Foreword
I'm glad so many of you guys entered! I know creating art suddenly takes time and a lot of thought, so well done all of you for creating these works! First, I will do what we've all been waiting for, and announce the results! After that, I have thoughts and critique for each image. I collected all the images and did their critiques before I made my decisions, just to pull back the curtain a bit. I started writing about them in order, but then started separating the back to back growlithe evos. I hope you all find it helpful!
Results!
First Place for 120 points goes to....
Sunfished's Crawbraler Alternate Evolution!
120 points to Vestigo House
The top two were both amazing for various reasons, but that emotive face won me over!
Second Place for 80 points goes to...
Fenneking's Phareon!
80 points to Doctrina House
Beautiful and creative! You always have an amazing style.
Third Place for 50 points goes to...
Esper's Magnevice!
50 points to Doctrina House
A simple concept executed very well!
Honorable Mentions
House Evolution Category for 20 points goes to...
Fafrir's Growlithe Split-evo!
20 points goes to Gloria House
Sprite Edit Category for 20 points goes to...
KNS27's Arcanine X-C!
20 points to Consortia House
??? Category evolves to.... Humor Category! for 20 points goes to...
5qwerty's entry, Manpharos!
20 points to Gloria House
Thoughts
Manpharos by 5qwerty
A decent sprite edit. The concept is amusing even if not that complex. The connections from ampharos's head to the body as well as the tail is believable, though the neck could have been made thinner. It doesn't fit thematically into the evolution line, but this is fine as it's just a very amusing entry!
Hawlucha Baby by Lemonsky
A technical issue- the size of the sprite. It is correct in that it meets the 80x80 limits, however because it takes up the entire canvas, it appears to be rather large. Since this is a baby pokemon, and its evolution hawlucha isn't a very sizable pokemon itself, the scale is making it hard to imagine. Ignoring this however, the sprite work itself is well executed. Your shapes blend well into each other and the body feel believable. I wish the beak was a little bit more distinct from the feathers, texture or shape wise. I also wish that more inspiration was drawn from Hawlucha beside it's colors. The shape of it's eye 'mask' and other parts could have made it into it's pre evolution. While the theme of the evolutions do not have to be the same, it should at least replace it with some else creative. Solid original work, could have used a bit more inspirations.
Crabrawler Alternate Evolution by Sunfished
This is a charming design! Immediately, this looks like a proper evolution to crabrawler than it's previous evolution. It maintains that attitude and style of it's inspiration with it's flexing position and wide smile. There are enough changes to consider it a proper evolution as well, it's 'whiskers' becoming a mustache to compliment it's extended hairdo, with much longer forearms to match it's status as a brawler. Your pixel work on it's face in particular is stellar, with other details on it's chest and else where carrying your fine line. The only I issue I have technically is with the arms themselves. The arms are very "balloon" like, in that that all portions are around the same girth. I can tell that some of these issues stem from the size limitations, however I still would have chosen to have the pincers be the largest appendage as Crawbraler and Crabominable both have. (what with being a crabs and all) Perhaps a different pose could have helped this, with this evo crouching and turned so you can go into detail of one arm proportion. Very nice sprite work, very nice creative idea, both executed very well.
Mega Espeon by Leòmhann teine
There are a lot of creative ideas going on here, and I admire that! However, there's a bit too much going on visually and it's not successful. I think for the psychic enhanced jewels, it would have been better for them to be in a floating circle like the top three. It seems odd that one specific eeveelution would have the tails of them all, and it makes the pallet hard to blend together into a cohesive and nice looking combination. There are no technical errors, but it could use a bit more focus on the concept.
Arcanine X-C by KNS27
What a sad origin, but it is a good inspiration for alternative evolution concepts. The extended and wilder mane, with that dark steel mask are the kind of details that sells the ideas. Choosing to darken the reds, being blood red with an aggressive orange is a great choice as well. While only a sprite edit, I wish that it's actual body shape was slightly different, maybe more malnourished, as well as chains or other accents that carry the steel mask material. The shading on the mask doesn't do service to it's shape or material, try studying the shine on armor. As well, the larger tufts of added fur spikes do not quite match the other fur rendering. Needs work on texture/material shapes in your pixel work, but a very creative and well idealized concept.
Magnevice by Esper
A good alternate concept! Instead of adding two balls of uselessness to itself, it instead adapts independently to be able to manipulate the world better. There's a bit of a technically issues in that the magnet wrapping around it's head isn't in the correct perspective/isn't wide enough to properly attach to the red side. The appendages on Magenevice carrying a wire and red/blue theme is a great idea and well executed, but I wish it would come out of the previous screw locations on Magnemite as that area seems bare now. They seem almost like feet in their current position. A simple but creative concept executed very well.
Mega Arcanite by countryemo
A darker arcanine, with red and black theme, being a 'darker' mega is a decent concept. Your addition of umbreon's ears and skutank's tail are both shapes that can fit well within your concept, but they needed to have been integrated in your color pallet. The The blue-black of their additions don't fit or accent with the warm colors in the main body. Try turning the navy colors into the red/orange and the tan into the black colors. A decent concept, needs some color work but your positioning on the additions is fine.
Phareon by Fenneking
I might be biased as I already have a particular fondness for your style, but let's prove it in writing! The 'resurrection' origin with Egyptian themes is a great inspiration that is well realized. The gold bracelets, anhk-like tail, and necklaces work well with espeon's red jewels spread across them. The inner ears almost look like eyes, with the flowery wings giving a very mystical look that fits well as an extension of psychic types and resurrection theme. The only design choices that bother me is the "flatness' of the back body that makes the top of the legs look very fat/almost added on like a robot. In addition, I feel as though the white covering the face in addition to it's round head doesn't related enough to espeon, and could almost look like a different pokemon. While theses changed happen a lot in normal evolutions, the fact that it's not a permanent evolution I think it should look a bit more like espeon. A fantastic concept, executed in a great style that that lends itself to the inspirations.
Growlithe Split-evo by Fafrir
This is the third 'dark arcanine', but this is the most creative inspiration given to one. Acknowledging it's original roots and using a related myth is a good call, and came out with a good look! The dark circle around it's eyes, scruffy eyebrows and fur, being less muscular, all lend to it's evil spirit. There are slight issues in that its abdomen isn't well defined, leading to the legs looking incorrectly placed and proportioned. As well, the tuft curving up looks off in contrast to the tail fluff that looks to be coming out of the previous tuft. It should be moved slightly lower to appear as if it is properly coming out of it's behind. A great concept and well done execution!
That's it!
Thank you guys!
