Challenge #4: Cute and Terrifying

This week we shall take anything: animal, vegetable or mineral, and produce two versions of it. One as cute and sweet as can be, and the other horrible and grotesque. That might be a bit hard to do with minerals, come to think of it.

Cute and Terrifying can be incredibly subjective, and an attempt to pull off one can result in the other. So let us proceed with care!

Due: 7 March 2010 (Sunday)


Challenge posted by: Sara

Challenge #3: X (Fala)

People (namely, me) said I was predictable. So I proved them. Here we have . . . An X-Men VS. Brotherhood tic-tac-toe board (see that? I did I two-fer. Bow before my boundless cleverousity!).



Arrrr. Suffice it to say, this project started out fun, but wound up a headache and a half toward the very end owing to printing technicalities. Because we are SUCH good friends and I care so deeply for you lot, I shall spare you the toil and drudgery of the epic odyssey of FAIL I underwent toward the end of this, and simply say that in the end, the only inkjet printer available to me was running low on the C, the Y, and the K, hence why the pieces are all grossly M(agenta)-y.





The pieces are made of shrinky-dink plastic with the images printed on, and the little X's and O's on the back are made of felt. The X-men are the X's and the Brotherhood are the O's, naturellement.

And just so this post doesn't look like it is made of complete and utter fail, here's the original artwork, so you can see how the pieces were SUPPOSED to look.







And now, time is running out. This has been another episode of Exercises In Near Futility. Thank you, and good night.

Challenge #3: X (Sara)

I do believe the tic-tac-toe suggestion influenced me on a subconscious level. Up until tonight when I reread the challenge, I'd totally forgotten that the game was mentioned!



Instead I started out simply wanting to do something with a train after seeing a sign for a railway crossing... and that morphed into this sweet and simple image. Mmm, I miss riding in trains. And doodling in condensation.

So! Onto the next challenge!

Challenge #3: X

Just what it says on the tin; The challenge this week is "X". This can be interpreted just about any way you please . . . 'X' marks the spot, x + y = z, an 'x-wife' (oh ho ho, I made a funny), or something which, visually, looks like an 'X'. You can approach it like Sue Grafton and say " 'X' is for . . ." or design a tic-tac-toe board . . . The sky is the limit. It could even be, dare I say it? X-MEN FANART.

. . . What was that? I want to think I heard an accusation that I was 'predictable.' Because if I did, in fact, hear what I THOUGHT I heard at first, then that would have been very rude indeed.

AT ANY RATE, there's the next challenge. WHOO! X-stuffs!

::teleports away::

Due: 28th February, 2010 (Sunday)

Challenge posted by: Fala

Challenge #2: Silent Films (Sara)

Once again, just under the wire for mine!



Let's say this is one of the many silent films of old that are now lost to the ages, or sat, decomposing, in someone's attic. No one knows what the movie itself was like, but from its promotional materials it seems to have been about an epic battle between a growing city and the untouched, natural land it's replacing. Exciting! It's just a sketch for now, but I think I'll develop this into a poster later.

I've been revisiting a few of my old favorite silent flicks this week, and checking out a few I hadn't seen before (youtube's been wonderful for them). All the fantastic movies that have survived make me sad for the ones that haven't, like Theda Bara's Cleopatra. But there are still all those fantastic shots of her in costume.

Challenge #2: Silent Films (Fala)

Sara demanded silent films, Sara gets silent films! . . . Er, film.



I've loved all of the film reincarnations of Notre-Dame De Paris, so this was, for me, kind of an obvious choice. My first experience with this story in film format was the Charles Laughton version, but this particular picture, of course, refers to the 1923 silent film starring Leonidas "Lon" Chaney. As much as I love the Laughton film, I couldn't think of a more perfect match to play Quasimodo. Chaney's parents were both deaf-mutes. Not only did he have the experience to put toward this role, but he had the empathy for this character.

. . . Though, admittedly, I was totally listening to the soundtrack for the Disney film when I drew most of this :P

Challenge #2: Silent Films

Inspired in part by the last challenge, this week it's:

Silent Films

This can involve a specific movie or actor, play around with the aesthetics associated with silent movies, with their drastic lights and darks , or the science behind early film making. Perhaps explore the various devices used to view moving pictures before projections for large audiences became the norm. Anything revolving around movies before sound became common place.

Due: 21th February, 2010 (Sunday)

Challenge posted by Sara

And to get us in the mood, here are a few clips from Thomas Edison's studio:

Challenge #1 Oscar Wilde (Sara)

And here is my end of the challenge, in just under the wire!



It didn't take long for my mind to go to Salome's Last Dance after being given the prompt. Based off of Oscar Wilde's play, Salome, Last Dance is one of my favorite cult movies. So here is Salome herself, as she appears in the movie.

Challenge #1: Oscar Wilde (Fala)

Here be my responce the first challenge!



. . . Pretty much speaks for itself, I think. Buuut, I'll post this Oscarism along with it;

"There are only two tragedies in life; One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it."

Challenge #1: Oscar Wilde

In honour of the title of this blog, I declare that our very first challenge be . . .

OSCAR WILDE

It can be a picture of Oscar himself, it can be something inspired by one of his works. Bosie, Constance, or (Heaven Forbid) Lord Queensberry can come along for the ride . . . And it doesn't even have to be a drawing/painting. It can be a poem, a photograph or a drabble of prose. As long as it hinges upon Mr. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, it's all good, love!

Due: 14th February, 2010 (Sunday) . . . Hoy, that's St. Valentine's day, innit? Yes. Yes, it is.

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist."
- Oscar Wilde

Challenge posed by Fala