Art [OBGT] Ozymandius Jones vs. Sun

[Dagger]

[I][B][CENTER]Round 1, Match 9: Ozymandius Jones vs. Sun
[/CENTER][/B][/I]
[B]Date Due: [/B] Friday, September 23
[B]
Dimensions:[/B] 700 x 400

[B]Theme:[/B] Materialism

Once you have posted your submission (fulfilling the mentioned criteria), other members will vote on your work. We permit those who are participating in the tournament to vote as well. There will be no poll option ? you will be required to post a paragraph at least four sentences in length, explaining why you voted the way you did. If you fail to type a complete paragraph, your vote will not be counted, and you will receive a PM saying so. I will count & tally votes.

Thank you very much for participating. Good luck!

~Dagger~

[Sun]

[SIZE=1]Here's my submission. This took about 2 hours of hard work, and required about 50 layers. I'm very proud of this piece. It's a pretty mellow and relaxing piece so I think everyone should enjoy it. Thanks to Doc. for his guidance.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/JustinTruong/Materialismfinalcopy.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE]

[Ozymandius Jones]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][CENTER][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/OzymandiusJones/materialismfinal.jpg[/IMG]
[B]Gone[/B][/CENTER]

-Everything here is from scratch. The receipt is from my latest adventure in banking, the bills are my birthday present, and the coins are from my collection. Even the ring's scanned.

-The lyrics are from the Switchfoot song "Gone."

-This took about ten hours, if you added up all my expirimenting time, modifying and actually laying it out. It has over twenty layers, I lost track halfway through.

-And there you have it. [/COLOR]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Wow. Wow, wow, wow. An excellent round, for sure.

[b]Sun[/b]: I really dig the cool and relaxed feel of this piece. Excellent colour decisions to go with the image, and you've pulled it off nicely. A-Class border, fitting font choice, consistent theme. My one negative would be the quote. It is too... obvious, in it's message. It's blunt. And it doesn't flow well. It just sits wrong with me.

[b]Ozymandius[/b]: Excellent piece. I really really love your border - the attention to detail is obvious and well done. I like the fact that this is all your own personal stuff, it's a really good way of doing it, I think. Good font choice, although you could have done with some glow on some of the text, to separate it from the background a bit more. I like this quote better than Sun's, even if it does feel a tad awkward.

My vote goes to [b]Ozymandius[/b]: This was an excellent round and difficult to decide, but ultimately I felt that Ozymandius' work was far more representative of materialism.[/size]

[Retribution]

[size=1]Interesting battle here, folks!

[b]Sun:[/b] I really enjoy this. The colors, most of all, and how you chose not to have any semblance of green/money in it, but still give the message just as effectively (IMHO). The typography really flows well in this, well placed, color harmony is apparent, and everything is readable. I'm not a fan of these bubbles in the corner, but that's not enough for me to complain about. Good stuff.

[b]Ozymandius:[/b] I think it was a relatively good, yet predictable, idea to use money, receipts, and coins to represent materialism. The dollar bills and the receipt are place very well - excellent job. I don't, however, like how you clustered all your coins in an awkward spot - it draws my attention away from everything else. The typography was rather awkward as well - it was hard to read black on green, and the placement throws your piece off balance.

So, this was probably the closest battle yet - props to you both for that.
[B]And my vote goes to Sun.[/B] Wonderful duel, the both of you.[/size]

[Kitty]

[COLOR=#006aaf][SIZE=1]Stop pestering me Sun.. I was gonna get to this on my own. Honest! xP

[b]Sun[/b]: I've always liked your style, and you use it here well. The way you combined the real-life stock image with the solid colors was smooth and effective. The text (why are you so damn good at texting, dammit T.T) all together is awesome. Perfect font, perfect colors, and the quote really suits the image. It relates to the theme in a very different and out-of-the-box kind of way. And I think those bubbles are just so cute! x3

[b]Ozy[/b]: Gotta love Switchfoot. ^_~ Haven't heard that song yet, but I'm sure I will. Anyway, I really like what you did here. The use of money in your image is a very basic but effective way to represent materialism. However, I don't like that font (as you can see, I'm picky with text) and the second part of the border - the darkened area - was a bit unnecessary. But still, it's done very well overall and I know how annoying 20+ layers can be, lol.

Gah.. You guys are so mean! xD It's too hard to choose... All in all, I'm going to have to go with [b]Sun[/b] with this one. But both images are [i]awesome[/i]![/SIZE][/COLOR]

[sakurasuka]

[CENTER][SIZE=1]First off, nice work, both of you! But it's time for some serious decision-making. *cracks knuckles*

[B]Sun-[/B] The colors of the piece are very nice, easy on the eyes for sure. As for the orange/yellow dots, (That underline 'Materialism' and that are randomly placed around the bottom right corner) they look... Slightly a different shade. Quite frankly, it was the first thing I noticed after reading the quote. I don't know if it's just an optical illusion by the contrast of blues that they are up against, but I'd be willing to bet that it would look better if the four on the right were either removed or darkened/made more orange-y. Minor detail, but color-things bug me.

The border is nearly perfect, but it isn't as crisp as it should be. It blurs a bit on the two sides on the inside, where there should be a 1 px white/light gray border, it kinda fades away. (Especially on the left side.)

I must say, I love how the word 'Materialism' was placed, and how you incorperated it that strongly without shoving it down our throats. Also, since the only things I found 'wrong' with this piece are so minor you don't really even notice them, that's pretty darn good, Sun. Nice job!

[B]Ozy-[/B] Damn. That border is simply perfect. I have two simple problems with this piece, though. First, there is a blurry spot on the $2 bill. Not a terrible problem, scanners screw things up some, I know. My second problem is shared by Retri and Kitty, I think the topography is a bit awkward. The two different fonts don't really compliment each other as well as they should on this piece. I can't really pick out exactly what's bugging me about it, but it just does seem slightly out-of-place.

I love the song, though. I think it might've been better to cut it down some, 'cause it took me longer to read the text than to size-up the piece. The words fit 'Materialism' perfectly, though.

My vote must go to [B]Ozymandius[/B]. Tough choice, but I think Ozy just worked harder and produced a better piece this time. Had a better flow to it, I think. Nice job, both of you![/SIZE][/CENTER]

[Horendithas]

Well I am definitely impressed with both pictures. Excellent work by both of you.

[B]Sun[/B]: What I like most about your picture is the soft background picture at the beach. Although the text on the photo does fit the color scheme quite well it feels a bit off as the words are a tiny bit blurred when I look at them. I also do not care for how the m at the end of materialism touches the border causing it to look slightly merged with the outer border. I also do not care for the yellow dots or bubbles in the corner as they don?t seem to fit with the color scheme to me. Though I think they aren?t really enough to complain about as overall it?s very well put together.

[B]Ozmandius[/B]: Although it is an obvious display of materialism, it is put together quite well. The receipt in the background really brings the rest of the items together. What I don?t care for is the two-dollar bill in the corner as it appears crumpled a bit and it is resulting in some blurring of the picture. I like how you combined more than one type of currency for representing materialism, as it seems to me to imply that materialism is not restricted to just one form of money. The words are nicely placed except for the word end as the picture of the coins distracts from the letter n. Still overall an excellent job.

It?s a bit hard to choose as both pictures have a nice feel and flow to them. In the end I vote for[B] Ozmandius [/B] as their picture seems to capture the theme of materialism a bit better than the other one does.

[Aaryanna]

Wow! Both pictures are amazing! Excellent work! Both of you.

[B]Sun[/B]: I really love the relaxed feel of the beach picture. The colors you have chosen are soft and inviting. I don?t care for the yellow dots under materialism or in the corner as they seem to distract from the overall color scheme. Also the picture seems to be a bit washed out to me. I find I have to look closer and squint a bit to get the details in the picture behind the people up front. I like the font you choose for the words, but they do look a bit blurred to me. Still, it?s an amazing picture and I think it flows well.

[B]Ozymandius[/B]: If you were looking for a theme that literally screams materialism then you have found it. The bank receipt along with the mixed currency really conveys to me that materialism is everywhere. I like the border as it almost makes your picture look like the background picture for an actual check. What I don?t like is that the two dollar bill seems to be out of focus in some spots. I also find the background of coins behind the word end to be a bit off as it makes the n harder to see. The words fit well and overall the piece is quite well done.

Now the hard part! Picking only one! Both pictures are really good, but I am going to give my vote to [B]Ozymandius[/B] as I like the theme a bit better than the other one. It just seems to say materialism much better to me.

[Whiteblaze]

[SIZE=1]A little late in the voting, but I thought I?d go ahead and join in the fun. But first here I give an explanation for my possibly odd way of going about this.

I?m not much for text because I feel the visual as a whole should convey the theme, not words and even if I put any consideration to words, I?d prefer they were the creator?s own words, but whatever. This is a [i]graphics[/i] tournament after all so I don?t really see why text should have such an important role in my decision.

As far as total time spent on an image, the way I see it, you can spend hours and put lots of consideration, and preparation work, (in fact, I admire one who did so although the same can be applied to one who simply wasn?t certain of what to do) but either way it can still come out uninspired.

So IMHO, how much time and effort put into an entry doesn?t necessarily amount to a masterpiece although I would agree that it does take a reasonable amount of both to pull one off.

[center]~~~~~~~~[/center]

First of all, I'll say that I like how you both put forth your efforts in your entries.

Now with that, I go on to say that Sun knows how to bring about a bit of mood with such colors and choice of visual. I like the ?wash? effect of the beach scene, but it gives more to the appearance of a background. Again, I?m iffy on my cares for the text. However, for what the text is saying, it [i]is[/i] saying something there and the look of it blends in just fine. I find it funny how it truly looks to me like a billboard along the highway.

Okay now, Ozy J, I?m not too critical a person when it comes to not having unnecessary perfection in the technical aspects of an image. But I?ll say it?s got this blurry yet crisp look going and the border is pretty fitting I suppose. It?s interesting that you have part of your own coin collection in there. Even though money does in cases represent wealth, money isn?t what first comes to mind when I think of materialism and its relation to people and the society we live in. The text here, although not your own, goes nicely with the visual, but the visual would not stand well on its own. Altogether, it has a good initial feel to it.

Ozy J?s was more direct and a bit too original because I think one can go much further than money with the theme of materialism so?

I?m going with [b]Sun?s[/b] entry even though it doesn?t exactly convey materialism itself, but provides more for what materialism [i]isn?t[/i] which to me is a different yet nice angle to go about the theme.

I?m not sure if it?s required to bold in the names, but I did so on the essential one just for your sake, Dagger.[/SIZE]

[Stuart]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]Sun : [/B] When I first viewed this over AIM- I was impressed. The faded light colors really gives this piece a pleasantly clean feeling. The minor details added; Such as the orange dots gradually fading, and the somewhat appealing bubble effect in the corner was a nice touch. I too enjoy the choice of colors. The choice of font is simple, but very well used in a sense that it's visible and easy to read- Nothing to flashy. The qoute could of been more poetic, or a dead thought, as Baron said it is "blunt". A very soft faded feeling. Nice job.

[B]Ozy :[/B] This piece didn't stand as too appealing to me. I'm very impressed that you went through the trouble of cropping out money from your own photos, and how much time you spent working on that one part, but that seems to of been your main focus. I don't find it to be very "graphical". The boarder is quite interesting; I can't keep track of where it's going. The quote you used was well stated and I believe it to represent materialism well in its own special way, but the font wasn't very well done. The font color is a plain black, and is just doesn't blend well with the photo. Massive congrads on a damn good job cropping.

A job well done to the both of you. My vote is for [B]Sun[/B].[/FONT]

[SunfallE]

Well this is going to be interesting. It?s going to be hard to pick only one. Both pictures are excellent!

[B]Sun[/B]: What I like best about your picture is how it shows materialism as something that distracts from real life. The picture, words and colors really go together quite well. I do feel that the actual picture itself is a bit too washed out and could just a tiny bit more color as it kind of distracts a bit from the relaxed feel of the overall piece. Also the words are a tiny bit blurred adding to the washed out effect. I do love the soft border and the bubbles in the lower right hand corner. You definitely did an excellent job in creating this.

[B]Ozymandius[/B]: What I like best about your picture is that it is so obviously representing materialism. The mixture of cash, coins, ring and a receipt really go well together. I also love the border that you have around the edges it really looks nice. The picture of the two-dollar bill is blurred just a tiny bit and I don?t care for the placement of the words over the coins. I really like the saying though as it implies that materialism is a waste as in the end you can?t take it with you when you die. You definitely did a good job in representing materialism.

This one is a difficult choice, as I really like both pictures. In the end I am going to go with [B]Ozymandius[/B] as I think it?s put together a little bit better than the other one.

[Doc]

In all honesty, the hardest thing about voting for this round isn't getting started. I'm having a trouble as to which I admire more.

[b]Ozy[/b]: Your piece must have taken a great deal of patients, along with all the effort of the trial and error. It is a wonderful idea, using the most materialist item known to man... The layout is nice, the border's a nice try... and the quote fits well. My major gripe is that the text is just too awkwardly placed. it doesn't fit the vibe of the rest. Times New Romans wasn't a good choice...

[b]Sun[/b]: As I've told you over AIM... tis delivers quite a message. You based it off the interpretation that you got from Materialism... or the opposite of it, which is fine. The soft colors blend well together, and the quote is, just like Ozy's... well fitting. I love the text placement. What does bother me is all the orange bubbles, whether to the side of the text, or in the bubble mess. Just doesn't seem to be right, or a fitting color. I'd recommend loosing those, but I can't seem to find any other gripe.

Through writing this up, my decision has been made. I feel [b]Sun[/b] did a superior job, even though his might not illustrate Materialism as well.

[Katana]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Gotta make this quick, I'm off to band practice!

[b]Sun:[/b] Lovely color scheme. I love how the colors are soft and certainly mix in that whole ocean, beach, tropical feeling. The bubbles in the corner are pretty neat too. Vector's are usually awesome - actually, they're awesome when done right. - -;;
What I don't like is the text and the placement of it. I'm not an English geek, but it sounds like a choppy sentence to me...(Don't hate me for that = =;; ). And either I have no artistic sense whatsoever, or I'm just an idiot, but I [i]really don't see[/i] how the whole surfing theme is materialism. I do get that it kinda means to let it go but...um, yeah.

[b]Ozymandius:[/b] Oh wow, that's just awesome. What is amazingly unique yet simple to this picture is that those objects come from you, that you scanned them all, etc. I particuarlly like the receipt in the background, along with all the foreign coins 'n stuff.
My only complaint is the font chosen. It kinda mashes in with the images. I guess some sort of outline or glow would've fixed it. Then again, the whole image seems to be simple, so...Yeah.
Oh, and don't bother with that two-dollar bill. If it were flat, I tihnk the image would've lost something. :3 I think it's perfectly fine the way it is.

My vote is shipped off to [b]Ozymandius[/b]. I really think you captured the theme quite well, man.
Happy trails 'n all that.[/color][/size]

[Annie]

[size=1][b]Sun[/b]- I thoroughly enjoyed the feel and look this piece. It's relaxing and has that "care free" attitude. The use of light color really makes that attitude airy and mellow. Materialism, who needs it?

[b]Ozy-J[/b]- I also enjoyed this piece. However, I liked it not because of the over-all appearance, but the meaning. You view on materialism seems to be more focused on the way it works, rather than Sun's care free view. Your focus is on how it effects us and how it is everywhere, and where its concerns are.

Both of you have great views on "materialism", but my vote goes to [b]Ozy[/b].[/size]

[Dagger]

[CENTER]Ozymandius Jones - 7
Sun - 5
[/CENTER]

Congratulations, [b]Ozy[/b]. You'll be moving on to the second round.

~Dagger~