** An entry for the Battleground 2006 EVI v. Trompe Les Mondes - Music challenge** (edited)
EDIT 22/08/06: Reuploaded 4:3 version - pm me for widescreen or textless version. And moved from Kazuya Minekura to Stigma category.
Featuring Stork and Bluebird from a manga called Stigma by Kazuya Minekura (Saiyuki), this wall draws parallels and literal translations of the song Amazing Grace.
It's fairly open to translation, however the way I see it is that no matter how much rubbish there is in our life or we're trying to hide, how hurt or how lost we are, there is hope in God because his amazing grace never fails to find us. I thought this first verse of the song really suits the manga story about finding hope to carry on living in a hopeless world, which is also the aim of the wall.
Bluebird is added in to tie in with the "I was lost now am found" part of the song. The same goes with Stork looking up with bloodied face - to tie in with the "I was blind but now I see" part.
The wall itself is neither pretty or tailored to everyone's liking, but it has personal meaning to me therefore it's one of my favs.
It's the longest wall I've ever endured - 4months on-off :) Started out in March/April as a vectoring target practice, this project got shelved pretty quickly because spending 30-45mins to vector each item gets pretty boring - and finally completed now!
The background idea took a while. I liked the pure black&white original vector but wasn't quite happy with it, so I ended up experimenting with bg ideas and learnt painting techniques (done after battle judging) - which I thought worked quite well.
Ugh yeah I did change a lot of things from the original image - not only with covering his bits (^^;) but also with joining the scans, adding Bluebird in, facelift surgery, items arrangements etc.
It sure did take a long time to do, hope you like it!
Notes: Stork isn't dead (>_<) and that hand belongs to him - it's not The Thing from the Addams Family :) Bluebird has black hair instead of blond because I'm lazy and had enough vectoring >_<
NEW 21/08/06: Play Where's Wally game with this wall! ^^



Saving…
6 years, 8 months ago
I really like this wall. I love the integration of Amazing Grace into it, and have to give you props for the vectoring work. Good job!
6 years, 8 months ago
waw >_> WAW i love it i love it.. what i can say more than that! it's amayzing.. i love the vector and the colour and everything.. it's just really really amayzing.. i think this should be Highlighted to the next year :) of course this is on my fave. list now.. awsome work.. keep it up :)
6 years, 8 months ago
supermonchi make super wall! This owning! Look at that vector work :D. I know what ur talking about when it come to vector things i get bored easyly if it's to much to do. Ur wall have a very good detail stuff great job! Fav yippie!
6 years, 8 months ago
Mate i dont know how u endure vectoring all that but i salute you :) nice bleak theme to this wallpaper like the monochrome style of color and how the blood is the only color in the piece bg is blended in nicely and nice touch with the lighting effects well done another quality effort from you +fav from me
6 years, 8 months ago
Damn... amazing vectoring and shading, I love how you used the bit of blood red to bring attention to the characters... and that sure is an interesting interpretation of Amazing Grace. I almost wish the text wasn't there... I think that's the only element of the wall that sorta sticks out, but given the challenge... just a minor complaint. Awesome awesome work! >_<
6 years, 8 months ago
beautiful, really ^^ i think you did an amazing job with this one - everything blends so nicely. i sort of don't know what else to say, except - excellent wallpaper, goes to favs! ^^
6 years, 8 months ago
i like the chrome style color with the touch of red for the blood gj
6 years, 8 months ago
I love the shading. I want to know your secrets *-* i wish the text was different, but I love the guy you added. just the hand you added looks really ...creepy , and kinda weird. but who cares about that when the wall's really great? :D Job Well Done!
6 years, 8 months ago
Impressive comic book look...love the simple color scheme Crisp and beautiful vector... a very professional look all around
6 years, 8 months ago
Wow, I really love what you've done here. The red blood on the characters is a really nice touch, it makes them stand out quite well. I do agree with flyin' about the text, it seems like it just shouldn't be there, but otherwise, this wallpaper is great!
6 years, 8 months ago
A superb job on vectoring. I love vectoring, but it can totally be boring. But I am not so good at illustration, so I try to avoid that at all possible.
Anyway, I am so glad that you didn't submit it as black and white. It looks amazing.
I am glad that you kind of swayed away to what everyone thinks as amazing grace is to be. Sort of heavenly type of feel to it.
Again superb job and glad that you stuck it all the way through even though on the very ending part, but it is not like it is noticeable. Deserves a favorite from me.
6 years, 8 months ago
I like how the characters have blood on them to draw attention to them ^^ But vectoring that....wow lol, and for how long as well o.O But I guess the wallpaper is really well done ^-^ And the vectoring is awesome ;D Your hard work has paid off ^^
6 years, 8 months ago
love all that vectoring! you did a great job :) +fav
6 years, 8 months ago
wow...
amazing vector.. 4 months...
wow...
the only things I don't like are the font and the lack of color.
6 years, 8 months ago
Did I ever comment on this wall? ...Or was I already on vacation? o_O
Either way, you have magical vector powers, monchi. Your skills almost burn me. And not only that, but the background so brilliantly complements the vector that it just blends in perfectly. Thou must show me the ways of shading like that, too.
Cheeries for monchi and EVI! Faved. :3
6 years, 8 months ago
wow! I can't believe that this version is better than the original. I love them both! The painted version makes it more grimy and realistic. it's great!
6 years, 8 months ago
when one such as you spend so much effort on one wall alone, it really shows, and this wall looks great and almost very epic, I enjoy looking at it a lot.
6 years, 8 months ago
You know you rock.. KABLAMO!
+fav
6 years, 8 months ago
Holy, how did u make this one? Its soo damn good! I love the quality of it! Awesome vecotr work! I like the scene even tho its sad but still, the wall is just fantastic! Instant Favorite! Hope to see more from you!
6 years, 8 months ago
The shaded version works much better than the plain one you submitted as the challenge wall, but there's still something about the sky that really bugs me <_<
6 years, 8 months ago
oww...im so envious...>.< youre good! nicely vectored (is it?--i think so) the shadowing/shading/coloring is just great!
6 years, 8 months ago
Too bad this wall doesn't get properly credited as other Battleground walls - this one blew off my mind when I saw it in the results of the war. If this hadn't been in widescreen resolution I'd immediately have put it on my desktop. All those small and minutious details, the flawless shading, the characters - perfect! And I love monochrome settings <3<3<3 (After checking a bit I just noticed that the character's left arm is a bit weird and long, quite funny XD)
6 years, 8 months ago
Your display of vectoring skills and patience is astonishing. Plain and simple. The shading is wonderfully done and every element in the wall blend together well. The atmosphere is heavy and haunting and has a very real feel of dread to it. A very well put together work. +fav
6 years, 8 months ago
What can I say? You're good at making wall! The shadowing is fantastic!
6 years, 8 months ago
:">
love the color so so much!! the blood is so beautiful ><
wow, this wall is great >< it's amazing!!
thanx for ur good job.
keep it up :"D
6 years, 8 months ago
Awesome wallpaper! I love the colours and the shading. The contrast of the blood with the rest of the wallpaper was a good idea :) You could use some textures to blend everything a bit better and maybe remove the text or place it somewhere better.
Keep it up :)
6 years, 8 months ago
Interesting. I have to admit I would never think that particular song could be used in a wallpaper but it works here for some reason.
6 years, 8 months ago
damn .. it's very beautiful .. i really love it ^^ very nice vectoring & it's a amazing wall *-* i love the BG & the character are very nice nice with the blood .. hope to see more ! +fav now , i can change my desktrop xD
6 years, 8 months ago
hola ........ si ta chevere... el wallpaper juuju bueno la cosa es q kieor agegar pes y necesito 15 y como me golpearon JIJI bueno ta charluy toditito jujuj bueno safo bonito perrito juju chevere kawai mi ojo ya pe buuu bueno y mic hompa q no sal la mancha U_u uhmmmmm mi chompaaa u_u mi chompa kiero mi chompa ...... kiero
6 years, 4 months ago
How sad looking, but same time so pretty. It's touching. I definitely love this. :) +fave
6 years, 3 months ago
I really love this Wallpaper!! It's so detailed and so well done! I love how the grey tells everyone who see this wallpaper how sad it is.
5 years, 11 months ago
yeah that's cool
i love it
5 years, 2 months ago
An awesome work, especially with the title.... Really matches well.
3 years, 9 months ago
Should've seen this much earlier. This wall is a a bit...cartoon-ish, the way it's vectored. But heck, you deserve much credit for even attempting to do it. Even more salutation for choosing one of Minekura's less exposed work other than Saiyuki. Fav+ just for that!
2 years, 4 weeks ago
wow, the message is very well delivered through this wall. ^_^