Background Blitz: Kubla Khan (WINNERS in LAST POST)

Miez · Wed 03/04/2013 00:52:24

KUBLA KHAN

April 3 - April 19

So for this Background Blitz I'd like you to take inspiration from a crusty old poem. How's that for culture and ~~sophisication~~, ~~sothiphisticon~~, class?

This poem was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, an 18th century Romantic poet (and a bit of a weirdo).
I always thought that Kubla Khan would make for an interesting setting. Hope I'm not alone in this...

Here's the first 11 lines:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And here were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

More of the poem and a whole bunch of background info can be found on the wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubla_Khan#Poem

Requirements:
Make a background that references this poem in any way. Use your imagination;

It could be an interior or exterior shot in Xanadu
It could show the poem somewhere on a paper or painted on a wall
Sure, even this might work

Most importantly: have fun with it!

The background can be any color, any size, but must be usable as an adventure game background in AGS.

Deadline is Friday, April 19th

Looking forward to your entries!

Trophies:

[imgzoom]http://www.miez.nl/awards/kubla_gold.png[/imgzoom] First place

[imgzoom]http://www.miez.nl/awards/kubla_silver.png[/imgzoom] Second place

[imgzoom]http://www.miez.nl/awards/kubla_bronze.png[/imgzoom] Third place

waheela · Thu 04/04/2013 03:29:07

Fancy, Miez! I think I'll give it a try.

(Why is there no smiley wearing a monocle?)

Btw, flipping Electric Light Orchestra is the best.

Tabata · Thu 04/04/2013 06:23:05

Quote from: waheela on Thu 04/04/2013 03:29:07
Why is there no smiley wearing a monocle?)

WHAT?

There isn't?

Miez · Thu 04/04/2013 13:07:55

Cool Waheela! looking forward to your background.

And we may have smileys sporting monocles ... but do we have smileys drinking laudanum and strolling wistfully underneath weeping willows? hmm?

Kastchey · Fri 05/04/2013 01:45:30

Whoo, a difficult one.
Okay, challenge accepted

The trophies look absolutely beautiful, by the way.

Edit:
Here we go:
[imgzoom]http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii203/Kastchey/xanadu_zpsea71b934.png[/imgzoom]
No lightening version:
[imgzoom]http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii203/Kastchey/xanadu2_zps5d8891d0.png[/imgzoom]

And finally, the reference:

Armageddon · Sat 06/04/2013 04:23:33

Wow that's very pretty. Lovely colour and composition.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Sat 06/04/2013 04:45:35

As this will be my first 'official' photoshop background I thought I would make it for the blitz. It is appropriately shitty so far and lacking in detail, though I intend to fix that (mainly by adding a forest and lake to the left side of the castle where you see the waterfall). Among other things I need to move the sun farther to the left.

Should be considered extremely in-progress.

waheela · Sat 06/04/2013 06:00:25

Wow, that's stunning, Kastchey! I love your art style so much. Every pic I see of yours I'm impressed by.

@Shane: I think it's an awesome beginning. I like the architecture and colors a lot.

Miez · Sat 06/04/2013 12:21:04

Yeah Shane & Kastchey - those are awesome backgrounds!

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Sun 07/04/2013 11:17:37

Been making some slow progress. Finally got the linework more or less how I want it for the castle so after adding basic highlights and shadows I'm going back and starting to add details starting with the rightmost building (which I've made into a cathedral for some reason).

[IMGZOOM]http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/ProgZmax/xanatwo_zps477a6ce2.png[/IMGZOOM]

ZapZap · Sun 07/04/2013 11:51:37

Wow kastchey, just wow

Kastchey · Sun 07/04/2013 23:54:57

Thanks for the comments guys! I tried to address this visibility issue that was repeatedly pointed out in the previous Blitz, hope this piece turned out a bit better

ProgZ, wow, that's new! Can't wait to see how this turns out. What made a master pixel artist turn to Photoshop?

MeditativePixel · Thu 11/04/2013 19:28:38

Hello everyone! I have just registered because I like pixelart and old-fashioned adventure-games. For me, these contests and the critics-forum can be a good way to practice and improve painting/pixeling. Please allow me to participate with my interpretation of the topic.
I've focused on the aspect "paradise behind walls". In my imagination there's a stronger ancient-chinese influence on the mongolian architecture of Kublai Khan's Xanadu. Image size is wide-screen (scrollable).
Looking forward to a productive time with you. Have a nice day.

[imgzoom]http://s7.directupload.net/images/130413/mqwxkilm.png[/imgzoom]

CaptainD · Thu 11/04/2013 20:08:00

@MeditativePixel - wow, NICE!

Miez · Thu 11/04/2013 23:10:26

Wow MeditativePixel, that's a shiny way of making an entrance!

So far the entries are all very, very nice ... this is going to be some tight competition.

waheela · Thu 11/04/2013 23:58:33

Beautiful, MeditativePixel!
The detail is excellent! *_*

Armageddon · Fri 12/04/2013 02:20:43

Wow that's amazing MeditativePixel, hope to see more from you!

ZapZap · Fri 12/04/2013 09:43:18

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Fri 12/04/2013 22:24:12

Kastchey- I've been planning to learn how to make hi-res backgrounds for awhile, something I simply cannot do effectively with pixel art, so I finally bought a wacom and started playing around with it.

Also, I'm not sure if I'll be done in time. I mistakenly thought this was a month blitz like many of them have been, which is my mistake. I'm still really slow with photoshop because I don't know all the tricks (or even most of them) and I'm still learning shortcuts and how to use my wacom effectively.

selmiak · Fri 12/04/2013 22:31:23

when painting with PS and tablet I mainly use the shortcuts b for brush, alt for color picker, ctrl+n for a new layer and e for eraser. Sometimes undo. I wish I could change the opacity with a shortcut.
and yes, I'm also painting something, but I don't know if I finish it in time.