Tartyrsause

Originally Posted by Bindweed

/echo this!

Still confused over this whole Board Name/DA Name clash. I'm Bindweed on these boards and on my global in game, but that name was taken years ago on DA by someone who hasn't posted there since 2006, so I'm something else on DA.

Wait! I know! We could have a server list merge with DA and transfer our global handles!

Originally Posted by DarkEther

Hey, you leave my dangling chads outta this!

Originally Posted by Red Valkyrja

Oh, I'm not saying that people should not express their opinion. Far from it, but I think critiques/comments would have been more helpful and better situated, in the Submission thread.

Originally Posted by Caemgen

Wow, drama on the Internet... Go figure*

Anyway, this will be my final comments on this bruhaha as I want to take one last stab at clearing a couple things up but have no desire to have a lengthy debate on what boils down to personal opinions and tastes...*

Art is always subjective. What one person likes may not work for the next person. Each may be able to clearly point out why they do or do not like a particular piece of art and even when they disagree on a specific point it doesn't neccessarily make one person right or wrong. Art is art. It is not math where there is a right and wrong answer. It is not science with provable facts. If art was NOT subjective then there would be no point to have voting in a contest.

Part of the subjective nature of art also means that some likes and dislikes of an individual may not be based in cleary explainable thoughts or points but may be more emotional or gut reactive... Just as you cannot convince a person to fall in love with another (they either feel it or they don't, facts won't change it) so too is art often liked or not on a more indefinable basis.

I have no problem with people feeling I am wrong for going hardcore on the theme to decide who got my votes. It was a theme, not a strict assignment, so there was some leeway for the artists to explore as they saw fit. My choice to kind of limit myself to the most strict definition was arbitrary and thus I see no problem with people disagreeing with me on that...

I would like to point out again, however, that I only came to this arbitrary, self imposed limitation after the month became a non elimination month and immunity was all but in the bag. Basically after I felt my vote had little or no relevance. That being the case I decided to make things easy on myself and hold myself strictly to the most strident interpretation of the theme... If portions of what was being voted for were still in doubt I would have judged on a different basis...

"For this month's theme, I'm looking for some classic pin-ups." - Wassy

Sure, she went on to allow artists to stretch the theme and as Fan Art Mistress that is totally her right. However, I also believe it is my right to make my judgements on the basis of what I like and dislike, what I felt best fit the theme and what I ft strayed too far and which arts I liked best based on my own feelings, opinions and likes. Sorry that so many of you disagree.

I suppose I could have just kept my mouth shut and voted for myself and the people I liked best... Or shut up and voted for people I thought would be easy to beat down the line... Or whatever. That just isn't me though. I will vote for those I think did the best job. Period. That includes a combination of best fitting the theme and best art.

Some disagree with how strictly I enforced fitting the theme and that is fine. Personally I have more problem with those who base their votes on things that have nothing to do with talent of fitting the theme but since the board citizenry isn't up in arms over those people I guess I am the only one...

Ah well, that's my general thoughts on the topic, now to get to specifics..*

Battlewraith/Frozendeath*
On the cropping issue:
As I said before, to me Eddy Swan's cropping appears to have been an artistic decision while Dan's seemed to come off more unfinished than choice. This is my interpretation of how it looks and I could easily be wrong... However, I can only go by what I see and how I see it, how it works for me. Unless we're going to hold interview sessions with each artist to delve into their thoughts and intents I'm not sure what else I should do.

And sure, both cropped... Both used the same technique in essence. Are you going to tell me that two different artists using the same technique inevitably pull it off equally as well?because the difference between the two, in my opinion, is how well they pulled it off.

Spiral PTterns and Quick Reads
First off, I apologize for not being sophisticated enough to properly hold opinions and thoughts on art. However I do not believe sophistication was a requirement for voting in the contest. I thought Wassy's rule was pretty much just that you had to have a message board account...

Snarkiness aside, I wish to express again how much I really liked your art. I thought all of the elements were done exceptionally well and I loved the added touches. Hell, I've admired your arts since I came to these boards and have been eagerly waiting for you to open up for commissions...

But your explanation of the spiral pattern just kind of proves to me why I didn't feel your piece was one which best fit this months theme. To me, a pin up should focus on the subject - generally the girl. As was your intent, my focus moved around the picture instead, drawing focus from the girl. It is a great work of art just not, in my opinion, one of the best pin ups.

I respect your right to disagree with me going with the strictest adherance to the pin up theme... However, even with the looser theme I probably would have kept in mind if the elimination for the month wasn't eliminated and immunity all but decided, I'm still not sure I would have thought your piece fit the theme...

The theme was pin ups and was open to loose interpretations of pin ups and related materials but to me your piece is in action scene. An action scene with a hot chick as the main subject and with some comedic elements thrown in but not, to me, a pin up.*

Well, I suppose it is a pin up in the comic book sense of a pin up being a page or pages basically designed to be taken out and put up on a wall but Wassy expressed that she meant classic pin ups -"For this month's theme, I'm looking for some classic pin-ups. I'm thinking along the lines of Alberto Vargas (or Olivia DeBerardinis for a recent example). Think fantasy, cheesecake, frivolity, playfulness." and I personally feel you strayed too far from that field...

I hope you understand that there is nothing personal in my voting or decision making process. I have absolutely no problem with you and am always glad to see your arts, your comments and even your libestreams when I can make them. I find you very interesting and knowledgable. I respect your right to hold different views, opinions, feelings and beliefs than I do... *And I most definitely grant you are more knowledgeable about art than I am. That being the case I still bieve my thoughts, opinions and feelings are valid. They may not be right but then again I believe there is very little absolute right or wrong when it comes to individuals likes or dislikes of art... Though I could be wrong about that...

Aggelakis
First off, I do not believe that is an actual quote of mine. There are ways to quote someone and yet indicate that's parts of the actual quote were changed for the sake of brevity, comedy or whatever. *I would appreciate that courtesy in the future. I can get enough heat for my own words, I don't need extra for being misquoted.

Secondly, this was indeed pin up month.



Sound pretty pin up monthy to me...

Romance was a secondary theme and going by a strict interpretation of the originly posted rules, romance was only for those with moral objections to pin ups.



I'm not sure if this is why it was a glaring void in the commentary or not but I thinks it's justification enough for me not needing to rethink all those comments I made.


In conclusion, I really have no idea why I feel the need to justify the basis on which I voted. Ok, I was stupid enough to say it aloud... *But I believe I made my decisions based on reasons od art and theme, perhaps not reasons anyone else agrees with but at least I did use those criteria. Meanwhile we have people voting for themselves, at least one person I recall stating they would vote for a specific person no matter wha, and who knows what else being used as voting criteria. I do not wish to start debate on other voting methods but I do find it very amusing that it is one that actually uses the art and the theme, in whatever manner, that is being questioned and attacked.

I intended my comments on each piece mainly as praise and I didn't think of any of my comments as criticism so much as just my thoughts or opinions... Anyone who has seen my art should know I have no basis to criticize others. I apologize if anyone took my thoughts and opinions as attacks - they were most definitely not meant that way! *I will not apologize for my thoughts and opinions though. * And shame on anyone who ever does.

I'll not be responding I. This thread again as I never meant to cause drama and this is not the place for it. *If someone wishes to further have a discussion on the merits of feeling, thoughts, opinions et. about art and starts a thread just for that, I'll happily join in, but barring that I sha from here out hold my tongue (and fingers) on commenting on any art on these boards in any way unless I know explicitly that the artist wants to hear my opinion... It's just not worth the bother otherwise.

Originally Posted by Caemgen

Implicit Bookcarrier - Making me think of Yoko Ono is not going to help me like your pin up Neither is man butt! But still you pulled it off well.

Originally Posted by PsiBug

Hi again and thanks again.

After I do my pencils, I scan them into photoshop and scale them to comic book size which is about 6.875x10.438 inches at 400 dpi (2750x4175 pixels)
The image size above includes some extra image that will usually get trimmed off after printing. The main drawing area is 2450x3875 pixels.

I make a layer to define the size and layout of my panels. I use the rectangular marquee tool to make nice clean white panels and space them evenly. I use the layer properties to create an 8 pixel black inner stroke for the outline. This goes underneath the pencils.

The inks go on a new layer above the pencils. Then I duplicate that layer and use color fills to make my "color flats" layer. Then i duplicate THAT layer and use the new one for finished colors. You can google "comic color flats" or "flatting" if you arent familiar with the term.

Whatever section tools I use (lasso, marquee, magic wand..) I turn off "antialiasing"
At 100% magnification it may look a little jagged but at 50% or when printed, it should look nice and smooth.


So from top to bottom the layers look something like this:

Text Layer is usually my top layer
Word Balloons layer
Special effects layer
"finished colors" layer(using the panels layer as a mask)
"color flats" layer (using the panels layer as a mask)
Inks Layer (using the panels layer as a mask)
Pencils Layer with my pencils (using the panels layer as a mask)
Panels Layer with all of my panel sizes (white rectangles with black borders)
Bottom layer: blank white background


Hope that makes sense!

PsiBug

Originally Posted by Aggelakis

You can PM Avatea and request your forum name be changed.

Originally Posted by Red Valkyrja

<chortle>

Tartyr, you crack me up.

Originally Posted by FrozenDeath

I'm going to officially withdraw from this competition, so I think you guys don't need to sweat the elimination thing until next month. Good luck all!

Originally Posted by Johnnykat

It's no secret a lot of us all have alt accounts. My question is, does she play the game too? I mean, I have a GF and family that like art...they could use all my alt accounts to vote, but is that really fair and is it consistent to what this contest was intended for?

Originally Posted by Frost

Wow, I never would have thought everybody would get something in. Came right down to the wire!

Some great stuff this month. It's going to be very hard to pick who to vote for...

Originally Posted by Frost

This.

It gives me more time to procrastinate.

Originally Posted by Scootertwo

She does not look entirely happy to see him.

Originally Posted by Dante

Awesome! And you managed to reference my other two favourite deities too.

Thankies!