It seems impossible that you have anything left to do! Congratulations on practically finishing and good luck with the judging!
The Journey Begins Challenge (2D) Entry: Simon Bull
Jakyll
#242
I had an idea at the beginning of the Contests. I make a Labyrint. And then I searve all the treads. And see there, you had the idea before me. And now I am glad, which you converted this idea. Because I would have that never as well get as you. I am overwhelmed. Much luck.
Norberg
#243
This turned out really well. That structure is amazing! (gotta learn to do that some day)
I like that you did the sky this way, it adds to the mood.
You did a great job with this!
Cyberone
#244
The Journey Begins…
First off I just want to say thank you to all that have made any kind of input for this image…Basically if you have made ANY type of suggestion at all then I have tried it even if you didnt get to see it painted…even the more wilder of the suggestions were at least given a quick go…
I’m more going to write more a “background” about the image rather than a story…and by the end i hope you can see why…
First off when I started this challange I wanted to go for something a little dark…something that could lead to death, although I didnt want death represented in the picture in a “hey this person is going to die in the next few seconds via a big monster” kind of death…
I wanted it a little more subtle than that…something a little darker even…maybe more terrible in the end…
Another underlying thought that i’ve had for the image is that the person is 100% alone…even quite distanced from the viewer…he has no idea that we are watching…no wave good-bye and he goes of on his little trip. He is miles away from any other living creature…(maybe)…and that could be the way that it will end. But then again he could reach his goal, a goal that is so far off, so at the edge of his dreams reach that we are not allowed (by some neat trick of the artist or camera) to even see what it is. his Journey will leave the viewer behind quickly.
Basically this painting is a reaction to all the cute, happy, sexy, fluffy images that we see around us every day…I dont know why in such a strange and lonely world we are drawn to paint such easy and happy topics…escape(ism) in most case maybe, or perhaps a kind of shutting out of the real world around us…who knows? of course I do it quite alot…lol
So, in the end I suppose my image is about the real world…an image of the way I see the lives af all around me…you can make what you like of that…hehe
One last and final thought I have to say on this painting is that i think (as so many others have said) that it raises alot more questions than is answers.
who is he?
where is he?
why is he there?
how did he get there? (no supplies??)
where is he going?
is there a goal?
will he survive?
…the list goes on…
My very last thought is about these questions…
If we, as the viewer, are given all the answers on a nice neat little plate, where then is the fun of the Journey of art? this is not my intention to be lazy or make a simple picture (actually i think its alot harder than shoving a story right under the viewers nose…) what i have wanted to say in this image is “its up to YOU…THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY! please make of it what you will”
cheers…love CYB
and thanks again to all here at CGtalk.
you are all the best!
OliveBeard
#246
Awesome work man. I agree with your thoughts on telling a story…I think stories taint an image too much and that the viewer should be left to just feel the story in the painting itself. (with the exception–of course–of artists like Linda Bjerkvist [am I spelling that right] who are both talented writers and artists).
Excellent background, excellent picture…I feel a journey beginning when I see it.
:buttrock:
Cyberone
#250
OliveBeard: hanks…im glad you agree…i was afraid that nobody would…lol
notpill: thanks you!! 
and you too !
warpy: thanks!
Nazirull: thanks!! you too!!
makaron
#251
I been lurking and watching this in silence… but your final is just great… :bounce: what nice stonetexture and details… my thought is who is those poor people that build that creation? and I holding my thumb that the man gets a great start on his journey… I should be lost in five minutes my self… 
and nice story too… 
Ramitxon
#252
Congratulations man on your great image. you have achieved a sense of loneliness we don’t see on other entries, that fellow is going to start a journey but utterly and completely alone.
Great job my friend.
redehlert
#253
While I find your entry to be quite lovely, it really reminds me of a piece my wife purchased (royalty free from punchstock) for an advertisement she worked on a few years back.
Your maze and layout is very similar, and yet different enough to avoid copyright concerns. The only drawback is that due to the similarity, I don’t feel it’s very original.
http://www.cognitionstudio.com/conart2/bxp45609.jpg
Care to discuss?
Cheers,
Dave
walrus
#254
Cyb / simon -
Great job on this one. You’ve put a lot of work into it, and it’s really come out nice. I like Ramitxon’s point about taking a journey completely alone. Anyhow, congrats on finishing.
As for
all the cute, happy, sexy, fluffy images that we see around us every day…I dont know why in such a strange and lonely world we are drawn to paint such easy and happy topics
Hard not to respond to such a comment, being a major proponent and purveyor of aforementioned cute, happy, sexy, fluffy images, and of which my Journey Begins entry is a prime example. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but yes, there’s a decent amount of escapism there. I get to see “the dark, creepy maze of the real world” every time I look in the morning paper, why wouldn’t one want a repreive from that? But more than that: In addition to messages, we all choose different emotions that we want our pieces to evoke. Your piece invokes a sence of mystery and curiousity, such as the pile of questions that your piece forces us to ask ourselves and which you enumerated in your write-up. Me, I am quite content to evoke a smile from someone viewing one of my pieces. Maybe, if I’m lucky, a laugh. But I don’t think that that is shutting out the real world. Just, given the real world, what I think people need. I certainly do!
Probably more of a response than you cared for, but what do you expect when you spend a chunk of your final write-up commenting on those icky cheerful images. I mean, how could I NOT take that bait! 
Anyhow, great work, and congrats again for finishing!
-mike
tredistudio
#255
My favorite 2D image, I think that is simple fantastic.
great ambient lighting, really deep.
My favorite 2d Image of the contest
Cyberone
#256
makaron: thanks for dropping in…i could feel you lurking…hehe
maybe if you had you little GPs to help you then you wouldnt have any probs in the maze…and they could always call upon the ninjas to get them out if all looks grim…so that would be cool to! and im glad you like it…hehe
Ramitxon: thanks and im glad you get that feeling cause thats what i wanted from the start…lol
redehlert: thanks for dropping in…but realy your post made me laugh…then worry…then laugh again…
yes the images DO look similar…there is a maze…there is a man…lol
with only two element in a picture i bet you could find many similar works all over the world…
“While I find your entry to be quite lovely, it really reminds me of a piece my wife purchased (royalty free from punchstock) for an advertisement she worked on a few years back.”
this made me laugh…firstly because i opened the image before i read the text…i was like…“lol…that person has copied my picture” being the first time i had ever seen it i thought it was another entry (snd s pretty lame one) for the contest…then i laughed again ( sorry for this ) when you said someone had actually paid money for that…(i took a look at the web site that you mentioned and their prices that they charge are insane…lol)
“Your maze and layout is very similar, and yet different enough to avoid copyright concerns. The only drawback is that due to the similarity, I don’t feel it’s very original.”
this made me worried…i dont really care if poeple find it original…be cause i know it is…i put alot of time and thought into it…but when someone mentions copyright concerns in the same sentence as my painting in the middle of a compitition then of course i get a little worried…but then after a few seconds i thought “youve got to be friggen kidding me…!!”
Care to discuss?
i hope that clears it up for you…ive never seen that work before today…and i actually find it quite laughable that you bring it up now at this stage of the game…
just do me a favor please…next time you suggest that a person has copied an idea (i could say that in some way to almost all art…even you medical drawings on you web site) please just pm them first to get their story first hand before talking of copy right…
Cyberone
#258
walrus: dont worry… i like the cute an fluffy stuff too (as i said ) but maybe the sexy i can do without…lol
im glad that you did take the bait…its sorta fun…lol…and i really do agree with all of what you said…but i agree with myself at the same time…get what i mean??
i actually think both types of art are needed…both are as important as each other…
ying-yang yeah…?
the only piont i disagree with your post is that we “see “the dark, creepy maze of the real world” every time I look in the morning paper”… i actually think we dont…and we need a little reminder every now and then that we tend to forget the “real pain” in the world…i dont really want to give examples but i really think that all the news and media are quite lame when it comes to showing us what happens…(ok one example…ever see the leftovers from a japanese train susicide in the news??? like real pictures??? and NO I DONT want to see that…its really messed up…) but sometimes we need a reminder…
anyway…my picture is quite tame in this reguard…its more of an emotinal thing rather than a graphic reminder…
an if you must know and as most of my friends could tell you…you “cute/fluffy” picture is actually my fav of this contest…lol…if you had heard me talking about it at work…lol
anyway…thanks again for taking the bait…i hope more people do…thats the point yeah??
lol
CYB
redehlert
#259
Well, since I just happened to look at your image yesterday for the first time, I thought I’d mention the coincidence. It’s not like I was lying in wait until you wrapped up your project, ok?
It’s obviously true that ideas can get duplicated in some respects, but I found yours and this much older piece to be very similar, thus bringing it up. Ultimately, you are responsible for your work and I truly believe you when you say it’s the first time you saw the piece. As for the punchstock web site - it’s much like any site selling royalty free images. It’s the norm in the industry.
Cheers,
D