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Week 1: Winners and Feedback
Posted By: Postmortem <postmortem@forwarduntodawn.com>Date: 9/30/12 1:53 p.m.

In Response To: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1 (Postmortem)


This one was actually much more difficult to judge than I anticipated. Each submission adhered to the canon in different ways, so it really came down to which piece incorporated the most from the various sources of Halo fiction, and regardless of art style or quality of work, I think it's clear whose work this describes. The idea to pull elements from the Halo 4 Prometheans is, in the end, the finishing touch that makes this piece stand out as the best incorporation of fiction into a Halo drawing that I've seen in a while.

The Winner:

TDSpiral

This is the perfect mid-point between the original Forerunners we saw in Legends and the Anniversary terminals and our new Promethean Forerunners from Halo 4, combining the best elements of both designs. His stance adds an amazing level of character to this illustration, portraying the confident attitude of a Forerunner warrior who has won many battles. The sweeping design of both the helmet and the torso armor pieces serve as excellent callouts to the Didact's position as a Promethean warrior, without betraying his more natural description from the book. Although through TDSpiral's mentioned desire to veer away from his 'tank-like' form, he's actually managed to reign in the functionality of such a beefed up character, which lends itself even more to the realism and accuracy of the portrayal, intentional or not. Additionally, seeing a fully-armored, humanoid Forerunner with a horned helmet just makes me like the FOTUS armor set even more.

Supplementary Artwork:

Accuracies:

Based on 343i's Promethean visual motifs, including pointed and sweeping helmet. Floating elements of armor in keeping with 343i's Forerunner visual motifs. Height. Humbleness of armor design (compared to other Prometheans such as Knight Battlewagons and presumably other Forerunners). Muscled physique. Massive elongated limbs. Possible portrayal of shoulder and torso "ribbons" described in Cryptum.

Inaccuracies:

Lack of six-fingered hand (could just be indistinguishable). Greyish-white or greyish-pink skin (could also be influence of armor on lighting).

Artistic License:

Hard-light lance of Promethean Knights. Incorporated elements of Isaac Hannaford's Forerunner warrior concept.

My Thoughts:

In terms of how this portrayal fits with my vision of the Didact, it's pretty damn accurate. The basic shape is near identical to the Didact that was walking around within my head, with an exact portrayal of the height, limb length, and general stature of this Forerunner that's almost frightening. Although the Promethean elements were not a part of my initial mental image, subsequent readthroughs have made it apparent to me that there was always intended to be more to Forerunner armor than just the form-fitting segments, so this builds upon my mental image and makes it even more accurate to what was described and hinted at in the books. The torso segment extending out behind his spine is a bit too extensive in terms of matching what I pictured for the bulk of the armor. If it were to be closer to my version of the Didact, that extended piece would curve down to protect the spine and body of the Didact, bulking up his mid-section more. The biggest difference I suppose would be the helmet, as I imagined Forerunner helmets leaving the heads almost entirely free, much more like AddiCt3d 2CHa0s's portrayal below, with the head and neck exposed, although I understand that that view doesn't make much sense for an individual whose armor is designed for battle. The floating elements are an excellent touch, although I imagined pieces similar to those consistently moving along the entirety of Didact's armor, a few centimeters from the surface.

As for TDSpiral's supplementary sketch of the Didact's face, this one is more at odds with how I pictured him. I love that the sketch was built around the new Legendary symbol, something I was hoping to see done in one of these submissions, but I think some of the intent of the anatomy is lost in translation.

For example, when I looked at the nasal cavity, I didn't picture a strange nose with side-facing nostrils. In fact, I saw the skull as an indication that the Forerunners had smaller/less simian nostrils than I had previously assumed. Typically, the larger the nasal openings in a skull, the larger the nostril. In this, it seems that the opposite assumptions was applied, and I think it ends up making the Didact look more primitive, rather than more advanced. I love the thick lines from the brow ridges, and the general weary look of his face. His expression is perfect, although I feel that an improved nose would add to the value of that expression, rather than taking away from it.
I always pictured Forerunners to have slightly Easter Island-like look to them... like a human face that could almost have been sculpted from stone, and elongated in a similar fashion as well.

The nose, to me, was always long, with a longer bridge stretching from the top of the head down to wide-flat nostrils (although that Legendary skull seems to override this).
The tufts of fur are an excellent touch, although to me the Forerunners should have significantly less hair spread around, with it only growing in confined patches... so my ideal Didact would have the fur directly on top of his head, and a little bit in well-groomed areas on his shoulders.

And, I'm sorry but for some reason when I looked at that image, the first thing that I immediately thought of was these guys:

I wonder if the Forerunners ever made their own Escafil device? :P

Other Entries:

AddiCt3d 2CHa0s

Accuracies:

Height. Muscled physique. Hands capable of crushing a man. Visually apparent weight difference. Massive elongated arms (legs lacking). Intimidating presence

Inaccuracies:

Broad face. Five fingers instead of six. No bluish-white bristling fuzz on crown and shoulders. Has carnivorous teeth and head structure in spite of vegetarian diet.

Artistic License:

Reptilian head (could be a result of mutation). Scales (could be representative of the mottling mentioned in the description of the Promethean Confirmer, although that was more likely due to bad health). Three pairs of eyes. Armor doesn't cover many areas of body, also more Brute-like.

My Thoughts:

I find it interesting how many portrayals of the Didact I've seen out there which indicate he has a massive, hulk-like body, in spite of being unable to recall (or later find) where exactly in the books he was described this way. To me, being described as muscled, bulky, heavy, and tank-like isn't necessarily indicative of having this sort of body structure, and yet it seems to be what a lot of people picture. Perhaps I simply haven't read into the descriptions of the Didact enough.
The reptilian head is also misleading. The first thought is that it's not accurate, given our description of Forerunners as having a possible kinship with humanity. But given the Forerunners' mutations and the description from Bornstellar that higher rates tend to have less expressive, more chiseled-from-stone faces, this could fit the bill entirely. I certainly imagine the various Forerunner mutations exhibiting a wide variety of forms, ranging from the subtle to the bizarre, and I suppose this would fit into the latter category. All in all, I think this piece does a great job of capturing what AddiCt3d 2CHa0s envisions, and it surprised me how well the photoshopped image fit in next to the in-game Promethean Knight.

Hedgemony

Accuracies:

Based around Legendary skull. Face appears carved from stone. Heavyset, sunken eyes that could carry the weight of the world (galaxy?). Patch of fur at top of head. Robes from Legends/Anniversary terminals.

Inaccuracies:

Bluish-grey skin, rather than greyish-white or greyish-pink.

Artistic License:

Symbol on forehead (Dr. Manhattan-style, as mentioned). Purple-tinted Forerunner robes.

My Thoughts:

As I see it, this portrayal may have actually outdone TDSpiral's with adherence to canon, had you chosen to portray more of the Didact. As it stands, choosing to portray only his face eliminated many of the opportunities for you to present more details from the fiction, as the others did. However, this one fits in much better with how I've always envisioned Forerunner faces (of a certain variety). As mentioned above, the face could almost be chiseled from stone with its heavy lines and harsh features. Although the expression on the Didact's face in this portrayal is one I rarely pictured him wearing, it certainly fits in with the anger he would feel in moments such as the discovery of Bias's betrayal at Charum Hakkor, or being awoken from his Cryptum by a certain augmented descendent of his ancient enemies.
The robes to me are a little lacking in Forerunner aesthetic, or any sort of obviously armored sections for a Promethean warrior (who I believe would carry armor even at times of piece and ceremony), but this fits closer to the portrayal of the Forerunners from Legends and the Anniversary terminals. Expanding on my long rant about the Forerunner nose above, I find this one to be much more fitting. I believe it has more to do with the fact that the bridge of his nose is defined and doesn't disappear into the other features of his face, as it does in TDSpirals. This makes him look more relatable, while not destroying the appearance of something only slightly human. Finally, the patch of fur at the top of his head is almost exactly how I imagined them to look... not unkempt, very well-defined, and providing a more sophisticated appearance.

Archilen

Accuracies:

Height. Humbleness of armor design (only ornamental part is 'Didact' symbol on chest). Muscled physique. Massive elongated limbs. Incorporation of more human appearance.

Inaccuracies:

Lack of six-fingered hand (again, I might just be counting wrong). Full head of hair (versus a patch of fur).

Artistic License:

Didact symbol on chest.

Comments:

This is more or less EXACTLY what I pictured as the Didact's armor in Cryptum. Everything, from the exposed head down to the simplistic and form-fitting armor, but what I really like is that you managed to keep his head exposed, while also protecting the neck, as would be expected of a warrior. Of all the ones submitted, this fits the most with my image of the Didact, although making the arms a little more lithe and combining Hedgemony and TDSpiral's head designs to make him look just a little more alien would complete it.

I also really like the Bornstellar you've portrayed, mostly with the armor. But it's great to see him portrayed as more young and human looking, which definitely was at odds with my understanding of what a Forerunner should look like even when reading the book.

---

And that's it for this week. Congratulations to the winner, who will be receiving their avatar code to do with as they please shortly.

I've had a few people approach me this week and recommend that I bump the time to complete submissions from one week to two in the future. The reason I initially chose one week was so that the thread wouldn't be lost in the shuffle of new topics being posted, but if everyone agrees I'd be very willing to extend that time. What do you all think?

We'll be taking a break for a week, and then this coming Sunday you can check back in for the next subject, which will be of a quite different nature. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Forward Unto Dawn


Message Index



Replies:

Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1Postmortem 9/23/12 11:47 a.m.
     Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1thebruce0 9/26/12 9:06 a.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1TDSpiral 9/26/12 10:47 a.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1iForge 9/26/12 11:20 a.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1Jaydee 9/26/12 12:20 p.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1davidfuchs 9/27/12 12:42 a.m.
           Totally just caught this threadpadraig08 9/27/12 9:46 p.m.
     Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1AddiCt3d 2CHa0s 9/27/12 7:14 p.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1Beckx 9/27/12 7:19 p.m.
                 Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1AddiCt3d 2CHa0s 9/27/12 11:08 p.m.
                       Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1Quirel 9/27/12 11:53 p.m.
                       Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1AddiCt3d 2CHa0s 9/28/12 3:12 p.m.
     First submission!Postmortem 9/27/12 9:24 p.m.
     Two days to submit your artwork!Postmortem 9/28/12 9:45 p.m.
     I made somethin' *IMG*TDSpiral 9/28/12 11:02 p.m.
           Its sucks and I don't like you or your face. *BSC*INSANEdrive 9/28/12 11:08 p.m.
                 Also this is what Class 12 should prob. look like. *NM*INSANEdrive 9/28/12 11:11 p.m.
           Soooooo awesome. *NM*NsU Soldier 9/28/12 11:21 p.m.
           Re: I made somethin' *IMG*padraig08 9/28/12 11:37 p.m.
           In complete awe.Quirel 9/28/12 11:41 p.m.
                 Re: In complete awe. *Fix'd*INSANEdrive 9/28/12 11:53 p.m.
           Te odio. *NM*Jaydee 9/28/12 11:51 p.m.
                 Re: Te odio.Jaydee 9/28/12 11:52 p.m.
           ME GUSTA *NM*The Lionheart 9/29/12 12:01 a.m.
           I am so full of awe, it's awful *NM*JDQuackers 9/29/12 12:44 a.m.
           Amazing...Mid7night 9/29/12 1:28 a.m.
           Re: I made somethin' *IMG*AddiCt3d 2CHa0s 9/29/12 1:33 a.m.
                 Re: I made somethin' *IMG*Quirel 9/29/12 1:41 a.m.
                 Re: I made somethin' *IMG*TDSpiral 9/29/12 3:32 p.m.
                       Re: I made somethin' *IMG*AddiCt3d 2CHa0s 9/29/12 11:32 p.m.
           Re: I made somethin' *IMG*mastrbiggy 9/29/12 2:30 a.m.
           Very nice! *NM*Kermit 9/29/12 6:29 a.m.
           IncredibleMetalingus627 9/29/12 7:38 a.m.
           Well, that's the best thing I'm going to see todayLostSpartan987 9/29/12 8:31 a.m.
           Oh and...INSANEdrive 9/29/12 10:02 a.m.
                 Re: Oh and...TDSpiral 9/29/12 3:18 p.m.
                       Re: Oh and...thebruce0 10/1/12 9:41 a.m.
                 Whoa, nostalgic...TDSpiral 9/29/12 3:34 p.m.
                       :) Halo CommunityINSANEdrive 9/29/12 3:48 p.m.
           Didact face sketch *IMG*TDSpiral 9/29/12 4:52 p.m.
                 Re: Didact face sketch *IMG*INSANEdrive 9/29/12 5:55 p.m.
                       Re: Didact face sketch *IMG*NotTheVacuum 9/30/12 9:22 a.m.
                 + + !! *NM*AddiCt3d 2CHa0s 9/29/12 11:33 p.m.
                 Re: Didact face sketch *IMG*NsU Soldier 9/30/12 8:31 p.m.
                       Re: Didact face sketch *IMG*TDSpiral 10/1/12 4:36 p.m.
                 Re: Didact face sketch *IMG*serpx 9/30/12 9:56 p.m.
                       Re: Didact face sketch *IMG*TDSpiral 10/1/12 4:50 p.m.
                             +1 *NM*The Lionheart 10/1/12 5:25 p.m.
                             Re: Didact face sketch *IMG*demoncarnotaur 10/2/12 12:54 a.m.
           Re: I made somethin' *IMG*Leviathan 10/2/12 7:52 p.m.
     Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1Aerostrike 04 9/30/12 12:13 a.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Week 1Postmortem 9/30/12 1:48 p.m.
     Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Diddy *IMG*Hedgemony 9/30/12 3:54 a.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Diddy *IMG*TDSpiral 9/30/12 10:16 a.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Diddy *IMG*NartFOpc 9/30/12 10:46 a.m.
                 Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Diddy *IMG*Hedgemony 9/30/12 10:53 a.m.
           Re: Visualizing the Halo Universe: Diddy *IMG*Kermit 9/30/12 12:01 p.m.
     My entry *IMG*Archilen 9/30/12 7:30 a.m.
           Very nicedavidfuchs 9/30/12 10:00 a.m.
                 Re: Very niceArchilen 9/30/12 11:18 a.m.
                       Re: Very niceTDSpiral 9/30/12 12:28 p.m.
                             Re: Very nicedavidfuchs 9/30/12 12:40 p.m.
                                   Re: Very niceQuirel 9/30/12 12:48 p.m.
                                         Re: Very nicedavidfuchs 9/30/12 1:29 p.m.
           That's awesome! :D *NM*TDSpiral 9/30/12 10:15 a.m.
           Re: My entry *IMG*Leviathan 10/2/12 7:48 p.m.
     Week 1: Winners and FeedbackPostmortem 9/30/12 1:53 p.m.
           Winner*Postmortem 9/30/12 2:29 p.m.
           Awesome work all around!padraig08 9/30/12 3:38 p.m.
           Re: Week 1: Winners and FeedbackAddiCt3d 2CHa0s 9/30/12 8:42 p.m.
     The Didact as I imagined him.The Lionheart 10/15/12 2:24 a.m.
           Re: The Didact as I imagined him.Postmortem 10/15/12 10:47 a.m.



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