----------------------------------------Tahu----------------------------------------
In first place, with a whopping 41 votes, is EMPIRE! His entry, a brilliantly executed robotic take on the original Tahu has a striking color scheme of red with brilliant yellow highlights and a subtle silver beneath that helps emphasize his mechanical nature. It's also a technically impressive piece with clean lines and great attention to detail. His final version is being prepared now and will proudly stand alongside some of our best MoCs at Brickfair.
In second place, with 16 votes, is VEZOK'S FRIEND! His entry is a much more traditional take on Tahu, and definitely stood out as a very well done technically rendered piece. The character's demeanor really shines through. This Tahu has some serious attitude, without a doubt.
In third place, with 12 votes, is LIME PARADOX! His entry is a...well..more alternative take on Tahu's look, topped off with the hottest looking mustache I've ever seen (Get it? Hot? He's a fire toa? Alright, nevermind,). I think in this case, I'll just let the picture do all the talking here.
----------------------------------------Vakama----------------------------------------
In first place, with an impressive 31 votes, is DEGNISH! His entry, a highly original design that takes inspiration from Vakama's Metru form, showcases both brilliant technical skill and unique design sense. It combines a clearly mechanical being with the tribalistic vibe we all know and love from the very first years of Bionicle, capturing not only the look of Vakama but the feeling this ancient mystical Turaga invoked in the early days of the line.
In second place, with 21 votes, is CRUNCHBITENUVA! His entry, a lovingly hand-rendered version of Vakama showcases the old Turaga's very first introduction, as the narrator of the Legend of the Bionicle, Mata Nui and Makuta stones in hand. Unlike many of the other entries, he uses a simplified style that shows only what is necessary without overloading the viewer with details, making this entry a clear champ.
In third place, with 8 votes, is BRICKTHING! His entry is a digitally drafted piece of work that uses a really great blending of color that draws in the eye and then invites it to stay and languish in the beautiful tones of the robe. It combines simple, flowing brush strokes with tiny details to create a striking visual contrast in the final image.
----------------------------------------Matoran---------------------------------------
In first place, with an eye-widening 34 votes, is once again EMPIRE! His second rendering is just as beautiful and skilled as his first, and in fact I think it even better captures the spirit of the adventurous Jaller than his Tahu. This little guy is very brave, and it shows.
In second place, we had a tie of 18 votes between CRUNCHBITENUVA and TOHKANN TOA OF ARTS! Both are equally skilled, however only one person can be in second place and so I have decided to use the powers of randomization to decide who takes second and third. This may seem silly, but I promise it is relevant, as you will see in a second. As for the illustrations, Crunchbite again shows his skill with the simple, hand-rendered marker while Tohkann goes the opposite way, showing a highly anatomically correct Jaller rendered digitally.
First place winners have already been sent to a printing facility to be printed and then cut out on a thick board that will stand against a backdrop by yours truly at Brickfair next week. Empire's Tahu and Jaller will be joining Degnish's Vakama amongst all the great MoCs our members will be sending in. HOWEVER, they aren't the only entries coming! I was so pleased with all of the entries we got in this contest, I am making a SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT that we will also be printing an awesome booklet filled with every single entry to the contest that will be displayed alongside the matte painting for the thousands of people to see! That means if you entered, your drawing is now part of Brickfair. We will also upload a digital version of it after Brickfair, but for now I want to keep it and the backdrop itself a surprise.
PRIZES - This one's for my contest winners only. EMPIRE, DEGNISH, I need you to PM me your personal addresses or an address I can use to send you your goodies for winning. You will each be recieving
-Custom Hapori Tohu stickers, previously staff exclusive.
-A fire-themed prototype part
-An engraved brick trophy congratulating you on your win
However, there is the small issue of there not being an actual third first place winner. I have been wrestling with this problem for the last few days, but at the end of the day the only conclusion I can come up with is to reward the next entry after our winners that had the most votes. In this case, that would mean CRUNCHBITENUVA would be our third winner, thanks to the 21 votes his Vakama received. I think this is the most fair way to do this in a timely manner. I also considered flipping a coin or having a runoff poll, but these methods are too random and sadly we do not have the time to do any kind of run off poll. Crunchbite will not be receiving a special engraved brick trophy, but he will be receiving the prototype part and sticker.
Thank you all for participating, and now let's give our congratulations to our winners. Good job guys!
