✩ Harvest Season Skin Competition ✩

[candlemouse]

Hello there! I'm Bunemma, and as the name suggests, I wanted to host a skinning competition. This isn't staff moderated or staff hosted, just to make that clear -- doing it on a personal/player level.

The skin competition itself is fairly simple. All you have to do is create an original skin based on the prompt, submit it, and have it judged by my mystery panel. The top three winners will all receive various prizes described down below.

Interested? Great! Keep reading.

✩ 1. The skin has to be original and made for this contest. Don't submit skins you've done for commissions, or have had laying around for awhile. I want to see new and fresh ideas and contributions!

✩ 2. Skins should be made by YOU. Don't find something off of planetminecraft or wherever else to edit -- these should be your hard work. You're welcome to collaborate with people to make the final product, but prizes may be adjusted accordingly.

✩ 3. The theme (as you probably assumed) is 'harvest season', which is pretty general as far as concepts go. When you post your skin submission as a comment to this post, please provide a little summary as to what your skin is, and what prompted you to make it. If you make a scarecrow, tell me a bit about your scarecrow, and why you chose to skin it specifically.

✩ 4. You have a week to finish these skins -- I'll be closing submissions at 12 PM PST on the 25th of September, so make sure you have it in by then.

✩ Q: How do I submit my skin?
✩ A: By posting either a link to where it's been posted online, uploading the actual file, or a 'preview' of the skin. I recommend screenshotting the front and back, and compiling it into one image to post for judging. Leave it as a comment to this thread, and make sure to detail what it is/why you skinned it!

✩ Q: Who can participate?
✩ A: Literally anyone. You don't have to be a 'big' skinner to send in a submission.

✩ Q: How will the skins be judged?
✩ A: Based loosely on three aspects; creativity/originality, technique/skill, and how relevant it is to the theme (harvest season).

(If you have any other questions I haven't addressed here, feel free to shoot me a pm on discord at Bunemma#9308 !)

✩ 1st Place: Month of Supremium on Massivecraft, $40 towards an art commission of your character, pixelart trophy.

✩ 2nd Place: Month of Supremium on Massivecraft, $20 steam giftcard, pixelart trophy.

✩ 3rd Place: Month of Premium on Massivecraft, month of discord nitro, pixelart trophy.

✩ Participants: Pixelart trophy, a huge thank you, and a shoutout on my planetminecraft if you'd like

(If for whatever reason these prizes don't work for you and you win, please hit me up in PMs to discuss alternate rewards)

​

 

[Messtro]

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✩ What it is/Why I skinned it:

✩ So, admittedly I have been in a skinning slump, yet, the theme of this contest just 'possessed' me so to speak and I instantly had an idea hit me. I also saw this as a perfect opportunity to redo my Silvens skin for something for fall. I think I wrote too much so I put it into a spoiler, aha..

Spoiler: Description, wah!

Originally, I was going to skin a pattern of something plaid along the skirt, however, it wasn't turning out as I'd like with the orange coloring so I instead chose a mix of a skirt and boots + pants beneath it so it could fit an aesthetic of a young girl wanting to help out in the harvest period while still having protection against the cold. Skirt was to be as that cute idea of a girl using it to hold apples while not having a basket or bag with them. The hat also was to tie the outfit together since I wanted to do some sort of head accessory and I didn't think a bow would fit the outfit itself. Not to mention, working in the fields, ideally a hat would be used to shield the sun out of ones eyes.

All in all, I kind of just went with what I came up with on the go and felt fit the theme to the best of my ability.

 

[Murmurations]

When I was trying to think what to make.. No, I did not think pumpkin spice, or leaves falling, no no.. All that came to mind was chain saws and screaming. And then this outfit was born out of lack of sleep and my excitement for my favorite holiday.
I love Halloween.

 

[KitchenRefugee]

The word harvest brought to my mind fields, which in my mind led to farmers. That made me think I should make something that's practical. Ultimately my thought process led to making some suspenders for my Elgalëy, Allynna. Once I was done with the base, I decided adding flowers with different types of yellow, orange and red would add a fun little touch to it along with the little sloppy, hanging suspender, and the end result can be seen above.

 

[PresentMediator]

Jack the harbinger of the Corvid, scourge of the harvest.

Jack the harbinger was never a person, but rather, a construct built upon the fields of fall to protect its produce. The Anglians of the land could never have predicted that their fields were built upon ancient machines which leaked magic. With each passing day, Jack the harbinger, like the crops they watched over, was nurtured through the process of osmosis by the very ground that was flooded with magic, gradually becoming a hybrid between an object and a live entity. Before Jack could walk, the scarecrow mastered blightomancy to move; a type of necromancy employed on blighted vegetables to direct and command the dead material of the crop, which they employed to free themselves from the very stake they were tied to.

Initially built to dissuade crows, Jack became acclimated to their presence, and the Corvids in turn taught them a great deal about the world.

Spoiler: OOC NOTE!

I had a lot of fun doing this! I'd like to give a shoutout to @Naramm , @NZ_Nix , and @bahmGe for assisting me in the ideas and story for my lovely scarecrow here! I'd also like to give a shoutout to @Murmurations for teaching me some new skinning strategies and how to use tools on the MC3d program.

With their help, I was able to experiment, and that's what this skin is! A big experiment to get more accustomed to the dodge and burn tools on MC3d, as well as different shading strategies with colors such as using purple for darker shadows, and yellow for highlights!

 

[YunYun]

Synne: Sunflower Farmer
Within Synne's backstory, it depicts her briefly growing up in Hallonq with a working-class family of farmers. One of their seasonal harvests included sunflowers. Thus, the sunflower painted overalls. I feel the idea of overalls and just warm tones represent the autumn but as well as typical farmer garbs. High boots, gloves, and thick cloth to protect oneself from the amount of heavy-duty work a farmer does.​

 

[DrHasagi]

-= Pavel, the Skeletal Traveler =-​

Treading along the forest of orange and red trees under the night sky, fallen leaves crunching beneath his boots, the skeleton peered forward, and just ahead, a town crossed his vision. "At last!" thought Pavel, adjusting his hat as his footsteps quickened with a skeletal grin. He had been wandering the forest for what felt like ages, the autumn breeze growing more unkind as it began to shove him around a little. "Rude..." He, however, didn't let that bother him as he further approached the town, until he found himself passing through the gates and...!

"Guards, please, I am innocent! It's not my fault my magic trick caused him to have a heart attack!"

-= The Travels of Pavel have been temporarily postponed! =-​

Right. So on with the explanation!
​

After looking over the theme, I initially ended up thinking of skeletons, and warm clothing due to how close we are getting to sp00ky m0nth! So, I designed a skeleton dressed in a parka, hiking boots, and an ushanka to keep him warm as the weather gets colder and the wind picks up, allowing him cozy travels as he goes about exploring, trick-or-treating, or running like hell when one of his "tricks" angers the local tavern owner.

Click me​

 

[SevenBirds]

Spoiler: Cielo Harvest

When I was thinking about the harvest season prompt, I thought about the Cielothar Harvest Festivals and so decided to make a special outfit for Faran! (Because one way or another, we are going to survive this occupation and get back to normal eventually!)
The general idea I had for the outfit was something that combined practicality and comfort with fun party wear. Because this festival is happening in the cooler part of the year, a warm flowing cloak is included in the ensemble, along with wrapping a sheer shawl about the waist instead of including it as part of the clothing itself. Both are embroidered with dark green vines and leaves, similar to Faran's tattoos, and have practical purposes as makeshift pouches or dancing accessories as well. Given the festive nature of the occasion, she wears slightly more formal silver jewelry instead of her usual copper, but the pieces remain close to her heart - they belong to a set she bought while visiting a community festival with her friends shortly after arriving in the city. She still stubbornly refuses to wear shoes until the snow comes, but has donned cloth footwraps to keep out some of the chill while still being able to run and dance, accompanied by the chime of silver bells sewn into the hem of her flowing skirt.

On a technical note, this was a bit of an experiment with some different shading techniques than I usually use. I'm still not sure if I prefer this result or the subtler one I usually do, but it was fun to try. It was also a chance to try something different out with her hair - I made braids when I first started playing but was unhappy with them and eventually switched to regular hair, so it was nice to return for another shot. They're still not quite what I wanted, but it's definitely an improvement from my first attempt. Overall, it was a fun little challenge to try!

 

[candlemouse]

snip

Click to shrink...

Your image link seems to be broken!

 

[SevenBirds]

Your image link seems to be broken!

Click to shrink...

Let's try again - did this work?

 

[WildRoze]

Okay let's gooooo




✩ What it is/Why I skinned it:​

Hi! okay so I really tried to stick to my roots on this one. Something I would actually wear irl and is an adorable thing from top to bottom. Plus if it came down to it I probably use the skin as a character if she wasn't so Fall Cottagecore.

Her name is Autumn and she is a young fox girl who is finally allowed to join her parents at the farmers market his year! So of course she came dressed to impress all the girls. Her entire vibe is also inspired by Calico Critters which are these tiny dolls that remind me so much of the changing of the seasons.

Over all super fun to do! Had a bit of a skinning dip so it was nice to try just make something fun for a change.

 

[GRIST_]

PAPRIKA THE SQUASH GIRL
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Paprika is not a farmer. She really wishes she was but she's not very good at taking care of plants. Luckily Paprika is very friendly to her neighbors and for every harvest season, she takes their fruits and vegetables and makes delicious recipes from them. Her favorite food item? Squash! Every year Paprika makes her famous Butternut Squash Bread and takes it with her to the county fair. Where she and her neighbors share in apple cider and all the delicious treats that they've made together during the season.

Butternut Squash Bread​

INSPIRATION EXPLANATION
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I'm not a great skinner by any means. I often do small edits when if I need them but I rarely ever make full skins like this one. When I saw this contest though a really fun idea hit me. I wanted to make a girl with a Squash apron. When I think about Harvest Season, I think heavily about all the farmers, chefs, and bakers that come together to make something truly special from all the food they've made over the year. I think about fairs and coming together to celebrate a good time. I wanted to mainly focus on the squash apron but I also used Red and Orange to hone in on those fall colors. I really enjoyed doing this and really enjoyed reading through all the submissions! ​

 

[CrimsletMonarch]

Goddess of the Seasons: Dance of the Harvest
by CrimsletMonarch
​

At an old farm, there is a tree with a pond of freshwater underneath that has been there ever since before the founder of the farm that inhabited the area around it. There is the scent of chestnuts roasting and the sound of crackling leaves underneath the feet of playing children or of elders taking a stroll in the mountains. However, unlike the passing time and people, the goddess that inhabits the great tree awaits for someone to revitalize the lands of the farm around her and become the new steward of nature and of the homeland she loves.

Concept Explanation
When I think of the words 'harvest season', I often think to Stardew Valley and rushing to plant and care for all of the crops on the farm, and of course, the relief when it is time to harvest and throw all of the finished produce into a nice bin or keep them away in storage to create dishes or give as gifts. In general, Stardew gives off that feeling of happiness that I can either gain for my own or share with others. It is taking time to invest effort and time and then, seeing the (sometimes literal) fruits of labor. There is this feeling of satisfaction and warmth in knowing that you accomplished something. Even if it was big or small.

Originally, I was thinking of creating an entry of a farmer. But I felt it didn't give me something to sink my teeth in enough. Then, I remembered that before I loved and played Stardew, there was Harvest Moon. The game was much harder and less forgiving. In the present, I believe that Stardew Valley offers a more flexible and enjoyable experience in comparison. Still, there is nostalgia in Harvest Moon and a large part of the concept I loved was the Goddess or Spirit character that could be interacted with in some versions of the game. In some games, she was present as a guide and in others, she sometimes could be interacted with to the point the player could have a strong bond with her. Something caught me about a figure existing that would watch the world change around her and was waiting for the time someone would return the farm to its former glory. It had the melancholy of fall when one realizes the end of the year is coming, yet also the beauty in the transition of time with the leaves changing colors.

For my goddess concept, I made the character as a 'Goddess of the Seasons', because harvest is not the only part of the process. In a way, this outfit is like a change of uniform to go with the current season for her. Her hair is long and dark to contrast her clothing, but also communicate the concept of aging. I was imagining her growing out this lengthy mane over the seasons and then, cutting it off before winter as harvest proceeds along. The red ribbons in her hair, sandals, and shoes are inspired by how some plants need to be tied to a trellis. It can also signify for the stability that food brings to a community, especially when winter is about to settle in. The dress was made to show off the transition from green to orange like fall leaves and even the colors of pumpkins. I wanted to give the outfit a more flowing and free look like perfect for dancing. She is a goddess, she does not get cold and it is the time to celebrate. Let her wear something special and ornamented. A successful harvest is difficult to come by. In a time span when so much can go wrong for crops, to be able to reach that point is a grand achievement. It is no different when people have to invest time to reach a goal and finally reach a harvest season of their own.

(forgive me for the long explanation, I am sorry)

 

[BiBiBirdie]

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡『︎ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ』︎≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡
A Child of the Misfortune.
A brightly dressed figure watching on the unsuspecting goers of the Harvest Festival as they perch on a pumpkin the same colour as their dress. The skirt of the dress is decorated with barley, embroidered in white thread. A crown of laurels weaved between their braids and matching streams of green silks cast over their shoulder and binding their arms. They wait for the shrieks of the crowd when their trick is unveiled; their mouths stuffed with wriggling worms instead of the promised pumpkin pie.

Spoiler: Why did you skin this?

When I think about anything, colours are usually the first thing to pop into my head, and I couldn't resist the pumpkin colour scheme. I wanted to try pushing myself to skin a few things I don't usually do for the competition and play around with newer things; big patterns, different hair textures. All that jazz!

Spoiler

≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡『︎ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ』︎≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡

 

[Brit<3]

So I uh had a hard time picking a ref that would match for a Harvest theme, seemed kinda hard for me, so I went with a Harvest celebration figure who has a wooden mask or a is an actual tree with leaves. they have flowers growing on their head and wear a pinkish sash, with more green foliage coming, which is why it looks like a hot mess.

I tried my best but I did not end up finishing it, So this is what I have, Im joining in the competition for just fun so I do not expect to win anything lol. this was fun to try out.

 

[Annie_Short]

Prairie Buns Companion

So when making the skin the first thing I thought of when I saw the word harvest was, of course, gardens! I remember as a kid going to my great grandmother's house during the fall and seeing these rabbits which snuck in and she would curse and scream about them since they ate EVERYTHING. Regardless, I remembered this little brown rabbit which I fell in love and always tried to befriend like any six/seven year old would do. I would toss discarded veggies ruined by bugs over the fence by the den and watch as at least three rabbits would come out and this is when my great grandmother told me the brown one was their mother. For the skin, I took inspiration from this experience and the aesthetic from Peter Rabbit (which was one of my favorites things to watch as a kid) to create this little prairie dress bunny girl outfit. I loved the idea of this childhood memory of fall becoming a skin for my character Minji, who is a mother figure to her younger sister, Synne. It reminds me of the time at fall I spent with my great grandmother and I am glad I could implement this memory into a character that I play with the people I love.

Spoiler: Inspiration :)

 

[Lutowski]

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Pumpimosa, the Fey of Harvest
Coming down once a year from the Seelie courts of the Autumn to bless the fields she deems best cared for, Pumpimosa is an entity revered by the agricultural villages. Each harvest, she serves as a reminder to the humans that they never live on 'owned land', only rented from nature itself, and to never abuse what she's given you.

When it comes to the theme, I thought about skinning a vegetable person with deific undertones - and the one vegetable I thought would be most fitting, while at the same time brushing shoulders with Halloween, would unsurprisingly be pumpkins. So I slapped together a sort of humanized 'pumpkin fey' that comes to bless the fields so that the farmers can sow it again without little complication or concern for overburdening the soil for next year's harvest, while ushering in the current year's Halloween. I used strong, natural colors with a dash of beige on her linen - complemented by the sunflower patterns that drapes her back and head.​

 

[candlemouse]

A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED!!

It means the world to me that so many people were interested in participating! Which also made it hard to pick winners, heh. Each skin was rated on three criteria: creativity/originality, technique/execution, and relevance to theme. Some skins were really strong in one category, but missed the mark in another -- all in all, I loved every submission!

First Place -- @Lutowski with Pumpimosa, the Fey of Harvest.
Second Place -- @PapidaCarrot with Jack, the harbinger of corvid.
Third Place -- @CrimsletMonarch with the Goddess of Seasons.

Hit me up on discord (Bunemma#9308) to receive/chat about your prizes! All participants get this really nifty pixel art coin that @slurmancer made for the contest, and a shout out on my planetminecraft if you have an account and you'd like one

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR PARTICIPATING!!!!!!
I hope to do this again so keep your eyes out!

[ @Messtro @Murmurations @31stPanZe @PapidaCarrot @YunYun @DrHasagi @SevenBirds @WildRoze @CRASHIR @CrimsletMonarch @BiBiBirdie @Brit<3 @Annie_Short @Lutowski ]​