JULES VS AARON MAIDEN

[The Mask of Norro]

WEST WING SEMIFINALS

Jules vs Aaron Maiden

Story: A local art gallery is accepting pieces for its upcoming show on the theme of 'war', where the best piece from each category receives a monetary prize. Interested, you notice in their flyer that they're accepting graphical art. They do however ask that it not be a historical piece of work but rather ones own opinion towards the 'art of war' and the emotions in brings forth in the soldiers.

Basic Rules: Create a graphic based on war, but it cannot be a historical graphic. It must be your own opinion on war, without getting too specific. This means no graphics depicting Hitler and Bush or only focusing on WW2 as the theme... try to depict a certain emotion through the topic. Anguish, the will to survive, to protect... perhaps fear or strength, your choice.

Restrictions: Must have a border of some kind. Must depict war, but not from a historical viewpoint.

Size: No size limit, but keep it resonable.

Deadline: May 8th, 2006

Edited April 29, 2006 by The Mask of Norro

[Number of the Breast]

Not sure if I really like this, or even if it fits in with the rules, but here's my best shot at this one.

[Guest Jules]

Didn't mention you couldn't use images related to a World War, just that you couldn't base it on an actual theme like World War II. At least I think that's what it meant. If not... oh well. Had to use these images because I think it represents the emotions involved.

It has a white border, so you won't be able to see it on a white background.

[The Mask of Norro]

Aaron Maiden: How did you make yours? Is it just a painting that you did some edits to, or did you actually do that yourself?

[Number of the Breast]

The original image was something I'd worked on a while ago that I thought would fit perfectly into this theme, I'm almost certain it was originally a painting that I did quite a lot of editing to.

[Guest muddatrucker]

I think you've pretty much gotta be able to post your sources in this situation otherwise it looks like you've done fuck all.

[fourstarfizzle]

Yeh, I think sources are needed because to be brutally honest it looks like at most all the pic has been given is possible a colour burn or hard light onto an orange background, and some poor text over the top.

[The Mask of Norro]

ALLDAWSON'S JUDGING

Jules vs Aaron Maiden

Jules

Pros: The layout is nice, I like the way the blue and red contrast with each other and stand out against the black.

Cons: Perhaps the quoted text should have been separated obviously such as a different font or effect to separate the negative and positive views? It's a basic graphic, doesn't look like much effort went into it to be honest.

--

Aaron Maiden

Pros: The colours are great, very eye-catching.

Cons: I don't like the text, a lot of it is difficult to read, particularly the 'Fear?' in the bottom left corner, I've only just noticed it was there. As others have already said, I would have liked to seen your sources.

--

Result

A close one, but Aaron Maiden edges it because of the piece's ability to immediately grab your attention. I would have liked to have seen the sources, but seeing these graphics as they are, I prefer Aaron's.

WILDCAT'S JUDGING

Jules

PROS: I like the concept and I like the boldness of the statement. I also love the quotes. You conveyed both sides of what war means to you.

CONS: I like the quotes but I hate seeing quotes without the author credited, you needed to put the name of the person the quote is acreddited to on there under the quotes themselves. I also think the text used on the images isn't strong enough. It looks decent on the top image but just looks wrong on the bottom one, I would have liked a font that looks good on both of them.

Aaron Maiden

PROS: The background is amazing, yeah thats all I got.

CONS: I can't even tell what that paragraph conveys becuase most of the words are just unreadable. Also the phrase on the left isn't bad but I would have rather seen something a bit more powerful and more substancial like a good quote from someone who has been impacted by war. Also since the words are pretty much illegiable if I didn't know it was a piece on war from the rules I wouldn't be able to tell thats what it about. It could be an asteroid, a vocanic lava bubble... etc.

Judgement: JULES gets my vote becuase it as stated in the story of the battle it conveys his opinion of war and the emoitions it brings forth in the soldiers. I took Maiden's image and gave it a negative overlay and was able to read more of what the text on the side said but until I did that the piece just didn't give me an emotional reaction towards his feelings of war.

MY JUDGING

JULES

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Pros: It uh... well, it certainly conveys two seperate emotions towards the war.

Cons: It's VERY unappealing to the eye. THe colors clash-- they unfortunately don't harmonize together as well as you probably intended them to-- and the font selection is poor. The pictures are *okay*, but the way you've used them is very amateurish.

AARON MAIDEN

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Pros: Conveys the chaos of war rather nicely, and the colors are appealing.

Cons: Looks like all you did was take a painting, add a few effects to it, slap some text on it and call it your own. It's appealing to the eye, but without a stock or a source of some kind it's all speculation as to exactly how much effort actually went into it.

MATCH OUTCOME

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I knew these rules were going to be tough... but, being brutally honest here? You both really dissapointed me this round, and I hope that the one of you who is advancing will step it up majorly next round.

I had high hopes for the both of you because you'd both done pretty well so far in the tournament. To Jules; your graphic fails at what you were trying to convey to me, in my opinion, in that the colors clash and the font is a major drag-down. The whole thing is unappealing to the eye-- doubtful an art gallery would accept it-- and to elaborate as to why it fails for me in conveying it (although I said early it certainly conveys them): it's very apparent what you're putting out there, but because of how you've done it... it just doesn't matter as much. It doesn't make me care like some other pieces I've seen have.

To Aaron: what in the blue hell did you do? You took a painting and added some lighting effects to it-- effects that really appear to have only upped the contrast-- and you slapped some words over it all. I just don't get it really, the both of you seem to have put in such a lack of effort to these things... this is the semis, guys! Important stuff!

In the end, Aaron Maiden gets the vote from me due to it being more appealing, despite the both of them honestly making me want to just throw the match out the window.

And thus, counting up the other two votes, Aaron Maiden advances to the finals of the west wing! Please, Aaron, PLEASE step it up. You've done some good work up until now, don't drop the ball so close to the end.

Jules, I have to compliment you for what you've done before this round... you really were on a roll. Great work in the tournament, please come again next time around. You earned your spot here, I just wish you'd have stepped it up a little better is all.

Thanks to the both of you, and good luck to Aaron in the finals.

Edited May 24, 2006 by The Mask of Norro

[Number of the Breast]

Wow, was NOT expecting that. Harsh luck to my opponent and good luck in the future. Thanks to the judges, I honestly thought Jules would beat me there, based on the fact that I really had no idea what I wanted to do, so I really phoned it in. Don't worry Norro, I of course will be putting 110% into the final.

[The Mask of Norro]

Whoops, error in the post: I accidentally copied Dawson's judgement over WIldcat's, fixing that now.