Challenge 87 // Submit
Hello, dear members! First of all, I want to sincerely apologise for this unannounced and sudden hiatus - business with the study and health problems left me unable to take the proper care of the community during the last two weeks.
However now we are back to business again and I also hope that you are less busy at the moment too and interested in entering new challenges. :) I have also decided to try and run two challenges in parallel this week - perhaps those of you who won't like the first challenge may participate in the another. :) Both challenges end next Tuesday, but in the case of need extensions will be definitely made - just ask.
Welcome back to anakin_icontest!
Challenge 87
Visions
This time I have selected for you some images from the new art-book "Star Wars: Visions". For this project George Lucas himself had asked a group of great contemporary artists, of many different genres and styles, to create interpretations of Star Wars. The results range from the literal to the abstract and comprise a unique collection of art.
I personally find the images provided under the cut highly inspiring and hope you will too! I have also included the descriptions that are featured in the book, because they are not less interesting than pictures themselves. However you don't have to base your works on these descriptions - you can totally interpret the paintings the way you like. Be creative and have fun!
RULES
+ Your works must feature Anakin Skywalker/Lord Vader.
+ You may use only the images provided (blending is allowed).
+ You can re-use the same image more than once.
+ You can submit up to four (4) icons commenting on this entry, comments will be screened.
+ All effects are allowed, except animation.
+ Follow our general rules (» user info).
+ The deadline for this challenge is Monday, December 20th @ 10:00 AM GMT (CURRENT TIME).
Current number of entries: 31.
Juan Carlos Ferrigno
"Podracers"
Bill Patterson
"Runaway Slave"
Roy Grinnell
"Anakin's Combat
Over Naboo"Tom Altenburg
"Use the Force"
Patricia
"Anakin,
Watwood
Padawan"
David Tutwiler, Opa
"Padmé and Anakin:
Adrift"
Liné Tutwiler
"A Shaft of Light"Richard Piloco
"Anakin
Skywalker"Steven J. Levin
"Portrait of
Darth Vader"Kirk Reinert
"Vader's Dream -
A Visitation
From Padmé"Alex Ross
"Empire of Style"
Scott M. Fischer
"Fem Trooper"
Amano
"Darth Vader"Macey
"Regrets"Robert Bailey
"Now My Enemy"Armand S Baltazar
"Darth Vader in the
Sacrificial Pool of the
Sith Witches"Rudi Gutierrez
"The Exorcism
of Darth Vader"
Manuel Sanjulian
"George Lucas's World"
Text below contains artists' statements about their artworks.
Juan Carlos Ferrigno "Podracers": I liked painting the Podracers because, in some ways, they are similar to my motor-racing paintings. I also liked some of the other vehicles, such as airspeeders, but I decided to choose these vehicles because, in the film, it is very exciting watching the race between them. I chose the image of them going through the finish line with the crowded grandstand in the background.
Bill Patterson "Runaway Slave": as an artist of speed, and a major motorsports fan, I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this project. Although I spent a lot of time reviewing the movies over and over for inspiration for just the right image, I knew that I would come back to one of my favorite events, young Anakin’s victory in the Podrace. After reviewing the movie several times, I gained a renewed appreciation for the significance of the race and its implications to the story line. This in turn inspired a very visceral and emotional connection to the final image.
Tom Altenburg "Use the Force": young Anakin Skywalker demonstrates how to overcome fear by using the Force. Considering all of the massive challenges we currently face, I felt that this would be a fitting message. Of course, Anakin would be able to slay this dragonlike creature easily.
Patricia Watwood "Anakin, Padawan": I have envisioned this painting as a formal portrait of the boy Anakin a couple of years into his training as a Padawan. During his first mission, he tests the mettle of his new training by bringing down a spider droid. I find this luminal stage of Anakin’s life very poignant. He is a boy and a soldier, beautiful and fierce, honorable and angry. He contains at this moment all the potential of innocence, as well as the darkness he will eventually embrace.
David Tutwiler, Opa "Padmé and Anakin: Adrift": within this scene of tranquility and peace, Padmé and Anakin share a quiet moment together on the water near the Naboo lake house, surrounded by its towering beauty of monumental grandeur.
Liné Tutwiler "A Shaft of Light": in the shaft of light, R2 is illuminated, while Anakin and Padmé are shadowed, destined for the trials to come. Lurking river creatures remind that evil is near, even as the joyous crowds are unaware of impending danger.
Steven J. Levin "Portrait of Darth Vader": this is an imagined picture and not really an image of Vader at any particular point in the story line, so I have taken a few liberties. He is the most interesting character to me, the central figure to the story, and a tortured one - the golden boy gone terribly wrong. The Emperor torments him with dreams and promises, carefully driving a wedge between Anakin and the Jedi sect, his only family. At the crucial moment, when the Emperor reveals himself, Anakin might have achieved his destiny right then and destroyed Palpatine, but he didn't, and thus set himself upon a long, dark road that ended only when he finally did fulfill his destiny. In the films, there is the recurring theme of people leading double lives. I wanted that in the painting somehow, so Anakin is depicted in Vader garb but with the mask off, revealing an unscarred face. The setting is Mustafar, the planet where Anakin sealed his own fate - where Vader was born. The thing that intrigued me about the Star Wars saga was the idea of the Jedi as protector knights and conversely of Darth Vader as a kind of dark knight. The portrait is of him in that role, as a knight might have been painted, with sword in hand and helmet under his arm, but hopefully capturing some of the conflict in his character. The clouds are dark and foreboding, but the light breaking through above is symbolic of his eventual redemption.
Kirk Reinert "Vader's Dream - A Visitation From Padmé" ("I will safe-keep your good heart, Dear One, until you are ready for its return"): I wanted the general nature of this dream scene to feel very human, as opposed to Vader's real-life loss of humanity, both physically and spiritually. Vader is dreaming of himself as Anakin, a fallen knight, in the arms of Padmé, who has visited this dream with a purpose and a message. There is an island of peace here, but also the feeling of unease and impending doom on the horizon. The dark side, sensing the presence and threat of the light, sends its minions to pull Anakin/Vader back into chaos and madness.
Scott M. Fischer "Fem Trooper": I've always thought stormtroopers had the coolest costumes of all in the Star Wars galaxy. In fact, I even had the plastic Halloween costume back in the '70s and went trick-or-treating as one. But if I were a stormtrooper, naturally I would need the perfect partner, thus the Fem Trooper idea was born! All the coolness of the stormtrooper armor, wrapped around the sensuality of the female form...the perfect subject to paint!
Robert Bailey "Now My Enemy": I was introduced to a network of local people who own Star Wars outfits. Some were kind enough to visit my studio, where they posed to fit into the frame of this painting. This is a huge advantage over visual references from other sources, as the artist can light the subject as he/she wishes.
Armand S Baltazar "Darth Vader in the Sacrificial Pool of the Sith Witches": the painting depicts a younger Darth Vader in the clutches of the Sith witches. The idea is that Darth Vader, in his early service to the Emperor, becomes tormented by visions of a young boy (Luke). Seeking for a meaning to the vision, Vader asks the counsel of the Sith witches of O'rith. They are an ancient splinter faction of the Sith, aligned with neither the emperor nor the Jedi. There are always and only three: a matriarchal high priestess and two blood maidens, loyal to the Sith god of O'rith, who reside in and are bound to his temple; they can never leave. Within its walls, the witches' control of the Force is amplified beyond measure. Here they are near invulnerable, and unlike Jedi and normal Sith, here they have the power to see the past, present, and future unclouded. It requires an exacting price, however: the blood of a Jedi or Sith to be spilled in the sacrificial pool, beneath which, it is said, lies a Sith god - the blood enables the witches to tap directly into the energy of the dark side of this primordial god's force. In this heightened moment, the witches also have the ability to manipulate the minds of even those who can command the Force, and they have the power to heal flesh. But many who seek the witches’ counsel are never heard from again. This painting depicts the moment when the witches have subdued Vader and have immersed him in the pool to kill him. It is then that Vader's great significance is revealed to the witches. They, in turn, attempt to seduce Vader into staying with them forever as their Dark Lord, in the service of their god, offering eternal love and power. They begin to heal his scarred body to seal the deal, but Vader somehow comes to his senses and breaks free. He's allowed to leave, but is warned by the witches that one day they will possess the blood of a Skywalker.
Rudi Gutierrez "The Exorcism of Darth Vader": in the battle of good versus evil, the "Real Force" - made up of different ancient and current cultures on Earth - unites to perform an exorcism or the removal of bad spirits, represented by the Emperor, who controls the heart and spirit of Darth Vader.
CLOSED
Challenge 88
However now we are back to business again and I also hope that you are less busy at the moment too and interested in entering new challenges. :) I have also decided to try and run two challenges in parallel this week - perhaps those of you who won't like the first challenge may participate in the another. :) Both challenges end next Tuesday, but in the case of need extensions will be definitely made - just ask.
Welcome back to anakin_icontest!
Challenge 87
Visions
This time I have selected for you some images from the new art-book "Star Wars: Visions". For this project George Lucas himself had asked a group of great contemporary artists, of many different genres and styles, to create interpretations of Star Wars. The results range from the literal to the abstract and comprise a unique collection of art.
I personally find the images provided under the cut highly inspiring and hope you will too! I have also included the descriptions that are featured in the book, because they are not less interesting than pictures themselves. However you don't have to base your works on these descriptions - you can totally interpret the paintings the way you like. Be creative and have fun!
RULES
+ Your works must feature Anakin Skywalker/Lord Vader.
+ You may use only the images provided (blending is allowed).
+ You can re-use the same image more than once.
+ You can submit up to four (4) icons commenting on this entry, comments will be screened.
+ All effects are allowed, except animation.
+ Follow our general rules (» user info).
+ The deadline for this challenge is Monday, December 20th @ 10:00 AM GMT (CURRENT TIME).
Current number of entries: 31.
Juan Carlos Ferrigno
"Podracers"
Bill Patterson
"Runaway Slave"
Roy Grinnell
"Anakin's Combat
Over Naboo"Tom Altenburg
"Use the Force"
Patricia
"Anakin,
Watwood
Padawan"
David Tutwiler, Opa
"Padmé and Anakin:
Adrift"
Liné Tutwiler
"A Shaft of Light"Richard Piloco
"Anakin
Skywalker"Steven J. Levin
"Portrait of
Darth Vader"Kirk Reinert
"Vader's Dream -
A Visitation
From Padmé"Alex Ross
"Empire of Style"
Scott M. Fischer
"Fem Trooper"
Amano
"Darth Vader"Macey
"Regrets"Robert Bailey
"Now My Enemy"Armand S Baltazar
"Darth Vader in the
Sacrificial Pool of the
Sith Witches"Rudi Gutierrez
"The Exorcism
of Darth Vader"
Manuel Sanjulian
"George Lucas's World"
Text below contains artists' statements about their artworks.
Juan Carlos Ferrigno "Podracers": I liked painting the Podracers because, in some ways, they are similar to my motor-racing paintings. I also liked some of the other vehicles, such as airspeeders, but I decided to choose these vehicles because, in the film, it is very exciting watching the race between them. I chose the image of them going through the finish line with the crowded grandstand in the background.
Bill Patterson "Runaway Slave": as an artist of speed, and a major motorsports fan, I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this project. Although I spent a lot of time reviewing the movies over and over for inspiration for just the right image, I knew that I would come back to one of my favorite events, young Anakin’s victory in the Podrace. After reviewing the movie several times, I gained a renewed appreciation for the significance of the race and its implications to the story line. This in turn inspired a very visceral and emotional connection to the final image.
Tom Altenburg "Use the Force": young Anakin Skywalker demonstrates how to overcome fear by using the Force. Considering all of the massive challenges we currently face, I felt that this would be a fitting message. Of course, Anakin would be able to slay this dragonlike creature easily.
Patricia Watwood "Anakin, Padawan": I have envisioned this painting as a formal portrait of the boy Anakin a couple of years into his training as a Padawan. During his first mission, he tests the mettle of his new training by bringing down a spider droid. I find this luminal stage of Anakin’s life very poignant. He is a boy and a soldier, beautiful and fierce, honorable and angry. He contains at this moment all the potential of innocence, as well as the darkness he will eventually embrace.
David Tutwiler, Opa "Padmé and Anakin: Adrift": within this scene of tranquility and peace, Padmé and Anakin share a quiet moment together on the water near the Naboo lake house, surrounded by its towering beauty of monumental grandeur.
Liné Tutwiler "A Shaft of Light": in the shaft of light, R2 is illuminated, while Anakin and Padmé are shadowed, destined for the trials to come. Lurking river creatures remind that evil is near, even as the joyous crowds are unaware of impending danger.
Steven J. Levin "Portrait of Darth Vader": this is an imagined picture and not really an image of Vader at any particular point in the story line, so I have taken a few liberties. He is the most interesting character to me, the central figure to the story, and a tortured one - the golden boy gone terribly wrong. The Emperor torments him with dreams and promises, carefully driving a wedge between Anakin and the Jedi sect, his only family. At the crucial moment, when the Emperor reveals himself, Anakin might have achieved his destiny right then and destroyed Palpatine, but he didn't, and thus set himself upon a long, dark road that ended only when he finally did fulfill his destiny. In the films, there is the recurring theme of people leading double lives. I wanted that in the painting somehow, so Anakin is depicted in Vader garb but with the mask off, revealing an unscarred face. The setting is Mustafar, the planet where Anakin sealed his own fate - where Vader was born. The thing that intrigued me about the Star Wars saga was the idea of the Jedi as protector knights and conversely of Darth Vader as a kind of dark knight. The portrait is of him in that role, as a knight might have been painted, with sword in hand and helmet under his arm, but hopefully capturing some of the conflict in his character. The clouds are dark and foreboding, but the light breaking through above is symbolic of his eventual redemption.
Kirk Reinert "Vader's Dream - A Visitation From Padmé" ("I will safe-keep your good heart, Dear One, until you are ready for its return"): I wanted the general nature of this dream scene to feel very human, as opposed to Vader's real-life loss of humanity, both physically and spiritually. Vader is dreaming of himself as Anakin, a fallen knight, in the arms of Padmé, who has visited this dream with a purpose and a message. There is an island of peace here, but also the feeling of unease and impending doom on the horizon. The dark side, sensing the presence and threat of the light, sends its minions to pull Anakin/Vader back into chaos and madness.
Scott M. Fischer "Fem Trooper": I've always thought stormtroopers had the coolest costumes of all in the Star Wars galaxy. In fact, I even had the plastic Halloween costume back in the '70s and went trick-or-treating as one. But if I were a stormtrooper, naturally I would need the perfect partner, thus the Fem Trooper idea was born! All the coolness of the stormtrooper armor, wrapped around the sensuality of the female form...the perfect subject to paint!
Robert Bailey "Now My Enemy": I was introduced to a network of local people who own Star Wars outfits. Some were kind enough to visit my studio, where they posed to fit into the frame of this painting. This is a huge advantage over visual references from other sources, as the artist can light the subject as he/she wishes.
Armand S Baltazar "Darth Vader in the Sacrificial Pool of the Sith Witches": the painting depicts a younger Darth Vader in the clutches of the Sith witches. The idea is that Darth Vader, in his early service to the Emperor, becomes tormented by visions of a young boy (Luke). Seeking for a meaning to the vision, Vader asks the counsel of the Sith witches of O'rith. They are an ancient splinter faction of the Sith, aligned with neither the emperor nor the Jedi. There are always and only three: a matriarchal high priestess and two blood maidens, loyal to the Sith god of O'rith, who reside in and are bound to his temple; they can never leave. Within its walls, the witches' control of the Force is amplified beyond measure. Here they are near invulnerable, and unlike Jedi and normal Sith, here they have the power to see the past, present, and future unclouded. It requires an exacting price, however: the blood of a Jedi or Sith to be spilled in the sacrificial pool, beneath which, it is said, lies a Sith god - the blood enables the witches to tap directly into the energy of the dark side of this primordial god's force. In this heightened moment, the witches also have the ability to manipulate the minds of even those who can command the Force, and they have the power to heal flesh. But many who seek the witches’ counsel are never heard from again. This painting depicts the moment when the witches have subdued Vader and have immersed him in the pool to kill him. It is then that Vader's great significance is revealed to the witches. They, in turn, attempt to seduce Vader into staying with them forever as their Dark Lord, in the service of their god, offering eternal love and power. They begin to heal his scarred body to seal the deal, but Vader somehow comes to his senses and breaks free. He's allowed to leave, but is warned by the witches that one day they will possess the blood of a Skywalker.
Rudi Gutierrez "The Exorcism of Darth Vader": in the battle of good versus evil, the "Real Force" - made up of different ancient and current cultures on Earth - unites to perform an exorcism or the removal of bad spirits, represented by the Emperor, who controls the heart and spirit of Darth Vader.
CLOSED
Challenge 88