Sabtastic's art Reviews on Newgrounds

[Universal Expression]

Great work bringing such an energetic musical piece to life with art!
This sounds like it would have been super tricky since it has quite a dramatic crescendo and varies so much in tempo. I can't quite pin down the overall mood since the music is so complex.

The visual abstraction really pairs up nicely with the orchestral dubstep you've chosen, and the rippling sound waves you've drawn in are a nice touch, too. You tackled this challenging piece with confidence.

Lovely entry overall! Nice job!

camila93 responds:

thank you :D

[Kaiyo's Revenge]

Oooh awesome job! The looping in this animation syncs really nicely with the base piano chorus.

Overall I really appreciate the level of detail + effort put into building an entire scene around this musical piece. The visual colour scheme + atmosphere comes off as a bit more tense than the music seems (to me) but it still syncs well, and this still stands out quite nicely as a whole.

Keep up the great work!

Yipcks responds:

thank you so much!

[[MIA 2020] Above the Ocean, Beneath the Stars]

Aahhh this is so beautiful!
I really hope the musician sees this piece and you two can collaborate more in the future. You both complement each other well.

This piece really stands out, and I adore everything about what you've chosen to include. The colour scheme is dark, starry and mysterious just like the music, and the sketchy traditional finish you've given the small rotating pedestal is the icing on the cake. There's something about the tiny scale of the house and the rest of the objects floating on the vast ocean that just harmonizes with the cute tiny 8-bit notes in the song, too.

Stellar job.

CandySweetssJr responds:

^u^
Thank you for the compliement!!

I'm haven't talked to Desoloz, but maybe collabing could be the next big push for me as an artist. For the meantime, I really enjoyed animating; I'm definitely going to do some rotoscoping in the future!

Again, thank you!!

[Animu n' Aesthetic]

Awesome job creating a scene to go with such upbeat music!

I definitely see this being a bustling, vibrant downtown scene, and your character (to me) comes off as a believable inhabitant of that environment. Good work with the walking loop, but be sure to follow it through with all the background elements way over from left to right! It cuts off kind of abruptly, which is a tiny bit distracting, but overall I really think you nailed this combination of music and art.

Keep up the good work!

mut3ch4n responds:

Thank you! Yeah, I animated this in Clip Studio Pro so I was kinda limited in how long I could animate it for. I'm definitely considering getting EX for longer projects in the future though, 'cause I agree with your point on the choppiness. Thanks again for the feedback, I'll be sure to keep this in mind the next time I animate something like this!

[Face Them]

Nice work with portraying such a tense, suspenseful scene.
The first few seconds of LucidShadowDreamer's song really match up with what you've painted, and your sunset colour choice really helps to drive the point of a long-standing battleground that's winding to a climactic finale.

Great job ,and keep it up!

BingoWaders responds:

Thank you! Really glad I could get the feeling I wanted across.

[Count Them Sheep]

Oooh, awesome job!

Love your linework and colour choices. The application is super neatly done, too.
Is this gouache?

I could easily picture this as an official album cover. It just fits aesthetically with what I'd imagine if this song was brought to life. Nice work with your interpretation and song choice!

BastianConst responds:

Thank-you very much, i am glad you like it.
It is indeed gouache with ink

It was very fun to draw this entry, really enjoyed the contest and seeing other peoples unique takes on songs.

[STAND UP]

Nice job on this piece!

There's a sense of FIERY DETERMINATION behind it and I think your choice of colours adds to the intense energy building up with this character.

The perspective on the stairs don't quite line up with the horizon line, making for a bit of a confusing view, but overall the stairs going up is a pretty logical, understandably frustrating hurdle for your character to face, and I like how you've illustrated this music to match that.

Keep up the good work!

snailpirate responds:

Thanks Sab! I appreciate the review!

[Cyber Space]

Too good!

You've illustrated an entire game to go with this music and it fits together excellently. I'd play this for sure!

The blue color palette stands out as a great choice, in my opinion. The metallic, futuristic, tech vibe I get from the synths really fits with that visually. As for the abstract floating shapes and the perspective implied by the lines, I'd imagine this is a fast-paced platformer, and I think you've suggested that well, too!

Keep up the good work, and great entry!

ryve responds:

Thank you so much :D

[In a Blue Funk]

Awesome job bringing this music to life with your illustration!

I love how you've painted in various metallic / material objects being pelted by rain to emulate the sound effects in this music, and tie everything together. The character appears to be crying, but the music persists as kind of upbeat -- which is a conflicting detail that I think is nice. Rainy days are always a bit glum and gloomy, but there's something nice and distracting about watching them.

If I had to critique anything in particular, (and take this all with a grain of salt, because it looks lovely as is) I would recommend thickening the lines of anything in the foreground to imply that it's closer to the viewer, and thinning the lines of the details in the background. Rain tends to obscure the details of background elements that are far away, making them sort of faded, so less black and thinner lines can help to imply that and create a sense depth! (here's an example of what I mean in an image with heavy rain: https://images.app.goo.gl/3YQTjDsb3kRaALXF6)

All in all, though, I really like your interpretation of this song, and the character you've created. Perfect choice of medium for such a wet environment, too. Lovely work!

TaraGraphika responds:

Thank you Sabtastic for the lovely review and constructive criticism. I'll be sure to remember to add depth duly onward~:)

All the best!~

[Quiet Crossing]

I'm trying not to be biased, but I adore -everything- about this piece.

The music is relaxing, the palette is nice, bright, light and pastel, and the scene you've created goes perfectly with the music you've chosen. The animation loops so nicely, too! If I were browsing around on Youtube looking for something to put on while I worked, I'd definitely pick this.

From a technical standpoint, I really love the cool blue tones vs warm yellows you used in your shadows as the train passes by, and your use of perspective. Everything harmonizes really nicely.

Excellent entry. Keep up the great work!

Karlestonchew responds:

Wow, thank you so much for the kind words and evaluation! This made my week! I knew you'd be judging the art but didn't expect a personalized message. I've been a fan of your art for quite some time now so this really means a lot. Thank you!