Round 2 Results, Round 3 theme

05May10

Hi guys!

Sorry once again for the delay. What happened was I got all the results in yesterday, but couldn’t post until today due to wordpress acting up all day yesterday (you know when Mt stuffs up and the css is gone? Yeah, exactly like that – I’m still not sure if it was just me or everyone though :\) – but the thing is, I’m here now! \o/

Round 2 finished with 10 entries being submitted, two members retiring from the competition due to not being able to meet the deadline.

I strongly encourage you all and remind you all to pull out of the competition ASAP if this happens so I can throw in the wildcards. Remember, if within 3 days of the competition starting you don’t think you can finish (remember to check your schedule and diary and plan out some time), simply let me know so the wildcards can be used.

Logistics aside, I wish both Gid and bromithia well in their work and studies respectively – it was great having you two, and hopefully maybe you’ll compete next time…? 😉

Given that Gid and brom pulled out of the competition, that means that Sakura-Dust and flyindreams were automatically through to Round 3.

There is a tough line of of Round 3 – but let’s just post up the results first.

PS: For last time’s results, I still haven’t had the time to hook up the Minitokyo links >_< Sorry but I’ll get to that as soon as the weekend comes around! Do the same, leave a comment with the Minitokyo link (at least if I haven’t hooked it up, spectators can rummage through the comments to find the link lol ;x)

PPS: I did forward all the original scan links and whether or not the wallpaper was original art to the judges – which will be reflected in the comments as you can see below.

Results

Chloe-chan
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 2.2
TECHNIQUE (15): 9.1
CREATIVITY (15): 11.1
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 11.4
TOTAL (50): 33.8

“I feel that there are too many white gradients that make the entire piece seem faded and uninteresting. Creating light means creating constrast, which would have communicated the sense of sadness and longing that this piece attempts to achieve. I love the motifs of death, life and love depicted.”

“Monochrome wallpapers mostly seem attractive to me, for some reason. But not this one. Probably because of the presence of that burned picture, it seems rather not needed and could have put some more feathers or just leave it plain. The crumples look a bit off – probably because of the thick lines and the shading. I do like the idea of using real stock image for the hands, and turned them anime-like. Overall, it lacks the wow factor but still looks likable.”

“This is such a tender wall, dramatic scene shown in such a soft way. I think the idea alone is really great. For the color choice, it was pretty bold and I think it takes away the attention from the wall. More so because it’s a light grey, everything in it is light and so it’s hard to focus on it as a wall. A bit more darkening and perhaps more of a sparkle rather than streak of light might give it more of an angelic look. Or perhaps having the picture in color while keeping the scene grey could really give it a different perspective and show the main focus more. The details on the picture are awesome btw, it looks so real.”

“Reminds me of the film “Ghost”. Love the concept, but think the execution could have been better. Seems slightly blurry and the feathers are somewhat random. This is one of those walls that I think having a description would benefit in helping viewers to understand the story.”

MapleRose
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 3.5
TECHNIQUE (15): 11.1
CREATIVITY (15): 12.4
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 11
TOTAL (50): 38

NOTE: MapleRose received the HELP card for Round 2, and used the HELP card.

“What an adorable scene! I’m not a big fan of geometric and clean lineart for the table which give the entire piece an unneeded stiffness. Try varying the lines here and the piece will flow much better.”

“I find this really funny, we people love food, so why not try showing it, right? I really liked this one, the vector is really neat and the bg fits well.”

“This is adorable, nothing better than showing affection for your favorite food! Looking at the scan I was quite impressed to see it was alternated using another scan, I had assumed it was a screencap. The colors are lovely for the concept and an even better addition were the sparkled dreamy bubbles to add the full sense of bliss. I do think the background would’ve been better scenic, maybe just a simple room (girly room) would’ve put more depth into it. Especialy with the male present, somehow with him the background needs more in it. Maybe removing him could help to bring the background and her together better.”

“Wow! Definitely one of my favorites! A unique interpretation of the theme. I like the muted appearance and use of texture… very easy on the eyes/desktop!”

kuryuki
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 3
TECHNIQUE (15): 9.6
CREATIVITY (15): 10.6
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 9.3
TOTAL (50): 32.5 -3 = 29.5

NOTE: erikamirou received the -3 card, meaning kuryuki received a 3 point deduction.

“Very adorable scene, but the background swallows the main character. Smaller center objects can utilize space to express romance, but in this case the overly detailed background blends in with the character too much. More white space, especially on the top half would have finished this wall with a innocent storybook ending.”

“I have to say, this confuses me a bit. Thinking of the theme I’m a bit lost when looking at this wall. I only see the presence of hearts but it still feels like it’s misguided in showing the emotion. Though I do like the light and fluffy colors given with the clouds and angelic look. It’s missing darker shadows, with all that light and brightness it needs a more balanced darkness.”

“Background seems too bare. I like the idea of the girl holding the cauldron of hearts, but think there needs to be something else… some aspect of movement perhaps?”

erikamirou
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 3.2
TECHNIQUE (15): 9.2
CREATIVITY (15): 10
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 10.3
TOTAL (50): 32.7

“I enjoy the scene but the painted technique is much too blurry with inappropriate use of colors that wash the lines out. With better color application and sharper edges, this piece could have really stood out.”

“Wow, this is pure win, it’s like a movie scene, beautiful! It feels like I’m watching a war movie, with the hero and the girl saving the world, almost dying and still loving each other.~”

“Interesting character design and the technique you used on them looks neatly done. The blood and wet effects look cool and impressive. The thing that kind of bothers me is the rain; they’re a bit too visible on some areas, which I think made them compete for attention with the subject.”

“What really blew me away was the intense emotion given from both the male and female side. The pure and very sorrowful feelings were thrown into such a dramatic pose and together with the scene of rain it makes you want to know more about the two. On the details, the male’s pants – where the skin should be visible is in fact too visible, it should be darker and still hold some of the white layer given by the pants. Compared to the center work the background just isn’t strong enough to hit the ball out of the park, alot of detail and emotion is missing from it. It really makes the wall die down as a whole and I recommend the artist to work more on it since it looks rather unfinished.”

Valuna
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 3.5
TECHNIQUE (15): 9.4
CREATIVITY (15): 10.6
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 11
TOTAL (50): 34.5

“I absolutely love the artistry applied to this scan, with its exaggerated lines and expressions. Some stylistic choices may not appeal to me, but I appreciate that they have their own sense of voice. The sky though seems too cluttered and the wrong color tone to match the rest, especially the gradiented heart. I think use of white space would have been better.”

“Colorful love! xD This wall is beautiful, the way it’s made, the bg, all!”

“Wow! Such vibrant and lovely colors, I’m glad they were brought into the wall. The top is a bit unbalanced somehow to me, it’s really bright compared to the colorful field beneath it. The smoke seems out of place as well, maybe if it was a different color it might’ve worked in more.”

“There is definitely some jaggedness in the linework. (Most noticeable in the males hair) But I love the bright colors and boldness of the black against them.”

dslassey
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 3.5
TECHNIQUE (15): 10.2
CREATIVITY (15): 12
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 11.6
TOTAL (50): 37.3

“I enjoy the contrast between the textures and vector-fills. This juxtaposition creates an effective scrapbook feel which seems to be missing in the walling community. However, the background is too dark + faded to allow the elements to breathe and stand out. Lighter colors in the background would enliven this wall.”

“I don’t know, but this one got me here, I liked the style of walling the love, very cool!”

“Cool and funky colours, and the simple design looks interesting. Though I think the 3D objects should have made anime-ish to fit with the character. All in all, this wallpaper looks great in its own league.”

“The funky colors are cool, the textures helps to bring all the articles together. Though I don’t really feel the theme here, I’m guessing she loves music but theres not much of a big focus on that so I think alot otherswould be confused. I think adding the eyes and creating more of focus on the guitar would’ve helped to better show her affection for it.”

“LOVE. IT. Virtually flawless… great style/concept and execution. Love the ‘messy with a purpose’ coloring of the girl! Overall, an excellent, high quality wall.”

Ephemeral-Garden
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 3.6
TECHNIQUE (15): 11.5
CREATIVITY (15): 12.5
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 12.4
TOTAL (50): 40

“Fantastic! I love the crazy anatomy going on (although i think some of the facial features need to be repositioned slightly). I do think the background needs to be less prominent and feature lighter, yellower shades to really frame the characters as well as the smoke and other elements and to prevent the wall from seeming too cluttered.”

“Probably the best entry for this round. Not just because it is original, but the fact that the abstract approach gives off a rather dark and unique definition of love. It is cute in its choice of colours, and the patterns and textures add a beautiful sense to the whole wallpaper.”

“It’s definitely an interesting idea, leaves you asking questions about the two. I think the lines could be more full and connected so it doesn’t look too jagged and hard to see her figure. Also the green is a bit too strong for the other light, though I do get it’s intent of it being there so it works on that note.”

“Very creative use of textures and symbolism. I’m slightly lost on some of them, but an interesting wallpaper overall.”

sjade1
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 4
TECHNIQUE (15): 11.8
CREATIVITY (15): 12.8
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 11.2
TOTAL (50): 39.8 + 3 = 42.8

NB: sjade1 was the recipient of the +3 card and narrowly wins

“This fantastically composed piece calls to the softer, 1920’s glamour-shot. The main character is beautifully vectored and the theme shines through. A great sense of drama, motion juxtaposes her calm composure. The hands seem oversmudged and the wall would benefit from touches of texture, especially in the background. Nevertheless, wonderful work!”

“I liked this one, the art is really gorgeous, this person has an amazing skill.~ I’m really impressed.”

“It’s interesting to see another brilliant piece, that just seem so right and neat for the desktop. I think the different approach on the theme does make this wallpaper stand out among the rest. Thumbs up on the stunning composition and awesome lighting. Although I feel that you should add some details on her clothing, It just looks too plain with black.”

“I do think this is an interesting twist of the theme, however it doesn’t really shout the theme. She could use some more lights on her to show more flashes from the front view and the flashes behind her could be more visible along with the less opacity ones we see.”

“Love the look of this wallpaper, but I’m not sure what the second subject is since it seems the main focus is the female character.”

Sakura-Dust
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 2.9
TECHNIQUE (15): 11.9
CREATIVITY (15): 10.6
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 11.6
TOTAL (50): 37

“This piece looks great up close, with a great sense of texture and movement. But a holistic look reveals a clash in styles. Despite well-executed technique and colors, the characters are done in a different style than the background. More work should be done integrating the two.”

“I liked this one, it’s really lovely and there’s love there~ The thing I didn’t really liked is the bg, it’s kinda off. =/”

“Very wonderful design to look at. The art-nouveau-ish background adds a classic sense of romance between the characters. Great effort on the technique as well, though I somehow feel that painting job (for the shading) would have made this more stunning. And the circle designs look a bit squished, which is rather odd to see.”

“The beautiful detail in the background is what caught my attention first, I love the warm and loving colors you drenched the wall in. The change of her face was a really good move, it helps to compliment the male’s face. The clock seems a bit squished though, as if it didn’t fit and was forced to fit. It really dampers the walls complete look for me.”

“Great use of texture and color. I really like how you modified the original image. Though, I think either both of the girl’s eyes should be open or closed… looks slightly odd with one open and one closed. At first I thought her other eye was forgotten. But aside from that, stunning wallpaper!”

bromithia
N/A

flyindreams
Minitokyo link:

WOW (5): 3.3
TECHNIQUE (15): 10.5
CREATIVITY (15): 11.6
THEME/AESTHETICS (15): 12.2
TOTAL (50): 37.6

“I absolutely love the composition here, the simple background frames the japanese patterns perfectly. Only complaints are on technique: lineart is rather weak in more places than one.”

“Beautiful wall sure is beautiful. Amazing, the technique, the art, in overall, this is beautiful. xD”

“I really love the concept behind this, it’s simple but still holds alot into it and shows the theme pretty clearly. The referenced image played wonderfully into this, I do think they should be moved a bit more into the middle since the space beside them does take alot more attention than it should but it’s not a big problem. Perhaps text or more designs could help to fill it up.”

“I think this is one of those walls that also would benefit from having a description. I don’t really feel the theme coming across in this one. I like the use of the origami paper patterns, but feel the left side of the wall is a little too bare. Maybe some simple text?”

Gid
N/A

Round 3 contestant board

So, for round 3 it is:

MapleRose vs erikamirou

dslassey vs sjade 1

Sakura-Dust vs flyindreams

SCARY STUFF I MUST SAY. CAN I DESCRIBE THIS AS EXPLOSIVE? This competition is filled with landmines.

Round 3 theme

The theme for Round 3.

*drumroll*

Your wallpaper must feature:

• Art Nouveau
• 1 x non human object (at least) AS ITS SUBJECT/ MAIN FEATURE

You can include humans into your wallpaper, but they must not be the predominant feature.

As a response to a question asked by Sakura-Dust about what the non human object should be (revised):

– Mecha
– Zombie
– Furniture/ Architecture/ Hamburgers/ food/ toys/ objects that may or may not be alive
– Animals (fish, birds, whatever- living or dead, but no, these are not human)
– Cute furry little things
– Aliens
– Androids/ cyborgs – ONLY IF THEY CLEARLY POSSESS ROBOT FEATURES (eg. in Green Glass there are girls with metal sockets where there are missing arms – that’s okay – but androids like Chii from Chobits are clearly too human looking – if in doubt, you can always PM me the scan you’re interested in walling and ask me if it counts)
– Mermaids, Centaurs, half person half whatever, Medusa – these are non human
– Angels/ Gods/ Goddesses ARE HUMAN SO THEY DO NOT COUNT (yeah yeah, I know they technically aren’t human/ mortals, but they look too human – so wipe out Belldandy as your main subject)

It could be living or not living as you can tell from the list above – it’s comletely up to you on what you want to feature in your wallpaper and what approach you want to take. You can take art nouveau very seriously and follow the guidelines of the style rigidly, or you can do a twist on it.
 
PS: Androids will not count as non human objects, unless they clearly look like robots (eg. Chii from Chobits will not be included – I’ll update the post – simply because she looks too human)
PPS: Human silouhettes or reflections also do not count (that’s cheating!).

Basically, IF IT LOOKS LIKE A PERSON (but with something added onto them like a halo, pair of wings or whatever), IT IS A HUMAN. If it looks like a mutation of a human, that’s okay. Otherwise you can use any non human object under the sun. 😀

Please ask for any clarifications.

Want some examples?

http://saikusa.minitokyo.net/gallery (large variety of Art Nouveau scans)
http://tama-neko.minitokyo.net/gallery
http://candy-chan.minitokyo.net/gallery

PS: MapleRose reminded us all that there are tags at Mt lolol http://www.minitokyo.net/Art+Nouveau <– all art nouveau under the one tag!

PPS: I know the theme is hard – and I intentionally planned it so that each round got progressively harder. The main reason for me choosing a theme is to also better compare between wallpapers for judging for the accurate judging of finalists, if you know what I mean. If they’re all art nouveau, it all boils down to what object you choose to feature, how you do it, and how creatively you do it. I hope that gives you all some insight into why I chose such a distinctive yet broad “style” and why I had to make the twist by featuring a non human. Be creative, and go crazy!

Have fun! It’ll be a challenge. Remember to include your scan source link in your PM when you submit to me. All other rules stay the same.

Filed under: Round 2, Round 3   |  21 Comments