Icon Contest #12 - Spells on Different Units

[Just_Spectating]

Maybe a simpler impale?
what do you guys think

 

[lokharke]

Maybe a simpler impale?
what do you guys think

U are leaving the spikes? lol i already told earlier but now that i see abo and spikes gone the whole attention goes to the hook and for me it looks a little ugly. I liked abo and spikes.

 

[Just_Spectating]

no worries,
i still have the other version, i was just looking for a response from something that little more represents the impale's original icon rather than the impale ability

Everything is on different layers so i have room to play around

 

[rulerofiron99]

As a Meat Hook icon, I like the simpler version better. But it doesn't fit the Impale spell - Impale is a bunch of spikes coming out of the ground to impale units. This Meat Hook is a projectile.

I think for the purpose of this contest's theme you can label it as a Shockwave/Carrion Swarm - a line damage spell.

 

[Vinz]

That looks cool, you should continue to make the hook grand. <3

 

[Sin'dorei300]

@kyrbi0,
to me, those icons are just extremely uncreative, because it's just taking the warcraft icon and changing one part. I didn't join this contest to show you guys i can change the tauren into an abomination etc.
I want to incite new ideas for already existing ones
I made icons that are based off of my own imagination, rather than a warcraft employee's.

I will however keep working and i hope someone agrees with my direction...

I totally agree with you.

And now, on the contest:
I would like to remind once again - don't forget that it's a competition, so - 100% freehand, no filters, no custom brushes, no CnP, etc.

 

[morbent]

Wait, no filters, no custom brushes? But I've already used Noise a couple of times to give the icons some "teeth". And custom brushes.. what if I made them myself? Besides, custom brushes are just like using an old paintbrush in traditional arts which is very random due to missing hair. And textures.. well, if used correctly they are completely destroyed in the process, it's not like you can see the pattern. All digital artists use these kinds of stuff, I thought we were permitted to use those :/

 

[Vinz]

^I agree, this is sad.

 

[Deolrin]

Sin'dorei, I'm pretty sure it's not such a big deal if the icon is mostly drawn, but filters and etc are used to polish the icon and give it a better finish? :O

 

[Sin'dorei300]

Wait, no filters, no custom brushes? But I've already used Noise a couple of times to give the icons some "teeth". And custom brushes.. what if I made them myself? Besides, custom brushes are just like using an old paintbrush in traditional arts which is very random due to missing hair. And textures.. well, if used correctly they are completely destroyed in the process, it's not like you can see the pattern. All digital artists use these kinds of stuff, I thought we were permitted to use those :/

I'm sure u can handle ur work without filters (except sharpen, contrast...).
And custom brush, even if it's yours (except that it's made ​​for this contest) ) could be considered "previous works".
And yes, the artists use them - when they do large scale work, yes, but not when working on 64x64 piece.

Sin'dorei, I'm pretty sure it's not such a big deal if the icon is mostly drawn, but filters and etc are used to polish the icon and give it a better finish? :O

Yes, it is a big deal when, for example, of the 10 contestants participating in a contest, let's say 6 of them do everything from scratch and 4 of them are using different methods to improve qualitative their work. Is this allowed in a contest that is supposed to be fair?

 

[morbent]

I don't see what's the difference. An art is an art, whether it's 64x64 or 1000x1000. Besides, if we can use sharpen and contrast, why not noise? And all the other stuff as well.

 

[Sin'dorei300]

I don't see what's the difference. An art is an art,....

It is assumed that real artists make art with their own hands and using their own talent/skills and not infrequently, their own imagination.
Honestly, it saddens me to hear such arguments from you.

I don't see what's the difference. An art is an art, whether it's 64x64 or 1000x1000. Besides, if we can use sharpen and contrast, why not noise? And all the other stuff as well.

64x64 is almost pixel art, i doubt that pixel art artists are using custom brushes and filters in their work. And if u use all sorts of filters and other stuff, then what is your contribution to the icon, which is your merit, what u want to prove to yourself and to the others, is this a editing contest?

 

[Kyrbi0]

Maybe a simpler impale?
what do you guys think

Ooh, I rather like it. Perhaps the chain makes it look more like a Line-Damage spell, but zoom in a bit on that Hook & add some contrast & gruesome detail, ala the source material...

Not bad, not bad. I like it. : )

As a Meat Hook icon, I like the simpler version better. But it doesn't fit the Impale spell - Impale is a bunch of spikes coming out of the ground to impale units. This Meat Hook is a projectile.

I think for the purpose of this contest's theme you can label it as a Shockwave/Carrion Swarm - a line damage spell.

...
(see image above)
...

Slams the ground with the Crypt Lord's massive claws, shooting spiked tendrils out in a straight line, dealing damage and hurling enemy ground units into the air in their wake.

Nowhere does that icon feature claws, tendrils, or hurling (lol, except for the guy throwing up blood after being gored... ). It is, in fact, his massive frontal horn, covered with blood after touching not the ground, but a person's body.

It's called "stylization", and it makes things awexome.

So a long hook'n'chain != Impale?... Not sure where the problem is. : )
(though sure, re-branding it as another spell would work too)

...An art is an art...

That's a good line. : )

It is assumed that real artists make art with their own hands and using their own talent/skills and not infrequently, their own imagination.
Honestly, it saddens me to hear such arguments from you.

I see where you're coming from... But like the whole "freehand" thing, this appears to be one of those "understood/non-stated rules", which In My Opinion should really be made explicitly clear. Stuff like this shouldn't be left up to the imagination, no matter how "obvious".

At least, that's something we're learning over here... :<

 

[Sin'dorei300]

I don't argue anymore, to remain at the discretion of the judges.
Sorry for being off-topic again!

 

[morbent]

No no, but we should argue. And I think we're pretty much on theme actually, discussing the rules of the contest.

Now I agree with you that these 4 out of 10 will have an advantage to the rest 6, but after all - these 4 learned how to use filters and applied them, lets say, correctly. Try drawing an art without painting. It will suck ass! The filters and textures are just about, I think 5% of the art in my opinion. They just add details, but they don't create the form of your drawing, nor the composition or any main part of the icon to be honest.

And if u use all sorts of filters and other stuff, then what is your contribution to the icon, which is your merit, what u want to prove to yourself and to the others, is this a editing contest?

Actually, I think that an artist presents his idea, not his skill. Illustrators, concept and traditional artists all want to show a mood/composition/design, rather than anatomy skills/details/etc. Sure, they know how to do the second stuff, but they do, just because they want to present the primary ones better. Which of these two can be called art: http://www.drawing-factory.com/image-files/figure-drawing-female.jpg or http://www.dustinperkins.com/ashcan/wp-content/uploads/2009-12-05-Figure-Drawing-03.jpg?

And, I don't know why everyone views these contests in Hive as arenas, as tests of skill. I've said it before but, if people wanted to test their skill, it wouldn't be here. There are tons of art/modelling/(yea no mapping, I lose here) sites where you can face people at your own level weekly.

But back on the theme, I was arguing earlier that Hive's contests shouldn't be so much about making icons for the community, but for having fun. That's why I disliked this theme at first place, because it limits your creativity, your ideas, your fun at creating. But in the end I kind of accepted this.

So, following that logic we should be able to use as many textures and filters as we can in order to make the icons the best since we're making them for the community. We're trying to deliver a good product, not to show-off our raw art skills.

And then again there's this: if the rules don't permit filters, I'll just make them myself. I'll just make a 1 pixel white-black grid, put it on Overlay and lower the opacity. Same result, just more time wasted! And about custom brushes - does the blurry round brush count as custom? If it does not, then the Chalk brush doesn't as well, I assume? And if the chalk doesn't then the texture brushes are no different.

 

[Kyrbi0]

And, I don't know why everyone views these contests in Hive as arenas, as tests of skill. I've said it before but, if people wanted to test their skill, it wouldn't be here. There are tons of art/modelling/(yea no mapping, I lose here) sites where you can face people at your own level weekly.

Ehh... Perhaps for art contests, but I do prefer "tests of skill" for the Contest I join here (Hero, Zephyr, Techtree, etc)

But back on the theme, I was arguing earlier that Hive's contests shouldn't be so much about making icons for the community, but for having fun. That's why I disliked this theme at first place, because it limits your creativity, your ideas, your fun at creating. But in the end I kind of accepted this.

... But if it's not for skill, and it's not for the community, what's it for? The fun? Because if it's not for skill, I say "making cool stuff for the community" is a pretty good goal. Fun is on the side.

/saidthenonartist

 

[morbent]

At first I was for the fun, but then I was convinced that it could be for the community. But if it IS for the community, then why not use sharpen/add contrast/textures/brushes? They improve the quality of the icons, thus the "customers" are more satisfied.

Kyrbi, what I actually meant about test of skill is that THW is not good at it. You compete with people that can have a 10 year difference age from you, as well as experience. If you want to test skills go to the sites that are meant for that. Then you can pick a site with people your level, and do challenges weekly. In THW contests we don't improve skill, nor do we compete fairly. That is why I see those as fun. You get to draw some stuff with your Hiver friends and see what ideas they got. IDEAS, not skill at all.

For modelling, I see it the same way even though I've never actually observed those much or joined them. If you wanted to get better at pro-modelling you wouldn't be making warcraft 3 models which are low-poly, don't use shadings and such. If I wanted to become a good texturer I wouldn't be making textures for warcraft, low-sized and limited.

 

[Rui]

@kyrbi0,
to me, those icons are just extremely uncreative, because it's just taking the warcraft icon and changing one part. I didn't join this contest to show you guys i can change the tauren into an abomination etc.
I want to incite new ideas for already existing ones
I made icons that are based off of my own imagination, rather than a warcraft employee's.

I will however keep working and i hope someone agrees with my direction...

Yeah I gotta side with Just Spectating on this one, Kyrbi0, sorry about that =P

Besides, if you asked me what the Reincarnation icon was, I'd describe it exactly as you did: an enraged tauren. Therefore, if you asked me a fitting spell for it, I'd say Berserk, Taunt, Roar, or even War Stomp, but not Reincarnation for sure. It just happens that that's precisely the ability it corresponds to, but the icon doesn't quite resemble the concept. I don't share the negativity view on Blizzard's icons, as in, I don't find them of bad quality, but this one certainly would be best used in some other ability.


As for the latter discussion, I see where you're coming from, but to make stuff for the community, you don't need a contest. You can just make it and submit it in the resource sections. The contest, thus, has a bit of art competition embedded into it.

 

[morbent]

Ok I guess you're right. Still, it's not such an important contest to make filters unusable.

And anyways, if you wanted creative icons the contest wouldn't be replace Warcraft 3 icons for warcraft 3 units so I'm siding with Kyrbi here

 

[Mad]

I have no idea what you guys are arguing about atm since I've been absent for a little while, being Mad. It has been a pain in the back to figure out the last icon. In the start I was looking forward drawing skulls, but now when I've been using skulls in every single icon, I fear that people won't appriciate the set since it's just a bunch of skulls. Considering that skeletons in warcraft mostly wear gloves makes it impossible to make an icon featuring a hand.

Anyway, I kind of gave up and did Essence of Blight.

Now I'll have to finish the details on the rain of fire icon and wait for your feedback on the latest icon.

Thanks!

 

[lokharke]

I have no idea what you guys are arguing about atm since I've been absent for a little while, being Mad. It has been a pain in the back to figure out the last icon. In the start I was looking forward drawing skulls, but now when I've been using skulls in every single icon, I fear that people won't appriciate the set since it's just a bunch of skulls. Considering that skeletons in warcraft mostly wear gloves makes it impossible to make an icon featuring a hand.

Anyway, I kind of gave up and did Essence of Blight.

Now I'll have to finish the details on the rain of fire icon and wait for your feedback on the latest icon.

Thanks!

1st three icons are extraordinary. Artistically beautiful and conceptually on the mark. Focused on the right part and not the whole 64x64. Essence of blight has a little *ugly* hand as far as I can see. All your icons were distinct and top-notch. What happened to this one??? Not ass dramatic as it looks but just a little not-the-very-best.

 

[morbent]

I actually like the 3rd and 4th most lokharke :X The hand is a bit weird but the colors and darkness is awesome

 

[kola]

Didn't have any good idea for another fire themed icon so I came up with this...
Thunderclap (Human worker edition)

thoughts?

And I made a few changes on my previous icons...

->

opened up the mouth a bit more and added some highlights

->

Changed the fire background

 

[Kyrbi0]

Kyrbi, what I actually meant about test of skill is that THW is not good at it. ... In THW contests we don't improve skill, nor do we compete fairly. ...

Well no offense, but that's exactly the kind of mindset I hope to modify with the changes I am espousing for many of the Contests here at the Hive.

I have no idea what you guys are arguing about atm since I've been absent for a little while, being Mad. It has been a pain in the back to figure out the last icon. In the start I was looking forward drawing skulls, but now when I've been using skulls in every single icon, I fear that people won't appriciate the set since it's just a bunch of skulls....

Anyway, I kind of gave up and did Essence of Blight.

Now I'll have to finish the details on the rain of fire icon and wait for your feedback on the latest icon.

Thanks!

Man, you just never cease to amaze. I like the positioning & coloring of the hand (weird fingers yo), and I especially love the wispy-spirity effects wafting off the skull.

Considering that skeletons in warcraft mostly wear gloves makes it impossible to make an icon featuring a hand.

Granted, but take a look at "BTNRegenerationAura" and "BTNUpgradeRegenerationAura" (think that's the name); they feature what is essentially a gloved skeleton hand. And it looks great.

Didn't have any good idea for another fire themed icon so I came up with this...
Thunderclap (Human worker edition)

thoughts?

And I made a few changes on my previous icons...

->

opened up the mouth a bit more and added some highlights

->

Changed the fire background

Glad to see some variety from the 'fire-craze'. More importantly, that is a really excellent icon; really fitting, nice & colorful, vibrant & all that jazz. Lookin' snazzy, kola. It's really getting to be a toss-up between you to.

 

[lokharke]

I actually like the 3rd and 4th most lokharke :X The hand is a bit weird but the colors and darkness is awesome

I like the 1st icon best. I like abstract maybe bec of that??? Ya, the hair like effect is so cool but hand seems weird, maybe something to do with the shape.

Thunderclap (Human worker edition)

thoughts?

->

opened up the mouth a bit more and added some highlights

->

Changed the fire background

Like the new one. Peasants are getting to OP bec of u. The peasant has still got the bloodthirsty eyes. I like that but a little bit edit on that could make it look more scary. Fire hand's new background is cool. The first icon's BG reminded me of nerubian spider's projectile and was a little like invoker balls also. But i like them better removed.

 

[kola]

Fixed the eyes, the eyebrows, the ear and the beard of the breath of fire peasant...

 

[lokharke]

Looks nice now. Are they final? I hope u edit axe of thuder clap a little here and there just as u like.

 

[Deolrin]

It is assumed that real artists make art with their own hands and using their own talent/skills and not infrequently, their own imagination.
...

And if u use all sorts of filters and other stuff, then what is your contribution to the icon, which is your merit, what u want to prove to yourself and to the others, is this a editing contest?

'Real artists' use a combination of all of those things. Filters are there for a reason, and that reason is not to create shitty cloud backgrounds. It is obvious enough that pure CnP or edited icons are not allowed - but if you drew some glowy effects, you should be allowed to slap some filters or layer effects on them to make them look better. How the artist achieves his work is irrelevant - the end product is all that matters(so long as it's actually his own work, and not stolen from somewhere).

Didn't have any good idea for another fire themed icon so I came up with this...
Thunderclap (Human worker edition)

thoughts?

And I made a few changes on my previous icons...

->

opened up the mouth a bit more and added some highlights

->

Changed the fire background

I think the Peasant's mouth is still too closed. You should try to achieve a more cartoony effect. For example, take a look at these Blizzard icons:

Also, I don't think the peasant's beard and hair are the right color just yet... They are slightly too red, even considering the fire. Should be much darker.

I have no idea what you guys are arguing about atm since I've been absent for a little while, being Mad. It has been a pain in the back to figure out the last icon. In the start I was looking forward drawing skulls, but now when I've been using skulls in every single icon, I fear that people won't appriciate the set since it's just a bunch of skulls. Considering that skeletons in warcraft mostly wear gloves makes it impossible to make an icon featuring a hand.

Anyway, I kind of gave up and did Essence of Blight.

Now I'll have to finish the details on the rain of fire icon and wait for your feedback on the latest icon.

Thanks!

I really think you should incorporate something different into your icons. A hand is an excellent idea - and you could easily make a skeleton mage's hand wearing a ruined glove, showing some of the bones underneath. Blizzard's hands certainly don't have that level of detail, so I believe some artistic freedom is allowed. Personally, I really like the 2nd and 3rd ones, but the 1st and last ones I find somewhat lacking. The skull on that last one is fantastic, but the hand looks bad, and I don't get the concept of the spell from looking at the icon(that's the spell that is supposed to spread blight around, e.g the item ability, right?). Other than that, fantastic work.

 

[Sunreaver]

All of u make really cool icons

 

[Heinvers]

Fixed the eyes, the eyebrows, the ear and the beard of the breath of fire peasant...

Pretty good

 

[Blood Raven]

Fixed the eyes, the eyebrows, the ear and the beard of the breath of fire peasant...

Don't fuck with the peasants xD
Maybe you can finish the set by making Peasant Avatar, where he arms up as a militia Just a suggestion

Anyway, they look fine, but there are a few things you can do better. In the first icon (Immolation I suppose?) The fire stays too much in the background. It looks like a background object and not something the icon is centered on. Also it doesn't really look that much like a flame, rather than some curly fairy power
I suggest that you remake the flame, and add a LOT more reflection highlights on the hand. I mean, a hand holding a flame has to reflect some of that light, right?

The second icon (Thunderclap?) looks absolutely gorgeous. Great job on this one. A small suggestion would be to add the peasant's arm on the end of the axe's handle. It just looks too long like this.

As for the third... Well, first off, the fire looks too violet. It's supposed to be red/orange/yellow/white, right? Still, keep it if you like it that way.
The flame itself is too small. You've seen the effect and the default icon of the flame breath, it is huge. Perhaps you could enlarge the flame a bit and add more glow, especially around the mouth. Right now it looks like he's puking something white that eventually turns into flame. The flame should radiate glow, so some glow around the mouth would be nice. Also add some color to the flame there, pure white doesn't stand well.
Also, his eyebrows are too long, almost like high elven or blood elven. I suggest you shorten them a bit. My bad, that is already fixed!

Otherwise, these look awesome! Keep up the good work

 

[Just_Spectating]

Hmmm, still trying to get this right,
messed with some placement, resized some things...

 

[Just_Spectating]

I guess this contest is just
"Take Just_Spectating's Icons and make them a lot better!"
now

 

[Rui]

Looking awesome, kola.

 

[Blood Raven]

Dreadlord Stomp, WiP 1
Early shapes 'n' shit...
Colors will be changed.

 

[Heinvers]

Incoming Raven creations xD
Yeah, a more darker violet would be better for the fur dude

Dreadlord approves.

What will be next?

 

[Chen]

Almost last WIP. Need to make it more like resurrection.

 

[Heinvers]

You'll need to define those skeletons more though

They're too toy-ish now.

 

[Chen]

You'll need to define those skeletons more though

They're too toy-ish now.

Right, but how? And yeah, toy-ish and seems like they're forming a band.

Anyways Heinvers, have you already tried joining this?

 

[Heinvers]

Anyways Heinvers, have you already tried joining this?

Nope.

Edit: The skeletons could be a lil' bit apart from each other and at different heights. This is just my suggestion

 

[Chen]

Tried making a Tauren Chief Far Sight, but ended up making terrains.

 

[Sunreaver]

Your icon look cartonish because of the skeletons

 

[Chen]

Hmm....I'll make iit look less cartoony but will work on Lich Blizzard. and Heinbunny:

Cat
/kat/
noun
1.Best animals evur!
2.Masters of the Wurld!

 

[Vinz]

Looks cartoony as said, better shape could do. Also I think it would be better for only 2 skeletons.

//cats are just another minion of cake.

 

[Chen]

Looks cartoony as said, better shape could do. Also I think it would be better for only 2 skeletons.

//cats are just another minion of cake.

2 and a grave? kay. But no. Cats are the masters of Earth and Catipuss and Cakes only rule Cakelandia

 

[eubz]

Nice WIPs so far. I like all of these.

 

[lokharke]

I would hae liked necromancer looking towards moon a little and see moonlight lit its face but that is lot of work for u (face needs to be worked on). About minions, U can just put 2 sk warriors and show a little sword and shield and protecting necro or sth?

 

[Sunreaver]

Hey I have idea's if u want to use why don't make a Sea Witch enchanting frost

 

[Blood Raven]

A few more WiPs and a Final. Let me know what you think

 

[A Void]

A few more WiPs and a Final. Let me know what you think

great, looks great. The ground needs more tweaking and polishing tough, maybe more effect density as-well as zoom-in and lock-on the foot? The perspective is kinda off.