Nazghul1

Looks good.

Entries are do tomorrow night! Don't forget.

Nice one!
Don't you hate when all the derivations of your "great idea for a name" are taken?

Maybe next time.

Come and get it.

I got my first 50 and a decent pic I'll have to post when I get home.

Storm, that's an awesome screenie.

The link just sent me to Graver's profile page. Which image is it - the bear skin rug one?

Good to know.

I know these results have taken longer than they have in the past. Hopefully, I can find a balance.

Good idea. Shouldn't she be black and white though?

Do any of you winners collect the medals? Just wondering if I should continue to make a set for every palette or just use a generic set every time. Or none at all.

1st Place: Freezer Bomb
2nd Place: Plasma Cannon
3rd Place: Ms. Firecracker

Congrats all!

Wow, it doesn't take much for this thread to get kicked to the third page these days, does it? Anyway, here's my crits on July Night palette.

Freedom Jester –
The costume starts well enough with the jester motif, but I think there are a few things that could be improved upon. For instance, I’m not getting a sense of “freedom” with this costume. However, the colors work well for an ice theme. Very seldom have a seen those shoulder rings work well on a costume, and here they just make me wonder what purpose, if any, they serve. The half mantle cape works well, fitting the jester theme, but the rope belt doesn’t do much for me. My suggestion would be to ditch the “freedom” and go nuts with the “freezing” nature of the character. Perhaps a combination of the jester body pieces with ice-like patterns would look good.

Plasma Cannon –
Good use of the palette, and highly appropriate for your golden age tendencies. The only item that has me sitting on the fence with this one is the helmet. It screams “old school” like Adam Strange, Buck Rogers, etc., but it also seems to clash with the spandex. Perhaps something with a little more texture or “gear” would fit the helmet more.

Quantum Striker –
Good mix of costume pieces and color patterns. The red and gold work well together, and the light blue contrasts nicely with the red. The chest emblem, on the other hand could use a little more contrast. The gold outline really isn’t pushing it off the blue chest plates well enough. The head looks a little awkward here, but that might just be from the camera angle.

Goldenarm –
Here we have what looks like a new teenage angst-ridden hero in an urban setting. The design is simple, but effective. I can see it as being the everyday clothes he wears to school with the exception of an electrically charged bionic arm. I think the thick metal bands on the left arm are a little too much. Something smaller and subtler might be more effective.

Freezer Bomb –
Nice job. This design gives me an immediate sense of what this character’s all about. If I had to nitpick, I’d say those thick boots look silly on such a thin frame, but at the same time, they’re oddly appropriate in a “trudging-through-deep-snow” way.

Ms. Firecracker –
She looks like a fun, damage-dealing character. There’s a good balance of warm and cool colors, with the warm functioning as accents to an overall cool colored costume. I would probably have carried the warm colors into the gloves and boots rather than use the blend. The belt could probably use some of that warm accenting, too.

Fahren –
Good name. Is this a fire/devices blaster? Interesting combo. How’s it play? Now for a little science… Blue flames are actually hotter than your standard yellow-orange ones, correct? With that in mind and combined with the name of the character, the use of blue in the costume makes a logical sense to me. However, the blues here are a lot cooler than I would associate with heat/fire, making her look almost like an ice blaster. But, enough about the thoughts and concepts, let’s focus on the costume now. I like your choice of pieces, but I think it could look better with a different color arrangement. For instance, I would solidify (instead of using the blend) the color selection in each piece. Then I would make the costume predominantly warm with the top and the skirt, saving the cool blues for the boots, belt, and cape (gloves, too should you decide to add them).

“just awful” …
isn’t as awful as you think. With a little imagination, “just awful” can transform into “the Swedish Swordsman”, “Sword of Sweden”, or even “Sweden’s Sword”. First, ditch the chest straps. Let’s bring the darker blue up front a little more. You can make it the second color for the upper and lower body parts or use it as the primary color of the boots and gloves. Experiment with the red as the secondary. If that doesn’t look right, use another blue. Change is hair color to a more stereotypical Swedish blond, and voila! You’re good to go.

Snap Dragon –
Given the photos of the flowers you’ve provided (which I assume are snap dragons), I think you should’ve used the red in this palette a little more in tandem with the darker blue. I’d also use the red and gold on the outside of the cape, leaving the inside a solid red or blue, whichever looks better.

Strained Justice –
I’m guessing we have a psychotic, patriotic vigilante running amok in Mercy. The facial expression says it all. I like the way the white stripes look on the chest with that particular blue, and – wait a minute. There’s no white in this palette! Two minutes in the penalty box for you, missy! I do like the limited use of the gold on the emblem and the claws. It’s not needed on the gloves, though. There’s something about the way the stripe just ends like that on the boots that I don’t quite like. Might I suggest the leg stripe pattern that cuts into the inner thigh above the knee, and filling the boots with solid white? Or just choose the stripe that stops above the knee on the outer side of the thigh.

Winners coming shortly... (if anyone's still paying attention. )

Just an FYI:
- Critiques are half finished.
- Strained Justice is now included in the gallery, but the updated page hasn't been published yet.
- As Double XP Weekend nears, I've decided to save the next palette for afterwards. (I have alts to level to 50, too you know.)

Things will be back on track shortly. In the meantime, go participate in Chisoku's new contest - where he rips off the no-prize I rightfully stole from Stan Lee.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Crashed Out –
Simplistic design – very pulpish. The pics used in this composition don’t really show the scarred face well enough, so I can’t really comment on how it looks. Are you using a lighter shade on the goggle’s lenses? If not, you probably should. If so, you should probably go lighter.

1st Place - Force Feedback
2nd Place - Panzer Knight
3rd Place - Crashed Out


[/ QUOTE ]

Yay! My first placement. Looking at the shots, I think I actually used a darker color for the lenses but I agree that it should be changed. And I probably could've gotten a better angle to show off the face if I hadn't taken the screenshots around this time (being quarter to 5 in the morning).

Anyway, thanks for the critique and the bronze. And congrats to the others!

Looks like I missed a contest while I was home from school on break, so where's the new palette so I can get back into it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm working on it. I'll see if I can find one today.

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for keeping this going, Naz. Another fine round of commentary--I'm assuming you meant "sticking" rather than "stinking" in the Nosehare notes. The nose piece is supposed to be the excuse for his punny name. Heh.

My last entry (for 4th July etc.) hasn't made it to the gallery yet:

Strained Justice

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I meant sticking. I was too lazy to proofread.

Sorry about that. I thought I had everyone. I'll fix it tonight.

Have any of you tried the other palette links yet? I'm pretty sure they're all working correctly, but if they're not, please let me know.

The newest gallery page is up for your perusal.

Next: the critiques...

Sorry I went AWOL everyone. I've been preoccupied with other things lately.

Without further ado...

Force Feedback –
Excellent color choice! Good use of contrasting shades in an eye-pleasing pattern. The bare legs give this an “old-school” feel. (I’m talking about 80s old school here). Whatever effects you used on the text are hideous.

Fade –
To be honest, I’m not digging this one. It’s not one of your better ones. Perhaps it’s just the quality of the image, but this looks bland. The hair, mask, and visor all sort of melt together into one dark mass. I’d suggest using a mask that exposes a little more jaw. Or perhaps select a hairstyle that’s less conforming to the skull. Or you could try inverting your blend so that the mask is the lighter of the colors. You could even try using a slightly lighter purple as your darkest color.

I do see how this could fit in with an overall fade-like motif, but I just think this one could use a little more detail.

Crashed Out –
Simplistic design – very pulpish. The pics used in this composition don’t really show the scarred face well enough, so I can’t really comment on how it looks. Are you using a lighter shade on the goggle’s lenses? If not, you probably should. If so, you should probably go lighter.

Nosehare –
Um… I’m not sure what to make of this one. It’s a tad odd for sure. Good separation between clothes and fur while stinking within the scheme. The jester mask makes him look more rabbit-like from some angles, and less so from others. I think I’d rather see the pants without the stripe. It doesn’t seem to really add anything to the design overall.

Panzer Knight –
Great name! And the character looks the part as well. Good choice of greens throughout, especially in the camouflage. Nice job.

Typhon’s Herald –
I really like your selection of colors here. The highlights in the Enforcer gloves really pop. Is the chest design Vanguard or that anime vet armor? Either way, I’m envious, as I don’t have those pieces yet. Why the low-tech/more cloth-like boots? They kind of stick out in this design. Also, why use only one antennae array on the head? Not bad overall.

Adjunct –
Good, solid dark magentas. The hair color works well with this scheme. The first thing that attracted my eye (for good or bad) was the leather skirt. I would suggest either changing the skirt or use a leather upper body texture to match. As it is now, it’s sort of jarring to the eye.

Zellah –
Gah! Another brownish one?! Who’da thunk? I ike it though. Very alien looking. The hair style was an especially appropriate fit here. On the other hand, I’m not sure about the chest strap or the chitonous boots. I would think they should match the non-robotic glove.

1st Place - Force Feedback
2nd Place - Panzer Knight
3rd Place - Crashed Out

Congratulations, all!

Now to compile the July 4th entries...

The link's not working properly.

Plasma Cannon looks like a leader, but Gamma Gaia is a fine runner up.

Wow, you guys are quick!

The new gallery has been posted. Hopefully, I'll have the critique done before the weekend is over.

Have a good holiday, everyone.

[ QUOTE ]
Hopefully, something useful will be in this design.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice! I dig it, dd.

[ QUOTE ]
So your actually gonna use an ink pen?

[/ QUOTE ]

You say that like you're shocked.
A sign of the times, I suppose. I feel like such a geezer...

If my ink hasn't all dried out, I might give this a shot.

Since I've been making you all wait so patiently for the results of the monochromatic contest, I thought I'd give you all a headstart on your next palette. Because of the holiday weekend, I'm making the deadline NEXT Saturday (7/12).

Now get creatin'!

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's funny that you should point out how it's not Nick Fury, when Nick had a son who became known as "Scorpio". I think he was part of Hydra, or another group altogether.

[/ QUOTE ]

Jack is inspired by Nick Fury, obviously... as well as Ben Santini, John Lynch, James Bond, Backlash and the Dos Equis "most interesting man in the world"... and I did in fact get the name for the SG, SCORPIO, from Nick's brother and son, who both became the villain known as Scorpio at different points.

I thought it was cool.

As for the art... yeah, I love it! Though I hadn't realized that it was finished... I had a few minor issues. *ducks*

[/ QUOTE ]

Kudos to you! I never thought I'd see anyone mention Lynch or Backlash again, let alone Santini! Your comic-nerdness rivals my own.

It's funny that you should point out how it's not Nick Fury, when Nick had a son who became known as "Scorpio". I think he was part of Hydra, or another group altogether.