Reply To: ONE PART, MANY CHARACTERS contest……

[Herr D]

Characterizing this week’s competition: contrast. F=Funkmachine, D=Dingus Khan.
F’s backstory was sparse, but enough. D didn’t make one. For background, I had a tough call. F barely had room to show his. It matched the story and was dramatic. D had an elegant background, but on the flat side. I tied the backgrounds.
For Items-story, another tie. Both artists made the items important enough to the picture—one by mystique and drama, and the other by simply a sense of belonging.
Emotional is where F stood out. This is not how ANYONE wants to wake up, no matter whether you’re a Celtic humanoid lodgedweller or an arthropoidic spaceship captain. Well—no matter WHO you are. Wife with a freshly-used weapon and your home on fire? Her not herself? Nope!
D’s was a little too mellow without a backstory and invited too much pointless critique. Sumerian candelabra, Greek harp, art deco geometric-shape jewelry, Etruscan sandals, brooch-style hairpiece, Hollywood-style dress and curtains to match, furniture in the style of the Bamboozle tribe? I decided she’s the ‘B’azaar ‘D’esign ‘F’ree lady.
Bells, the macro stuff—placement was great in both pics, just not nearly as challenging for F. On top of that, D did some great work draping the dress into being, slammed the category with that difficult pose setup. Whistles, the small stuff? There really weren’t any lighting or shading effects. The masking work? Make furniture out of fonts and maybe the tat on the wife. The knots against the candles and the tasseled pillow bumped D up a point.
The items: Every item was used for one point. Every item was well-placed and belonged for the second point. I’m all about the misuses. D’s ‘B’s as jewelry were good, if maybe it needed a pendant or a glimmer or something, or at least a shinier color. D’s ‘D’s as furniture were very good. Some more knotholes or something might’ve made that a five or bumped up your Whistles category. D’s ‘F’s as a candelabra was very good, even if it didn’t look culturally homogenous. A better color or some texturing or some dripped wax on it might’ve boosted it.
F made the runes into runes. So, twosies. I was surprised that the ‘D’ wasn’t used on top of the hammer totem where the same pattern was? That the ‘F’ wasn’t made a part of her tats? As for the ‘B,’ I don’t know, serrations might’ve looked wrong on that blade, but more neckwear? Maybe worked into part of the tooth necklace? Worked into a ring?
Even so, high emotional content and opponent lack of a backstory nearly caused a tie for F.
Dingus Khan? Pick three and post with a deadline. You win the judgeship.

Backstory score: ……..F3…….D0
Bkgd score:…………..F3…….D3
Item RUNIC ‘B’:……F2…….D3
Item RUNIC ‘D’: ..…F2…….D4
Item RUNIC ‘F’: ..…F2……..D4
Bells: ……………….F3…….D5
Whistles: ………..….F3…….D4
Items-story:…………F4……..D4
Emotional:…………..F5…….D1
Bonus:………………0
Total:……………….F27……D28