Smogon Community - Monthly Art Contest Megathread ~ MAC #24

Old Standing

Month 1: Toxic Mascot

Code:



1st Place - Shinxe

http://i48.tinypic.com/vx2flv.png

In any type of art, there are two main criteria for the artist to fulfil  - an engaging concept, and

 good execution. Shinxe, a new artist to  Smogon, certainly delivered in both of these areas with

 an innovative  take on Weezing which shot off into the lead in the polls from the very 

 beginning. Emphasising the Poison typing, Shinxe's line art and  "radioactive highlights" set the 

atmosphere exquisitely while managing  to keep the personality of the drawing in just one eye!

 Congratulations! - Alchemator



2nd Place - Yilx

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../smogogon3.jpg

I loved this piece from the start! Yilx fully captured and executed the idea of a dynamic pose,

 and the expressions of the faces are what really brought this image together. The detail in the

 background and in the gas really brought this piece to its full potential, and the uses of color 

and highlights are FANTASTIC! Great job, Yilx! - Bucky



3rd Place - Rocket Grunt

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...gvomitwhoa.png

From even the early stages of the competition, no-one doubted that  Rocket Grunt would pull off

 an amazing entry, with trademark horror and  personality. Using what are effectively known on 

Smogon as "Rocket  Grunt's brushes" he has managed to inject bundles of personality into  his 

Weezing, while at the same time retaining the texture and artistic  merit of his drawing. 

Fantastic work! - Alchemator



Honorable Mentions:

Lovebite

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4115/weeziiing.jpg

I fell in love with this "trippy wheezing" from day one! Normally I condone acid trips, but this style 

is exceptionally charming, especially with the psychedelic color scheme. I still have no clue how 

Lovebite did this, but I love it! Congratulations, Lovebite! - Bucky

Month 2: Green Evolution

Code:



1st Place - SoIHeardYouLikeSENTRET

http://www.smogon.com/forums/picture...pictureid=3270

Right off the bat, I loved the charm of this piece. What made this entry  different 

from many of the others was that it truly had that "Pokémon  feel" to it. The secondary 

Electric-typing allowed for a more whimsical  twist, and was shown off very well 

with the backdrop of a moonlit  forest. It shows off the Pokémon perfectly. The 

combination of Grass and  Electric were blended together quite smoothly. 

Absolutely charming! Very well done, congratulations! - pkmn Trainer Zach



2nd Place - Yilx

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ons/c3copy.jpg

A majority of the entries had Tsutarja's final evolution become part  Steel-type. Yilx did an

 excellent job of showing that off with the  metallic finishes and the "armor" that clads it. I 

really love how the  yellow was used on the "armor" parts, paying tribute to it's basic form.  

This was a very well executed piece, and much attention was paid to  detail. Great job! - pkmn Trainer Zach



3rd Place - Shinxe

http://i49.tinypic.com/9k4cue.jpg

I got very positive vibes off of this piece. It actually reminds me of a  Chozo or a Luminoth 

from the Metroid Prime series. This is excellent,  as this Pokémon is part Psychic. The design 

is very ornate, and the  contrast is excellent. I love how the red was introduced to 

compliment  the scheme. This piece is just lovely on the eyes. Excellent! - pkmn Trainer Zach



3rd Place - Scicky

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/5774/tsutaevo.png

I was very glad to see this piece win this round. I think this piece was one of the best 

concepts of the month, and I could really picture it being an actual Pokemon! The color

scheme is fantastic and works very well with the piece. I absolutely adore the details 

on this Fakemon, it really makes everything comes together flawlessly, which is not always

an easy feat. If I had to nitpick, well I'd just wish that Scicky had gone a step further 

to make the shading or the pose more dynamic. Nonetheless, this was a well deserved 

win with an excellent concept, a brilliant design, and an excellent color scheme. 

Congratulations, Scicky! - Bucky



Honorable Mentions:

HellaHellaStyle

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/2...sevolution.jpg

Personally, I think this was one of the best entries of this round. Though not 100% Pokemon-

looking, the character itself is very original and creative, and both the coloring and shading are

FANTASTIC! HellaHellaStyle has a very neat and polished style that's very captivating and 

downright exciting. This artist has truckloads of potential, and I can't wait to see what else he 

has up his sleeve! - Bucky

Month 3: Stark Contrast

Code:



1st Place - Icepick

http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/p...ees/Zapdos.png

I love the borderline sketch style you use in your paintings... the  use of 

the foreground lighting, bright cloud shading, dark shading on  Zapdos, 

movement... it all came together to produce a masterpiece. Great  job! - Wickdaggler





2nd Place - Aragornbird

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1988/swellow.jpg

This is brilliant. I love the soft glow that you put in your shading,  

and background, as well as the masterful representation of fire and  

feathers. The light blue light in the background reflecting off  Swellow's 

back really pulled this together. Great work. - Wickdaggler





3rd Place - Shinxe

 http://i45.tinypic.com/1yscw0.png

This is probably my most favorite piece by Shinxe. The use of color and 

lighting is absolutelyflawless and the composition is beautiful! The 

Cubone's eyes draw so much attention and it's amazing that she was 

able to put feeling into picture just through the eyes. Shinxe,

you are a master. - Bucky





Honorable Mentions:

ChouToshio

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...ong_no_GMF.jpg

The style used in this painting... it's something else. The use of  reflection 

off the lake, dark foreground shading, and several vivid fall  colors on the 

trees, while not creating a direct conflict of colors,  did create a centerpiece 

of Suicune... (one of my favorites, by the by)  which, despite using the 

conflicting orange and blue, did still manage  to seem in harmony somehow. 

It's hard for me to put into words how much I love this, so I'll just leave it 

at this: brilliant work. – Wickdaggler

Month 4: Dragon's Den

Code:



1st Place - ChouToshio

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...ong_no_GMF.jpg

So, lucky me, I get the honor of giving commentary on what is, in my  opinion, the best 

piece of the bunch (sorry guys). I love the gritty  look of the Gyarados, Lance, and Clair. 

The lighting in the middle was  very well done, and I love the look you achieved with the 

lighting off  the lake. With the dark moody cave atmosphere, combined with the bright,  

orange and yellow energy from the shrine, this piece has an atmosphere  of it which is 

exactly what I thought of upon seeing the theme. It  defiantly sticks out among the 

other entries. – Wickdaggler

  Absolute perfection. And you’ve managed to steal the hearts of all of the judges with 

this piece. Excellent. - Bucky





2nd Place - Aragornbird

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/8044/dragonsp.jpg

Oh, aragonbird, where should I start? The hidden trainers (lance, clair,  and our hero, 

from that one event in HG/SS), the brilliant lighting off  the water, and the pokemon 

themselves? The way the Den provides so much  contrast and focus in and un itself? 

The epic effects?! I can't really describe in words how much I love this, but let this 

be  known: you are a master of shading and highlights, and of incorporating  dynamism 

and mood into your paintings. -  Wickdaggler





3rd Place - Shinxe

http://i33.tinypic.com/2mzl1ya.jpg

Oh, Shinxe, you've really done it this time. Probably my favorite piece  of yours so far, 

this is just a joy to look at. Props for you for really  running with this month's theme 

and making the Dragon's Den an  essential element. You've done a wonderful job at 

creating a mood and an  atmosphere. And might I say, I love your take on Altaria. 

– pkmn  Trainer Zach

   



Honorable Mentions:

neo

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/q...andwdragon.png

This piece is striking in so many areas. The color scheme is beautiful, the composition 

is absolutely beautiful, and you've even managed to incorporate depth as well. You've

managed to create a piece that not only attracts attention, but captivates the viewer.

This piece is lovely, alluring, and even mysterious! It really shows your skills as an artist.

I really look forward to seeing more of your art in future contests. - Bucky

Old Judges