The Journey Begins Challenge (2D) Entry: reb capper

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147099525_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147099525_large.jpg)

Ok so this is my first time in the world of CG Challenge so any advice welcome!

Initially I was going to go for the Evacuation to the Core idea but have since reworked the idea into extremophile amphibians being forced to escape from the core, out of the deep dark caverns into the unknown land and light. I need to spend sometime developing the characters / poses and portraying the emotion and scale of the piece so since there is not much time left now I better go beaver away some more and take in some of the wicked work already out there! :s

Cheers
Reb

[Naisart]

Cool idea, and great thumbnail studies. Don´t have much to say right now except that it looks interesting. Keep it up!

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147176383_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147176383_large.jpg)

Ok so I've spent some time developing my characters who although have already begun their Evacuation from the Core, are really just beginning their ardous journey. As the hydrogen sulphide gas within the deepest caverns reaches almost 100% and the rivers of sulphuric acid begin to boil, these shrimp / seahorse like creatures are forced to evolve damn quick. As the stragglers fight to escape the underground rivers of acid, the others tribe members survey their journey ahead.

I wanted to choose characters / creatures that would not naturally be able to cover the terrain easily - adding a more epic feel to the ardous journey they must undertake. Thus I chose fish-like creatures with no legs of hands - making the climb even more challenging, and also aquatic creatures that can only live underwater, forcing them to deisgn and develop breathing apparatus for their journey ahead.

In terms of showing the emotion of the creatures, I have also designed ones without mouths, making the expression of emotion more challenging in some ways. So I wanted to concentrate on their poses - desperaration and horror over those of the tribe still in the boiling acid streams, and portray the shock, awe and sheer weight of the immense task that lies ahead of them. I shall continue to work on these creatures but better get on with my coluring damn quick too! Time is a ticking for me as well as these liitle guys....

Thanks for stopping by, over and out,
Quills

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147265825_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147265825_large.jpg)

First colouring - starting to take shape now. Havn't done too much on the sulphuric acid stream yet and I expect will add more detail to the characters (potentially climbing gear) and emotion with the next colouring.

It is quite hard to give the characters real scale in this scene but hopefully the epic proportions are beginning to take effect. The leaf on the lower left should help as should the tiny blue glow of the extremophile's antennae as they make their way slowly up the cave walls. I shall also add some tiny flying bird creatures half way up the cave to give some scale to the expanse these extremphiles must travel.

In terms of the lighting it is beginning to get there though there is some way to go. The creatures themselves are used to the dark of the underwater cave sulphur streams, although their antennae help light their way. As I don't have a horizon as such in the picture the light effects are somewhat different but I will hopefully crack it soon with the softer light and contrast nearer to the cave opening.

Much to do and so little time ...arghghghh...

[anzibon]

ooooh lookin nice.

look at you comin out of nowhere and hittin the ground running. so far so good. no crits yet, except that some of the poses are stronger than others. the biggest guy that grabs my eye has kind of a boring pose. i love the one that's shut it's eyes and looks like it just woke up.

looking forwrd to seeing more,
~B

[Quills]

Yeah, you're not wrong...he is a bit dull, but I tend to change the detail quite a lot once I really get into it so no doubt he (or is it a she?..hmm) will be ballet dancing by the time I've finished, but point taken! :)

Thanks v much Anzibon,

Q

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147446406_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147446406_large.jpg)

Soooo....This is just a small section of the pic but it's beginning to come to life and into focus. I have worked some on the skintone / surface of the extremophiles and a little on their equipment eg: Filter nose nozzles to enable them to breathe oxygen, aiding these sulphur river dwellers in their journey.

I have also changed their poses a little and have begun working on the flora and fauna of the cave floor. However there is so much ground the cover still that finishing this within the time scale now appears to be an impossible journey in itself! (pardon the punns) Hey ho, better get down to it. All comments welcome...

See you on the dark side,

Q

[domclubb]

nicely painted. i like the creature designs. they are very surreal. i have a slight problem with the lack of emotion they portray but i can't see how this could be fixed with the surreal design and i'm sure it doesn't really matter. i would maybe add something to the cave as it looks a bit plain at the mo. maybe some plants and animals or some architecture or something. anyway, i really like this. good luck.

[Quills]

Thanks for crit - yeah I'm still playing with giving them 'mouths' but thought it might be more of a challenge to convey emotion through the eyes and posture...we shall see, they are still pretty fluid and changing daily. As for fauna, there should be enough to help with scale etc when done I hope!

Cheers,
Q

[MrFreeman]

:) looking good QUILLS....

deifinitely original and despite not being human, you've still a sense of emotion.

The latest updated details are great.

It would be quite nice if you had some sort of sense of habitat or mid ground to increase the sense of scale of the cavern.

Great work - looking forward to seeing how this develops :)

[Quills]

Cheers Mr Freeman,

The emotion has been tricky but I'm adapting them at the mo - changing poses slightly and adding another character to one side which should add to the composition too I hope.

As for habitat - good comment, I'm trying to add in more cues to where they have come (swum) from, so I'm adding in a suggestion of their limestone tower homes crumbling into the streams and in the forground a few more branches etc to add a bit more depth.

Thanks for crit,

Toodaloo..

Q

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147549165_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147549165_large.jpg)

A little more detail and redesign. In an effort to aid with scale I have added more birds etc and other detail to the rest of the painting (not shown here). I have also added an old extremophile (think I need to make up a name for this race)... and he seems to lead the eye better into the picture.

Still loads to do with rocks, flora, fauna and acid water...so with that I shall get a bleedin' move on!..

Q

[Slav]

looks interesting. keep it up mate.

[Quills]

Thanks Slav, just working on some equipment additions to the creatures at the mo that may help with scale, I think I've got some good ideas now but any suggestions always welcome..

Q

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147876372_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1147876372_large.jpg)

A little more in focus...

but still much to do so hoping to get a few hours on it this week :S eg: rocks, kit details, the sulphur streams and details up the cave wall - like the migration of the extremophiles, rope bridges etc.

There is still quite a lot to do with the lighting in the cave which is pretty tricky as there is light from above and a glow from the creatures antannae and a little from the boiling sulphur streams. I sure like to make it hard for myself!? More soon I hope...

Crits welcome pixel pushers,

Q

[Quills]

...and why does the colouring each time I upload it look paler and off??

You also really need to zoom in to see the detail of this piece becuase at this size frankly its lost..

Q

[ej2k]

Hey there mate. This is really coming on nicely. The detail you've added definitely adds to the scale of the cave - its huge! Plus the emotion is really showing on the creatures' faces now. I love the oily look you've got on their skin. Can't wait to see the finished article!

[webwings]

I love the way the light shines down.....

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1148148502_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1148148502_large.jpg)

Not too far off now. Still work to do on the rock faces and stallegtites as well as playing with the light rays and possibly adding some more challenges for the characters to overcome further up the rock face eg: sphinx or something. I have yet to do the little guys working their way up the cave wall either. I am hoping their glowing antennae will help lead the viewer's eye around the piece, hinting at their journey's course as the extremophiles begin their evacuation / migration to find another body of sulphur water to inhabit on the planet's surface.

I have tried working a little on the boiling sulphur waters being boiled by the core's lava streams that are invading their environment - this may need more attention, but any suggestions most welcome!
Also finding the colours once I upload are very weak so whether this is my computer or the size of what I am uploading I do not know. I have adjusted the contrast for this post as a tester so we shall see....

Q

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1148400772_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1148400772_large.jpg)

Section of painting to test colour which don't seem to be behaving too well when uploaded. Nearly there anyway and should submit final tomorrow with any luck...

Q

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1148486947_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1148486947_large.jpg)

Since there still seems to be mismatch from what this looks like on my screen and what it looks like uploaded on my mac, I've tweaked the levels a little and made the light in the cave (or lack of it) more faded to help blend the stallegities in.

Think I'm about there for this one anyway, but I think my next one's style will be a little different as will my approach. Will see what this looks like and then hope to upload the final one tomorrow.

If anyone else wants to give me a crit I'd appreciate it - it has been pretty quiet on the cave front... :'(

Cheers,

Q - The only way is up...

[Quills]

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1148649110_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/12/11558/11558_1148649110_large.jpg)

Complete at last! After a few wee tinkerings I'm not sure there is much else I can add to this one, but as my first ever challenge, at least it has been a good introduction into how it all works, some of you guys out there and the desire to do something way more wicked next time. I've really enjoyed this challenge and sorry for the cliche but 'The Journey Begins' has been a perfect one for me to start with am taking as an omen - a good one I hope...who know where it might end up? Thanks for the crits guys.

And so to the story...

Deep in the underground caverns close to the earth's core, a species of extremeophiles called the Splicers have been forced to begin their epic migration. Extremophiles come from all planets in the system, adapting and evolving to live somehow in the most extreme places, from vast barren deserts, planets with no atmosphere and at the bottom of the ocean with no light or air.

The Splicer's burrows ran deep beneath the sulphur streams, miles down from the earth's crust, cutting more rivers into the rock each year. However as the planet's core began to expand it's meltdown, the sulphuric acid streams - which the Splicers had lived happily in for thousands of generations began to boil. The heat itself was not enough to finish their race off, but the hydrogen sulphide boiling gas that began to fill their watery sulphur burrows was.

And so their journey begins with the evacuation and migration of what is left of the Splicers species.

Since they are predominantly fish creatures, they are not able to live out of their familiar environment of their sulphur streams, which poses more of a challenge to them in migrating. Since all of the streams have been infected, they are forced to seek bodies of liquid elsewhere on the planet's surface, forcing them to invent, evolve and meet the challenge ahead of them or face extinction.

So an old member of the Splicer Elders has developed special nozzles to be worn over the end of their snouts in order that they should be able to breathe the planet's 'air' and survive out of the streams.

As members of the Splicer tribe help survivors make their way through the last body of boiling sulphur, others survey the sheer scale of the journey to come. Out of their natural habitat they are suddenly aware of what they must overcome, what could be out there and how small they are in comparison to the cave walls looming above. Most of the tribe have never even come this far to the surface since their homes stemmed fathoms below, except for a viewing outpost seen in the far distance at the back of the cave.

It also dawns on the tribe that their tails, whilst superbly suited for watery worlds will only make the journey more arduous and perhaps impossible for some.

The elder on the left already knows he probably won't make it and there is a sadness in his eyes as he steadies himself with his stick. A small Splicer larvae hangs to one whisker, his water wings should help him in the first few days of the journey but these will soon go as he grows and will need to be carried in their shell and anemone backpacks.

The smaller character on the left puts his splicers to his head in awe, terror and dismay, a little tear running from his eye. The egg timer hangs loosely from his backpack as the sands slowly run through showing how long their nozzles will give them to 'breathe' and survive. His friend studies the map for the best route up towards the small shaft of light. The only light most have ever seen has been the glowing antennae on their heads which gave an eerie cold glow down in the sulphur streams. Now there are warm tones echoing off the cave walls but still a smell of musty damp to cool the cave which si beginning to fill with the heat and gas of the boiling sulphide gas.

The gas has yet to reach the bird creatures - 20 times the size of them further up the cave wall. A small group of Splicers have already made it up to a section of rock protruding from the cave wall, perfect for lifting fellow Splicers from below. However the danger of attack from the birds is clear and 4 of the tribe have already been taken by a young Dragling, swooping low into the cave.

On the right hand side, a Splicer hangs her head in despair as he sits wrapped around a strange coralesque plant, the few plants still surviving in the bottom of the cave loom over their heads. Her pack contains his ground mat and pick-axe for the climb. The father looks towards the light far, far off into the distance and wonders if they will make what they will find beyond. Their small Splicerling lies unaware of his parents anguish and worry as he sleeps snugly wrapped in a fallen Par-qwah leaf, which will make a tidy bundle to help carry him on the journey. A Sqwather beetle makes his way past and up the coral branch to try and avoid the drifting heat.

Above the father, a tiny track can be seen in the distance, showing an old path built by some earlier lost civilisation. Closer it is actually the 2 fathoms wide. They are not sure but they think they can see the glow of a few Splicers in the shade, slowly making their way up the bottom of the path towards a huge tunnel cut into the rock face. Further still a bridge can be seen which they will nee to head for to make it over the vast riveen. A tiny city can almost be made out many weeks journey up the cave wall. Whether this is inhabited they do not yet know, but may not be able to stop their journey to find out since time is running out.

In the distance flocks of birds can just be seen, leading the Splicer's eyes up towards the huge stallegtites hanging down into the cave, the size of many Splicer cities put together. Some are obscured by the mist drifting across the shaft of light.

Will they make it to the light? What will they find beyond and will time run out on the other side to finally find a body of water where they begin to build their lives again?...


This has been great fun bit a real challenge in terms of the type of characters I chose which in some ways did make expressing the emotions they were going through even more of a challenge, but I hope I've gone someway to portraying these. I also hope that the storytelling is fairly clear and that on closer inspection there are lots of details to give clues to what is going on. Clues about where these creatures come from and where they are going. I hope the scale and challenge that lies beyond them shows the epic nature of their alien migration / journey, but next time will look to spend more time on nailing the composition and scale earlier on, rather than during the painting phase. I've learnt some valuable lessons already so its only upwards from here, what a punn! ;p
I could have done a nice horizony picture which in many ways would have been easier to show distance, scale and destination, but to be honest I did not think this would be as original or as much of challenge. What I did choose was, but perhaps I'll be a little easier on myself next time!!

Bring on the next one, I've got a world of wonderous bonkerness to release into the wild,

Q

[Bluemilk]

Well done on completing it looks great, so much detail. Poor little things i hope they make it

As its finished i cant really crit much, maybe you could experiment with colour adjustments and overlays etc sometimes i find some nice happy accidents when doing so, just an idea.
Cant wait to see the next one, maybe ill join in too

Take care :)

[Bluemilk]

this was my 5 min muck about, trying to emphasize the journey of light
anyhoo good stuff
http://www.dentonsbrain.com/Images/forWEB/reb1.jpg

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