Éowyn - finale

You might remember a a couple weeks back when I was working on a piece inspired by Éowyn and the Nazgûl (that's a link to a collection of those development posts.) You also might remember it was for a kind of contest judged by some of the best of the best working in Sci-fi and Fantasy art today. Well, whatever became of it?

Here's the complete judging results.

I was floored to see I had incredibly nice things said about my piece by people who's work I've followed since college.

And here are specific mentions of my piece by the judges.

"Cory’s stylized version captures a storybook-like illustration. The line work coupled with the watercolor effect takes it to a level where one can dream and envision the scene, and thereby feel it. It doesn’t have to be realistic to capture a real mood." - Greg Manchess.

"A fine piece of work Cory. Love the linear aspect of the style and the wispy nature to your background and smoke. The only weak part for me is in Eowyns anatomy, upper body is perfect, but the lower seems too elongated (upper leg too long) and I’m not sure how that back leg is turning." - Donato Giancola.

"I really love the wet on wet bleeding going on in this piece. There is an ethereal glow here that is gorgeous. The organic quality of the line work and the distinctive stylization really make this piece stand out." - Eric Fortune.

"I had a really hard time narrowing the entries down to my favorite eight. But no matter how I broke it down, this image just kept coming out on top for me. It’s satisfyingly expressive, energetic, and narrative." - Dan Dos Santos.

In the final deal I scored a hot honorable mention. Sounds good to me.

In the end I had three specific goals for this little project. 1. Kick start my drawing for The Hidden People. 2. Potentially make a small splash on a great blog. 3. How could I not draw Éowyn when presented with the opportunity.