Smeargle's Studio Update
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Introduction
Hello, and welcome to another Smeargle's Studio update! Hopefully, nobody was holding their breath for this, because the last update was more than a year ago (sixteen whole months, in fact). Today, we bring you the next installment, including reviews for MACs 24-26, a look at Rate My Art, and a new artist featurette. I'm princessofmusic, represented by Altaria, and joining me are my fellow panelists: Andrew, who's represented by Drapion, and Blue Frog, who is represented by Politoed.
Contests
MAC #24 - Retyping
1st Place - Kadew
Kadew's Fighting-type Stunfisk nabbed first place in this MAC, and it isn't hard to imagine why. The juxtaposition of Stunfisk's trademark vacant expression with legs and a heroic fighting stance is inherently funny, and likely to get a chuckle from most people. The red headband is a nice touch that brings the whole karate master image together. Artistically, the picture doesn't disappoint, with warm colours and soft lighting that accents Stunfisk's face and parts of its new, crimson-coloured legs. Here, Kadew proves that people love comedy, and that the power of humour isn't to be underestimated.
Perfect in his majesty, splendorous in his might, Raz al' Stunfisk will either kick your ass or request you bring him a rare blue flower from the top of the mountain so he can kick your ass some more in a hallucinatory state while you are bewildered and befuddled by his dumbfounded expression. His eyes point in different directions because that makes him see more. His slightly wet mud fins will slap your face with the resemblance of a wet noodle. The exclamation mark on his belly is what you will be thinking when this fighting mud fish sneaks up behind you and farts you into oblivion. Kadew is to art as Bruce Lee is to kung fu, and that is why she was able to draw this masterful Stunfisk and nab first place, like grabbing a fly out of midair with a pair of sandalwood chopsticks.
2nd Place - Yilx
Yilx;;;;;;;;;; I really didn't want to review him because it has been said that a review doesn't reveal anything about the thing being reviewed, only revealing the intelligence of the one reviewing... However, this piece is too eccentric and slightly creepy to pass up and I'll put away my worries to try to stare this mechanical dragon in the face. Bronzong, meet your Transformer's counterpart. Only Yilx could think up something like this—a creepy smile, an active, moving pose, and glowing plasma circles that reveal the nuclear force powering this beast. Artistically, Yilx nails the metallic sheen and deep shadows, as well as the quick rough strokes that portray action and movement. The only thing holding this back is the perceived "amount of time it took perfecting it," i.e. it looks like Yilx did this quickly and for fun, which is OK in my book, but that kept him from bulldozing his way into first place.
Me judging a Yilx piece is kind of like an overweight slob trying to judge an Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics. The piece is incredible, both technically and conceptually. Yilx's choice of colors and ability to convey texture are admirable, as they make the Bronzong look realistic. The Steel type is expressed subtly; there is no shiny, smooth, grey surface to scream "Look, I'm made of metal!" Instead, all the details in the piece unite to convey the typing—the subtle, glowing reflections of red light, and the mechanical parts that are clearly artificial. I, for one, enjoy the rough, sketchy look of the whole thing; it kind of resembles the artwork of a scientist drawing the appearance of a new species, if that scientist was a mindbogglingly good artist whose sketches are better than a majority of refined works. Bronzong looks like it was meant to be a Steel/Dragon type, and its original design now looks like a cheap ripoff of this piece.
MAC #25 - Pokémon Trainers
1st Place - Particular1
This piece is quite strange to look at, as it is depressing and happy at the same time. Despite his bleak circumstances, Youngster (Oldster? That's horrible.) Joey's expression shows that he won't let anything get him down as long as he has his Rattata, making the piece strangely uplifting. The piece is also remarkable in all the little things that appear once you look at it a bit—there are signs and windows and lights and trees and bricks; it's almost like a game of I Spy. The detail on the face of Hobo Joe (now, that's a good name) is also impressive. One detail that I missed was the fabric folds that should have been on Hobo Joe's clothes—right now it sort of looks like he's wearing a suit made of rubber—but I can hardly blame Particular1 for neglecting that, as drawing fabric confuses the hell out of me as well. Overall, this is a great piece that definitely deserved to win.
Particular1's concept for this entry is unmistakably in the top percentage of artwork ideas: it's Youngster Joey, only in the future. Following his career as a child trainer, Joey's next battle was waged against economic inequality, and boy, did he lose. Forty-odd years later, his Rattata still hasn't evolved, and he spends his time consuming root beer in shady alleyways, unemployed and destitute. All of this seems terrible, until you realize that the entire picture is a brilliant and hilarious tribute to a certain political slogan. In any case, there should be no doubts about Particular1's ambition for detail: there are loads of background elements in this piece, and they all provide the artwork with a sense of realism. These include brick walls, streetlights, a trash can, a sewer grate, and even the faint impression of clouds in the sky. Likewise, the fact that the entire piece is in grayscale brilliantly helps to sell the atmosphere of bleakness, although it's just as likely that Particular1 ran out of time and drew everything in pencil. Either way, it worked with the voters.
2nd Place - Touya_Igurume
Although it's simple, Touya_Igurume's piece reveals great artistic skills: it has confident lines, simple but effective shading, and very nice details such as the muscle definition on Haxorus and the folds of clothing on the trainer. The piece looks like it was done quickly, which, though seemingly bad at first, shows that the artist is skilled and experienced in their work. On a bit more critical note, the piece feels a bit disjointed, like two pieces spliced into one; the trainer and half of a Haxorus don't really look connected, and the strange choice of green for the background doesn't help either. All in all, however, this piece shows an experienced artist who could have been a contributor to Smogon, if only he or she would log in sometime :(
Solid line work, coloring, and shading are what stick out to me first in this piece by Touya_Igurume, as well as the spot-on anime style seen in the trainer's face. The artist has excellent form and is capable of great things; I also see reconnecting with old friends and renewing their friendships in his future. It is a great piece, that is, in my opinion, held back by the bland dark green background and iffy background shading that could both blend better with the character colors. Keep training, my friend, the Champion could be you!
MAC #26 - Mega Evolutions
1st Place - tcrfelton
tcrfelton stuck around for a month or so and we all loved seeing his excellent art, and this is no exception. While the shading and highlights on Kingler's claws are rough, they help to mold the viewers perception of depth that is happening as Kingler reaches terrifyingly toward the viewer. The eyes have it—a more menacing expression could not be represented. Mega Kingler has excellent form and we can even see the beginnings of very realistic shading around his eyes and face spikes. Very good, tcrfelton, I tip my fedora to you.
This Mega Kingler by tcrfelton has deadly teeth and spikes that manage to resemble hair, which means that it fits in perfectly with Game Freak's existing Mega Evolutions. It's an impressively drawn Kingler, with great proportions and tons of personality. The combination of rough strokes, red and orange tones, and parchment background give the picture an interesting oriental look, an artistic decision which evidently sat well with MAC voters. The overall artwork manages to be gritty yet elegant at the same time, blending rough textures with a sleek, convincing design. Finally, you've got to love those marks on its eye ridges that look like eyelashes. This is one menacing yet stylish crab.
2nd Place - Magistrum
The purple clouds and purple mane contrast nicely with Raikou's yellow body in this piece by Magistrum. The glowing cyan parts offset the piece with even more colour, while the clouds and bricks beneath Raikou's feet have a texture that gives the work a unique feel. According to Magistrum, Mega Raikou's favourite pastime is gazing off into the distance and away from the camera, thereby looking outrageously cool. Smooth shading and lack of lineart make Raikou look 3D and augments the impact of the artwork. Magistrum also gets three cheers for rendering some pretty impressive lightning. Raikou's proportions are admittedly a little bit shaky; nevertheless, this is a really striking entry.
This piece is awesome. The angle and posing of Raikou make it look strong, confident, and regal, while the stormy background adds an aura of power around it. The colors are beautiful; the contrast between purple, yellow, and cyan is great. It is difficult to make a sharp painting without lineart, and while the Raikou is slightly blurry in places, Magistrum did a great job of pulling it off. I only wish that Magistrum had gone further in his transformation of Raikou, as he is pretty much the King of Fakemon on Smogon and I'd be excited to see what he could come up with if he had been a bit more adventurous.
What's New in Smeargle - Rate My Art
"All I have to say is that I wanted an arena where people could submit art to get deeper level critiques, as well as a place where people could practice their critical eye for talking about art. :)"
- Andrew
Rate My Art (hereafter referred to as RMA) is a new platform for artists and art critics alike in Smeargle's Studio. The idea was Andrew's, and his vision was a RMT-style section for Smogon's art department. Before the start of each "week", users can submit their artwork through PM. Once the art gets posted, others can provide formal critique within the thread until the week is up and the next round begins. RMA is open to everyone, and both beginner and experienced artists are welcome to make artwork submissions, while artists and non-artists are eligible to write critiques.
Personally, I think it's a great idea. As an artist, noticing flaws in one's own artwork can be tricky, making it important to hear the opinions of others. Moreover, reading in-depth analyses on topics such as composition, contrast, and colour can help one think more critically about the way artwork is made. If you're an artist looking to improve (that should be every artist ;D) or someone who enjoys looking at artwork and thinks they can give solid advice, head over to RMA and participate!
New Artist - Blue Frog
Blue Frog first rolled onto the scene with his art thread in early 2013. Although many of his first pieces were admittedly shaky, Blue Frog has come a long, long way, no doubt by working hard and seeking advice from some of Smogon's veteran artists. At the end of the year, The Smog's Most Improved Artist award went to, you guessed it, Blue Frog. His artwork frequently features vibrant colours and a fun, easily recognizable drawing style. To date, Blue Frog has illustrated for The Smog, The Player, and Art for Articles. Hop on over to his thread and take a look!
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