The sad thing for me is that these days majority of industry and artists rely on other peoples photos\work and software.Just look all art of (place some AAA title here) and majority of art is photo bashing. And people go "wow" "amazing" but do they realize that is cheating. If you rely on some 3d software to make you perspective, lighting, colors, etc. and you make some brushstrokes above all, can we call that 2d art? Same with photo-bashing. If I get someones artwork and paint some alien in the picture can I call it my art or I will be blamed for stealing? Or if I get 5-6 works from some game/movie make some photo bashing can I get the credits that I make unique artwork?

For me if you can't reproduce the same result who achieve with digital on traditional media you don't make art. Your software make it. Yes we all uses references but one is to just learn from them but another is to copy and paste it in your art. That's why people from traditional media much easy can do digital art but for people who rely on filters photos and other "shortcuts" is hard to make good traditional painting. That's why people like James Gurney and Kazuo Oga for example is rare but people who make photo-bashing are everywhere and their artworks look the same. Yes the photo bashing look good but don't have the style - looks like photos what they really are after all. Can I call myself writer if I get someone else novels, combine what I like in them and maybe add 20% from myself in the end results? For me that is photo bashing or it's other name is collage.

I have a feeling that industry don't want art they want fast work and kept deadlines. And that's why I want at least the art challenges to be free from these techniques or just put them on their own category. I don't want to offense nobody, just want to say my opinion.

maybe this technic requirement was mandatory

I totally forgot about this rule! That's probably why ,,Cats after people" wasn't chosen? What a shame. If I ever entered a contest, I'd better read rules properly.

Congrats to all finalists

Congratulations to all finalists!
Great works I see here and I'm honored to find my unworthy piece among them!

I too was a bit surprised that ,,Cats after people" didn't qualify (it was one of my favorite) but... first of all I believe we all should respect the judges - no matter if they judge accordingly to our preferences or if we qualified or not. Second - maybe it was indeed the matter of concept Sheet requirement... ehhh...

Anyway - congratulations once again to all finalists and... to all who worked hard to bring their works to state "Final image"!

Regards
Jonatan

P.S. As for never ending (for unknown for me reason) debate about splitting artistic tools into 2D, 3D, traditional, digital... and - above all - what is "true art" and who is "true artist".... what I think goes like this: Caravaggio wasn't one of the greatest artists of his time because he was using - what we call today - traditional mediums. He was using the most advanced mediums of his time - that's all. The same story is with Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Diego Velázquez, Rembrandt... There's a pretty big chance that if they would live today, they would use digital tools because these are the most advanced tools of our time. You can't reproduce on traditional media everything what can be achievable in digital media in reasonable time and effort because they are different mediums and have their own boundaries. I believe that "true artist" should use tools that suits him the best and that suits the task that he has to accomplish. There is no reason to use one hand when you have two hands. That is - as Spock would say - completely illogical . And for this strange split between 2D and 3D which I never truly understood (however I was once its victim too) - I think the most reasonable split (if any) would be between still image and animation/objects for games. I have spoke (my personal opinion of course). Howgh!

First of all I don't think traditional medium is "true" and digital is "false". There is great paintings make in digital.

There's a pretty big chance that if they would live today, they would use digital tools because these are the most advanced tools of our time.

I don't think so.It's not advanced just help to make people who don't have skills and can't draw to look like they are artist and fool others As I say you can achieve same result with traditional media.

You can't reproduce on traditional media everything what can be achievable in digital media

• you can. Just will be more time consuming, maybe depend of your level.

And for this strange split between 2D and 3D which I never truly understood (however I was once its victim too) - I think the most reasonable split (if any) would be between still image and animation/objects for games.

If I capture some key frame from movie or 3d animation is that frame have same value like painting?

Just want to say that there is artists and fake artists. Sorry but I can't have respect for someone who can't draw can't make some classical portrait but can merge some photos put some fx and voala - great job! We all know in contemporary art people who cant draw but make living from one yellow square over the red triangle or make pop art - do you respect these people? Do you believe they are a true artist?

Very famous artist in digital community who work on many AAA titles have character design course which is how to find some fashion models photos and from one take legs from other take head from third take clothes mix that use some fx\filters take from other photo helmet and some gun to look like sci-fi and voala you are great character designer! Do you believe in that? Is that is good character design for you? And this is his workflow all his character art is based on that.

In these days most of the things are fake - fake emotions, fake communications, fake food, fake people, fake art...The good artist rely on his knowledge not on his tools. He can achieve similar result no matter what media or tool he uses. He can make similar painting in ms paint,photoshop,art rage or with watercolor, pastels or acrylic because he have knowledge. The fake artist rely heavy on his tools.If you take from him his favorite tools he can't achieve same result with other tool because he spent his time to learn how to use these tools to fake what other people can do from knowledge and understanding of form lighting anatomy etc.Just like the good artist the fake artist is not connected to some exact media - digital or traditional.

Some example - in sports if you use performance drugs/doping you will not true athlete. It's the same in art - photo bashing, heavy rely on software and "advanced" tools to cover your lack of knowledge and unable to actually paint without paste/copy some other work or photo on canvas, using 3d programs to fake 2d painting because you don't have understanding for light and forms and rely some software to calculate them for you, or overall achieve faster and better results from other who actually paint their works for me is doping. And make you fake artist. And people know it.

I have one riddle for all of you. Why Loish have so many fan base and she don't rely on photos fancy fx and filters for her art and you can't mistake her style and in the other hand one of the judge who are very famous but rely heavy on photos for his art and tutorials have 1/10 from her fan base? Just answer for yourself

Hi Konstantin
I had a feeling that it may go this way if I will express my thoughts but... just couldn't resist (silly me - sorry for that). I saw this kind of debates many times and I totally respect you - even if I see things differently. I don't want reply verse by verse (and then you will do the same and so on) because I think this is not the place for that kind of discussion. I think it slowly become balancing on the edge of bad taste and I saw a few times when things went very ugly and unpleasant after that. Besides - that kind of discussion is EXTREMELY time and mind consuming (they are endless actually) and I believe it's better to spend our resources on practicing. That one thing connects us despite our differences. So... what do you say if I would propose for both of us to go and create something? I hope I didn't offend you in any way. It wasn't my intention because I respect every artist who share the same struggle every day - no matter what they opinions are. Peace Brother! Maybe we will meet again in another Challenge

Regards
Jonatan

Congratulations to all those who have been chosen as finalists!!!
Your works are really awesome!
it was an honor to take part in this competition with these "super" artists

The debate is real ahah Guys , I think judges know there craft well enough to know what it took each artist to compose the final image. I think this will be judged well anyway , and 3D is slowly becoming a must in our industry. So , lets just relax for now. 2D will live , and 3D is just another tool that helps you out. If they see that 3D was carrying the artist through his peace , and not his skills , they wil see it . So , lets just take a chill pill , and continue drawing. I have no idea where you get so much time to write such big blog posts xD

p.s Back to drawing....

Interesting debate! However, you should definitely make a new topic if you want to continue the discussion (@Konstantin_Kirilov) as this is not the right place for it.

Super cool art! Pretty happy to be up there. Congratulations to everyone!

I can't believe I'm actually made it to the top 15! Congrats to the all finalists! For those who didn't make it -- keep doing awesome art and eventually you will! <3

Thank you for your opinion
I try to be short..but it will be hard.

About point 4 - how many times I have to say - I'm not whining about poor me who can't get among the finalist I'm whining about that Cubebrush don't keep their own rules!

1-3 In short you say that if you don't do photo bashing you can't get into the industry and find job.Wow. thank you for opening my eyes I now will study how to make great photo bashing to have the honor to be good as you Because You - the great bronze finalist tell me to learn from people who used photo bashing and I will be finalist And because your Yoda tell you that "The final destination is more important than the journey"

Now serious. About that the most winners are photobashers it's normal when the judges are people who think like you and rely on photo bashing in their art, to choose people who use it too:)
About separation guess what - I'm not the only one who want separation "Irrelevant analogies" why? Because you don't know what to say? Let me tell you again some "irrelevant analogies" More and more people in the "industry" use photo bashing and some cheating techniques right? Most of the people eat fast and junk food. Because many people eat junk food GMO etc, that not stop to make that food - fake food.

About names that you mention - Bobby Chiu - can you tell me where Bobby use photo bashing that will be interesting
You make some general conclusion like photo bashing is normal that's norm in the industry etc. Really in which industry? Game industry movie or in the art industry as a whole?
You tell me that most wanted artist use cheating - if you don't use these techniques you can't join the industry and find work and I have to digest that Really ? Can you please explain me why Loish don't have account in Artstation and have millions followers without use of your favorite techniques like photo bashing 3d paint over etc? Why Guerrilla Games hire Loish to make some character art for them? Why Dave Rapoza stopped making photo-realistic renderings and start making sketchy comics with great success? Maybe people who work as concept artist in Ghibli with watercolors don't have job Maybe James Gurney have to retire or start making photo bashing to be great? Or Brom? The list can be endless. Not all people like and want hyper-photo-realystic images for their games&movies.

About your feedback about my work...thank you for your time.Thank you for that you make registration only to open my eyes how to become great artist like all others clones who use photo bashing and all their works look the same All can see my work - yes I know it's not top-notch but this is my level right now.I don't hide behind some new account and nickname

Guys, seriously?
@konstantin_kirilov @wenqdu consider this a warning.
Create a new topic for your discussion. Do not post off-topic here again.

Here are the Community guidelines in case you have forgotten them.

Despite the fact that in general I agree with @wenqdu and disagree with @Konstantin_Kirilov... this discussion is what I meant about balancing on the edge of bad taste and things going very ugly and unpleasant after that...

Awesome work everybody Thanks so much @cubebrush for the opportunity I had a great time, learned a ton and met a lot of great people - the community here is amazing. Thanks so much for everything guys!
Best of luck to all the finalists