First Strike

The flames and destruction of combat. Countless soldiers fall upon the battlefield against immeasurable odds and enemies. Not knowing what could befall them with every battle, they bravely move forward hoping to come closer and closer to reaching their goal, their enemies breathing down their necks with every single step they take. Constant fear of who will picked off in the night or watching all of your friends killed right before their eyes. These paranoid stricken soldiers begin to start asking themselves questions. How many of us could die during this mission? Are we ever going to see the end of this war? Will I be able to see my family before this over...if I live? These are only a few of the many questions whizzing through their minds like stray bullets through the air of battle. We may never know when or how a conflict may end; sometimes they end themselves, other times countless individuals are lost before a truce can be made. One thing is for sure however, be it mechanized soldiers powered by man, or men marching with guns armed, war will never change. First Strike, created by luminarium front-man =keepwalking07, gives us a proper depiction of what war really can look like from the eyes of an onlooker.

This picture really shows off a great sense of action as well as dynamic motion. Each of the mechanized suits look great, their metallic frames reflecting the light from armor of their firearms and the dimming flames in the distance. The single arm firing in the top left of the screen give a cool sense of perspective as if you are watching the battle unfold right behind the subject. Each and every single scratch upon their titanic armored plates, really bring out how damaging and taxing this battle can be on the soldiers in play. Watching as each of your comrades fall beside you; the enemies bullets ripping through the air like lead spears. You look around everywhere and discover that you are...one of the few soldiers left. You and your remaining associates must brave through the difficult battle alone...not knowing if this will be over soon for them or for you.

As much action as the piece presents to the viewer, there are some other elements that just come up a bit thin. Some of the background elements look a bit plain and could really use a bit of the destruction brush that gracefully painted the rest of the characters and foreground. Don't be afraid to add that extra bit of detail to all of the elements in a piece, as that is what makes artwork shine forth. If you ever revisit this piece, that should be a pretty nice place to start with the redux.

Slight complaints aside, this is still a great piece that wordlessly speaks the great tale of a war with flawless immersion. As with many of this artist's pieces, it still contains that wondrous story element behind its brushstrokes, enticing the viewer even further and allowing our imaginations to spin forth. Great work, keepwalking! <img src="e.deviantart.net/emoticons/c/c…" width="20" height="20" alt="" title="Clap"/>