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November Original Character Contest

PostPosted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 5:21 pm
by the_lizardqueen
Thanks to Yumie for approving this! If a mod could move this to the Art Contest board I would be much obliged.

Well, it was pretty tricky settling on just one concept but I think this one could be interesting (hopefully it isn't too open ended)

In Lord of the Rings they ride horses, in Harry Potter there's hippogryphs and in Pern they ride dragons. What type of creature would your character ride? Does your character share a close bond with their creature? Or are they being forced to ride a cranky llama in order to get across a mountain range?

There's lots of potential for creativity by using made up creatures, mythical beasts and completely odd ones (like frogs, cheetahs, ravens, snails, etc.), even horses could be cool. The character certainly doesn't have to be human either.

Hopefully you guys can have some fun with this one ^^ All we need is a drawing of the character and a brief biography describing the background of the character and the situation.

As with previous months the contest closes at the end of November and Jaden will be deciding the results. Go crazy! :grin:

PostPosted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 5:43 pm
by Warrior 4 Jesus
Oh, I'm doing this one. I have a great idea. Thanks lizardqueen!

PostPosted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:02 am
by Jingo Jaden
Ohhhh, looks so coolies this one ^^

PostPosted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:51 am
by Esoteric
*is veerrrry tempted....* Must see if I have time this month.

PostPosted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 9:37 am
by Radical Dreamer
This is such a cool idea...Man, I really hope I have time for this one! XD

PostPosted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:12 pm
by soul alive
*crosses fingers* I would dearly love to participate this month, and my huge final project is due the tuesday before thanksgiving, so I should hopefully have the break and week after to get something done.

Neat idea the_lizardqueen!

PostPosted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:42 pm
by Photosoph
*is veerrrry tempted....* Must see if I have time this month.

*Was tempted* *Gave into temptation* ;)

Unexpected entry-age! Spur-of-the-moment entry-age!

The griffin/gryphon/however you wish to spell it, I originally coloured blue... but being unhappy with the blend of blue tones, I turned it green. Yes. Go green! :jump: And as you can probably tell, the background was a very rushed affair. ^_^" Eh well. T'was fun!

P.G (A.k.a Pierce Guinn -but nobody could be bothered to actually call him that... least of all himself) hadn't exactly had the easiest life. Born and raised at the Opaque Cliffs above the boiling sea, on a stormy night (or so he said. Really, it was during a lovely sunset on a calm Autumn day), things had been against him from day one. Not only had his family not been the most supportive bunch of people (leaving him at age seven with only a "you're old enough to survive on your own" for a goodbye wasn't the typical actions of a nuturing family), but after watching his wings sprout into tiny buds, then slowly lengthen and grow, he found himself in a horrible predicament.
He could not fly.
Not that he'd realised it at first. So it was a good thing that he had the deep sea below him, instead of painfully solid ground, as he futilely attempted to prove wrong everyone who told him that it was impossible to fly with such stubby, deformed wings.
It wasn't that they were useless -just absolutely inadaquate for flying. When swimming, they were great; when falling from great heights... not so great.

Leaving the cliffs, as every other fully-fledged Opaque Cliff youth had done before him (but on foot, not in the usual fashion of going by air), he'd set out to find his place in the world. Or rather, just set out to do something other than fishing and whiling away the days sitting on a cliffy outcrop, or flinging himself off in another attempt at flight. He was bored, and needed a change of scene.

That was when he found the answer. Gryphons! As soon as he set eyes on the beautiful, air-free creatures, he knew he had to have one. It took him every ounce of his wit, strength, and rescources, along with a massive dose of annoying pleading and hassling, to find his way to getting a mount. But he suceeded; and at that moment, the friendship between P.G and the parakeet gryphon Budge began.

Soaring over mountain and sea, and poking fun at the much slower winged people travelling solo, they voyaged across the continent; delivering mail as one of the many skilled postmen teams of the Air Mail business.
But this wasn't how P.G planned to spend the rest of his life. Each day of flight and building the bond between him and his mount, he viewed as another day of training.
He knew that one day they'd be strong enough to enter the races. And then, in front of all the world, he'd prove for once and for all that Pierce Guinn could fly.

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:14 am
by Esoteric
Awesome Photosoph!! A great pic and a great story. The humor is excellent! Wow, coolness. :thumb:

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:37 am
by Jingo Jaden
Awwwww. It looked sooooo cute on the first veiw, great going ^_^

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:31 am
by soul alive
Very cute Photosoph! Great backstory as well.

I do have a question since I've had thoughts popping around my head - does the character have to be mounted in the picture, or can the mount just be in the picture, with the character beside it?

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 12:24 pm
by the_lizardqueen
I love the parakeet gryphon *squee!* That backstory is also ubercreative and charming. Awesome entry Photosoph! ^__^

SA - I don't see any problem with putting the character beside their mount. That's absolutely fine :thumb:

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:25 pm
by soul alive
Sweet. That makes my evil schemes so much easier to complete. :P ^^

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 1:30 pm
by Tenshi no Ai
[quote="Photosoph"]*Was tempted* *Gave into temptation* ]

And what a good thing you did because that is such a cute picture!^^

And yeah this month's art contest idea WAS a great idea^^ Wish I could participate, but not really artsy too much anymore, nor do I have time to spare. But I'll keep popping in and seeing what amazing creations people are coming up with^^

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:01 pm
by Winchester13
dude, my sister would dig this when does it need to be in by?

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:04 pm
by Jingo Jaden
The contest ends at the end of the month ^^

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:54 pm
by Photosoph
Sweet. That makes my evil schemes so much easier to complete. ^^

...Should I be scared? :sweat: ;)

Thanks guys; I had lots of fun with this. ^_^ Actually, the characters are based off ones I've created for a story I'm currently in the process of writing. So when I read the 'mount' idea for this month's contest, they naturally came to mind. ^_^ I love creating different types of gryphons -I'm done everything from a Moa to a Penguin gryph. They're on the internet somewhere at my old elfwood account that lies neglected in the void of the internet world. Haven't checked that place for yonks.
Glad you liked it; it was fun to do, and to write. ^_^ Also glad that you enjoyed the humour -because if you try and fail at an attempt at humour, it's kinda annoying. And lame. :lol:

All the best everyone else! I'm looking forward to seeing some cool and crazy mounts and riders appear in this thread. :grin:

PostPosted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 4:25 pm
by soul alive
Naw, don't be scared. lol I've just had a strong desire to draw something for a while now that this will give me an opportunity to draw.

PostPosted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:28 pm
by Photosoph
Phew! That's a relief. ;)
Yes! Pursue that opportunity! \*0* (*hollers an amazonian warcry*)

PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 3:00 pm
by Chibi_wolf454
I'm in XD

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:11 pm
by fairyprincess90
i dunno... i'm kind of busy but i'll see if i can come up with something

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:40 pm
by Esoteric
Well, after Soph's entry, I felt quite challenged to comply with a character from one of my own stories. Hers is so good though...and funny! I don't think I can match it, but here's mine anyway.

Name: Tanger the Red

Background: In the olden days of Istellamaere, King Quelorn sought to unite the land under one banner. Quelorn believed it was his divine appointment, but the neighboring warlords didn't see it that way. A series of wars for unification began. Quelorn's youngest son, Tanger, proved to be the fiercest and most succesful warrior in his whole army, often painting his face red and charging the frightened enemy troops. The warriors of old rode upon Faelam Deer, such as this one from a famous event in Tanger's life.

The Scene: Tanger fell in love with the daughter of a neighboring warlord named Hibala. Knowing his own forces could not withstand the army of Quelorn, Hibala used the situation to offer a marriage alliance in a fein of peace. However, Hibala's true motive was to lure Tanger into his camp and take him as a hostage. It nearly succeeded, but with help from Hibala's daughter, Tanger managed to escape the camp on a swiftfooted Faelam.

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:22 pm
by Tenshi no Ai
Oh wow!^^ It's like, so simple with the paint (assuming it is, hard to tell though) and felt outlines, but so good!

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:41 pm
by fairyprincess90
thats cool! i wish i could be that good!

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:49 pm
by Esoteric
Tenshi no Ai wrote:Oh wow!^^ It's like, so simple with the paint (assuming it is, hard to tell though) and felt outlines, but so good!


Thanks. ^_^ It's actually markers on tracing paper...which always resembles watercolor because the markers bleed and smear a bit.

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:46 pm
by Photosoph
Me, I thought it was ink. ^_^ So cool to see you're entering, Eso! I'm glad you like mine; but yours is definitely a major contender for sweet victory! :evil: ;)

It looks really nice, Eso; and you haven't neglected anything from the picture, either; it's got movement, a clear story with the pursuers and the pursuee, a great background and nice detail on the rocks in the foreground too. Hmm... you know, I've never really thought of using rocks like that in the foreground, or as part of the picture. But it's really great, and they do fit in with the forest surroundings.
As usual, you've created another amazing piece of artwork! ^_^

Love the Faelam deer too. The markings are really cool, and deer are such graceful, yet strong and swift creatures. It'd be cool to ride one... *imagines it...* =^_^=

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:54 pm
by Warrior 4 Jesus
Very nice work Esoteric! Very Princess Mononoke. Great dynamics of movement there.

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:57 pm
by Jingo Jaden
Woah, really nice looking ^o^

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:05 pm
by soul alive
Very nice Esoteric!

PostPosted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 4:54 pm
by Esoteric
Thanks everyone!
Hmm... you know, I've never really thought of using rocks like that in the foreground, or as part of the picture. But it's really great, and they do fit in with the forest surroundings.

Yeah, I needed an open area in the forest for this scene to take place in, so I browsed my old vacation photos for ideas. The rocks were inspired by a picture I took two years ago of a sierra mountain creek bed.

PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 8:21 pm
by Aka-chan
Does it actually have to be a flesh-and-blood creature? Or can it be a sentient form or something not usually "alive"? (ie a machine, rocks, water, etc.)