[Brynn_Metheney]

Welcome to the Creature Planets, the CG HUB challenge of exploring worlds beyond our own!

Topic #42 :: June 2nd 2011
Organism: "Laying In Wait"
Planet: Annarya

Deadline EXTENDED!: Sunday, June 12th 2011 - 11:59p.m. [PST]

--> IWCA Requirements – The IWCA wants you to depict a member of this species in it's natural habitat.
Please also provide a name for your creature. The poll winner's name will become the name for the organism.

Here are the organism's details. Follow them to the best of your ability!


Bioform Overview
The planet of Annarya is a hot tropical world. The oceans on this planet host a large amount of volcanic vents that are home to a variety of creatures. One creature in particular has caught the attention of the IWCA. This medium sized predator uses remaining pieces of it's prey and the habitat around it to camouflage it's body so it can ambush it's prey. It lies in wait along the slopes of the volcanic vents for a meal to pass by.

Bioform Notes
Type: Aquatic Carnivorous Hunter/Pouncer
Uses ambush to surprise prey.
Habitat: Along the slopes of hydrothermal vents
Social: Solitary
Temperment: Curious
Activity Cycle: Bi-yearly
Metabolism: Lethargic
Resperation: Long feathered gills
Reproductive: Asexual

Physiological Notes:
Size: Medium - German Shepard sized
Morphology: Asymetrical - uses pieces of it's habitat as camouflage (The creature itself can be symmetrical without the added camouflage.)
Skeletal: Endoskeletal (skeleton is internal)
Epidermal: Dull red blubbery/warty skin
Limbs: 8 stubby limbs
Location of Senses: De-centralized
Primary sense: Taste
Secondary sense: Auditory : Decreased Sensitivity

Other Notes:
These creatures are about the size of a German Shepherd. They use a surprising amount of resources to hide their bodies from potential prey. They are very new to the IWCA and have yet to be named.

Good Luck! And remember to have fun!

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“Please don't keep everything secret, working on your image in private only to post it at the very last hour as a surprise. The point of sharing sketches and work in progress material is so everyone can learn from each other, receive crits, compliments and improve their skills in a classroom/workshop like environment. There are no teachers and no students per say, but try to offer help to others when possible. Please be open to receiving crits, and paint-overs or mock ups of your work, as we are all here to participate, have fun, learn, grow and enjoy what each week has to offer.” --Mike Corriero

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If you have questions concerning Creature Planets Rules and Information please refer to this thread.

Also, check out the rules on Plagiarism - HERE -

[Keenir2]

Originally Posted by Brynn_Metheney

Topic #42 :: June 2nd 2011
Organism: "Laying In Wait"
Planet: Annarya

Starting off with some concept sketches (my mechanical pencils are either dead or loaned)

...I began by thinking of anglerfish and nurse sharks & wobbegongs....then I moved my mind to more volcanic rift organisms (didn't try anything based on Riftia, though)....and finally sea cucumbers came to mind.

(imho, the most promising ones, are the ones the scanner program didn't flip back to normal...them and the one with the four drooping gills hanging while its being held by a hand)....I imagine their ancestors lived on land for a while - the thicker air* would have held more water vapor and thus made it easier to retain gills...and then they returned to the sea.

* = 100% my assumption, based on the warm world being more than an Earth distance from a dimmer star.

[absorbentghost]

i started some research base on the criteria provided for this creature an came up with some thing interesting.

i'll be posting my work later on,have fun,cheers
>>>>>>

[wallasaurus]

BIt busy lately, but I thought I's have a go at this.

So I read the brief, and then went off, did some chores, then came back and squeezed something out without referring to the notes again. I wanted to see how much I would veer off topic.

Here's the 1st sketch, lots of things are off target - stubby limbs, long feathered gills etc. so I will bemaking at least one more pass, maybe more! It's all good practise though.

[absorbentghost]

you seem very determine in ure work

[Gyork]

what is blubbery???????

[Keenir2]

Originally Posted by Gyork

what is blubbery???????

if I had to guess, I would say like whales, seals, and greenland sharks.
a thick layer of fat just under the skin.

[Brynn_Metheney]

Yes, blubbery would essentially be "fatty" like Gyork said.

Some awesome sketches happening in here already!

Keenir2 - Looks great! Nice body shapes and exploration!

wallasaurus - Looking awesome! I love the studies of the "stuff" and the actual body being separated. remember this creature has 8 limbs

[wallasaurus]

Cheers for the comments brynn- it has 8 limbs unless I made an error. It uses 2 pairs to hold stuff on it's back and collect debris, 1 pair to leap forward, one front pair to guide it underwater and steer it towards target.

I will make new versions next week!

[Brynn_Metheney]

oops! You're absolutely right! My mistake!

[absorbentghost]

i have finish y drawing im just in the painting stages.just been into many other challenges on this site,im building up certain skills so the more entries the better.

[Ogi-G]

Originally Posted by absorbentghost

i have finish y drawing im just in the painting stages

show us your progress, its part of the challenge so you can get comments/crits and get better

[Keenir2]

Originally Posted by Brynn_Metheney

oops! You're absolutely right! My mistake!

the tricky part of this assignment (imho) is making something with an even number of limbs, asymetrical.

but its definately worth trying.


(now I need to make sure I left room internally for bones)

[Keenir2]

Originally Posted by Keenir2

but its definately worth trying.

some pencil sketches, now that I've decided on which body to use.

a4.jpeg - I suspect that the bi-yearly activity involves the organism dropping its carried coverings, and swimming away to another vent system (hence the image where the fatty warts flatten out)

(the vent system in one doesn't show well - I was trying to show a mostly-covered specimen from the top side & an uncovered specimen from the side)

image a5.jpeg - at one point, I thought maybe a caddis fly-like coating might be suitably protective...but then I realized that I had already decided that the mouth slaps up and grabs the prey from the water,,,so maybe use smaller and rounder/branchier pieces of rock and shell? (on the right)

[absorbentghost]

here is what ive started earlier on,the blubbery layer with be painted in later,just setting down the basic acrylic washes on my canvas.