in the custom items on the forum
i am making a comic with heromachine, but what i cant get right is a guy running from cops, then falling into a hole or something.
can anyone give me any pointers or text saves?
Nice job, AMS! I really liked that one.
Gotta say though, MScat’s was my favorite.
Jeff, thanks for the Honorable Mention. I was inspired by my local newspaper. People rely too much on spellcheck these days. Even in AP articles I could find “there” instead of “their” and such. I’m not 100% with my grammar and spelling when rushed. Still, I find these mistakes in professional publications to be sloppy and lazy.
Lots of great entries. Fun contest overall. Can’t wait for the next six!
Some personal standouts (no particular order).
ajw-WhiteMask: excellent mask
ams-Ahab: if ever a personification of wrath
BlueBlazer-MonsterMan: great work with the transformation
DiCicatriz-Wrath: like the highlights
Keith_Kanin_GrapeOfWrath: total punnage
Kytana-Wrath: excellent effects and powerful imagery
MScat-Wrath: Both versions are incredibly creepy
PapaKrok-Wrath: Just bizarre
Trekkie-DisproportionalRetribution: comic-panel quality
Moognation-Wrath202: Please post that background in the Custom Item Archives!
I didn’t end up entering this week either. Near the beginning of the week I just couldn’t get myself motivated to work on any entries, and then around wednesday I had my internet go out on me, and it is still not working right. I have been teathering the computer to my iphone so I can get on an hour or so a night to check email and browse the forums and the like. Hopefully my internet will be back up tomorrow as I have a tech coming out to the house to work on it.
AMS has a couple real good running poses, I believe he has the text string posted on the forums under the pose section.
Thanks Jeff for the mention,
Congratulations to AMS, I rather liked both of your entrants this week.
Congratulations to Kytana and thanks to dblade on the random prize.
Congratulations to all other finalists.
Not taking anything away from Jeff, but as he says these contests are just his personal opinions, they have no reflection on one’s works in one way or another. Alot of times I would have chosen different finalist then him, as I’m sure you would have chosen differently from me. Try not to let them get you down and take them for what they are, a fun collective of works depicting a “small selection” of each contests different talents.
Sadly, I simply couldn’t make the image I wanted: it literally wasn’t possible.
I sleep 8 hours, my state has changed, but my opinion are not. So Here is my review for the finalist pictures. This is my opinion, if you like it and accepted i’m glad, if you don’t like it thats really don’t care.
Abominal401 – Great item usage, i think these robots show what an user have to do with Heromachine.
AJW – Great concept. The sky effect is so good. I think the full white shades technically not good, but overally this is a awesome picture. Nice work AJW
Alvascus – Good composition, great item usage, nice effect. But personally i think this picture is so dark. Not the theme, the overall. Too many the dark shade for my eyes, and the full dark shade in the lower legs is not good. – Try to out how working if you make a char with lighter outlines, and transparency the color of the dark shade. BTW this is good a picture, i see you a lot of fantasy and creativity.
AMS – Technically this picture is awesome. I always suprised the precise work of AMS characters. His works are always completes and perfects. I can’t see any problem this picture. Great work AMS
Atomic Punk – This picture is so funny. And this fun sell this picture. I like it.
Blue Blazer – Great color uses, I love this composition. I like if a heromachine user crossing the borders of HM. Great work Blue Blazer
Dblade – That picture is crippy… so crippy. Great color chossen, the black with red always win. I love Dblade unusuall item usage. Great work Dblade.
FRM – Good backgroud theme. Great effect usage. Personally i missing something in the picture, for me a little bit plane.
Gendonesia – Great concept i gratulate it. The background is great for the dark figures. For me the head a little bit disproportionate for the body. BTW this is a great picture.
Gurong7 – Very unusuall concept and item usage. The proportions of the picture is very good. for me the background a little bit confused. I like bizarre and creepy things, (someone sad i emotionally attracted to this thing) but this clown is don’t caught me.
But I admit that’s a very good job and this picture deserves to be in the finalist list.
Headlessgeneral – Not an complex picture but this picture have a great feeling. There is something what sell this picture. I like this pic. Great work Headlessgeneral.
Imp – Like Headlessgeneral picture there is something whose still my attraction. Great colors. (Red and Black), Nasty looking. I can’t tell it but i also like this picture.
Kaylin88100 – Nice picture, like the original what i find in google when i wrote Wrath. I also want to make this with this style, but i don’t do it because i don’t want any copyright problem.
Kwnnos – I really like this picture. Very unique feeling and touch. Great color choose (red and black), great composition. This picture absolutly steal my attraction. Great work Kwnnos. In my list this picture is absolutly top.
Kytana – Nice composition. Great effect for the flames. Complex achieve this picture, but I tell it I like your story telling pictures, but in this picture it don’t realize me. Could you tell me pls.
Luclucluc – The background sell this picture. The char head is so cool, but the background is fenomenal.
Moognation – Nice char. I like the lighter outlines chars. Give an unique feeling the pictures if someone make these mode pictures. Nice effect. – I think not to hard make that effect, and Atomic Punk have right pls make the background in the custom item archive.
Martian Blue – In the forum i wrote i like this picture effect. Great not great that idea is fantastic, and nice execution. I like the feeling of the pictue the Wrath burst out. And i like this state too. My wrath burst out, and i give it to my emotions.
MScat – Complex and creative picture. The background shades are very good. Nice item usage. And great pose. For me the body shade is not good, i don’t use full white shade, maybe darker grey or lighter black.
PapaKrok – Anoter great and complex work of Papakrok. Trumphet of armageddon. The hell comes to the earth. Great theme. (That background with the flames are winning combination.)
Ok i finish my reviews. I 85% agree with Jeff of the choosen picture. So my problem not that which picture are choosen. My problem to i waste my time to nothing, and now in this moment i feel for me is absolutly enough, and i really don’t interest and enter any contests.
If someone don’t agree with my review or have any problem with my reviews can find me in the forum.
thanks for the review tarkabarka.. I admitted and noticed that my picture was so dark, it doesn’t like my usual pic with colourful.. yeah this time I didn’t explore too many color and it was a bit hard to make bad villain character, as you can see he still lack of wrath emotion..
I hope I can bring more colorful pictures with the other six deadly sinner..
That’s the reason why i hate my english. So the dark not bad, try in this picture how looks if you change the character outline color a little brighter, that pick up the character in the background. I think not needed to a picture looks so colorful. I think this picture is perfect with these colors.
What does this all mean? Maybe this time you didn’t win the contest, but we all knew that you’re so spectacular, you always bring incredible stuff.. As Jeff said before, this is just a personal taste.. Just try to do your best for the next time..
Sorry but i don’t want to answer this question.
okay I’ll try with more bright color later..
No, prob..
Man, I think you just need some refreshment.. 😉
Do you want to stab a teddy bear?
Congrats to AMS and to everyone else! There was some really great stuff this week. Also, congrats to Kytana for winning Dblade’s consolation prize.
I hope I don’t disappoint!
Now I’m getting very curious about the item Kytana will be requesting. 🙂
Congrats ams on the win. Very deserving. I really like that spear weapon. Looks like some serious wrath can be handed out with that thing. And thanks for the shout out, too!
Congrats to all the other finalist as well. I really am glad I’m not Jeff. It has to be so hard to pick a winner. Or even to pick the finalist. So many great creations in so many different styles.
Thanks for the nice words on my picture, Tarkabarka, and please don’t stop entering the contest. I’m a big fan of you’re work.
Great job everyone and thanks for the finalist nod Jeff!
Hm…item what i want? Hm…this was not so easy, i have many wishes.
So i want new half-length hair for men.
front: http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6705/screen1ng.png
back: http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/3803/screen2ky.png
with a little bit longer from forehead:
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9715/screen3bn.png
I hope its ok.
thanks, Kaldath.
but what is really challenging for me is the tripping.
Oh no! My old nemesis, Hair!
I will give it a shot, Kytana. So what I understand is you want the male hairstyle from the first shot, but add the longer bangs from the female shot. Is this correct?
Do any of these help Kytana, dblade?
http://genshiken-rj.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=24#/d1344ui
Or try this link and pick one…
http://dark-sheikah.deviantart.com/gallery/31290936
or what if dblade just make them all? it will give us more hairstyle choices :-p
@dblade: Yes longer like the first post from ams, the second picture.
So that you can see the eyes, but hide the eyebrows. But please not anime style and not look too gay. 😉
Thanks for that.
More hairstyle is good, but too many work. *g
But you can take this hair also for woman.
Edit: For the Imperium! (but i hate Sith also)
Alrighty. I’ll see what I can do. Admittedly you chose the one item type (natural human hair) that I am not fully confident about creating in the HM3 style. We shall all see if I am up for the challenge. 🙂
Hey, Kytana. I took a shot at a hairstyle but I’m not sure it’s what you had in mind. Color 2 hasn’t been added yet. Once the look is approved I will add it in.
http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81761&d=1327091183
ams also did a sample piece using HM3 assets to create a hairstyle. Was this more of what you had in mind? If so I can take these assets and recreate this look (with a little less symmetry).
http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81764&d=1327093385
Hey Kytana,
Did you check out the hair? I’m thinking of giving you another item request because natural human hair seems to be my natural weakness. 🙂
Hello, hello, hello….Kytana, if you get this message, come on over to the heromachine forums on UGO…
http://forums.ugo.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34
…then go to Hero Archives and find my dblade’s Whiz Bang Item Dispenser thread. We can talk hair.