[Cj_Marsh]

Hi guys the topic this time around is The Gates of Hades, in Greek mythology the Cerberus would stand guard to the gates, your task is to create these gates, what kind of place are the gates located at. Pretty simple this round.

Deadline December 16th 12 noon CST




Please no tracing. Our rules concerning the use of reference images is the same as that in Drawing Jams: http://cghub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4784 though I do not mean to say the use of texture images placed onto a model by a 3D program is forbidden. That practice is more akin to the custom brushes often used in 2D that were based on some shape that arose out of a prior image. Many of the more sophisticated programs have libraries of textures included that were .jpgs originally derived from photographs.

[arttorney]

OK. I linked the poll for episode #51 to this thread because I got the poll for #51 linked in the top images with a mod pick. We are getting exposure for New Worlds; the number of voters is up as is the number of entries. You, the artists, help make this possible.

I just published Notice in "CGHUB Activities" facebook page with a link. Perhaps this round can bring out a few more devils who don't mind having their artwork seen by a lot of people.

"The Gates of The City of Dis" would be the version from Dante's Inferno where you might be able to find some descriptive text to work from by google searching.

[Chojin]

Awesome topic!

[misca]

This is fantastic, haven't participated in one of these yet...

[Chojin]

Did six thumbs, four turned out with decent results.
I´m thinking of this as a big, epic movie scene.

[AlexTLe]

@Chojin: Number 4 is probably the best one. I like number 2 also because of the ferry guy.

[rhazza]

Hi,

Here are my first versions of the gate of hell. I imagine a giant portal invading a city and vomiting demonic stuffs such as Cerberus. Tell me which one you prefer or what bothers you
I'll probably introduce colorer colors in the foreground to make some more interesting contrast that can help the gate pop.



@chojin, I prefer the second idea but the perspective of the 4th in more interesting maybe a mix between the two of them will be cool !

[Chojin]

@ rhazza, I like the second one of your images, mostly because of the perspective but also the portal centered in the sky.
I do think it would look cooler if the portal was more perspectivly aligned to the horizon, so that it looks like the sky itself has a huge demonic whole in the atmosphere. Keep working!

[Kayla]

Here's my progress so far. I'm going to try to make it look like its from the perspective of someone looking through the open gates. Thanks for the fun topic!

[Alexei]

Hello!
very interesting topic
join you

Here is my WIP

[Chojin]

Kayla I really like the colors and the atmosphere! I think the whole place could get a bit bigger though!

Alexei Beautiful colors and a sense of fantasy!

This is my final image evolved from the thumbnails. No colors yet!

[rhazza]

@Chojin : Thx for the help, I'll go for a mix between my two images !
Your new version is nice. Maybe you could add a little more depth by upsizing the ferry guy or by playing with the rocks scale so he could seem sooooo small compare to the rocks (and the door so...)

@Alexei : Very nice looking WIP i dig the "spoty" render of it ! Which software are you using ?

[LovableRogue]

I usually draw characters and monsters, so I'm going to try to get over my fear of backgrounds and landscapes by trying these challenges. Here's my starting sketch; I'm going for abandoned passage rather than active city, and trying to keep a greek feel to the architecture. Advice and critiques are very welcome. I don't really know what I'm doing.

[ShaggyHandlz]

here r 2 sketches, gonna do a rough paint job for both and see which one im gonna continue with

[Nickodemus]

Here is one idea so far. I thought it'd be cool to try and take a more subtle approach to how Cerberus "guards" Avernus. Rather than really being alive, he is carved out of stone, two of his heads acting as water tunnels for giant water wheels below, which are used to raise the massive gate. In my head, it looked like it could be a pretty cool in game sequence, utilized Cerberus' mythology well and referenced the water wheel, which was invented by the the greeks. I'd definitely like some feedback as to the idea/design.

Chojin - I agree with you choice of the thumbs to carry further. Perhaps you could push the scale harder overall? I think the design is starting to be pretty grand and would like to see some sort of massive, daunting scale to really blow your hair back.

rhazzza - It seems to me that we see portals used a lot and they are almost always circular, and many times glowing fiery red (ES: Oblivion, Portal, etc). Perhaps you break the mold and design a more unique looking kind of portal? I'm not knocking the idea, but more so the fact that you see so many portals that are just big glowing circles. I dig the idea of the gate to the underworld being something mobile though, that could manifest anywhere and really give FEMA a bad day.

Kayla - That's beautiful and terrifying. What are the pointy things though jutting out from the buildings? They almost look like ships masts. For me they are kind of de-greeking it for me, while some of your pillars and arches in the far background are really reading well as greek architecture.

Alexel - Your entry way design is beautiful and powerful! I agree with Chojin, great colors as well. It's also a breath of fresh air to see something set in a little more of a bright, natural kind of environment. My only crit would be to hint at Greek architecture a little more. Right now, I think you could use it as a design for a variety of ancient culture's gateways. It wouldn't take much. A crumbled pillar or two embedded in the cliffside would go a long way.

Lovable Rouge - We clearly agree on where putting Cerberus would be coo! I think your nailing the traditional greek archway & pillars and starting to hint at it's ornamentation. It's a little too blurred and early on to give much more of a crit, but I like where your going.

ShaggyHandlz - Brutally evil and amazing sketches there. Love the forms your using and sense of danger your implying by even walking by these things. My only crit would be the same as Alexel - they feel like they could be the gates for many a terrible place, not only the underworld of Hades.