[choo]

Anatomicae #19 - Masquerade

-Please post your final image here, along with the thumbnail template image.

-Please include your username on the thumbnail template, this is very important for the polling process!

Template found here: .PSD template.
Please also make sure to attach your Final image with CGHUB’s attachment manager.

The winning entry will be added to the Anatomicae Banner, Anatomicae Gallery for all to see and it will be given an Anatomicae Medal for it!

Any and all participating artists who post their final image will receive an exit critique.

[blue327]

Here are my masks. Had a great time experimenting on the art style and design. =) Open the attachment for higher resolution.

[choo]

It's a nutty offering blue )

What we're going to do (if you don't mind) is give another 24. If we have no other posts you'll automatically be declared the winner.

[blue327]

Lol, alright. Maybe wait till at least another one person submits?

[pixel-chick]

blue, those masks are amazing, I love the colors and texture, it looks like you had alot of fun making them because they look so vibrant and fresh, great job!

[ScalC]

I managed to finish it.

[choo]

Originally Posted by blue327

Lol, alright. Maybe wait till at least another one person submits?

We're usually pretty lenient with stuff like that (in terms of extending times so people can finish), but there's been three days of extra time tacked on so far :P

It's going to be a duel to the death between you and ScalC.

[DanOrtega]

Hello,

Am rushing to finish this in the 24 hour period, hopefully I will be done by then...

[DanOrtega]

Ah well... I guess I ran out of time, then :/

Good luck ScalC and Blue

[DanOrtega]

Am gonna leave this here just in the off chance I still can enter...

[choo]

No Dan I'm really sorry, but once the actual vote goes up we aren't allowed to add entrants I will still be happy to critique your offering though!

[choo]

Hi gentleman, I am here to critique your work.

Blue327 : Everything about this, from execution to presentation, is incredibly pleasing to the eye.
The point to which I'd like to harp on a bit is the fact that you took a familiar "look" and made it your own, really made it ''own itself''. The chinese influence is very strong, but it's great how you used the aesthetics of the culture in ways that both pay homage and put a spin on it (ie., we've seen stuff like that before, but you exaggerate their usage/use the look in a nontraditional way.)
The quality of rendering is spot on. I especially love your use of realistic texture of silk and fabric- Its subtle enough to enhance instead of overpower the strong flat colors you used, and is of especially beautiful effect on the Maiden. The silhouettes are sharp, easily read, and they fit together perfectly with your use of repeating shapes and lines.
This is one of the most complete and appealing works I've seen posted on Anatomicae since I've started modding here, so mad props. You came up with a beautiful image that clearly shows your design chops.

ScalC : It's great to see you come into this challenge because it's a big change from your other offerings on the board so far- And you jump the gap between environmental work and asset design extremely well. Best part of it is that the quality of your rendering and style is still -very- strong...This is definitely a ScalC piece, and a strong one at that.
The cool thing about your work is that you can see some definite rendering chops paired with your expert use of existing texture. The rendering on the horns of the demon, though a relatively small detail, is something that immediately caught my eye. It's interesting to see an artist utilize so many different approaches in bringing together a piece- you've got everything from flat geometric line work, to flat swaths of color, to sharp rendering and texture. The set in and of itself is successful, however, because you maintained a few very important pieces thoroughout- the use of repeating color across the three masks and the repeated use of that oblong oval ties them together very nicely. It's also cool to see you use such a shape: Working with ovals can be especially hard because of the inherent symbology behind it (there's a reason why the maiden mask is so successful in its femininity), but it's fun to watch you play with proportion and with cutting into the existing shape to bring the mask together in ways that fit the theme. The use of white lines guide the eye and show a great subtlety and sense of humor.

I would encourage you to be bold with your color choices. Throughout your work you love to use deep reds, russets, browns and yellows- It's a great palette, but you may have fun pushing yourself to pick some out-of-this-world colors and trying to slot them into your normally very-realistic color notes. Of course here the palette works, however, because it's a pretty firm anchor to keep the series somewhat realistic while it dabbles in the fantastic with its shapes and forms. Either way it's a very good piece. Keep up the great work.

DanOrtega: Sorry for the long wait Dan

I enjoy your mask set because it demonstrates a real sense of humor and wit. You seem unafraid of playing with proportion and charicature, which is a great thing. Your maiden mask is particularly successful on many different levels- It is well-rendered, demonstrates good color choices, and looks entirely functional as a mask. The level of detail you put into it with the straps, rivets, and seams is really fantastic, and you managed very well in having something as inorganic as metal express the personality the mask represents. The old man mask is charming, and you have some nice texture work in there (the strongest out of the three.) The demon mask for me presents a bit of confusion in that it almost seems more like a character than an object- which is not to say it doesn't work, but you created it out of some very organic materials and painted them in such a way that makes the mask look more alive than anything.
As a set each stands pretty strongly as its own individual piece. I would encourage you to experiment more with bright colors and keep pursuing that great stylized look (it isn't ''cartoony'', but its bold and simplified in a very strong way.) Take care to incorporate texture into your pieces (as you did with the old man), and don't let them steal the show from your rendering and color.

I do hope you participate in more challenges! Hopefully next time we won't have to be such kerfuffles about due dates :c

[DanOrtega]

As you may be able to tell, it was a long time since I visited this post... nevertheless I didnt want to pass as ungrateful.

Thank you so much for your critique, it has helped me to see details in my work, and hopefully guide me in the right direction.

Looking forward to the next challenge!

P.S. The "demon" mask is based on actual masks that are produced in Mexico, although sadly its an art in extinction. They are usually made to represent the sins and the devil, as well as ancient deities, and they usually have some deep symbolism. They are commonly made of wood, and often the details are made of stone, hay, animal hair and even bone. Hope you find this interesting!