Post by Layla Littlenymph on Oct 3, 2015 11:41:39 GMT -5
Sometimes random web surfing (does anyone besides me still use that term?) can lead to interesting places. That is after all the reason we do it. Well, at least that sounds better than admitting one is bored and has too much time on their hands. Yesterdays not-so-random surfing, in pursuit of some game art, led me into the company of the darkest villains in the history of Legend of Zelda. Normally, one would not wish to stumble into the midst of villains, but...
A: I had armed backup.
B: These villains had cake!
Yes indeed Stephanie; Cake is a serious matter, and well worth defending. Not only is it the centerpiece of many a celebration, it is a tasty dessert treat and considered an acceptable breakfast dish in such places as the Littlenymph household. But let us not get too worked up over it. Set aside the firearms and allow me to explain.
The cake in this particular instance came from Link's Blacklist, a Legend of Zelda enemy artwork collective (speaking of people with too much time on their hands), which celebrates these villains in an annual digital art showcase.
Link's Blacklist is a group of more than 150 artists that submit original pieces to a collection focused on villains seen throughout the Legend of Zelda franchise. Started in 2012, an average of 50 pieces are added to the collection annually.
Link's Blacklist is a featured part of the much larger Game Art HQ, a huge collective of game art, spanning numerous franchises. You can see the entire Link's Blacklist gallery at the Game Art HQ website.
But... I believe there was mention of cake?
Patience my dearies; I'm getting there in my own sweet time.
One of the thigs that I found most interesting about the Link's Blacklist Collection, is that while it is a collection presented in a digital format, that is not to say it is all digital art. Infact, the artwork in this collection covers a wide range of media to include various forms of sculpture. One of the most interesting forms of sculpture that I discovered was... [dramatic pause] [insert drum roll] ...Cake!
Did I not promise cake?
This little sweetie goes by the name of Furnix, and is contributed by the Australian artist, Rhiannon aka Cakecrumbs. These are Rhiannon's comments, as posted on Game Art HQ:
“Now. I can’t draw for nuts, so I turned to a medium I’m a bit more advanced in. This turned out to be the most ambitious, stressful, ridiculous cake I’ve ever done. I’ve gone into detail on the blog about half of the crap that went wrong with this cake, so I won’t bore you with it.
Tech details: The cake + topper stands a total of just under 30cm high, and the Furnix topper has a wingspan of 24cm. Cake is butter cake that begins red at the base and gradually progresses to yellow at the top. Layered and covered with buttercream and then fondant ruffles.
The Furnix topper is predominantly fondant. I used a wire frame to support the structure. All of the feathers on the cake were individually cut. I have no idea how long it took me all up, but for the topper alone it was about 5 full days of work. Not counting making the wire frame and repairing all the breakages, colouring the fondant, etc.“
Before we can take neither bite nor byte out of Furnix, we are beset with another of Cakecrumbs minions. This one comes in the form of Beamos, a recurring, laser shooting, mobile trap that kept the hero Link on his toes. Have no fear. Should it come near I will protect you with my magical +1 Fork of Consumption. Again, I will leave it to the artist to describe this confectionery construct, as posted at Game Art HQ.
“The cake stands at over 40cm tall and is composed of one long cylindrical cake, with a rectangle cake on top. I carved a recess out of the rectangle for the eye to slot into, but the depth in the body was created through fondant work alone. This took about 50-60 hours all up. I don’t even have a concept of time any more. Every little piece is hand cut or moulded. I thought this would be a ‘quick’ cake but I neglected to realise how much was involved and everything took a million times longer than planned.
The part I struggled most with was those pipes. They kept falling off and I was practically mashing them on by the end. They’re messy and pretty much spoil the look of the whole cake.
The biggest pressure point for me was trying to imitate the electrical look. See, the blue part is all zappy and glowy and pretty looking in the game, which is hard to imitate in fondant. It’s also a significant part of the enemy, as it is here you are required to horizontally slash it with your sword to defeat it. I attempted to represent it by using a gradation of colour. I used powdered colouring and lustre dust and dry brushed it to make look brighter in the centre. It doesn’t look like electricity but it was about as close as I could get using food.”
Sadly, not all things can be cake. Some are pies or cookies. This however is none of the above, but it most certainly is a sculpture... of sorts. This cuddly little plushie monster is known as a Madderpillar, and is contributed by Dragonariaes (Christine). This is how she described her creation to the folks at Game Art HQ.
"This is a Madderpillar from The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
I love these guys, so when I decided to make a plushie I had to make one. They are found in two different temples in the games, the backgrounds are usually blue, so I tweeked the photo to reflect that.
It is made out of a mix of minky and felt. Each segment is sewn with a combination of hand and machine stiching and then attached with a double ladder stitch in between each ball, so he is super posable and I can make him do the worm. The felt is grippy, so I can pose him and he’ll hold it pretty well without a wire support."
Now that our appetites have been satisfied, let's move along to a few contributions that are more what you would anticipate when hearing the term fan-art.
Presenting Zelda. Yes, THAT Zelda, but possessed and controlled by Malladus the Demon King.
This is the second to last boss fight in Zelda: The Spirit Tracks.
Contributed by American Artist, Linkerbell (Kourt).
Continuing with traditional game fan-art, this is Vaati, the main antagonist of Zelda: Minish Cap.
Contributed by Brazilian Artist, Kurama-chan.
Of everything I have posted here today, I would have to say this is my favorite.
The White Wolfos are a recurring enemy type, making their debut in Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Contributed by, Noctuart (K-Chi).
Let's close with a little humor in the form of a piece titled "The Wrath of the Cuccos!" contributed by New Zealand Artist, WhiteFoxClub (Isobel). For some reason the undefeatablechickens errr... Cuccos, bring to mind the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog of Monty Python fame, which probably served as the inspiration for the Vorpal Bunny in Final Fantasy 12.
Well, I guess that pretty much takes the cake, eh?
I hope you enjoyed these somewhat unusual tributes to gaming. Until next time,
bon appétit!
~LL
Credits and Sources:
A special thanks to Joseph Knoop, for bringing Link's Blacklist to my attention with his article at gameinformer.com.
Game Art HQ
Link's Blacklist
And of course, all of the artists mentioned previously in this article, whom you will find linked in the body of the article itself.
A: I had armed backup.
B: These villains had cake!
Yes indeed Stephanie; Cake is a serious matter, and well worth defending. Not only is it the centerpiece of many a celebration, it is a tasty dessert treat and considered an acceptable breakfast dish in such places as the Littlenymph household. But let us not get too worked up over it. Set aside the firearms and allow me to explain.
The cake in this particular instance came from Link's Blacklist, a Legend of Zelda enemy artwork collective (speaking of people with too much time on their hands), which celebrates these villains in an annual digital art showcase.
Link's Blacklist is a group of more than 150 artists that submit original pieces to a collection focused on villains seen throughout the Legend of Zelda franchise. Started in 2012, an average of 50 pieces are added to the collection annually.
Link's Blacklist is a featured part of the much larger Game Art HQ, a huge collective of game art, spanning numerous franchises. You can see the entire Link's Blacklist gallery at the Game Art HQ website.
But... I believe there was mention of cake?
Patience my dearies; I'm getting there in my own sweet time.
One of the thigs that I found most interesting about the Link's Blacklist Collection, is that while it is a collection presented in a digital format, that is not to say it is all digital art. Infact, the artwork in this collection covers a wide range of media to include various forms of sculpture. One of the most interesting forms of sculpture that I discovered was... [dramatic pause] [insert drum roll] ...Cake!
Did I not promise cake?
This little sweetie goes by the name of Furnix, and is contributed by the Australian artist, Rhiannon aka Cakecrumbs. These are Rhiannon's comments, as posted on Game Art HQ:
“Now. I can’t draw for nuts, so I turned to a medium I’m a bit more advanced in. This turned out to be the most ambitious, stressful, ridiculous cake I’ve ever done. I’ve gone into detail on the blog about half of the crap that went wrong with this cake, so I won’t bore you with it.
Tech details: The cake + topper stands a total of just under 30cm high, and the Furnix topper has a wingspan of 24cm. Cake is butter cake that begins red at the base and gradually progresses to yellow at the top. Layered and covered with buttercream and then fondant ruffles.
The Furnix topper is predominantly fondant. I used a wire frame to support the structure. All of the feathers on the cake were individually cut. I have no idea how long it took me all up, but for the topper alone it was about 5 full days of work. Not counting making the wire frame and repairing all the breakages, colouring the fondant, etc.“
Before we can take neither bite nor byte out of Furnix, we are beset with another of Cakecrumbs minions. This one comes in the form of Beamos, a recurring, laser shooting, mobile trap that kept the hero Link on his toes. Have no fear. Should it come near I will protect you with my magical +1 Fork of Consumption. Again, I will leave it to the artist to describe this confectionery construct, as posted at Game Art HQ.
“The cake stands at over 40cm tall and is composed of one long cylindrical cake, with a rectangle cake on top. I carved a recess out of the rectangle for the eye to slot into, but the depth in the body was created through fondant work alone. This took about 50-60 hours all up. I don’t even have a concept of time any more. Every little piece is hand cut or moulded. I thought this would be a ‘quick’ cake but I neglected to realise how much was involved and everything took a million times longer than planned.
The part I struggled most with was those pipes. They kept falling off and I was practically mashing them on by the end. They’re messy and pretty much spoil the look of the whole cake.
The biggest pressure point for me was trying to imitate the electrical look. See, the blue part is all zappy and glowy and pretty looking in the game, which is hard to imitate in fondant. It’s also a significant part of the enemy, as it is here you are required to horizontally slash it with your sword to defeat it. I attempted to represent it by using a gradation of colour. I used powdered colouring and lustre dust and dry brushed it to make look brighter in the centre. It doesn’t look like electricity but it was about as close as I could get using food.”
Sadly, not all things can be cake. Some are pies or cookies. This however is none of the above, but it most certainly is a sculpture... of sorts. This cuddly little plushie monster is known as a Madderpillar, and is contributed by Dragonariaes (Christine). This is how she described her creation to the folks at Game Art HQ.
"This is a Madderpillar from The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
I love these guys, so when I decided to make a plushie I had to make one. They are found in two different temples in the games, the backgrounds are usually blue, so I tweeked the photo to reflect that.
It is made out of a mix of minky and felt. Each segment is sewn with a combination of hand and machine stiching and then attached with a double ladder stitch in between each ball, so he is super posable and I can make him do the worm. The felt is grippy, so I can pose him and he’ll hold it pretty well without a wire support."
Now that our appetites have been satisfied, let's move along to a few contributions that are more what you would anticipate when hearing the term fan-art.
Presenting Zelda. Yes, THAT Zelda, but possessed and controlled by Malladus the Demon King.
This is the second to last boss fight in Zelda: The Spirit Tracks.
Contributed by American Artist, Linkerbell (Kourt).
Continuing with traditional game fan-art, this is Vaati, the main antagonist of Zelda: Minish Cap.
Contributed by Brazilian Artist, Kurama-chan.
Of everything I have posted here today, I would have to say this is my favorite.
The White Wolfos are a recurring enemy type, making their debut in Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Contributed by, Noctuart (K-Chi).
Let's close with a little humor in the form of a piece titled "The Wrath of the Cuccos!" contributed by New Zealand Artist, WhiteFoxClub (Isobel). For some reason the undefeatable
Well, I guess that pretty much takes the cake, eh?
I hope you enjoyed these somewhat unusual tributes to gaming. Until next time,
bon appétit!
~LL
Credits and Sources:
A special thanks to Joseph Knoop, for bringing Link's Blacklist to my attention with his article at gameinformer.com.
Game Art HQ
Link's Blacklist
And of course, all of the artists mentioned previously in this article, whom you will find linked in the body of the article itself.