The 2017 Kentucky Derby

NOTE: For these races we did something a little different, and we hope you like it. Multiple judges looked at each entry and gave their take on the effort scores for characters and settings, as well as writing a little comment about each entry - what they loved and maybe a little constructive critique for the artist. All of the effort scores for each entry are then averaged to arrive at the final effort scores for those categories. So under each score in the "Judges' Comments" box is a judge's name followed by two numbers in parentheses : (character score / setting score) and a comment.

 Trojan's Wish (ridden by Kit Von D for Day Oak Stud)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 15.3 // Setting Effort: 18.6
RNG: 2 // Story: 2 // Features: 2 + 2 // Extra: 6 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 80.9

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 16 / 20 )
   First I have to say this, I am constantly amazed by the quality of your work. You're extremely talented and I love your beautiful traditional images! For this image specifically I love the use of pastels, it's perfect for even the gloomiest of gloomy first Saturday in Mays. You captured Trojan's Wish very well, I wish you had put a little more richness in the other horses but the focus you have on your own is lovely. Oh and one more thing, don't forget your light source! There are a few shadows, but you could have played with those a lot more. All in all, stunning piece!

~ oTapirus ( 15 / 18 )
   I really like the depth of field in the background, creating the effect of distance in a traditional medium is always incredibly difficult, and I think you've nailed it! I love the sense of power in Trojan's Wish and how the dirt has piled up in the foreground. I too would have liked to see a bit more attention to the other horses in the piece as they are the focal point, but I can appreciate what you were trying to do in creating depth. 

~ MistyofSunrise ( 15 / 18 )
   Your art kills me - it's so beautiful and inspiring! Your use of colour in creating feel and atmosphere... art goals! Probably due to the smaller size, this piece is not as detailed as many of your other works, although no less stunning.

 Like Ten Lions (ridden by Pierre Dupond for Lucky Horse Ranch)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 19 // Setting Effort: 16.6
RNG: 2 // Story: 0 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 6 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 84.6 (+2 : tie-breaker roll for 7th)

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 17 / 17 )
   I've said it before, and I'll say it again. cierra15 you have improved so much! I love seeing your uploads because each one gets better and better! This piece displays a lot of power and motion, love that you picked the gate! I'd love a little more definition in the shading on your horses (especially where their legs cross or cover part of their anatomy), a little more kick up in the dirt etc. But this is truly a solid piece and I can't wait to see what you do next!

~ oTapirus ( 20 / 18 )
   Cierra, your art has blown me away. It's been a real pleasure watching you develop as an artist, and I definitely think this is some of your best work so far! I really love the detailed shading on the horses, though I would have liked to see some of those darker tones on Disillusioned to make those dark shadows pop. A bit more detail in the background would really put this piece over the edge, as it seems a bit flat compared to the rest of the piece.

~ MistyofSunrise ( 20 / 15 )
   The horses in this are absolutely beautiful, and show how much you have improved in just a short time. Keep pushing your shading like this - taking your time to bring out those details is worth it.  The setting here is a little simple, although on the plus side it doesn't distract from the main focus.

 SCeA Footloose (ridden by Seattle Hengsteler for Storm Coast Equestrian Acres) 
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 18.6 // Setting Effort: 18.3
RNG: 5 // Story: 3 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 5 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 90.9

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 19 / 19 )
   Your perspectives are amazing, you have a keen eye for angles! Just looking through your gallery is like jumping onto the track and holding on for dear life! Love that! Don't be afraid to push your shadows a bit more, you have a great grasp of depth of color, especially in your background, but there are times especially in your horses that you could push just a bit more. Also don't forget to put details into your horses further away, you did an amazing job on the front two and you pulled back on the rest of the field. They can be subtly different, but the way you shaded them in this it's almost hard to tell unless you're really really looking.

~ oTapirus ( 19 / 17 )
   Your use of perspective and light source is phenomenal! The lighting is very consistent, though I would have liked to see a bit darker shadows on the horses just to add to the contrast. I like the slight fish-eye effect on the background and horses, it really contributes to the sense of motion and speed of the image! I was expecting a bit more detail to the next two horses in the field, as they're still mostly in focus, though I do like the depth of field the lessening detail brings as you continue back. I'm a bit disappointed that the crowd appears to be photo-manipulated, a scatter brush can help get the same effect and is a quick alternative. 

~ MistyofSunrise ( 18 / 19 )
   I always love the beautiful colours and painterly style of your art.  This angle and "lense curvature" effect are really amazing - and you pulled it of even through the architectural details of the stands! The characters here are not quite as crisply detailed/shaded as a few of your previous images, but little else to pick at here.

 HTS As You Please (ridden by Phoebe Donovan for High Tide Stables) 
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 18.6 // Setting Effort: 18.3
RNG: 1 // Story: 3 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 6 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 87.9

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 18 / 19 )
   This is by far one of the best entries I've seen from you Wild! Very happy that you worked with the lineless format, and it really really came out nicely! I'd love to see a little more definition on your horses (play with your shadows/highlights on that musculature just a bit more), and more attention to your light source. Outside of that this is an extremely solid piece, with a TON of fabulous elements!

~ oTapirus ( 18 / 18 )
   I honestly think this is some of your best work to date, and I'm loving the improvement I'm seeing! I'm pleased to see you challenged yourself by going lineless, it definitely stands out and I'd like to see you return to it in the future. One thing to work on is paying attention to where your light source is coming from and shading your horses/bg accordingly.

~ MistyofSunrise ( 20 / 18 )
   Wow! This is such an effort and I think one of the first lineless pieces I've seen from you. And I know grandstands can be such an imposing challenge, but this is very nice.  I can't wait to see where you go from here - keep it up! Keep building up those shadows and highlights. A soft, transparent brush will help to build smoothly for those big contours, but don't be afraid to use a finer brush to create sharper details like highlights and strong shadows. 

 Saint Laurent (ridden by Julio Belasco for Jessie's Way Stable)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 18.3 // Setting Effort: 17.6
RNG: 3 // Story: 3 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 6 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 88.9

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 17 / 18 )
   You always impress me with your art, no matter what it is the style that you use is just amazing. It makes me smile, makes me laugh, and above all else is always extremely lovely. This is no exception, it is by and far one of your best and most ambitious pieces that you've done. I did notice though that you have several light sources going on, especially when it comes from light hitting the building and the horses. Your dirt also seems a bit odd, the kick back seems uni-directional, and only on the outside of the horses which messes up the forward motion that you've got going on in the horses themselves. The rose in the corner seems so out of place, like you did it as a cover up instead of as a real piece of the entry. Maybe it's because it's not as well detailed as the rest of the piece, but it distracts greatly.

~ oTapirus ( 18 / 16 )
   This entry is phenomenal. I absolutely adore the bright colors, your attention to detail and the sense of motion to the piece, especially with the dynamic poses and spray of dirt. I like what you were trying to do with the rose in the corner, but it looks a bit rushed and perhaps hinders more than helps. The lighting also seems a bit inconsistent across the piece. Overall, a real piece of eye candy and gorgeous to look at!

~ MistyofSunrise ( 20 / 19 )
   Your work is always a treat - you have your own distinctive style that brings a sort of whimsy. Lots of nice details, from lighting, textures and little things like logos. I like the subtle rose in the lower corner - reminding us that this is the "run for the roses" as well as balancing out the stronger reds in the other side of the image and in stands. I really can't find much to pick at here... there are some areas of the background that seem less "finished" than is common in your work, but that's about all I can poke at. 

 Leafife (ridden by [jockey] for AutOre Farms)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 16 // Setting Effort: 12
RNG: 5 // Story: 0 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 5 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 79

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 16 / 10 )
   As always, a love bit of traditional work. You always put out some beautiful pieces, and your mastery of colored pencil is fabulous. This however was not your strongest entry, honestly the details get really lost in the background and on the horses. I would love to see you punch up some of your highlights and shadows, as well as add just a bit more detail to the background. Still, beautiful work and I can't wait to see what Leafife does in his career.

~ oTapirus ( 17 / 13 )
   I really like the motion blur-like effect the background seems to have, it really makes it look as though the horses are moving quickly. On the other hand, I also would have liked to have seen a little more detail in the background, as it's hard to tell what is there - especially along the infield and dirt and some more definition of the horse's features.

~ MistyofSunrise ( 15 / 13 )
   Always hard when that motivation refuses to show up, but I'm proud of you for pushing through anyway. While not as detailed and refined as you best work, this is still a lovely little piece of art. I especially love that leading bay - very nice shading and muscle detail there! Keep your pencils sharp and I look forward to seeing more from you. 

 WBS Release The Panic (ridden by Kait McCulley for Day Oak Stud)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 19 // Setting Effort: 20
RNG: 3 // Story: 3 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 6 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 92

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 19 / 20 )
   What a fascinating view you chose to do for this entry! Love the details on the spires, the sky, the crowd, every bit of the background is just beautiful. Truly, this probably is your best piece to date (and each one gets better than the next)! Honestly it was hard to find fault with this image, I did take off a point for the horse because while you always have a great grasp of anatomy the neck carriage here is a little odd. It was a struggle though to find fault at all, just stunning stunning work.

~ oTapirus ( 19 / 20 )
   This is definitely one of your best pieces to date, and I'm super happy you chose to go traditional for this entry. The softness and detail of your pencil work is stunning. I love the attention to detail on the horse; the veining and shading is gorgeous. I really like the reflections in the dirt, it makes the tunnel/track look really soupy (my only complaint is that it may be a bit too wet). In agreement with CapNRCubey, the horse's neck looked a little bit off. I would have liked to see a bit more curve to the neck, as I feel his entire neck should be slightly turned and not just his head. Other than that, choosing to draw pre-race and different posing really makes this entry stand out. Great work!

~ MistyofSunrise ( 19 / 20 )
   Another beautiful piece of artwork here - the glowing lighting and your use of colour is simply stunning. Your line work has a fluidness and subtle style that is very organic. The only thing I can find to poke at is I would love for the horse to look a little more black (although I know some of that is lighting) as even the shadows look more chestnut here, and the shading on the neck seems a bit unusual - but otherwise the only execution here is near flawless!

 WWC Swiping Stones (ridden by Zeidan Matthieu for White Willow Creek Stables)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 17.6 // Setting Effort: 17
RNG: 1 // Story: 3 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 6 // Training: 7
---> TOTAL SCORE: 84.6 (+4 : tie-breaker roll for 7th)

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 20 / 18 )
   Rosie, Rosie, Rosie it is a privilege to watch you grow as an artist. Each entry, each extra, you push yourself and it's obvious that it's really working! I'm incredibly proud to be in races like this with you, and love to see you do well. In this entry it's really obvious that you worked hard on your background, you did an incredibly difficult grandstand and did it very well! Keep up the good work on your backgrounds, push a little further to get those extra details like the shingles on the roof, the shadows cast by the sign etc. As far as the horses go once again you've outdone yourself, they look amazing!

~ oTapirus ( 16 / 18 )
   I really like the attention to detail on the horses, and how the entire field isn't in frame. The dirt spraying up gives the sense of movement and power as the horses thunder past the grandstands and I can really feel the energy. I feel as though there is some detail missing from the shading and background, and I would have liked to see more detail in the grandstands. The overall image also feels a bit dark and overcast for a sunny Kentucky Saturday.

~ MistyofSunrise ( 17 / 15 )
   Proud of you for sticking through even though you lost all of your original work! You did a good job with shading the horses, but don't be afraid to darken those shadows to give them more shape, and remember the riders too. The setting tackles the oh-so-challenging (and dreaded ) grandstands and you did a great job capturing the essence of the Churchill stands - would loved to have seen more details to really pull you into the image though.

 Lamplighter (ridden by Cora Greyson for Silver Creek Equestrian)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 15.6 // Setting Effort: 15.6
RNG: 3 // Story: 3 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 6 // Training: 7
---> TOTAL SCORE: 83.2

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 15 / 15 )
   I'm always impressed when an artist tackles a huge field of horses, and you did so with ease. This piece definitely shows the complexity of that first jump, of the horses just flying forward slightly off the ground breaking for daylight. Unfortunately sometimes when you tackle something so daring some details get left behind, and that comes out in the shading of your horses. Some are shaded extremely well, some barely at all. Your background also suffers from shading inconsistencies on the gate, wall and dirt. If you go big like this make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get those details cohesive and all together as you keep going forward with the piece. All in all strong, brilliant, and very bold!

~ oTapirus ( 16 / 17 )
   I really like the perspective and the detail of adding the gate attendants. The spray of dirt and the post choices really add to that rush as the horses break from the gate. Also impressed as drawing the entire field is very ambitious! It's important to keep in mind that more doesn't necessarily mean better, and I would have liked to see a smaller field so you could focus on just a few aspects of the artwork as the starting gates and some of the riders feel a little unfinished.

~ MistyofSunrise ( 16 / 15 )
   This was a super ambitious project! It's so fun to see this huge group breaking out of the gate.  Some of the horses have absolutely beautiful shading, but some look a little flat. Carrying that shading consistently across the field would boost this image's "pop" factor. I also noticed the edges of your characters can appear more pixely, giving a ragged look. Smoothing those up (use a bigger canvas size/more pixel dense can help) will really help polish your art.

 DRM Little Cat (ridden by Antonio Rossi for De Rege Manor)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 17.3 // Setting Effort: 18
RNG: 2 // Story: 3 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 6 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 87.3

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 16 / 18 )
   CC this is hands down some of the most detailed work I've seen you produce, it's amazing! The twin spires look fabulous against that sky, though the weather is a bit off (mostly sunny should be less clouds, though those clouds are brilliant they need to skedaddle) and the movement of the horses about the turn is odd. They should actively look like they are turning not running straight for the camera. But that's okay! I'd love to see "more" of the horses, and a little less of that gorgeous grandstand, but it's a solid, tough, competitive piece and you knocked it out of the park!

~ oTapirus ( 17 / 17 )
   This piece is absolutely breathtaking, the clouds are very eye catching and I love the angle and depiction of the grandstands. The shading on the horses is very nice and consistent with a bright sunny day. I would have liked to see some more detail in the lights, buildings and inner grass rail as some of it seems a little unfinished. I'd also would have liked to see a bit more "bend" to the horses to make it look as though they're coming around the turn, they look a bit too static for their position on the track. Also, I'd suggest more of a focus on the field themselves as my eye is consistently drawn the right of the image with the clouds and grandstands, overlooking the horses completely. Overall brilliant job, definitely be proud of this!

~ MistyofSunrise ( 19 / 19 )
   This piece has really eye catching framing, with the impressive architecture of the grandstands really dominating the image initially, but the angles and use of details like the lighting and birds (really love those, by the way!!) quickly pull our focus down to the main characters on the track. Your shading is developing nicely - keep pushing that contrast! I would love to have seen a bit of shading on the jockeys, and bringing some colour into the stands instead of just black shadows would bring more colour to the image. But overall A+!

 DeWitt (ridden by Alex Curragh for Coventry Stables)
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Horse: 15 // Rider: 10 // Character Effort: 19.6 // Setting Effort: 20
RNG: 2 // Story: 3 // Features: 4 + 4 // Extra: 6 // Training: 8
---> TOTAL SCORE: 91.6

Judges' Comments:
~ CapNRCubey ( 20 / 20 )
   Absolutely stunning. The whole depth of this piece made me stop and sit, looking at it for a few moments to just take it in. You have an exceptional grasp of depth of field, and the way you do your colors just blows my mind. I really don't have anything to critique, this is by and far one of the best pieces you've done, and I am still trying to find where my jaw rolled after it hit the floor.

~ oTapirus ( 20 / 20 )
   I really like the sense of cohesiveness through this piece and the attention to detail (like the overlapping shadows on the horses' flanks), it really looks rose tinted. The light colors in the background help create a nice depth of field that lets the viewer focus on the horses in the foreground while remaining detailed in the background and without the use of blur. I would have loved to see a bit more back lighting on the far edges of the horses to keep consistent with your light source, making their near side a little bit darker and the offside/edges a bit lighter can help nail it.

~ MistyofSunrise (19 / 20 )
   The atmosphere of this image is just superb! I love how the distant is detailed but softened - very realistic. The horses have very nice conformation and I love the crispness of your shadows. The only thing I would really have liked to see is some strong highlights on the horses, particularly on the far side (to match the strong lighting indicated by those long shadows). But very lovely! It's fun to see how much your artwork is really advancing. 

DISQUALIFIED:
 JA's White Wonder (ridden by Kirsten Reintjes for Jacklyn's Farm)

SCRATCHED:
 RSS Hot Shot (for Red Star Stables) 
Disillusioned (for Mullara Stud) 
 RD's Traffic Jam (for Fox Harbor Farms)