Helpful Bear Productions unveils the winners of its illustration competition, judged by industry-leading concept artist Terryl Whitlatch.
Run by a group of industry professionals, Helpful Bear is a production company that specialises in the visual development for feature films and television. On the hunt for new talent, at the end of last month, Helpful Bear Productions launched a creature design contest and, after receiving over 2,000 submissions, the winners have now been chosen.
Judged by illustrator Terryl Whitlatch, best-known for her creature designs for Lucasfilm, first place went to concept artist and illustrator Katie Pfeilschiefter, for her take on mythological medieval predator of dragons, the Ichneumon.
"My main inspiration was the Egyptian mongoose," Pfeilschiefter says, "and I extrapolated from there, coating its fur with quills, giving it a venomous bite and inferring an exaggerated patagium between its front and forelegs for surviving long falls."
Katie Pfeilschiefter secures the top spot with her take on mythological creature the Ichneumon
Second place was awarded to San Francisco-based Jan Vidra for his Mountain Dweller design, which will be turned into a 3D sculpt by modeller Aybars Turan and feature in a forthcoming issue of 3D World.
San Francisco-based Jan Vidra came second with his Mountain Dweller illustration
Coming in third was artist Aleksandar Petrikanović with his Water Giant illustration. All three winners will have their work printed in the forthcoming issue of ImagineFX.
Aleksandar Petrikanović impressed the judges and came third place with his Water Giant creature design
