The CHALLENGE continues!

[Icewalker]

Okay! As of this morning, I basically hadn't started! (I had the first, like, 40 words of this story down.)

I am now 5/6 done! Just gonna do a page of sketches before I sleep and I'm set. I wish I'd done more drawing, but oh well, at least I'll meet the challenge.

This is about 1290 words. I haven't proof read it at all, so there may well be some small errors, but I'ma post it here anyway. The inspiration is a 5 second film, from those wonderful people at 5 Second Films, which I've wanted to write a story based on for a loooong time, and finally got around to it!
http://5secondfilms.com/watch/little_ben_monster_hunter

Little Ben: Monster Hunter

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The sky was a great empty blackness stretching overhead. There weren’t any stars, here in the Netherworlds, and the moon was always new. Gravel and bracken stretched to the horizon as a dull grey wasteland. Out in the emptiness, the only light to be seen for miles was a small campfire, silhouetting a small figure. Little Ben shivered in the chill of the cold night, and drew his ragged blanket a little closer around his shoulders. He tossed another scrap of dead tangled brush onto the fire, which brightened to show a young boy of about eight years, although the depth of his eyes suggested older. He rubbed his hand across the rough stubble over his chin. Age never worked quite right in the Netherworlds. Nothing ever worked quite right in the Netherworlds. There was only one rule, which Little Ben learned real quick: Don’t get caught off guard.

How long had it been, since he’d crawled under the bed, dragging his blanket with him, hoping to find his father? A month? A year? The boy didn’t remember anymore. He drew his fedora down over his eyes, trying to catch some sleep. It wouldn’t come. He could still see it like it was yesterday, his father being pulled away into the darkness. He could still hear the scream, a terrified shout which he had drawn in turn from dozens of Screemwyngs and Tootheaters, looking for some kind of revenge as he stalked the Netherworlds. Whatever it was though, that vengeance, he hadn’t found it. He wasn’t even really sure what he was looking for anymore...

skrnch

Claws on gravel.

In the blink of an eye, Little Ben was on his feet, blanket falling away from his shoulders, six-round ratchet-clank revolver in hand. The Big Bludsucker towered up above him, standing four feet at the shoulder. Little Ben wasn’t phased: he’d shot bigger.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

The beast fell to the ground with a wet thud. Little Ben put a food up on it’s body and looked it over. Six holes through the monster’s chest. And one more, right between its eyes.

Seven shots?

He met her eyes, both of them shocked into inaction.

“Are you...are you real?” A voice. A human voice. Ringing clean like a bell through this rough dry ruin of a place. Little Ben was stunned. The last time he’d heard a human voice was...was when they dragged off his father. Ben winced. He realized after a minute that he was supposed to respond to her: so long alone makes one forget just how to hold a conversation.

“I...uh...” Ben’s voice was ragged and tentative, after years hiding away in the back of his throat, with nowhere to go. “I’m real.”

She took a step into the light of the fading fire. She looked about his age, shoulder length bright red hair falling in curls, resting on her shoulders just like her still-smoking rifle. “I...I daresay you’re the first other person I’ve ever seen in the Netherworlds. And I can’t remember how long I’ve been here...”

“Uh, me too. I mean, me neither. I mean...”

She laughed. She laughed. Little Ben tried to remember laughter. It had been so long.

“Come on. We don’t want your fire to die there. It sure is hard enough to start one out here.” She walked up to the fire, pulling a bit more bracken out of Little Ben’s pile of fire scraps, and tossing it onto the dim orange glow. Little Ben followed her, still putting his thoughts in order.

“I, uh...I’m Ben. Who are you? I mean, what’s your name?”

She smiled at him. “Who am I may be a better question! People in the Netherworld ain’t exactly a common sight, I was sure I was the only one. My name’s Sally.”

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

They sat down in front of the rekindled fire. Ben started reloading his revolver, as Sally set her rifle aside. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Ben re-holstered his six-gun, looking up to see Sally watching him expectantly.

“Oh. Sorry. It’s been a long time since...well, I think it’s been a long time. I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry Ben, I understand! I’m awful curious to hear your story though.”

Little Ben fidgeted on the cold hard ground for a minute. “Well...”

See buddy? There’s nooothing under here-

With a quiet shudder, Ben picked up his blanket and draped it around himself. “I’d rather not talk about it.” Sally nodded. Silence fell again. There weren’t even crickets to fill the emptiness. The Netherworlds were like that.

“That gun of yours is awful quick. I’ve never seen anything like it. How’s it work?”

“Oh, this?” Ben slipped his ratchet-crank revolver out into his palm in a smooth motion. “It’s how I protect myself, out here.”

“I guess six bullets is enough to stop any of the monsters out here in the Netherworlds, isn’t it.”

“Mhm,” Ben nodded.

“Can I see it?” Sally asked, cautiously.

“Sure, here. Careful though!” As Ben moved to hand her the revolver, their hands brushed one another, and both froze for an instant. She smiled. He went red. Ben retreated into his blanket again, as Sally turned the gun over in her hands. “A fine piece of metal you’ve got here. I’m not sure how much good it’ll do you though, in the long run.”

“What d’ya mean?”

“I mean, if you just hand it away that easily, then you’re just easy pickings, little boy!” Sally laughed again, but it wasn’t clear and smooth and human, it was sharp and harsh, a monstrous cackling. “Sally” stood up, and up, and up, her little girl’s body changing and lengthening, until a gaunt and spindly grey skinned figure draped in rags stood in her place. It held up Little Ben’s revolver between two fingers with a grin that revealed jagged yellow-black teeth, and tossed the gun aside. Ben leapt after it, but was caught by his jacket in midair by those long, many-jointed fingers, and raised up to eye level with the monster. “You’ve nothing left to defend yourself now, boy!” it screeched at him.

Ben met the black pits of its eyes. The deep sadness in his face began to fade into resignation. “I...I thought...”

“You thought what? You thought you weren’t alone? Because you are! You’re alone and disarmed, a completely hopeless, useless, sad little boy!”

“No,” Ben said quietly.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“I’m not disarmed.”

“What?” the monster hissed.

“There’s only one rule in the Netherworlds. Don’t get caught off guard.” And with that, Little Ben slammed together the heels of his heavy boots, and with a loud clack and a depressurizing hiss, a yellowish gas billowed out from their soles. The monster recoiled, dropping Little Ben and raising its hands to try to cover its face, to no use, as it began to cough and lurch as the spray of gas covered it. Ben hit the hard gravel with a cry, bringing his jacket up to cover his face, to avoid exposure to the toxin.

crunchrcrnch. Steps, stumbling back over the ground. Sss! Kghaugh! Hissing. Coughing. KRNCH. A monster’s body, hitting the ground. Ben had grown familiar with all the sounds. After a minute or two had passed, he drew back his jacket and got shakily to his feet. The monster lay several feet away, dead on the ground from his nerve gas-releasing cowboy boots. He walked slowly over to his revolver where it lay on the ground, picked it up, and slipped it back into its holster.

Little Ben stepped back over to the dwindling fire, tossed another few scraps of bracken onto it, and shivered quietly.

And, here's by 6/6. Some somewhat more difficult, and rather unsuccessful, experiments with perspective and shadow. Some of the shadow stuff worked out okay, but the perspective not as well as hoped, I feel. (Also lamp posts, cause for some reason I suddenly decided to make it a goal to draw that wonderful scene on the other side of the wardrobe.)

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[Glass Mouse]

Status is upon us!


Glass Mouse passes with four drawings and 618 words of writing.

Lil Shiro is on standby.

Shadowy Silence passes with four poems, some prose, and a flying pony. Edit: only three poems.

icastflare! has gotten a postponement.

Castaras didn't upload anything.

Reltzik passes with 2216 words of detective novel.

Ice Walker passes with 1290 words of short story and a sketch page.

Kyouhen passes with seven drawings worth of ponies.



Thus, Castaras and ShadowySilence FAIL this round!

Glass Mouse, Reltzik, Ice Walker, Kyouhen (and icastflare!) PASS this round!

Whoa, we're awesome



Current standing:

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Glass Mouse
Current run: 65 weeks
Longest run: -

Lil Shiro
Current run: -
Longest run: 2 weeks

ShadowySilence
Current run: -
Longest run: 4 weeks

icastflare!
Current run: (1) week
Longest run: -

Castaras
Current run: -
Longest run: -

Reltzik
Current run: 2 weeks
Longest run: -

Ice Walker
Current run: 2 weeks
Longest run: -

Kyouhen
Current run: 1 week
Longest run: -

It's Reltzik's turn to choose a theme



@ShadowySilence, I think I counted something wrong last week, since two poems were uploaded monday, and without them you wouldn't pass this week. I think I've fixed it now, but if I've misunderstood something here, please let me know

Edit: @Ice Walker, I didn't notice your edit. Fixed now.

Edit 2: ShadowySilence didn't pass after all. Aww, and fixed.

[Reltzik]

A theme, huh? Let's try transformation/transmutation.

[Viera Champion]

I will try to rejoin this week, not making any promises.

[Kyouhen]

A theme, huh? Let's try transformation/transmutation.

...I'm going to have fun with this theme...

[ShadowySilence]

@ShadowySilence, I think I counted something wrong last week, since two poems were uploaded monday, and without them you wouldn't pass this week. I think I've fixed it now, but if I've misunderstood something here, please let me know

I just checked and I uploaded one of the poems on the 15th...

I guess technically I am out (so close too), oh well I made it further than ever before so yay!

[Icewalker]

Ooh! Ooh! I just spent like an hour putting this thing together as a setup for the world background of a larp I'm producing, I'm totally counting it as an entry this week!
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/504...htenergies.png

[Glass Mouse]

A theme, huh? Let's try transformation/transmutation.

Ooh. I've got a few fun ideas for this :D

I just checked and I uploaded one of the poems on the 15th...

I guess technically I am out (so close too), oh well I made it further than ever before so yay!

Weird, on my DA it looks like both were uploaded Monday. I guess there's a time zone difference. Unfortunately, yours is the important one, so... aww, but congrats on the long run this time around

Ooh! Ooh! I just spent like an hour putting this thing together as a setup for the world background of a larp I'm producing, I'm totally counting it as an entry this week!
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/504...htenergies.png

Looks really interesting. Is it based on any RL mythology/philosophy, or did you make it up from scratch? Especially "False ego" and the separation of "mind" and "intelligence" are interesting. What's the thought behind that?
(if you don't mind explaining... I just have a fondness for fantasy elements like that).

[Icewalker]

Those eight elements are taken verbatim from the Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 7, Verse 4, specifically! ) It lists them as the eight material energies.

I proceeded to intentionally misinterpret a line of description about that verse: “This material world is a temporary manifestation of one of the energies of existence.” And instantly I had a Bladerunner-esque sci fi dystopia. Specifically, a world in the eighth incarnation of this cycle: an entire universe constructed from the raw material of greed, untruths, and misrepresentation: False Ego, or Ahamkara. Amakara being the title of the game. The words on that image are the actual sanskrit words for the terms, taken from that line.

I am also afraid I probably must drop out this week, what with midterms next week! Unless I can count something of the 15+ pages of game submission I have between Ahamkara, Shadows of Time, 1370, For Hope, and possibly more stories that I am submitting for this summer! Then I suppose I'm already a bit past 1250 words.

[Viera Champion]

Yep... still on standby. Cuz now I'm grounded...

[Glass Mouse]

This was a fun theme


Glass Mouse passes with two drawings (including a transformed OC) and 1771 words of writing.

Lil Shiro is on standby.

Shadowy Silence uploaded a poem and a raven pic.

icastflare! hasn't shown up yet.

Castaras didn't upload anything. You still in?

Reltzik passes with 2281 words of detective novel.

Ice Walker passes with two symbolism wheels and and 1000ish words of setting writings.

Kyouhen passes with 8 drawings worth of ponies, including a Trixie dragon, a chibified avatar, and a transformation reference I don't get (sorry).



Thus, Shadowy Silence, icastflare!, and CastarasFAIL this round!

Glass Mouse, Reltzik, Ice Walker and Kyouhen PASS this round!



Current standing:

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Glass Mouse
Current run: 66 weeks
Longest run: -

Lil Shiro
Current run: -
Longest run: 2 weeks

ShadowySilence
Current run: -
Longest run: 4 weeks

icastflare!
Current run: -
Longest run: -

Castaras
Current run: -
Longest run: -

Reltzik
Current run: 3 weeks
Longest run: -

Ice Walker
Current run: 3 weeks
Longest run: -

Kyouhen
Current run: 2 weeks
Longest run: -

It's Ice Walker's turn to choose a theme



@Ice Walker: Thanks a lot for the explanation about the elements. It sent me right to Wikipedia, so I even learned something, wooo!

@Lil Shiro: Sorry to hear that. A shot at positive thinking will say that it's more time to focus on writing Back this week?

[Viera Champion]

Hopefully be back this week. I'll see how I'm doing about half-way through.

[Icewalker]

Ooh, a theme, huh? Hmmm...

Life and death. How about that.

Let's see if I manage to draw anything this week! I'm sure it'll all be fine, what with my two midterms.

[ShadowySilence]

So busy lately , I hope to meet the mark this week though!

[Icewalker]

Miiiidteeeeerms! One this morning, second tomorrow...but I still managed to get a page, front and back, of sketching in earlier this week. So I expect I'll be able to pull through fine and be back on track with art again this time too.

Edit: Oh yeah, and that was my theme...maybe I'll see if I can do some sketches to line up with it. Check in on, say, skulls, scythes...there's a character of mine I could even attempt to draw, make a first real shot at drawing a full person...

Ededit: Well, I won't be completing this week I'm afraid! Not because I didn't put the time into it, but rather because after doing my first two pages of sketching, the time I could have spent doing the last four I instead spent trying my first shot at drawing a full face, with a lot of care and erasing unlike my usual practice sketching. I think...I'm actually making progress. Also my fingers are COATED in pencil lead. I think that means I count as an artist now.

Now, all I really drew was a super rough outline of a face, and then a complex pattern over it which is very heavily shaded, so it took a lot of time but didn't turn out a particularly detailed product, but I'm still pretty happy about it.

[Glass Mouse]

10 minutes early status today! Gasp!


Glass Mouse passes with two drawings and 2000+ words of writing (including one character's goodbye letter, and another's reflections on his death).

Lil Shiro is on standby. See below.

Shadowy Silence uploaded a poem about peace, war and death.

Reltzik passes with 3262 words of detective novel.

Ice Walker didn't upload anything, but win at progress.

Kyouhen passes with 11 paintings, including an inanimate bug, the Forest Spirit and the Night Crawler (from Princess Mononoke), a tree-devouring locust swarm, and an old near-world-destruction myth.



Thus, Shadowy Silence and Ice Walker FAIL this round!

Glass Mouse, Reltzik and Kyouhen PASS this round!


Current standing:

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Glass Mouse
Current run: 67 weeks
Longest run: -

Lil Shiro
Current run: -
Longest run: 2 weeks

ShadowySilence
Current run: -
Longest run: 4 weeks

Reltzik
Current run: 4 weeks
Longest run: -

Ice Walker
Current run: -
Longest run: 3 weeks

Kyouhen
Current run: 3 weeks
Longest run: -

It's Kyouhen's turn to choose a theme



I just threw my writings in this document. They're Danish as usual, but hey.

@Lil Shiro and ShadowySilence: I'd like a return date from each of you (if you still plan on reentering). Trying to cut down on limbo participants here

@Ice Walker: Haha, that's awesome! I am, however, very displeased that you haven't shown off that face anywhere. Upload, upload!

@Kyouhen: If you aren't careful, I'm gonna have to appoint you official mascot of the Challenge. You rock!

@Castaras and icastflare!: You are out because you've, well... disappeared.

[Viera Champion]

Well I'm not grounded anymore, but now I have my own computer to distract me from writing. Either way, I'll be back this week.

[Kyouhen]

Bugger. Here I am with no ideas for the day, hoping the new theme would give me something to work with and I find out it's my turn to pick. Oh well, guess I'll just take advantage of this to pick a theme that lines up with a few things I've been meaning to make and haven't had time to do. Let's make the theme "Light". Hopefully everyone will be able to work with that.

[ShadowySilence]

I would like to re-enter this week, I have just been in a slump lately but I hope to turn it around.

[Icewalker]

Alright, alright! I took a few pictures, because as I suspected, adding the final black layer to it obscured a lot of the actual face sketching, which in the long run is what's important.

So, here's my take one at a face. It came out quite a bit more feminine than expected, but the character is an elf (or, well, used to be), so I figured it wasn't entirely out of place.

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It is also suited to the theme, although I didn't pick the theme with this in mind. This character went on to destroy and consume the gods of life and death, in the years after I played him.

And, I do hope to stay in the CHALLENGE for the time being. Most of the drawing will probably happen in the weekend due to a Friday midterm though...

[Glass Mouse]

@Shadow and Lil Shiro: Great! Looking forward to your submissions this week

Bugger. Here I am with no ideas for the day, hoping the new theme would give me something to work with and I find out it's my turn to pick. Oh well, guess I'll just take advantage of this to pick a theme that lines up with a few things I've been meaning to make and haven't had time to do. Let's make the theme "Light". Hopefully everyone will be able to work with that.

Interesting. I'm not sure I'll have the time for this(sounds like a digital piece), since this week is apparantly trying to kill me. But I'll do my best.

Alright, alright! I took a few pictures, because as I suspected, adding the final black layer to it obscured a lot of the actual face sketching, which in the long run is what's important.

So, here's my take one at a face. It came out quite a bit more feminine than expected, but the character is an elf (or, well, used to be), so I figured it wasn't entirely out of place.

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It is also suited to the theme, although I didn't pick the theme with this in mind. This character went on to destroy and consume the gods of life and death, in the years after I played him.

And, I do hope to stay in the CHALLENGE for the time being. Most of the drawing will probably happen in the weekend due to a Friday midterm though...

Ooh, nice. There's some good stuff in here - I like the nose, and the eyes/brows/nose connect well. The blackness looks cool, too. Like black fire, but not quite.
I'm not sure if this is too soon, but you should try to print out the lineart again and throw on some heavy shadows, just to get a sense of a head's shape. It's a very useful skill

[Icewalker]

I think a good bit of what I'm going to draw this week is faces, somewhat smaller and faster, so I'll probably just try more with new sketches. The shading and shape of the face is definitely something I must work on. This first attempt looks like a face, but also rather like a mask...which is great: I love masks. This character was masked, in fact. But, nonetheless, different. More practice!

Edit: I am afraid that despite attempts, I have only got three pages, front and back, of sketching this week, rather than my intended six. Still, I made some good progress on drawing faces in profile (they actually look like FACES guys!) so I'm satisfied with progress. Maybe I can get started early properly next week and actually make it.

[Glass Mouse]

Sorry about the lateness of everything. My internet is spazzing out.


Glass Mouse passes with one light/shadow technical experiment, plus 1716 words of novel.

Lil Shiro didn't upload anything.

Shadowy Silence uploaded four different poems.

Reltzik passes with 2099 words of detective novel.

Ice Walker didn't upload anything.

Kyouhen passes with seven paintings, including a Lightsword dance scene, the light at the end of the tunnel, an "Attack the darkness!", a Wishsong magical light blast, and six light-themed ponies.



Thus, Lil Shiro, Shadowy Silence and Ice Walker FAIL this round!

Glass Mouse, Reltzik and Kyouhen PASS this round!


Current standing:

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Glass Mouse
Current run: 68 weeks
Longest run: -

Lil Shiro
Current run: -
Longest run: 2 weeks

ShadowySilence
Current run: -
Longest run: 4 weeks

Reltzik
Current run: 5 weeks
Longest run: -

Ice Walker
Current run: -
Longest run: 3 weeks

Kyouhen
Current run: 4 weeks
Longest run: -

It's my turn to choose a theme, and I say snow and ice.



My writings are in this document again, still Danish.
Man, this has been a slow week, and I didn't even manage to cover the theme... I made a lot of sketches, but nothing really turned into actual drawings. Phew. I'd really like a day off soon.

@Ice Walker: Sounds great that you're making progress!

[Viera Champion]

I'm a bad person. I really got to get back to writing.

[Glass Mouse]

What happened to you and your friend's challenge? Make her kick your butt back in gear, now!

[Kyouhen]

Snow and ice? Sounds like I need to do some more Song of Ice and Fire paintings.

[Viera Champion]

What happened to you and your friend's challenge? Make her kick your butt back in gear, now!

I think we both forgot about that.

[Icewalker]

Woo, making some actual progress this week! Gonna get myself six drawings!

Also, made some first attempts today at very rough mannequinesque body outlines. They turned out very well, I think, considering! I don't know how to connect the head to the torso yet. Nor really how to shape the torso. Or scale the head. But the limbs turned out quite nicely, and connected to the torso quite well, I think.

Edit: Hrm. Busier than expected. Still, some of said busy is character sheets for an upcoming game, so I can submit a few of those and I'll manage, plus the art I've done so far and maybe another page or two.

[Viera Champion]

My thread got purged.

[Glass Mouse]

Status!


Glass Mouse passes with one seven-panel comic.

Lil Shiro didn't upload anything.

Shadowy Silence passes with seven dramatic poems.

Reltzik passes with 2289 words of detective novel.

Ice Walker passes with two doublepages of sketching, plus 1000 words of RPG writings.

Kyouhen passes with 6 sleeve ponies, 5 snow-themed drawings (including the Titanic, Pikachu, a decapitated head, and ponies), and 4 assorted paintings.



Thus, Lil Shiro FAILS this round!

Glass Mouse, ShadowySilence, Reltzik, Ice Walker and Kyouhen PASS this round!

Lots of passes this week! Go us


Current standing:

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Glass Mouse
Current run: 69 weeks
Longest run: -

Lil Shiro
Current run: -
Longest run: 2 weeks

ShadowySilence
Current run: 1 week
Longest run: 4 weeks

Reltzik
Current run: 6 weeks
Longest run: -

Ice Walker
Current run: 1 week
Longest run: 3 weeks

Kyouhen
Current run: 5 weeks
Longest run: -

It's Lil Shiro's turn to choose a theme



The comic is a Widdershins fancomic. I'd really like it to not be online until she needs it, but I put a thumbnail here. I feel kinda bad about not showing it, but it ate all the time I would've had for other things... so. I could put up ugly sketches and scattered notes?

@Lil Shiro: Purged? Really? I can still see it. What am I missing?

@Icewalker: Haha, yeah, making everything connect properly is one of the toughest things about bodies. And hands... feet... faces... okay, everything is hard XD

And whoa! You managed to send me your contribution just in time for my click on the "Reply" button. Cutting it close, dude

@ShadowySilence: Yay, welcome back!