Background Blitz: Kubla Khan (WINNERS in LAST POST)

Started by Miez, Wed 03/04/2013 00:52:24

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Miez

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 :D
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

#1
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


Miez

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? :grin:

Kastchey

#4
Whoo, a difficult one.
Okay, challenge accepted  :-D

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

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

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens

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

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

Yeah Shane & Kastchey - those are awesome backgrounds!

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens

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

"Loose ends have a way of strangling you"

Kastchey

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

#12
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]


Miez

Wow MeditativePixel, that's a shiny way of making an entrance! :grin:
So far the entries are all very, very nice ... this is going to be some tight competition.

waheela

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

Armageddon

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

ZapZap

"Loose ends have a way of strangling you"

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens

#18
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

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.

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