I didn't have much of a chance to comment on art in the submission thread; just getting my own submission completed was quite a chore. But, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the artists that submitted art to the CAP art poll, and congratulate everyone on their work -- not just the artists in this poll, but everyone.
I doubt that many of the drive-by voters and casual observers appreciate the work that each of the artists put into their submissions. CAP art contests have so many fantastic submissions, I think some people may take it for granted that we always have a full slate of amazing submissions. I can assure you that I don't take it for granted. As the head of the CAP project, I love the participation and interest generated by our art contests. As an artist myself, I know all the time and work put in by artists while conceiving and rendering their designs. I'm glad the CAP project can provide a vehicle for showcasing various art talents and I know your contributions improve the CAP project in many ways. Thank you and congratulations!
Here's some praise I have for all the art here in the final ten. I will be delighted with any design currently in the running -- and many of the designs that didn't make it this far too!
Cartoons - Wonderful whimsical piece. I know you got the basic idea elsewhere, but your rendering is top-notch, as always. I love how you took a premise that could easily be ugly and uninteresting, and gave it a breath of life and color that makes it exciting and fun.
Mysteriousfellow - Devious, dastardly, dangerous. These are the impressions conjured by your sandy apparition. I love the posing and facial expression. All the elements tie together beautifully. The detailed supporting material enhances the overall scary effect.
Caladbolg - Your design best captures the mischievous side of Dark typing. Your style is always spot-on in the Ken Sugimori mold, and this design is no exception. Your pose has action, but doesn't sacrifice showing off the key elements of your design.
Atyroki - I enjoyed all the phases of your design, and I love the final color scheme. Thorny devil is wonderfully balanced -- it looks sharp and deadly, without being a bloodthirsty badass. The pixel rendering perfectly accentuates the design.
Chomzloh - Incredibly clean, professional rendering of a majestic design. My jaw dropped at every iteration you posted in the submission thread, and your final submission is stunning. The two supporting art pics are some of the best in the competition.
pkmn-taicho321 - I loved this design from the start, and I'm glad you decided to go with this color and texturing (I know Chomzloh gave a helping hand there, but still...). The bone elements and the expression on the face create an oddly endearing and memorable design. This design would be a lot of fun to sprite.
Buffalo Wings - Fantastic design squarely in the badass mold. Your design jumps off the page with detail and ferocity. I love the face and gaping roar in particular. I also like the imbalanced physiology of the bulky arms and torso, juxtapositioned against the nimble rear and legs.
Aragornbird - You pretty much can do no wrong in my book. I don't think I have ever seen art from you that I DIDN'T like! Your dust devil continues in that tradition. The basic design has a perfect mix of simplicity, with detailed flourishes. The face design with the lower fangs, and bully's grin - it's wonderful. The subtle coloring and shading really brings out the impression of whirling sand, without resorting to clumsy canned graphic effects.
CyzirVisheen - As always, you deliver another stunning combination of design originality and artistic execution. The basic design of a ground-drilling narwhal is sheer brilliance. The posing in-ground, fantastic shading, and skin patterns and scars -- it all works perfectly.
I won't comment on my own peice, other than to say that I am honored to be in the company of all these wonderfully talented artists!
