SkillZombie's art Reviews on Newgrounds

[Elk's Deathwing]

An engrossing view of an ancient evil.

Burning death; that's exactly what one would smell when under the myasmic scent of this realm. From its bottomless pools of scorching magma to its dark and poweful creatures, there are countless ways for one to meet their death. However, with all of these hazards and risks, when one looks above, the greatest threats mean nothing when compared to what lurks in the skies. Staring upon its magmatic perch, the glaring shadow of the Deathwing sits. Forged in hatred and powered by darkness, it surveys its smoldering realm for unsuspecting visitors and prey. Its sulfuric breath scorches the air; smelling of burning bodies and crackling like the screaming victims of its hellish flames. Eventually the creature begins to spread its wicked wings as if to curse the skies itself during this flight. With each and every flap of its gargantuan wings, the flooded pools of magma begin to ripple violently from their shock wave force of the wings. For it knows that soon, the Cataclysm will fall under all too weak to resist its darkened grip of death.

For starters I have to praise this artist for their excellent use of detailing in this piece. The detail that you have laid upon this piece with each and every methodical pixel placement is staggering and a true show of artistic dedication. Every scorched scale upon the Deathwing's form, each magmatic crack in the surface of the realm all oozes both personality and style from its appearance on the image. Vivid uses of reds and yellows beautiful catch the viewer's attention and draw them into this dark world of death and flames The emulation of natural lighting of the magma lakes below really add quite a bit to the dark and foreboding atmosphere that shrouds over this piece like the mighty wings of the Deathwing. Each and every one of the compositional elements of this piece work perfectly together and the quality shows; as it really brings out quite a bit of the detail and artistic personality within the piece itself.

While there is so very much working out well for this piece, there are still a few small things that could be touched up on this piece to take it from great to outstanding. Something I noticed near the bottom left corner, a few of the magma spires appear a little less refined in detail and really distracts from the overall quality and beauty of the piece in itself. One final, tiny suggestion would be that now that its complete, its time for you to try and take it to the next level. Add more to the background elements (add building ruins, perhaps a few magma pillars), just some extra compositional elements that could bring out the best in this piece.

Regardless of the small nitpicks pointed out, that still does not distract this from the overall outstanding quality that is being displayed in this piece. From the color to the atmosphere, it all screams out artistic personality as well as true talent and dedication to an artist's craft. Excellent work ElkDarkshire!

[Trip 1]

An enticing color pallet that grasp attention

Colors. The ver building block of sight and visual art. Without color, there would be no artwork, or anything tangible for that matter. Usage of coloring can truly make a piece shine brighter than any star in the universe, or darker than the largest black hole. Some do not require much coloring and can make do with a rather simplistic, minimalist pallette. Other pieces on the other hand, utilize a plethora of colors nad shade variations that generate an equisite feast for the visual senses and provoke the imagination to run wild with ideas and colorful daydreams. Trip 1, created by torithefox, displays the very essense of coloring in artwork and delivers a very imaginative and creative piece shrouded in the beauty of what colors can bring to artwork.

Starting off from the very first thing that I see, I still cannot stretch the various elements brought to life with these color pallets. The characters and backgrounds just pop off of the screen and straight into the minds and eyes of the viewers. One can almost picture the seemingly statuesque characters fully animated in their strange and colorful world, granting passage to all those willing to admire it. The design useage has a very out of contol and chaotic feeling to it, with many curving elements as well as the style granted to the characters and background components, while at the same time has a rather self-controlled feel to it. I guess the best way to describe this attribute would be "Concise Chaos", or a chaotic style that still manages to carry its own tempo, so to speak. The piece carries the same surreal and imaginative atmosphere that the cult classic game "Psychonauts," a game that granted the player a sight at the same surrealist design style and visual creativity as this image.

The piece could still use a bit of modification and refinement to better improve its visual appeal. For one, the artist should try to branch out the setting a bit and add a few more details to the background and foreground elements in the piece. Feel free to add minscule details in all of the compositional elements in the piece to help it flourish before both yourself and the viewer. Secondly, some parts feel a little flat and could use a bit more personality to them. Add more detail in the primary subjects clothing (wrinkles, tears, pockets, etc.) the piece stand out even further than it could before.

With relatively small flaws and a lot of potential, Trip 1 delivers an enticing color palett that grasps the attention of the viewer and never let's it go.

[Double Bluff]

Good depiction of an almost alien world

The deep, dark depths of our oceans can appear to many as an almost otherworldly and alien plain of existence that has been hidden from us for as long as we can remember. With pressures so great that they could crush bones into dust and darkness so dense that light cannot even pierce it, a place such as this does not seem appropriate for live to exist let alone even thrive. Contrary to our first perceptions of this strange land, there are indigenous creatures here; however they are not your average marine wildlife. There are creatures at these depths that appear straight from a horror movie, and none of them are exactly friendly toward anyone...even one another. In this world, there is no top predator when anything can kill you at any time. Double Bluff, created by adamkav, shows us exactly how unbalanced life can be for these creatures when even top predators find themselves as unwary prey for a larger predator.

When I first saw this piece, I was immediately drawn in by not only the style that the artist used but also the ironic humor used in the image itself. As I had mentioned before, there are really no top predators in the dark zone or abyssal plains of the ocean, so when I saw a picture of a deep sea anglerfish, a known predator, being lured into the maw of a larger angler, I found it rather humorous.

Each and every single malformed and grotesque detail of these fish are on display and the look great. The various fleshy growths, the many rows of jagged, dagger-like teeth that protrude from the mouths of the creatures and the ominous bio-luminescent glow of the lure used by the smaller angler really gives this piece an atmosphere as dense and dark as the water that its surrounding the fish. It really does look good and one can almost imagine the tense silence as both deep sea creatures move silently toward each other, locked in the titular "Double Bluff" to see who would fall for who's trap and would would either be the predator or the prey.

One thing I could suggest to improve upon this image is to add a bit more to the piece that could truly simulate the deep sea atmosphere. Even though its almost black at such depths, bio-luminescent creatures reveal small bubble from lower depths, various particles from dead and decaying creatures or general creature waste, even faint lights from other creatures in the dark distances. Also, a slight darkening in contrast could add even further atmospheric tension to the piece and would make the glow of the light more pronounced and the silhouette of the larger fish that much more meanacing. My suggestion is to perhaps study some real world pictures to give you an even better grasp on your concept in order for you to refine this piece and take it from good to great.

With slight flaws, good looking art style, atmospheric tension and a rather interesting concept, this is one piece that newgrounds members and art enthusiasts should not pass up. Good work Adamkav.

[Summertime]

The essence of summer itself

Summer has always been a truly captivating time in our lives. Such feelings The warmth of the sun energizing us more than usual, the new found freedom of being released from school and work to be with friends and family. For others, its all about just relaxation, long vacations and enjoying the luscious "scenery" that seems to appear during this season. Summertime, created by kevinsano, gives us a glimpse at such a sight of summer beauty, in the form of a pretty young sunbather.

To start off, I have to compliment the fine levels of skin detail that was placed onto this piece. There aren't any extreme details placed into the subject, but the subtle skin tones perfectly compliment her form. Her eyes gleam beautifully with a rather pleasant highlighting effect in the center, that breathes life into the piece quite easily without appearing overbearing or making the piece look exaggerated.

The more that one looks at this piece, the more you can imagine yourself in the setting itself. A strange sense of immersion hits the viewer's mind as they feel transported to the very beach that the female subject is in. The woman sits on her beach towel as the parasol above her grants her shade from the heat of the summer season. Her various curves slightly kissed by highlights from spending time in the shore side sun. Her warm smile welcomes you as you set forward upon the beach and closer to her place on the sand. You can imagine her reaching for a can of soda from the nearby cooler as it gleams in the light of the sun. The sound of the water as it comes in contact with the sun-cooked sands of the beach; washing the shore as it shimmers in the sunlight.

However, if there is one thing that I could suggest in this piece, it would be that the artist should feel free to stretch their wings. Perhaps add a bit more foreground elements and even a bit more detail to the sand on the beach. Maybe even include a slight tip of the shoreline with some water rushing onto the shore. Do not be afraid to go above and beyond to make a piece that much more exceptional.

If there's one thing that this artist has capture here, its the art of subtle details. The art style used on the woman gives off a great sense of design style without high levels of detail and the placement of background and foreground elements look excellent. Good work on this piece.

[The Silent Ones]

An outstanding depiction of a wandering giant

The design of the giants on the snowy wasteland truly gives the piece a great feeling of scale in comparison to the vast area they walk upon. The detail placed into the the rusting, decrepit armor that each of the colossi wear shows age very well and is visibly decaying. You can almost picture them walking across the vast snowy plains as they search for a place they can call their own.

The atmosphere is as thick as the hides of the beasts themselves. The icy winds lashing at the automatons as they traverse the tundra can give a genuine feeling of isolation and near hopelessness one would feel in a situation like this. Being stranded out in a massive blizzard with no where else to go but forward. The darkness of nightfall slowly shrouding itself around your group as the monstrous and menacing wail of the frigid gales add an even greater feeling of atmospheric dread and power that the storm can generate making even such colossal figures as these seem small and insignificant in the storm's wake. It really give a great feeling of immersion as if you are traveling alongside the giants toward an unknown destination. A massive plus in the atmospheric department.

The coloring and art style also deserves a mention as well. The use of icy blues and frigid whites as well as the drawing style used gives the picture a nice dynamic feeling. The scratched and damaged metal looks great through all the shrouded wind and fog and the brushed snow looks really nice.

As good as the piece looks, its not without flaws. For instance some of the pieces of metal don't look like they're falling off of the machines, but rather just hovering around the robot in midair and looks a bit tacky. Just erase some of those fragments and the piece should look great.

All that I have said about this piece on DeviantArt still stands strong. The piece is still loaded with quality and originality as well as showing a great display of artistic talent. Excellent work Keepwalking.

[Metroid Physiology]

Atomically Correct and an Excellent Piece

The physiology of the Metroid depicted here is excellent. Each and every single detail on its form, from the various creases in its sharp mandibles to the countless nerves making up its nuclei just makes this an overall piece of artwork. As a huge fan of the Metroid series, I can't stop looking at this piece.

As I've just mentioned, the detail of this sketch is outstanding. Each and every single detail has been highlighted and shown. I can almost imagine someone sketching an actual Metroid on an autopsy table as these notes are being told by a the Galactic Federation surgeon during a mission debriefing. It all really ads to the overall atmosphere of the image itself, making it that much more of an eye-catcher.

All in all, the whole piece looks great. The detail and overall appearance entices the viewer, while the description below gives an excellent physiological analysis of the various habits of the subject in question. Great work, Kalapusa. I look forward to many more of your works.

[Mercedes]

Well done

The character herself is very well drawn. If there's one thing you did really well on this pieces is the studio lighting on Mercedes. The glow effect that you have on her makes her glow as if she's out in the sun. The wisps in her hair is a nice touch as well and really add personality to the overall piece. Mercedes hair really does look good and I can almost imagine it moving in a breeze. All in all the piece looks great and I look forward to see more of your artwork.

[River Bridge]

Badass

You've seem to have mastered the city scape, in both complete and its destroyed forms. At this point you wont have to worry about you art skill in the least. Good work as usual. :D

[The Undersea]

Mesmerising

The life beneath the ocean waves has always carried a myriad of mystery as well as unforeseen beauty. This picture has done a wonderful job of capturing both of those aspects of the sea.

The detail placed in the various objects in both the background and the foreground look amazing, especially in the style they've been depicted in. I can almost imagine the whales moving slowly across the screen and gracefully disappearing into the murky water distance. The bio luminescent seaweed and the thermal cracks in the ground really add more to the personality to the overall scene.

In addition to the great design and art style, I can see an excellent use of lighting in the image. Shadows are featured well and realistically in the depicted light and the rays of sunlight from above the sea are a great addition to an overall amazing scene.

All in all this is a truly amazing piece. As a big fan of undersea life and landscape, there is no excuse for me not to give this a good review not just because of the talent of the artist, but also for the overall concept. Great job and here's to many more pieces.

Kamikaye responds:

Oh thx for your dedicated review ! :D I always love to read peoples impression my pics have on them :)