1. Schwager - well balanced with a pure fantasy feel

2. Voluspa - he looks so real...

3. RosanneHayes - very nice layout. Awesome Elric's portrait

Special mention Disco Matt - well done, close third, your piece would be amazaing book cover I have to say. Almost the same for Voluspa, but her Elric hypnotizes me so much... ;)

Good job everyone

1st- Hendryx... I love the layout of this, can definitely see it up in the cinema lobby. The mood is great, the colours are beautiful yet unsettling. The text suits the piece. Lightning coming down the sword is also genius :)

2nd- schwager...  Again I can totally see this as a poster up somewhere. I love the colours and the concept of the sword transcending into the battle scene. The sword design is really cool too.

3rd- voluspa...  It's not a movie poster but the character design is amazing and the painting so beautiful I can't not vote for it :)

My votes:

1) Disco Matt

2) RosanneHayes

3) Sugar

The rest of them look awsome too!

Sinistral, I'd really like to have seen more progress work, it's a bit of a shame that the first wip is a very simple sketch and wip 2 is an almost finished image. Would have been great to see it being developed.

Hendryx, yours is probably a very close 4th. There were some bits that felt a little unfinished (right hand) and I'm not sure I fancy the blue-green lips - it looks a bit like a mask or make-up, but perhaps you intended it to. Thanks for your crits btw :)

so full of wonderful entries - you guys and gals make it hard to pick just three!

1 - discoMatt

2 -Voluspa

3 -  Hendryx

tough choice for third place, undecided between Schwagger, Hendryx and RoseanneHayes for a looong while

Amazing work this week, ladies & gents. There was not a single poor image in the lot. For judging, I went on immediate impact, since that's what a poster needs to be about. Also important was being able to tell something about the film and/or character. And of course, quality of image was crucial. So for me, the best were:

1) RoseanneHayes: This one was crafted so well and said so much about Elric and his relationship with Stormbringer, it had to be first. (Extra points for "Knows Director"...lol)

2) Sugar: Despite Elric looking a bit sweet and kind-hearted, this is a very powerful poster and certainly speaks to an audience.

3) Schwager: While I think the image could have been pushed a bit further (larger title, stronger pose/silhouette on Elric) I really dug the classic take on movie posters, like something out of the Seventies. (BTW, the release date is my birthday. An Elric movie would be one hell of a present.)

I also really liked Sinistral's take -- it made one of the strongest impacts on me -- but it could have used a bit more clarity: It was hard to read the sword and the helmet

Hendryx's was super-cool too. Great pose and styling on Elric.

Voluspa's would have made a great book cover, but lacked a cinematic impact.

DiscoMatt also had some great design on Elric, and a really lovely style. Plus DJ Dench as Stormbringer? I'd pay good money for that.

Mangle: really good concept but not pushed quite far enough with the light or the detailing on Elric.

sHuff: Another good book cover!

DoctorDark: Great concept, and excellent portrait of Elric, but you really needed to push the detailing on the sword much, much further. The perspective also felt off, and I was not a big fan of the typography.

SonOfWolfhound3: I like the costuming on Elric -- a very novel approach, sort of Renaissance -- but it didn't have much punch as a poster.

Sorry if I missed anyone!

Agreed with Smolin, a lovely bunch of coconuts on this challenge!

RosanneHeyes: Strong and complete poster. A nice conept and the most pleasing to the eye for me. Plus, it actually looks like the sort of film poster that would make me want to know more about a film. Very nice!

Voluspa: Again, another strong entry. I really like the slightly forlorn look. Enchanting.

Shwager: I especially liked the traditional medium feel. Lovely finish.

All the entries were very strong in this challenge. But there can be only... er... three. So those are mine!

Really tough choices to make, here. There's so many superb entries.

1) RoseanneHayes - not only is it a magnificent layout and execution, but you get extra kudos for excellent text treatment (it's the graphic designer in me).

2) Voluspa - without a doubt my most favourite rendering of the character of all the entries. Very much how I would imagine him from the books, and wonderfully painted; so very lifelike.

3)  DiscoMatt - if there could be two votes for second this would get one. Really loving the modern, angular and grungey design to it. Not so thrilled with the title text treatment though; it unfortunately detracts from the rest of the poster for me (but that's a personal thing).

right. The votes of the DD jury... :) Top notch entries from everyone on this one, i know we always say it but this was a tough call!

1. RosannaHayes-loved this from word go. And each WIP it got better and better...Nice touches on the text too :P

2. Disco Matt-Wasnt too sure how it would work out, but the final image did elicit a "wow" from me when i saw it. 

3. Schwager-always having a soft spot for your style Schwager, though not a huge fan of Elrics face here... But everything else, fab!

Some quick votes before I'm off to work...

1. RosanneHayes: Very well thought out and beautifully realised. Great colours, too.

2. Hendryx: Love the colours and the action pose, awesome work. I think that "A film by..." would have looked better at the top.

3. voluspa: As others have pointed out, I also think it works better as a book cover. Elric's portrait is too good not to vote for it, though.

sugar and Disco Matt were tied for a very close 4th.

@ Smolin: How about that, it's my birthday, too!

1. Disco Matt - Liked it from the start. Very striking graphic style. I love the castle and harbour treatment.
2. Voluspa - The rendering on Elric is super awesome. It doesn't quite shout movie poster to me, though.
3. Sinistral - Although the text is a bit overpowering and the image could have had a bit more work spent on it, this looked the most movie poster-ish to me.

Great entries all round - one of the strongest I've seen in a while!

wow! how tough is this! I'm sure if you asked me which 3 in an hours time, they would be different, so...

1. Hendryx: very movie poster, love how with the piece interacts with itself

2. Schwager: didn't think it was going to work when i saw the first proper sketch...but it does! the colours win me over, love the change from warm at the bottome to cool at the top

3. RosanneHayes: Another piece that interacts really well with itself and has a really clean finish

special mention: Voluspa - really really well drawn! I think its the subtle shading that makes it

And to crit myself, too many times while I 'paint' I'm like 'ahhhh...that'll do! noone can tell...' but you can and it shows. So not to self, be more diligent!

Well done everyone!

You people really didn't make it easy this week. Every piece was very, very good.

1st: Schwager - A very good piece and the one that most said 'film poster' to me. It captured everything, Elric, fights and demons. Elric could perhaps be a little prettier, but the Ian Millar-esque shoulder pad makes up for it :)

2nd: DiscoMatt - I would say this is too good to be a film poster. Both the art work and the graphical style are exceptional.

3rd: Voluspa - My favourite piece since I saw the initial pencil sketches. Simply stunning, but it as you said yourself it strike me more as a book cover than a film poster.

Special mention to Sinistral; this challenge got me reading the books again and the scene you painted could have come straight out of the first book (when Elric is on the battle barge - "All the helm was black, but within the helm there was a white shadow from which glared two crimson orbs...")

Everyone did an awesome job! 

1. Henrix- Looks straight outta my local Regal Cinema lobby, although it definatley needed a little finishing, looks most like a real movie poster.

2. Rosanne Hayes- also very movie'ish, very strong conceptually, but anime style doesnt seem like a big studio pick, really liked.

3. Voluspa- Based on the strength of the render/drawing, very nice, but definately reads as more a book cover, nice job. 

My next would be Disco, love this image but reads as a graphic novel cover, really nice! 

Thanks for all the help in this challenge, this was really fun and look forward to the next one! 

Hey gang. Beautiful images this time. All of the works are pure awesomeness. And having to choose top three is a tough job.

1 - Schwager  Loved the Colors and the lord of the rings / mummy type poster feel to it.

2  - Disco Matt - Great job. And unique style. Love the background. I wish you would tint it a bit more. right now it blends in with Elrick hair 

3 -  RosanneHayes  This one has a nice feel to it. Love the idea with sword transparency, cool touch.

Voluspa - It absolutely great image that beautifully done.  If not for that poster type requirement  it would my top pick.