CAP 13 CAP 2 - Art Submissions

[LouisCyphre]

Original Concept

Additional Concepts

Size Estimate


I've gone and updated my treant. I have two main ideas - the original, alien quadrupedal crusher/guardian concept; and a more uncanny, humanoid, outsider longstalk type. I will refer to them as Eerie and Fierce, and I am definitely still in favor of Fierce.

I like Fierce's gait and general feel if intense bulk, but at my imagined size Eerie is still easily over six hundred pounds of solid old growth wood. I can picture either of these being very slow or respectably fast - Fierce might need a knee reposition if CAP 2 turns out fast, but that's it. There are some elements of the scrapped designs I liked (forked forelimbs are freaky and unnatural and nice) but I couldn't fit them believably onto either Eerie or Fierce.

I'm going for a simpler design - this CAP 2 is spiritual, not dead, and therefore still grows life on its body. It lives and dies as its forest does; moving across the landscape over untraceable stretches of time.

I removed the chest knot from Fierce because I really don't feel like making concessions for Sketch - in terms of flavor, tennisace is right. It's only an egg move.

I currently favor Fierce over Eerie.

 

[Wyverii]

Gonna call out srk and anybody else that often uses the 'doesn't look like type' argument. It can be geniune complaint but a lot of these suggestions are either cliché, or sacrifice the intent and coherency of the design, usually both. The person worst affected by this here is Mon-Quitoxe who pretty much nailed the intended concept from the get go but has ended up adding useless and theme breaking additions or suggestions to his picture because of some people that just need to be beaten over the head with typing clues. DougJustDoug and other people have suffered similar problems but they haven't tried to please the crowd as much.

So no, I think Mon-Quitoxe pretty much got it right to start with. He doesn't need to add flowers or green to the design which really just cheapens the whole feel of the piece and adds unneeded complexity to an already complex piece. Not to say that it can't be improved but it should only be improved in ways that enchance the design, not to make it conform and a jumbled mess of concepts.

As for my own design, the suggestions encounter the same problem as above. This is pretty much why:

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Okay, ghosts in general will always have an inherent problem with being mixed up with two typings: Dark and Poison. Why? Because about 70% of their in-game designs prominantly feature dark black-like colours or deep purple. Unless you specifically work your colour scheme in your design away from this it will always have this problem.

Best I can do to change this is to just essentially eliminate shading (or make it very soft) on the black, which would just be reversed when it comes to sprites because shades will have hard edges anyway. I also need to observe outline rules. If I change the dark colour completely then it loses its complementary colour scheme and general feel.

Adding rips to the paper or wisps and what have you is kinda kicking the concept in the face in order to bring typing across. This isn't some shambling horror or possessed object and adding those things would really feel like I would be phoning it in to get a few extra votes.

As for grass, I just... have no words if you think it doesn't show that typing. Seriously.

I choose to keep the integrety of my design intact. If that ends up with me losing votes, so be it.

Sorry, I just had to rant for a bit. I've kinda been staring at horror at some of the things artists seem be being coerced into doing, especially Mon-Quitoxe, and just wanted to get that off my chest. Everybody's entitled their opinion of course, just saying why I think listening to everybody is a bad idea.

 

[MLaRF]

Tea and Blues - I prefer the fan-like brushes, because they seem less like someone shoved a paintbrush on it and more like thistles an' stuff were actually growing there.

Mon Quitoxe - Yeah, I like the the red one better, and I personally do like the pink flowers. Of course I like pink flowers. The fact that they aren't completely frickin' opposite colours makes it look a lot more flowular.

LouisCypher - I think the upright one looks better. It looks more like a tree, or like the Nightwalker.

 

[Leopiz]

Mon Quixote, I think your concept is fantastic. It shows CAP2's versatility and fits sketch well without being *too* obvious. I would strongly advocate against the green and while the flowers don't really drag the design down, I think they're unnecessary. I agree with Wyverii that you pretty much nailed it from the get-go.

 

[tea_and_blues]

Agree with your thrust, Wyverii, but I totally dig the flower designs that Mos-Quitoxe added.

 

[mayatraese]

Wyverii I agree with the statement that typing is a touchy subject and its application to certain pokemon and not others often is confusing in game as well. I however think that the cherry blossoms complete the concept, as much origami paper is patterned.

That being said, I want to take a stand against the 'stereotypical' statements that have floated around a few designs. Simply because something seems obvious (scarecrow, spooky tree, etc) does not mean it is any less useful or inherently a worse design than something more 'original'. I know no-one needs to stand up for SoIHeardyoulikeSentret because of the popularity of scarecrow-mon, I just think such a comment is unproductive.

 

[umbriel]

I normally don't post here because I'm just a lurker, but I'd like to touch on some things that I personally like:

@mayatraese: Many pages back, I fell in love with your first concept (the angel-like lily). I think it's a great concept of the two that you've provided, and I encourage you to go with it. Perhaps can you show us some supporting art for it, or perhaps some updated art for it? It's really charming, in a sad way.

@Yilx: I've been a fan of the flytrap miko from the start. What really does it for me is the supporting art showing her performing some "sketches", which I can really see her doing. It seems very natural. I think the color choices you made work as well. The emotion art is very appealing, and I like how the vine on her head also "emotes" and isn't just fake eyes. If you have any more ideas, I'd love to see her performing more moves. Oh, and actually, is it supposed to be just female (ala Lilligant), or can it be male as well? I'm just curious.

@Mos-Quixote: When you first posted your concept, I was stunned. It is creative and different from the many enchanted plant-tree/scarecrow/jack-o-lantern entries (not that they're bad, just overdone) floating around. I could really picture it being a pokemon. What really turned me on towards the concept was the supporting art--and I love seeing it fold into various forms for different move (the bird, sailboat, fan). It gives it more character than many other art on here. I did get the "Japanese feel" of the plain red and white of the original art, and I liked that.

Regarding color: I've kept my mouth shut on color here because I'm just a lurker, but I'd just like to say with some current posts that certain colors don't define typing. Sure, most grass-types in the game are green in some way, but have you seen Amoongus, or even one of the oldest grass pokemon, Tangela? There's not a drop of green on them. The same goes with ghosts; while most are purple, check out Rotom, Golurk, or Jellicent.

On that note, I don't think you need to justify the concept to the typing, either. You've explained its origin, and I hope that stays if and when it goes to the polls. I mean, paper being dead tree matter isn't too much of a stretch, and honestly, nobody can say that an enchanted origami than can refold itself into different shapes isn't ghost-like.

What I suggest to you is to go with whatever you think best defines the information already defined for CAP-2. What do you think looks best, fits the concept best? Do you like the red or green? Does the cherry blossom patterns enhance the design, or does it make it too busy? That's just my thought.

What I'd like to see is whenever you decide upon something, and if you feel like it/have the time for it, try making some more additional art. The first ones were a a lot of fun to view. I really like your concept--it embodies a character that I haven't seen since Cartoons' entry for CAP10 way back when. I just hope you don't give in to the pressure/people telling you what's best and you follow your own intuition for your CAP-2 design.

 

[Bughouse]

I don't normally feel like I need to defend my opinions on typing, since I am not the only person who brings it up. But I do think that this time I should.

As I explained to both Mos-Quixote and Wyverii, their designs are fantastic. And I really like them. And I think they would make excellent Pokemon. But in both cases, I commented that I just don't see the typing the strongest I possibly could.

In a poll with this many fantastic entries, those amazing, but not clearly Grass/Ghost typing designs, just don't have a huge shot of winning my top votes over other fantastic entries that DO give off the vibe of the right typing. What I mean is if this were simply to design a Fakemon, I have no idea whom I would vote for. But typing has been decided, and Mos-Quixote and Wyverii are going to be hard-pressed to win over me, and many others I am sure, when other equally fantastic designs, such as Doug's and mayatraese's, reflect the typing better. That is all.

In the case of Mos-Quixote, I am hardly the only person who commented that it looked too much like a Normal or Fighting Pokemon. He made a relatively minor change, only adding one design element and experimenting with the color palette, and it reflected Grass-typing better.

Wyverii, if I don't see Grass enough in your design, consider taking a step back and asking yourself why that is, and whether or not there is a way to make your design reflect Grass-typing better without compromising your design. Don't take it as an uneducated affront. I am only offering constructive criticism.

If you don't want to experiment with modifications to reflect typing better because you think it undermines the "integrity" of the design, that's fine. But if you aren't going to consider suggestions, I don't see the point of even posting your art here outside of the final submission.

End of mini-rant.

 

[Tayla]

Because some people see Grass different. I myself see Grass-type perfectly well in her design with the clever slashes of Green and the little paper outfit. You can't tell Wyverii's design isn't Grassy with paper, when you say Mos-Quixote is, and his is entirely paper.

I don't really think Wyverii's design needs to be altered at all. I'd vote for it as is, and plan to do so.

 

[ToastTyrant13]

srk, your criticism is a bit harsh

Wyverii and Mos both portray Grass and Ghost very well, just in different ways than what we see as the norm. When we think Grass we think "Trees, Flowers, Grass, etc." They both had the creativity to break that norm and stretch the traits of a Grass type into more technical and unique fields (ie. Paper). We've never seen anything with Paper before, so seeing CAP 2 portray ideas that have yet to make an appearance are easily welcomed imo.

As per Ghost typing, while not as prominant as, say, Sentret's, the typing is still there. Wyv and Mos both took the idea of Spirits, as opposed to ghosts and gouls like Gengar, Mismagius, and Sableye. They took a more abstract and creative point of view, which again, is well welcomed in CAP.

Regardless of typing, they still have wonderful concepts that both deserve to win once Polls open up, so don't bash on them merely because they aren't what you expect to see. We're looking for new and creative ideas, not something that we'd expect to see in an existing Pokemon.

 

[Kevin Garrett]

I made some major revisions to the head of my design. I gave it eucalyptus leaves; that was a great suggestion. I also gave it a lighter face to hint at it being based off a person more. It also gives it more of a ghostly look because it is very pale. The leaves I then made brighter so it was more obvious what they are. In the shiny version, I will probably give it brown leaves to further signify it is no longer alive. Comments and suggestions are welcomed!

 

[ShravanP]

@Mos-Quixote: I somehow missed your very first submission here, but after seeing that, I agree with Wyverii that you really did nail the concept perfectly. Whatever you decide on, don't lose the original flavor of 'painting kanji' and morphing to different shapes. In fact, what is even more amazing about this idea is that is fits PERFECTLY with the one-time-only sketch. Once it paints a certain Kanji on its face, it can't really erase it or change it.

This is actually one tidbit that I found difficult to portray, and simply drawing a paintbrush on the Pokemon doesn't catch the whole uniqueness of this concept -- which is that Sketch can only be done ONCE. What are we to assume -- that it only has enough paint to sketch one move or that the brush magically breaks after one sketch? So kudos to you for wittingly or unwittingly solving this conundrum.

 

[Birkal]

Wow, there are seriously some awesome designs out there! Keep up the good work, CAP. I'll be around later to dish out some more critiques.

So as you may know, I already have a design circulating: a ghastly gorilla. However, it wasn't getting a lot of feedback, so I thought I might pursue a new idea! So here's what I'm thinking:

D'aww, a ghostly corn Pokemon! There have been lots of pumpkin themes going about, but in my opinion, fields of corn are just as spooky. I'd like to imagine this cutey hiding within corn fields, waiting to consume it's prey. The "robe" is actually his husk, if you look closely. I tried to make the color theme a bit more deadened in order to provide a more ghoulish theme. The purple adds to the regal nature of this proud Pokemon while supporting the overall ghost theme. And finally, the skull mask is a little morbid but still maintains cuteness.

And here's some concept doodles!

As you can see in the top right corner, I wanted to incorporate Sketch naturally within the design (ie no paint). Ghosts tend to have supernatural powers, and this one is no exception! It shoots kernels off of its body, which transforms into the Sketch'd move. In the above example, it's using Fire Punch. The other pictures are just some face designs and a few poses. I would also like to know if you'd prefer sleeves or simple vines. ALSO, there is room for a design on the back (kind of like Bronzong), so can you think of anything cool to put there? Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[DougJustDoug]

Here are a couple of quick sketches to show how Weeping Willow might look in battle.

Here's a dynamic action shot. I was thinking of those cool Wushu fan fighting women when I made this one:

And this is to show how Willow might cover up and get in full defensive mode:

 

[sucker_puncher]

Ok so as suggested, an attempt to reveal Thornmon's head-ish thing. I don't have pro programs to use so sorry for the epic-fail quality.

I assume the image still isn't showing up so again here's the link:

http://s1186.photobucket.com/albums/z376/sucker_puncher/CAP/?action=view&current=CAP2Head-1.jpg

More CC appreciated; not much response earlier, probably because I can't get the image to show up. Any help on that matter would be awesome.

 

[MLaRF]

Alright folks.

Gevin Karrett - I think it's a cool concept, and can go pretty far, but the thing that's really holding it back is that it seems like it's just a portrait - if there is a body, you'll want to show it, and if it's just a detached, floating head, there's no real indication of this. Even something as simple as a shadow would make it easy to tell that it's just a floating head. I think the simplicity of the design may also add to the "incomplete" feel, as all we see is a koala with a beard - but a body or indication of floating can easily remedy that.

Pucker Suncher - This is also a pretty good idea with good potential. However, two things that bug me about it; the first is what the body is exactly. It looks like the elegance of a rose stem and the prickly bulkiness of a cactus are competing for control. I feel it would be a lot more solid if you chose one (seeing the stat distribution thread, I would personally go more towards the cactus), and it would certainly feel like a stronger design. The other thing is the lack of head - with no true form to its head, it's hard to actually view it as a living (or ex-living) creature. Even something simple like a sphere with the fogginess around it would make the design way cooler.

Woah guys, that was a bit long from me (it looks longer when I'm typing it). I don't mean to offend anyone with all this, they're good designs, and I'm trying to help you think of ways to improve them, so i only mean to do good fer you. So, keep up the good work! You're doin' well!

 

[magic.]

I really enjoy Mos-Quitoxe's design because the concept of origami easily fits both types in that paper is, straight up, dead trees. The way that it can fold itself to fit the move it sketched makes it even more cool. Honestly, I'm just fascinated by the whole concept and I've been watching it since it was first drawn here. Love love love love origamimon.

 

[Temperantia]

A quick expression of approval from someone whose opinion doesn't really matter:

DougJustDoug: Wow. Just wow. A great design with a unique concept and excellent execution. My only slight problem is with the masks. Imo, I find them a bit excessive. There wouldn't be much lost in their absence.

CyzirVisheen: Such an adorable, yet creepy design! Slime mold would make an excellent and creative Grass/Ghost. It also has that "Pokemon feel" that some designs seem to be lacking. My only concern is that if the Stat spreads turn towards the Physical Attack side, how will your design convey strength?

Mos-Quixote: Great job. It's designs like this that make me wish more than one could be used. As it is, I admit I'd prefer DJD or CV's design to make it over yours, but I still really like it. Just saying, I prefer the white underside but I like the second version's cherry blossoms better.

Yilx: For one of the many flower-maiden designs, yours really stands out. It is probably the most beautiful of the designs and also looks a bit sinister in some material. Very good overall.

 

[Kevin Garrett]

It's not just a head. I'm drawing in Word so I have to do each segment at a time.

 

[LouisCyphre]

Treantinel guards his grove sleeplessly and decisively.

 

[Pravinoz]

Hello!
any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated!

It's using aeroblast

 

[greg3064]

DougJustDoug: I know one of your concerns regarding the masks was that the artistic link to Sketch would not be prominent enough without them, but this makes me feel like they could be done without. The dress and the face especially do, in my opinion, bring out the faded actress vibe here.

Maybe it's because I know she's an actress already or because her hands are holding the masks awkwardly in that pose, but they seem to detract from it. In any case, I think that, without the masks, this is a Pokemon that I could still see using Sketch.

Mos-Quixote: I like each of your designs, regardless of the color. I actually think the pink of the flowers goes better with green than the nearer miss of the red, but I am really fine with either iteration, and I do think that the red accommodates the Japanese feel better than the green. I would agree that you should not stretch yourself too thin on meeting everyone's demands because as you can see, it's not possible. I think your design incorporates Sketch in the best way and the typings are not too much of a stretch for me.

 

[Master of the Six Kings]

DJD: You could also have her wear masks based on her type of action, the happy mask for the offensive posse and the sad mask for defensive posse. Just a thought. one of my favorite designs though.

 

[Yilx]

Looks like she's going to be a physical sweeper...

Fire Punch/Ice Punch

 

[Onetwobanana]

@paintseagull: Might I suggest maybe bulking your Crop Circle mon's legs up a bit? They like a bit thin for something as big as it appears to be.

Great work so far, everyone else! This is going to be a tough vote for sure.