Phronemophobia's art Reviews on Newgrounds

[The cocoa fever]

It's cute to see those two relaxing with their choice of candy, but I adore how Big Man looks ready to bake with his. Is he going to prepare something simple like a batch of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies or perhaps he's asking them to join in a collaboration dessert such as a triple chocolate mousse. That seems like a Big Man thing to do, right?

While a room of chocolate isn't all that unique (a candy-themed level used to be pretty common in video games), I very much appreciate you putting in the time and effort to really spruce up your version of it. I'm going to guess the flowers here are daffodils though I'm not certainly since the flower is typically seen with six petals. Visually appealing, of course, but if you really wanted to be a dork, you could have included some chocolate cosmos. What draws my attention the most, however, is the cup you have Frye lounging in. The design has me thinking it is based on something and I'm curious if that's the case or if you came up with it on your own.

Lastly, the half-eaten food and missing tiles on the ground tell me there might have been a mini Splatfest of sorts going on here to determine how much space was shared between the three of them. The whole piece is a treat for the eyes.

ICam2k responds:

That's how Bigs is. Refined with his tastes and is willing to share them, y'know?
Daffodils would've been funny to be included there, but these are vanilla orchids. They're used to reference how white chocolate is made. Granted I've could've included cocoa beans for the other bars, but suppose the leaves give a fine hint.
I initially thought that you were referring to an aesthetic type of sorts until I looked that up and sure enough, it is a flower. Don't really think it's used for chocolate production despite what the name implies. Pretty looking flower though.
Besides the emblem pasted on (the Onaga crest) I came up with the "cup seat". Just a nice nod of how hot chocolate or any coffee is usually served in our place. No mugs, just a fine carton cup.
That was admitedly my favourite part to work on, especially the w. choco tiles. To be frank, I didn't even think white chocolate would come out victorious while working on this, so I suppose that was some sort of an unexpected prediction.

[Needed image]

Went to look up Callie and Marie cause I remembered the names but wasn't sure who was who. Noticed their outfits were different from one another and wondered why only one looked dressed for New Year's. According to the images, that's their normal outfits right now? I guess only Big Man decided to dress up special for the occasion with his dapper-looking top hat and bow tie.

It's a fair drawing and perfect for the holiday. Most of your other uploads have some level of artistic ambition added to them but this seems rather straightforward. A shame there's not more interaction with the three in the back though I assume you just included them afterwards to help fill out the drawing. I'mma guess it's the ol' "I already came this far, so I might as well keep going with it" sort of mindset that I, too, have often at work when I'm closing things down for the night. You're finished with it, but you're not finished-finished with it and, therefore, it's not finished.

ICam2k responds:

They're also their cover-up outfits appaerently since they're agents of New Squidbeak Splatoon (once led by their grandpa who was a lieutenant). Guess that explains why Marie's outfit reminded me of such characters like Inspector Gadget (I actually never whatched the show though, I only know of the character).
Bigs is a rather goofy looking stingray with epicurean tastes, so he pretty much has to look fancy for such events.

Most of the drawings that are event related are straightforward really, even the halloween ones. I admit that I tend to draw the agents pretty less given that they're, well, player characters made to be customised. Do try include every once in a while, but yeah. I usually tend to go with characters with established personalities.

[Scarves are for the weak]

Outside of generation one, I'd typically side with fire types, so I guess I'd be rooting for Frye which is fine by me since she's second to only Pearl anyhow. Still, I did that sort of thing as a kid and all that bravado against harsh weather got me was a sore throat and the flu a couple times a year.

I really love the outfits two of them have the good sense to wear, especially Big Man. Shiver is still trying to maintain some fashion but Big Man clearly wants to be warm and I am 100% with him on that. Also, I like the lanky versions. Makes the squid people look less... maybe not "less" but more "evenly distributed" in design.

ICam2k responds:

I do have a couple of favourites as far as fire types go, but I do tend to side with water types quite often... for starters, I side a lot more with ground and ice actually. Krookodile, Claydol, Walrein and even Glalie are pretty good examples.
Heh, guess I'm not the only one who has done that. Back when I was little that is. Nowadays I tend to chill inside with a mug of hot choco in hands while admiring the snowfall at night... if it ever happens.
Thanks! I came up with these outfits long before the Frosty Fest came out with it their poster, which are supposed to be the official outfits.
https://x.com/SplatoonJP/status/1745732348921184606
(not to be confused with the stage oufits)
Sea creatures are cold blooded as far as I'm concerned, so putting on extra layers during harsh environments is mandatory.
I would go back to draw them like that if I wasn't so respectful to the source material. Ah well, at least some exagerations aren't fully one.

[Stay off the bed]

Thinking about it, I could totally see a, uh, whatever the term is... "squidling"... "squid kid" staying in their non-humanoid form whenever they're feeling particularly tired or lazy. That and Marina would be even more obnoxious in a taller/larger form while lying on top of Pearl.

Prior to reading your comments, I thought of this and the prior image where Marina was also in her other form and initially wondered if it was a choice to help place more focus on Pearl.

ICam2k responds:

No, inklings are squid kids, the term for their bulbous counterparts is "dumbo kid", trust me, I know this series real good. Heh, I was even going to have her drool on Pearl in sleep like in the Octo Expansion's chat log feature where they were postin photos. That would've been priceless.
This could be the intent, but I am willing to place focus on all characters on equal level every once in a while.

[We drip ink]

"And then it led to a wave of fanart featuring these three. Just a heads up." Spoiler warning next time, please!

Another piece that probably should be on a shirt. This is the best interpretation of Frye I've ever seen... mainly because I loving seeing characters looking their most chaotic in fanart, especially when that character is a water goblin.

ICam2k responds:

Sorryyy, had to drop in a warning just in case, but I'll keep that in mind later on.
Chaotic looking people usually tend to be the best part in drawings like these. They always take the spotlight 90% of the time compared to the slightly sane ones, which isn't a bad thing.
LMAO, "Water goblin". You just straight up outclassed my term "inky imp" with this one. I would've given you a gold star if I had one.

[Purple and Blue]

I can hate on the quality of almost all the other recent Pokemon games (I bought the "new" Snap on Switch and it is a beautiful exception), but the designs of the monsters have always been excellent and if the series manages to return to the level of shine from the days of sequels like black/white or remakes like heartgold/soulsilver, then we'll have so many fantastic creatures to catch while appreciating their return to glory. That's probably a strong reason for why many still enjoy the current titles in spite of their issues. If you can roam around with something as cool as sneasler, then it becomes significantly easier to look past the flaws.

I don't know enough this particular evolution, though it seems like the simpler art in the middle looks more appropriate for sneasler's personality. I do like the one tearing through... grapes, I'm assuming, and the other with the imposing look to the far left, but sneasel always gave me the impression that it did a better job looking intimidating rather than being intimidating and that appears doubly so for its evolution. Feel free to correct me on that. Again, I haven't played this one. I'm just going by feels right now.

ICam2k responds:

So can I actually. I don't like how undercooked/limited Sword/Shield feels , even though the nuzlocke I did on it was the most memorable. While I could care less about Scarlet and Violet due to some its "quirks", its still not THE worst I've ever seen. Not sure if they can go back to the peak period at this point, but I'm still willing to give hope to the future projects like Legends Z-A despite being rarely shown since its tease.

That's exactly how I perceived from this tall weasel/sloth monster despite its poison/fighting typing, even though that's also based on one of my mons from my team (the trainer besides him is a nice giveaway) heh. These are Oran berries, but really, it's not too far off given that most of the berries are based on fruits anyways (although these resemble blueberries more).
Pretty funny given that these guys are described as being solitary prior to their johtonian forms' "hunting in packs" nature that they've adapted afterwards.

[Chill and Cool]

I saw Vector and asked myself, "Why gator so fat?" and, apparently, this is his modern look? Is this like what happened to Knuckles in Sonic Boom?

"It looks like it could fill its role as a new banner too!" - my literal first thought when I saw this!

"I can't just ignore the decade that I lived in." Why not? I do that all the time. I already lived through that decade, so I want something new. Well, okay, once in a while it's fine to be nostalgic but I don't want to grow into one of those old folk who end up thinking life stopped being good after their childhood ended.

ICam2k responds:

That's from Sonic Boom indeed. Until by the second season, they decided to give him a black jacket and took away his headphones.
Yeah, as a matter of fact. I used to have this banner set on dA for quite a good amount of time. And it's not like it's completely gone either, it still has it's place on Twitter, whether that's a good thing or not. heh
Hahah, guess that makes me a grumpy grandma then. I did find and appreciate new things happening nowadays despite the nostalgia kicking in every once in a while.

[Cap'n Kevin's Treasure Map - Talk Like A Pirate Day 2024]

The one major downside to this map is the path provided. Right at the start there's really no reason for me to sail upwards when I can just go straight from Backwards J Island to the path right above The Pigeon Kraken. An easy fix would have been to place The Suck Zone right between the island and The Sirens That Make You Watch Every Episode Of Fraiser, Then Eat You. Then again, even if I did go upward, I could land at the island of Fractured Arch near The Pointy Cliffs instead of continuing south so the same problem shows up again. The locations look great but I'm not incentivized to see most of them. Artistically typing, this is really cute. Skull Fuck Island is the best name here, too.

Syrupmasterz responds:

My brain was thinking that maybe it was a timing thing to avoid the sirens while also avoiding sea rocks that the ship would run aground with. Sailing northwest as you approached, hiding behind the salty shores, then perhaps when the sirens went to sleep, you followed the charts closely to avoid rock spikes underwater.

That was my thinking anyways, but I probably just didn't draw enough rocks in the water. :P

[Long drives, longer nights]

A little of A and a little of B. Since I don't sleep well, I find myself waking up to see the sunrise while struggling to straighten up. It was a memorable part of my childhood, too. Wake up before Saturday morning cartoons, take out the trash, make something quick for breakfast, then be unproductive for six hours in front of a TV. Since my workplace has no windows, I seldom get to see the sunset, but it is something I will stop and admire from time to time. There are a few days when I can leave work and see the sunset during the drive. I'd love those times more if traffic itself wasn't so awful.

This seemingly empty neon world of yours is always fascinating to experience through these pieces of art though they always strike me as some obscure location you only happen upon by accident when taking a wrong turn and never see again once you drive through it.

MoeAnguish responds:

Thanks for sharing, and for the review. I completely get you, cause at a certain point life was like that to me too.

And yeah, that's kinda the intent. I don't know what word to describe it with or if a single world exists, but i try to make my location look like those "Save/transition rooms" in video games or at least have that vibe, where you're completely alone and "safe" but you're about to go back to something that's the complete opposite, and you'll likely- as you said - never see that place again. But you'll remember it.

[Now it's time to...]

It's going to be a challenge having a rotten day after seeing this. I love that you have him squeezing out of a Game Boy screen. I almost missed that little detail which would have been shameful on my part considering how often you've mentioned your love of Wario Land.

"I planned to add more, but I was running out of space..." Yes, I noticed a lack of Wario-Man. He's studlier than a snow tire, you know! Outside of that, not entirely sure what else would be necessary for a complete representation of the legendary fellow. Maybe something like his costumed appearances in Mario Party or perhaps you were thinking about his inclusion in other spin-off games, like Mario Kart or the sports titles. There's more than enough eye-garlic here to take in and enjoy without them.

"Heck, I'd even go as far to say that Wario felt like a more proper rival that Sonic, but that's just me." He definitely is. Sonic is suppose to be the faster one who keeps going forward and Mario's more acrobatic and keeps going higher, but both can do what the other is offering with enough practice. Wario, however, is just an entirely different experience from Mario. Why have style and respect when you can just overwhelm something with brute force and mock it afterwards?

"Also just in case, I did draw Waluigi's cap letter wrong." Wario has done much worse to his friend/brother, so I doubt Waluigi would be too upset by this mistake. He'd still be upset though.

ICam2k responds:

Game boy screens are pretty, so are the Virtual Boys. Even when there's somehow a situation where I can't make fanart, if get asked about Wario Land, chances are I would go on to talk about how good the games are and how almost everyone ought to try them.
Dammit, I can't believe I neglected to include him of all Warios, now I'm gonna have to make a whole page of nothing but Wario-Mans afterwards. I suppose the Mario Party ones are a bit more interesting, specifically from 2 were it allowed characters to wear different constumes depending on the board. The mage ones were always my favourites though, even on the yellow fat-man. Can't say that the karts aren't noterworthy though, the motorcycles especially.
Glad to know I'm not the only one who feels that way. He can have the worst traits and quirks that rival against the middle aged man's family friendly ones while still gaining fans. It's a win win really.
Crisis averted then, Wario's going to have to pay for my mistake then. heh