Reply To: ONE PART, MANY CHARACTERS contest……

[Herr D]

Sorry for the delay. Had to get the file of the following sent to friend B’s computer from friend A.

First, by Miyagi, ‘let’s look eye.’ That’s a one for findable with or without prompting / questioning. That’s at least a two for “abuse,” or leaving category in an emphatic manner. That’s a three for incorporating / manipulating in a way that makes it less obvious but still present and belonging to the pic. Randall’s was not a ‘real’ eye, but representing one, so not emphatic. Keric’s eyefruit went very well with the veganfae. Category to Keric.

When it came to the “boarheads and tongues,” I was a little confused at first, then realized this scoring would have to have some half-points. Randall’s tongue as a road was a great notion that didn’t work very well, so it came out as a bare two. His boarheads were . . . heads. That WOULD’VE been just a one, but his incorporation of so many in foreground AND background and making them belong so well made it deserve a two.  Keric’s head-as-logo on the waitstaff (I think the bizarre bar might’ve been named the Red Boar?) wouldn’t have brought more than a one, but it was a theme, carried on by the stein or decorative vase. BTW, I like stein better, but I wasn’t sure.  They were only fake heads, but the theme belonged in the picture for consistency. So it earned a three. The theme continuing with the decorative plant – tongue or little drink-umbrella – tongue would’ve got a three even with the ambiguity except for the additional ambiguity. The yellow one in mid-air? Was that a lock of the swordswoman’s hair? Maybe an oversight? Just a two and a half.

<span id=”yiv1385749546yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1472722283284_3696″ style=”line-height: 20.4px;”>The emotional content was about the same for how much I wanted to be in the bar and not be in front of the army. Keric suffered a bit for what looked like scaling and placement issues. The items contributed to the overall story of the picture in both entries, but Keric’s ‘extra’ tongue  bothered me a lot.  Randall’s only tongue just bothered me more.</span><span id=”yiv1385749546yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1472722283284_3851″ style=”line-height: 20.4px;”> </span>

Bells here means presence by virtue of item or holistic effect contributed. Keric found some great companion uses and one alteration. Randall found a layer of purple shadows can appear to double your favorite enemy.

<span id=”yiv1385749546yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1472722283284_3901″ style=”line-height: 20.4px;”>Whistles is about minor pieces or features like placement, shading, highlighting, etc. </span><span id=”yiv1385749546yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1472722283284_3902″ style=”line-height: 20.4px;”>Keric, I can see why you didn’t shade or highlight.</span><span id=”yiv1385749546yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1472722283284_3903″ style=”line-height: 20.4px;”> Randall, varying your army’s armor and weaponry won you this category, despite you not making the weapon’s face or Victor’s armorskulls more boarlike. Maybe the tongue could’ve been used as horns or ears on those?</span>

Finally there are background and backstory. Randall did an obvious lot more work on the background. But as it happened, Keric’s prefab was almost all he needed. Randall’s backstory was good, and Keric’s didn’t exist.

This one looks pretty close so far . . .

…………..K……….R

B/S……..0………..3

Bkgd….3…………3.5

iHead…3…………2

iEye……3.5………1

iTongue..2.5…….2

Bells…….3…………3

Whistles..2………..2.5

i-Story……2.5…….2

Emot-i…..3………..3

Total ….22.5……22

. . . And that was closer than I thought! Keric wins by half a point! Both were good entries; they scored low because I went to half points for closer determination. As it happens, I like BOTH of these better than the last time you competed with me judging. Tips? Randall, you probably could’ve made the road-tongue into just scuffmarks in the dirt. The ‘boaring’ of the weaponface or his armorskulls would be great additions if you revise this piece, maybe another layer of darker purple for a third wave of boarmen or boar archers half-hidden behind some trees? Keric, shading or highlighting would be a lot of work, but would obviously help, but you’d be better off making a tray stick out slightly from behind the waiter with some more steins on it. Move that swordswoman away from poking the wallflower. Harp-and-bullhorn karaoke? Fae dancing in a cage? Mermaid fishtank? Special sign? Kali bartender? Loads of ways to go, man.

Pick 3.