This thread will contain the top placement entries for our Digital Matte Painting Mini Monthly Challenges! Special thanks to all who participated, and congrats to the winners. Hope you continually practice and learn as you do these challenges!
Prizes for monthly winners are:
1st Prize: 1 x CGWorkshop, 1 xCGTOD, 1 x Ballistic Book of Choice, 1 x CGSConnect Membership
2nd Prize: 1x CGTOD, 1 x Ballistic Book of Choice, 1 x CGSConnect Membership
3rd Prize: 1 x Ballistic Book of Choice, 1 x CGSConnect Membership
And the winners are…
[b]Top 3 for October 2014 - Barlangis - http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=370&t=1222989 with special guest judge, Heather Abels Raymond (bio: http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=370&t=1220994)
1st: Max Last
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=370&t=1223157
Milan’s comments: You have demonstrated good abilities in taking direction, identifying valuable feedback and strategic problem solving with time management in mind. The result is a somewhat stylized Matte Painting styleframe but it has all the necessary elements for a successful final image. It is very creative. I enjoy the dynamic of the un-leveled camera. Good job on playing with those pools of light and balancing so many various light sources in such an interior space. The people and FG rocks could have some more highlight detailing, while making the blacks darker this close to camera. Might be my monitor but instead of just washing it all out with the big shadow, you should try to punch out some spec hits in order to tell a complete story? Good job.
Heather’s comments: This is a really fun shot. I too think it’s quite stylized, and still has an illustrated quality to it, but I like the attention you’ve given to all your different light sources, and breaking up the silhouettes of the fg rocks with the cables. For me, the fg is too dark and clipped (I liked it before you darkened it), and near some of your light sources things can get a little muddy. Some of the back rock structures seem pasted together and while the lighting works the rocks themselves have many different qualities from piece to piece that I can almost pick out where one photo reference starts and ends. Otherwise, I love this piece, it’s visually stunning with a lot of movement to keep the eye entertained and dancing around. 
David’s comments: coming soon!
2nd Place: Aeaey
Milan’s comments: This image has hit some slight controversy and made judging more difficult than usual because while it does not really qualify as a photo-realistic Matte Painting, you have added such an amount of illustrative detail that it actually utilizes Matte Painting techniques in the proper way with a visually pleasing result. It also tells a nice story but in some areas of the picture you have resulted to painterly shortcuts which are usually used in conceptual art. Never the less, your sense of lighting and atmosphere are good. Watch out for low res images and do not mix them with high resolution details right next to each other, or make sure to upgrade those areas for final next time.
Heather’s comments: This shot has a lot of really great details and moments, but I agree with Milan that it feels like this has the potential to be a great matte painting, but is currently still in the concept phase. The mixing of image resolutions, and texture overlays still leaves this shot looking more like an illustration, but it has a great composition and fine details that one would expect in a matte painting. You have a great sense of lighting, and all the tiny little light kicks throughout the shot are a very nice touch.
David’s comments: Coming soon!!
3rd Place: Sue Jang
Milan’s comments: Awesome feel. Very good eye for composition and realism. Your image would have won if it was more finished but it’s currently not all the way there. I would keep adding spotlights and punch-out some highlight hits here and there, while making sure you maintain the way you lead the viewer’s eye. You have a good sense for Matte Painting but still need to pay more attention to detail. One huge criticism I have is the softness that has slid in somehow, as if your lens would be accidentally out of focus or something.
Heather’s comments: Great job! There are parts of this painting that have a really pleasing and photographic quality. I like all the scaffolding, it adds an area of focus and fine detail that I can imagine seeing in a movie. The torchs gave you a real opportunity to play with delicate lighting on the wood. For me, the fg rocks feel a bit cut out and were a missed opportunity for adding nice backlighting (from the torches) to help them feel 3 dimensional. Some areas of the painting get softer than others, and perhaps paying closer attention to keeping the overall sharpness more even would have helped. Overall… this looks like a movie I’d want to see.
David’s comments: Coming soon!!
Congrats all, onto next month’s challenge!!
