Sphynx
6th Dec 2008, 08:46
The Sensei team are please to announce Sensei Challenges #9 and #10, back-to-back challenges lasting throughout December and January. The rules and requirements for Challenge #10 will be posted in about 2 weeks time.
“Primitive”
Welcome to the start of the new back-to-back sensei challenge. This challenge is all about the interpretation of designs. If you are in the design industry, especially for TV or Film, you are very often confronted with a very basic description - perhaps from a book where the author has left a lot to the imagination.
Typical examples of this can be found in E.E. 'Doc' Smith's Lensman series - we get Spheres, Teardrops, Cylinders...but not really much more in the way of description. Taking a totally smooth sphere and putting it on screen is not particularly exciting, so a lot of re-interpretation goes on in between.
What we want to see
This challenge is all about taking a simple primitive shape (e.g. Sphere, Teardrop, Cube, Pyramid, etc. - essentially something that can be summed up in a word) and making more of it that there actually is. We don't care what you make from it, as long as it shows a lot of thought in regards to design.
You can make a lot of changes with the primitive, such as cutting into it, adding shapes etc. but at it's heart it must still be primarily recognisable as the primitive. If a book description stated that a great pyramid loomed up in front of a character, we want that initial perception to be sensibly maintained.
We are not going to be restricting you to genres here – but far, far more than normal we want you be original. Originality, especially in an interpretation of this type, impresses us far, far more.
We will be evaluating the entries on a range of things - originality, concept (2D and 3D), progress towards your goal, modeling (3D), texturing (3D) and final rendering (2D and 3D).
On this occasion, we are not overly interested in the surroundings (i.e. don't build a small section of Egypt just to show us a pyramid-shaped starship)
What we don't want to see
As stated above, you don't need to build an entire environment just to show off your design.
An original shape that is technically 'primitive', but which is actually quite complex - e.g. we don't want any Hexadecahedrons.
A primitive with a texture attached. We want designed and modelled detail.
We don't want you to reproduce something that already exists. Don't give us Ra's Pyramid palace-starship or a Borg cube – give us your own interpretation.
Sensei's Tips
The Sensei Team is here for a reason - namely to help YOU become as good as we can get you to be in the digital graphics world. We can't help you however, unless you help us. We can't pick comments out of the air if we don't know where you are having problems.
Work methodically. Give us your sketches that didn't work out; give us your concept drawings that you think will work and show us how you are progressing towards your goal. The more that you show us, the more we and the rest of the community can comment on.
To this end, a requirement of this challenge is that at the very least we want to see one concept sketch that you've made that has set you on your final path. Remember however, that we are looking for a concept sketch - no matter how rough - and not a work of art in itself.
Also, if you've used a special technique or a feature of your software that you have never touched before, tell us in your thread - we and the rest of the membership want to know how you have progressed along your design route and in your personal skills.
Challenge Duration
You have FOUR weeks from today, December 6th 2008 to come up with your final entry. The challenge will run Saturday to Saturday, so we'll expect to have closed the challenge for the start of Sunday 4th January, 2009 and be running straight into Challenge #10.
The Rules:
You can enter either a rendering of a 3D model, or a 2D concept piece. The same rules on context apply equally.
Your final submission must be no more than 800x600 but it may be oriented in either Landscape or portrait.
Your final submission does not need to textured, but it will help with the context.
You will post a WIP in the Challenge forum, you must show progress on your model before you submit your final entry, this, among other things, will allow us to make sure everyone is within the rules.
As usual, name your thread in the challange wip forum in the format:
Challenge #9 – MemberName – Title (if appropriate)
Prizes:
1st place - SFM Sensei Gold medal displayed under the winners avatar, your artwork shown on the SFM Header.
2st place - SFM Sensei Silver medal displayed under the winners avatar.
3st place - SFM Sensei Bronze medal displayed under the winners avatar.
Most Honourable Member - Green Sensei Medal displayed under the winners avatar, awarded to the most helpful and contructive member in the challenge.
In the sprit of competition and dissemination of skills throughout the community, all members of SFM (inc. Moderators, Senseis and Admins) may create WIPs. As usual however, Senseis and Admin are NOT permitted to enter their final design at the end of the challenge and can therefore not win any prize.
If you have any questions then please ask them in this thread, otherwise:
Good luck to everyone!
-SFM Sensei.
“Primitive”
Welcome to the start of the new back-to-back sensei challenge. This challenge is all about the interpretation of designs. If you are in the design industry, especially for TV or Film, you are very often confronted with a very basic description - perhaps from a book where the author has left a lot to the imagination.
Typical examples of this can be found in E.E. 'Doc' Smith's Lensman series - we get Spheres, Teardrops, Cylinders...but not really much more in the way of description. Taking a totally smooth sphere and putting it on screen is not particularly exciting, so a lot of re-interpretation goes on in between.
What we want to see
This challenge is all about taking a simple primitive shape (e.g. Sphere, Teardrop, Cube, Pyramid, etc. - essentially something that can be summed up in a word) and making more of it that there actually is. We don't care what you make from it, as long as it shows a lot of thought in regards to design.
You can make a lot of changes with the primitive, such as cutting into it, adding shapes etc. but at it's heart it must still be primarily recognisable as the primitive. If a book description stated that a great pyramid loomed up in front of a character, we want that initial perception to be sensibly maintained.
We are not going to be restricting you to genres here – but far, far more than normal we want you be original. Originality, especially in an interpretation of this type, impresses us far, far more.
We will be evaluating the entries on a range of things - originality, concept (2D and 3D), progress towards your goal, modeling (3D), texturing (3D) and final rendering (2D and 3D).
On this occasion, we are not overly interested in the surroundings (i.e. don't build a small section of Egypt just to show us a pyramid-shaped starship)
What we don't want to see
As stated above, you don't need to build an entire environment just to show off your design.
An original shape that is technically 'primitive', but which is actually quite complex - e.g. we don't want any Hexadecahedrons.
A primitive with a texture attached. We want designed and modelled detail.
We don't want you to reproduce something that already exists. Don't give us Ra's Pyramid palace-starship or a Borg cube – give us your own interpretation.
Sensei's Tips
The Sensei Team is here for a reason - namely to help YOU become as good as we can get you to be in the digital graphics world. We can't help you however, unless you help us. We can't pick comments out of the air if we don't know where you are having problems.
Work methodically. Give us your sketches that didn't work out; give us your concept drawings that you think will work and show us how you are progressing towards your goal. The more that you show us, the more we and the rest of the community can comment on.
To this end, a requirement of this challenge is that at the very least we want to see one concept sketch that you've made that has set you on your final path. Remember however, that we are looking for a concept sketch - no matter how rough - and not a work of art in itself.
Also, if you've used a special technique or a feature of your software that you have never touched before, tell us in your thread - we and the rest of the membership want to know how you have progressed along your design route and in your personal skills.
Challenge Duration
You have FOUR weeks from today, December 6th 2008 to come up with your final entry. The challenge will run Saturday to Saturday, so we'll expect to have closed the challenge for the start of Sunday 4th January, 2009 and be running straight into Challenge #10.
The Rules:
You can enter either a rendering of a 3D model, or a 2D concept piece. The same rules on context apply equally.
Your final submission must be no more than 800x600 but it may be oriented in either Landscape or portrait.
Your final submission does not need to textured, but it will help with the context.
You will post a WIP in the Challenge forum, you must show progress on your model before you submit your final entry, this, among other things, will allow us to make sure everyone is within the rules.
As usual, name your thread in the challange wip forum in the format:
Challenge #9 – MemberName – Title (if appropriate)
Prizes:
1st place - SFM Sensei Gold medal displayed under the winners avatar, your artwork shown on the SFM Header.
2st place - SFM Sensei Silver medal displayed under the winners avatar.
3st place - SFM Sensei Bronze medal displayed under the winners avatar.
Most Honourable Member - Green Sensei Medal displayed under the winners avatar, awarded to the most helpful and contructive member in the challenge.
In the sprit of competition and dissemination of skills throughout the community, all members of SFM (inc. Moderators, Senseis and Admins) may create WIPs. As usual however, Senseis and Admin are NOT permitted to enter their final design at the end of the challenge and can therefore not win any prize.
If you have any questions then please ask them in this thread, otherwise:
Good luck to everyone!
-SFM Sensei.