RULES:

1. Stick with the palette. There are 9 colors, same number of colors as last year, but we made them a little less red, and a tad lighter. If you deviate too much from the given pallete, your totem won't be accepted.. we want to try to keep the color count down, and if everyone deviates from the pettern with a few colors, we've got that many colors times x totems, that'll be way too many colors. You have the full range from dark to light and you shouldn't need any more colors than that. In short, just stick to the palatte, mmkay? 

2. Use the pixel brush and the pixel brush ONLY, because if you use any other tool like the spray tool, it'll drive the color count up, and it wont be authentic pixel work. So just dont cheat and use the airbrush, or anything.. we will know ;)

3. Last year we had quite an issue with people making totems with tiny little pieces in between the large totem cylinders holding them up, and it just looked wrong.
Use good judgement, okay? We all know that a little tiny frail statue that is 1 px thin will not hold up the totem pole. Just be reasonable, you know what looks appropriate and what does not. 

4. We dont want to see any half-assed totems. Period. Try to spend more than 5 minutes on it, because if the quality of your totem is bad, it might not be accepted. This doesn't mean if you suck at pixelart, don't try to enter. It means that even if you have no skill at all, you put effort into your piece, it will show. And if you don't, your totem wont. We want to keep the standard of quality sufficient, so try your best :)

5. Size: We of course want to keep the width of the totem 78 pixels. But height is your decision. I dont care if you make it 30 pixels high or 300 pixels high. In the end it's gonna be one long-ass totem anyway, I am right? *w00t w00t*

6. BE CREATIVE! I can't emphasize this enough. Think outside the box and try something nobody's ever done before. We don't want to see a million Spiderman totems. Originality and creativity are key. If you have the most original and best totem, you'll win a year's subscription.

7. Have fun, for the LOVE OF GOD!!!

When you're done with your totem PLEASE submit it this thread so I can add it to the totem :D

Above is the amazing template and palette. Make it any length you want, and be SURE to follow the above rules :)

Prizes:

All the totems will be judged. The deviant who created the overall best totem (in the judges opinion) will be awarded a 1-year subscription. to Deviantart, of course.
The runners up will be awarded a 3-month subscription, and a print

If you're not a member of Deviantart, you, well, I guess you can't win the prize, but you can win the satisfaction (which is a crappy prize, but eh)

So that's it! Run off and make something creative. I'll update the totem to this very post each time. (The base of the totem and the topper have already been made, so dont ask )

Thanks!

Updated Current totem: 

LMFAO @ FREE WILLY!!

I'm getting started on mine right now.

Thanks ryan - can't wait to see this thing finished.

HAHA

Yeah, I'm the dirty one Mister Free Willy!

I can change it, I'm a mod.  But I don't think I will.

Stop spamming your own thread! o_0

Not sure if I'm finished (like if I want to texture the wood either side of his face or just leave it that way...) but I thought I'd show what I've done so far.

I'm working on two other totem ideas I have as well.

Thanks Sensei! :D (I  at your avvy every time I see it btw)

Crap, I totally forgot to post it. Yes, of course I had a ref pic! I'd be confused as hell without it.  This surprisingly wasn't so difficult, because I've painted this very picture before in large scale, on a canvas about two metres tall.

He's so handsome when he's insane.

Originally posted by So-lou

I'm working on two other totem ideas I have as well.

great, great, great!!!

..more shading on the forehead?

kiwidesign - I tried to put wrinkles in but it ended up looking dodgy. XD I'll try again.

ryan - ah love you son.

necromancer - yeah, she was all like 'I'm sexy' and then she's all 'EEH HEEHEEHEE AAAGH!!' that part was like whoa. Tripped me out some.

Okie dokie rifts - thanks! I'm not too sure on how to pixel wood texture - never done it before - so I'm going to get loads of refs and lucas to help me (he's good with texture).

Also, it's okay to have a character standing on one 'platform' and holding another up right? It's still a totem, right?

I got crits and I worked hard on them. Unlike some people...*cough*

Ta daaaaaaa. It's jacky boy - does he look carved? Lucas helped me a tonne on this - thanks lucas.

I love the work you've done on the Jack and the neat little wood texture on the outside is a nice touch.  Love to see you do a non-totem Jack someday.

I think I might join in...

@ So-lou: Darling, light of my life, you didn't let me finish my sentence, I said I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm just gonna bash you brains in, bash em right the f**k in.

My favorite part too. I RENTED THAT MOVIE LAST WEEK NO JOKE :)

Jack Nicolson is my hero. Seriously...

YEAH!!!

O_____O" Help... me... *runs*

LACK OF INTEREST?

Yes, I would much rather plan a hens night for 12 girls, attend shopping sprees for wedding stuff, attend tafe three days a week, go to gym every day and look for a job and go to job interviews and lying about how nice I am and like people instead of doing one of my favourite hobbies, pixelling something cool in the comfort of my home on a nice warm chair with a rug on my lap - SURE ryan. Lack of interest, you little turd.

But I'll do it.  (working on it now asamatteroffact)

Hey I like those Aztec dancers on the old one. Anyhow, that "Jack" face looks more like a contrasted/polarized or whatever you call it photograph. Instead of playing around with filters and color depth, why not make real pixel art?

It looks too modified to me to be pixel art.

That's a big call you're making there, but since I can prove that I don't 'mess around with filters and color depth' and do all my work in paint, I don't feel accused at all. ^_^ So you can believe whatever you want to believe, the real pixel artists know what I can do, and that's good enough for me. So shut yer pie hole! (heh pie hole.)

Besides, anyone can see my Chucky tutorial to see how I do these things. Filters...HA!

I don't want this thread to turn into a defense of So-lou (or any other pixel artist), but throwing around accusations of using filters/color depth without examining the art or the pixel artist is about as insulting as it gets.  Be more careful in the future.

I don't think I ever claimed So-lou did use a filter. I hinted that it looks like it to me. Your hostility hasn't knocked me down any pegs, anyhow, but if you want to go on believing delusions to make you feel bigger and better than me, fine. I consider everyone better than me, anyhow.

Speaking of facts, perhaps if you could read English or had a greater understanding of it, you wouldn't assert at me so outrageously. But I suppose that's to be expected, most people on earth hate the truth, and I think that's the problem.

Truth, I am quoting you,

"Instead of playing around with filters and color depth, why not make real pixel art?"

Instead of just throwing around accusations, learn what your talking about first. I don't think I have seen one piece of pixel art from you. Why not post something, we will give you crits, and you see if you like the truth.

Your hypocrisy is astounding. Read your own text and figure it out. There shall be no more of this, Truth. Post pixels and comments relevant and pixel-related or leave.

Anyhow, I have posted art, and if you're willing instead of trying to make me look like a coward, you'd go in search of it. Regardless if I posted it or not, obviously my post was more of a compliment if indeed the person did not modify a scanned picture floating around the Internet. Therefore, you are overreacting and trying to play big-brother where it is not needed...nor are you doing a good job.

You know, this might get me in trouble with Luke, but I really don't care because I feel like not only do I want to say this, but I think I speak for alot of people when I say this.

You are really getting on my least nerve. You try to make yourself sound and feel better by puting others down and trying to make youself sound smart, when really, you have no clue what you are talking about. If you want be liked, or atleast not be hated, around here, you really should stop argueing with people. If you have something to say, say it, but don't get into a big arguement about it.

O ya, and if this isn't accusing someone of doing something, then I don't know what is.

"Instead of playing around with filters"

Now have a nice, f**king, day.

EVERYBODY: Please get the collaboartion threads back on topic!!!  I'm just as guilty as anyone for letting the topics get so far astray, but let's try and keep the bitchfests out of the collab threads.  Thanks.

truth:  Enough is enough. I've seen you personally insult at least four members (myself included) during your short visit here and I'm getting tired of it. Drop this hostility immediately or leave. If you would like to discuss this further you can PM me.

where does it say it has to be that way?

Where did I say it had to be that way? I was just offering some criticism, because I think you can do better than what you've currently displayed. And I believe somewhere in the beginning the same thing was suggested.

It is supposed to look carved into wood, though, not random peices of anatomy pasted on to a log. Ok, that makes it sound a lot worse than it is, but I think you get the idea.

Alieav: Whoooa, you edited your post in the time it took me to make this one...

Here's a clarification off the bat:

Sensei: 'Anyways it looks like you traced the eminem picture and it looked good you thought: "Ah, nobody will notice its not ready. I will post it."'

Duuude, simmer. You submitted something with a few errors, they got pointed out. It's gonna happen, they all figure you could do better. Maybe a little better, maybe a whole load better. Every peice has room for improvement, and every person has potential to help you in whatever you do. Listen to them, instead of criticising their criticisms.

Before you submit something, look carefully at every part of it. Look for consistency in style, lightsourcing, texture, AAing, dithering, and basically every other pixelling aspect you can think of. Looking at yours a few things jump out at me immediately. I'm gonna list em off in a wonderbarish fashion

1: The bottom is connected to the dude, but he doesnt look connected to the top.

2: His right forearm reminds me a little of Fat Bast**d, and his left reminds me of someone who really got too lazy and uninterested to finish their artwork. 

3: His shirt -shudder-... yeah, what can I say other than you should've labelled it a WIP because of that shirt alone. What, you didn't want to? You gotta put a little more effort into things if you wanna end up at so-Lou and Jaeden caliber.

4: The bandana has much more contrast than the face, or it's got a mildly different light source. Or something.

5: I can't really tell what the hell's going on with the post behind him. It reminds me frighteningly of gradients, so something there needs some fixing. Oh, I wanted to say this earlier. It's not our job to tell you exactly what to do with your art, only what we see wrong with it.

6: The ribbon would not support itself. Not to mention it also looks gradienty, and the text is hard to read.

On a couple of positive notes, I think the hands and face look awesome. Parts of the face look odd. Actually, the right of his face seems to be giving birth to pac-man. And I disagree about the eyes, he has eyes, he just might be stoned. Not surprising... stupid Eminem. Also, there's a blip on his right forearm (our left) that looks odd.

And you DO care what he thinks about eminem, or you'd have said nothing about it at all.

Holy frig, what a lot of typing.

Cathie:

Wow, and welcome to PJ!

I think you just rocked the wings, but a little less contrast on the body would help it look a lot less lumpy, methinks.

Okay guys, chill. Let's keep this thread focused okay?

Aleiav: Looks pretty good at least in the facial region and hands but, it looks unfinished everywhere else. The highlights don't match up to the human anatomy. Oh, and I hate Eminem as well. That doesn't mean jack squat though... artists should always relate their art to what they're into I think. Keep it up!

'Actually, the right of his face seems to be giving birth to pac-man.'

That is the funniest thing I've read all day, thanks Saboteur! And yes, Eminem has gone downhill...waaay downhill. *shudder* And was never really uphill in the first place. o_0

ANYWAY here's a totemy preview of totemness.......totem:

I may have it finished tonight. \m/ or tomorrow...

Ryan: Looks great dude except that it looks rather pasted on to the totem and has no real carved look to it like your other pieces.

So-lou: you look so... dare I say it? .. normal in that picture!The other ones I've seen of you portray a wild crazy aussie. This one looks like the calm before the storm

Aleiav, thanks for actually going back and finishing it, it looks much better than it did before. The only thing left is the fact that he looks as if he's in front of the totem, but that's beyond resolve.

And congrats for fighting through the bandana! 

• You've missed a spot on his neck, between the necklace and the shirt. I think a few pixels of the darker shade would make that spot not seem forgotten..
• I'm still pretty new to dithering, and I'm not sure what you "should" do all the times, but isn't it a bit weird to mix dithering with cellshading? I'm talking about the face and the bandana. Out of what I've read I think you had the shirt cellshaded at first, but this dithered version looks really good, so I think the face and bandana would look even better with dithering all the way..
• Okay, maybe the face is fine as it is.. But the bandana looks unfinished
  

Ugh! Finally, I finished it. I've rushed the last few parts of this so don't worry about pointing out stuff such as 'the tail is crap' and 'it doesn't look carved' and 'this sucks' because I know. So shut up. Please. Thanks!

Heh, So-lou's alien is doing some serious grinding. This is a PG-13 forum you sinner.