Secret Santa Sign-Up 2012 - Finished!

[Facet]

Go tell it on the mountain, deck the halls with boughs of holly: it's Santa time!

So what is this Secret Santa stuff anyway?

Everyone involved both gives and receives a gift. Fun! Partners are randomly assigned, and the identity of everyone's benefactor remains a secret until a dramatic reveal on December 24th. Intrigue! Naturally the gifts involved here are pixel art  .

Take a look at previous years' Secret Santa here: 2011 - 2010 - 2009


Taking Part

• To join this year's Secret Santa post here so I know you want to participate ('count me in' or similar). Please only sign up if you're sure that you'll be to able to complete your gift There are grave consequences for reneging! Specifically, being temporarily banned and not being able to participate in next year's Secret Santa.
• Double check the information here, specifically the important dates below, so you know to plan in advance if you'll be unable to submit before the deadline.
• Provide some indication of your likes/dislikes: this is important! you can be very specific or broad as you like, but be aware this is all your Santa has to go by if they don't know you!
• You'll receive your partner's name via private message (PM), so make sure to check 'em!
  
• When you've finished your gift, send it to me by PM also; not in the thread here.
• Calx, darkgamer, Elk, FierceDeity, Gamecid, Nicko, Partack and Terley may NOT participate this year because they failed to submit a gift last year. Do not let this be you!

Important Dates

• November 17th~23th - Sign-ups in this period only!
• November 24th - A PM with your partner's name will be sent out to you, no tellin'!
• November 25th~December 22nd – Plenty pixellin' time, start early!
• December 23rd - Very last day to send in your gift!
• December 24th - Grand unveiling!

PM me if you're confused about anything or have any questions to ask after consulting the FAQ below.


FAQ

What kind of gift do I make?
-Anything you want, just so long as it involves pixel art! Try to tailor it to your partners listed interests, or to them/their work if you're familiar anyway, but any subject you think will be well received is fair game. You can make them a mockup, animations, sprites, textured low poly models; you name it! If you're worried about time, don't overcomplicate things, relax and do what you do best too, for a great present.

But I'm quite likely to be embroiled in some sort of festive revelry around the end of December; can I still take part?
-You can send your gift in as early as you like! The 23rd is the deadline, but submissions will be accepted from the time you receive your partner's name via PM, up until the 23rd. It's not fun to try and rush this stuff leading up to Christmas, getting it done with time to spare is highly recommended

I'm not going to manage finishing my present in time, will I still be banned?
-WIPs will be OK temporarily, but don't let it come to that, or you will get a strike! It's better to have your WIP under the tree than nothing, but please finish afterwards to avoid untold baroque consequences, If you know you won't be able to finish, for whatever reason, let me know ASAP so that something else can be sorted out for your partner.

I think making a present for so-and-so would be really fun, I wish I was their Santa!
-If you finish your present early, you're more than welcome to make gifts for multiple people. Spread the holiday cheer! Just please concentrate on your partner first .


Gift Wrap!



When you send in your gift (ie. not in the comments here) designate one of these wrappings (A1, B5, etc.) or else it'll be assigned randomly. This gift wrapping is what will be displayed on the 24th linking directly to the gift you made.

Alternatively: for mad bonus props, you can provide a custom wrapping along with your gift; in this way you can have a bit of fun teasing the shape, colour, subject matter etc. within. Posting custom wrappings in the comments is encouraged (without revealing it's intended recipient), but make sure to PM it along with your gift as well, or it may not get used.


Read everything? Great! If you sign up below before the 24th Nov you'll be added to this list (allowing ~24hrs for updates) Those who've submitted gifts will get a little Santa next to 'em, also doubtless a pleasant seasonal sense of good-will.

Participants

• Crow
• adcrusher524
• Red_Mist
• philippejugnet
• Super17
• Charlieton
• Juninho
• Drazelic
• Lóng
• Jeremy
• Carnivac
• Mr. Fahrenheit
• hapiel
• Peach
• GetYourGoat
• Basketcase
• beetlebear
• tomic
• Alanay
• Mr. Beast
• xhunterko
• Ashkin
• absenter
• Shrike
• ilkke
• MashPotato
• Stwelin
• tim
• Gogglecrab
• Jim16
• Cure
• Opacus
• Sherman Gill
• Gecimen
• VictorRojo
• Zizka
• Dex
• Harlequin
• HughSpectrum
• makapuf
• cirpons
• IvanM
• Doppleganger
• crozier
• Batzy
• Riva
• Raster
• Metaru
• Kcilc
• Argyle
• a3um
• numlock
• Photocopier
• Dr D
• pistachio
• Kren
• Starstew
• Dusty
• Reo
• Lanarky
• miascugh
• ui
• Zccc
• Scarab
• Life Person
• alex pang

[Crow]

Well, well, well.. I'm in!

I absolutely love anything related to anime; besides that, I also especially like crows, cats and landscapes. And restricted palettes! But pretty much everything else works as well.

[adcrusher524]

Hoyyeahhhh! its secret santa! I'm in.

I like animals, nature, fantasy, robots, sprites, Indie and retro games, and everything and anything that you would like to pixel would be fine with me.

This is my favorite part of Christmas

[Red_Mist]

Sign me up!

Lets see, I like under water stuffs like the little mermaid or xcom terror from the deep. Movies from the 80's and early 90's  like Short Circuit, Robocop, Goonies, Twister to name a few. I like cute things and dark scary things. I love zombie related stuffs (walking dead and zombie land) I'll take pretty much anything as long as its pixels, just have fun with it!

[philippejugnet]

I'm inn :DD

Likes list:

forests
dragons
glowing eyes
mountains
fog
temples
half-human creatures
fire
bolts
sorceres
waterfalls
warriors
gates/paths
war

PS: CHALLENGE! pick 7 of them randomly and do you piece

style features:

realism
high contrast
fantasy
light rays

hehe!!!

[Super17]

Hey guys and gals, I like to participate too!

I like the following: Sexy jungle women, dryads, twisted trees, hard/colored light, barbarians, RPG mockups, non-european instruments, ancient south/latin american cultures
I do not like: Manga/Anime, cuteism, japan related stuff in general

Looking forward to christmas

[Charlieton]

Aw yeah, let's do this!

I really like classic literature, mythology and philosophy. Epics like The Oddysey, the Epic of Gilgamesh, stories from the Metamorphoses (Ovid), or the Nibelungenlied and things of that nature; love that stuff! Also, I'm very fond of all kinds of animals, but especially insects and odd and/or cute birds. Different species of insects often fall into an extremely specific, isolated niche in the ecosystem. Their resulting eccentric and complex life cycles are a constanst source of inspiration to me. For birds, I love the bright and colourful, and majestic plumes or crests.

As for pop culture-stuff, I'm very big on games, and have been since a very young age. Old Nintendo-related stuff is a safe bet, be it Zeldas (favourites are Majora's Mask and Wind Waker), Marios or Metroids etc. Also Pokémon, ha! Love me some shmups, too. With lots of bullets, lasers and aircrafts, or mechs and spaceships (Cave, Raizing and Irem are the greats!). Recently though, I've been very into Shin Megami Tensei-games, favourites being the Digital Devil Saga and Persona 4 (fave character: Kanji! Really though, I like them all). Fighting games are sweet too. I'm a fan of the King of Fighters-games (Vanessa is the most badass woman in any fighting game I've seen - possibly only outmatched by Baiken from Guilty Gear!). In Street Fighter 2 and 4 I main as Blanka. 3rd Strike is great too!

Well, that should be plenty to pick and seek inspiration from!

Now I'm really looking forward to creating something cool to give to YOU, whoever you might be!

[Juninho]

Sign me on that , I will update with the things I like 

I like  soccer , video-games (all) , western things , dogs , war , I think only that is good

[Drazelic]

I signed up specifically to get in on this. Should be fun!

I really like mechas, super robots, pilotable humanoid techno-knights of the future, etc. Some specific series which I think have REALLY cool designs are Gurren Lagann, Five Star Stories, Linebarrels of Iron, Zone of the Enders, and Star Driver. One of my favorite motifs is that of mechanical versus organic designs- I love seeing the two interplay with mechanical traits and organic traits fusing, or mechanical designs emulating organic shapes and styles. My preference for character design definitely trends towards the unrealistic or fantastical, favoring more anime-esque designs over realistic or historically accurate equipment. Lots of glowy stuff, too.

Mockups are cool. Boss battle scenes are even cooler. I'm a big fan of strategy games, puzzle games, and platformers- games where I don't have to keep moving, where there's relatively little pressure. (Competitive games like COD aren't my thing, they don't let me relax and unwind.)

[Lóng]

I'm in,

To whomever gets to pick me, draw whatever you feel like drawing, if possible draw something you haven't drawn before or attempt an approach you haven't attempted before, just make sure its not isometric, as I have an unfounded repulsion against that. On the other hand if you were to draw something isometric precisely for that reason, I would probably just look at it and smile or downright laugh wholeheartedly .So I guess that means anything goes. It is mandatory to have fun in the process though!

[Jeremy]

Awww yus (I am in)

Here is a list to pick and choose from!

Cats
Palettes which may or may not be easy to work with (c64, ms paint, go wild)
Colours
SciFi
Fantasy
Western
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Dinosaurs
Dad Rock
Folk music
Post Apocalyptica
Mythology
Cute Stuff
Robots
Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Batman
Abraham Lincoln
Space
Surrealism, especially Dalí
Sea and its associated glowy things
Propaganda Art (blocky Soviet stuff)
Don't mind if it's Christmassy
But most of all creativity

No me gusta:
Animes

[Carnivac]

I'm not particularly active here but seeing as I haven't done a secret santa since 2009 and I would actually like to receive sooomething this very-likely-to-be-yet-another-non-christmas I'll sign up.

Likes:
The old machines Amstrad CPC, Amiga and NES
various PlayStation game series (Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, inFamous, God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and the like)
Doctor Who (mainly 3rd, 5th, 11th Doctor eras)
Karen Gillan
Firefly (and Serenity of course)
Transformers (just the movie designs and the old Marvel UK comic stories)
Musicians such as Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Kate Bush, Queen (when Freddie was still alive)
ThunderCats (original 80's version)
Sting (the facepainted WCW/TNA wrestler, not the musician nor the pointy butt of a bee/wasp)
Many 80's movies (RoboCop, The Terminator, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, most Arnold Schwarzenegger movies of that time and such)
Street Fighter II/IV/Alpha3
Batman (especially Nolan/Bale movies)
Superman (especially Christopher Reeve)
Double Dragon Neon (oh, the amount of times I've sung along to Skullmageddon's end song)
Turrican II on Amiga
The Warriors (game and movie)
The Bixby/Ferrigno Incredible Hulk tv series
The Simpsons
DC Animated Universe shows
Classic westerns (Once Upon a Time in the West, also almost anything starring John Wayne or directed by John Ford)
Theatre

Dislikes: Post-SNES Nintendo, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat, majority of FPSs, RPGs, japanese character design (specifically the fashion disaster type with ridiculous hair and clothes totally unsuitable for the many battles they have), overused palettes that aren't related to the actual limited palettes of a real computer or console, chart music, Cave Story style sprites, pretentious 'arty' games, WWE, movies starring Adam Sandler, Jack Black or Will Ferrell, Family Guy, The Big Bang Theory, Transformers Animated, low poly 3D, drab palettes

yes i'm a bit picky...    Anyways I put a lot of stuff there cos the last time I did it I had to a piece for someone I had absolutely no idea what any of their interests actually meant (quite arty intellectual stuff I think) and I ended up doing a generic christmassy image which I think they liked but I was disappointed in myself that I couldn't do something more tailor-made for their tastes so hopefully the person who has to do one for me has got loads to pick from up there.

I shush now.

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

I suppose I will sign up.

I like picture wars, propaganda, nature, Salvador Dali, horrific monsters chillin' with little girls, video games, rustic outdoors, mountains, knives, dogs, wilderness survival, rocks, guns, explosions, and things like tanks and mechs.

[Charlieton]

I recall that we got a quick little PM-notification by mail for last years Secret Santa. You're not sending one out this year? It's good for reminding members who are not necessarily active on the forums around this time, but would still like to partake in this particular activity. It worked out okay last time, right?

[Facet]

Yeah, I think the PM invites are a good idea but didn't want to delay sign-ups any more, working on a banner and stuff now too . 

[hapiel]

PM invite GOT!

So yeah, I am in. I like circus (especially juggling), ukulele playing and my favorite color yellow. Have fun with those!

Also, I realized that the Secret Santa threads tell the story of my life, every year I sum up my interests here on Pixelation!

EDIT:
Oh, also for those that only log in like once every year: I used to go by the handle lollige

[Peach]

PM invite++.

It's been a while I'm not doing much PA, so I'm definitely participating!

Hard to say what I like... let's see if I can put down a short list:

Strange and weird things, the moon, insects, animals, robots, computers and games, ancient mythology, ancient iconographic art (south American and in particular Atzec, Greek, Babylonian, Egyptian, Chinese and Japanese), modern art (cubism, futurism and street art), art as a basic form of expression of oneself (as could be music, painting/drawing, etc.), physic and math, love and living, drawings and in particular portraits, water and underwater creatures.

looking forward it

[GetYourGoat]

I'd be happy to join in I'm more active on other forums, (as you can probably tell by my post count) but something like this might be fun!

I like cats, crows, videogames (minecraft, gw2, retro stuff), techie stuff, cute things, robots, music, post apocalyptic, and whatever else you think a web dev girl in her late teens would like. I would prefer if it didn't have a christmas theme to it 

[Basketcase]

Hell yeah I'm in. Time for my annual pixel piece!

I like the things I said I liked last year. Also: the sea, the sky, pirates, treasure, ruins, sex and violence.

[beetlebear]

Hello there,

The names Beetlebear and I work on video games! I'm the main artist for a game called Star Made right now.

I love star wars, space stuff, machines and abstract art.

I'm especially fond of low color counts and animations that give a lot of impact in only a few frames.

So 'count me in'.

I've been pixeling for just around 20 years now so feel free to pair me up with just about anyone.

Lots of love <3

bB

[tomic]

i'm in, i'm soo in!

i like: donkeys, submarines, pirate-themed stuff, caves/rocks/stone-ish surfaces, clouds, organic structures, low color count... and individual wrappings
i don't like: cute unicorns and fairies, manga/anime/pokemons/cuteism from japan

looking forward to it,
best regards.

[Alanay]

I'll join!

Here is a list of some of the things I like,

Space
Monkeys
Robots
Nature
Futuristic Stuff
Entrepreneurial Success?!? o.O

There is a lot more but I just can't think of anything else I hope this is a wide enough variety to choose from.

[API-Beast]

oki, sign me up.

So I like dark fantasy stuff, greek mythology, ancient warfare, original creatures, ghosts, demons, angels, atmospheric stuff, realism, light/color effects, strong emotions (fear, desperation, horror, pain, anger)

I don't like: cute stuff, because I am a grumpy old cat.

PS: I also like bloodshed, apocalypse and massacre.
PPS: Boobies combined with any of the other topics are good too.

[xhunterko]

I'm in! I'm in! (Okay, barring anything in my personal life that is. But, still planning to be in!)

I've really been into Spaceships lately so I'll just go with that. I do like cute things as well though. Nothing not safe for work please. If you wouldn't show it to your gradeschooler then don't show it to me.

[Ashkin]

Okay, I'll participate. I just hope I'm not the least skilled person here...
Interests: Mecha, industry, ruins, 'messy'/broken-down architecture, mysterious temples, vending machines, gachapon, horned animals, flying machines, owls, cats, fog, night, the ocean, seaside villages, empty expanses (SotC style), snow, power lines...
I hope that's enough possibilities/options.
Looking forward to recieving my assignment

[absenter]

I'm also in. 

I have been making pixel art for a year or so but haven't posted a ton of my work. I'm in the process of making a game right now called Dinosword. Someday I will finish it.

I like:
The Maxx, The Artist Jay Ryan, Coffee, Old Picture Frames, Lightning Bolts, Punk Rock, NES sprite art, Bass Guitar.

Excited to see what comes of this!

[Shrike]

I'm in.

I like music, drumming, nature, fire, and winter.

And Christmas cookies.
But truthfully, if there's something you're burning to draw, I'd prefer that! I love creativity!
Can't wait. Happy holidays!

[ilkke]

IN!

I like flamboyant half-human-half-somethingelses with fish in their hair. I like boardgames, the unusual, and making music using crude means. I like nice pixels.
If none of this is your thing, I like most of everything else.

dislike: fan art

[MashPotato]

Ooh, it's been a while, but I'm in!

I like lots of stuff, but I especially like the cute, the fantastic, and the whimsical.  Make whatever you'd like! 

...though preferably nothing gory or too violent


EDIT: If you need more guidance, here are some more specifics

LIKES: nature, animals, books & literature, fairy tales, folklore, fashion art, gothy/victorian stuff, animation, puzzles
LIKES-NOT-SO-MUCH: futuristic tech and vehicles, cars, clowns, demons, heavy-metal imagery

[Stwelin]

I'll play.

 

I am particularly fond of gymnosperms, large rocks, spacecraft, and Granville Redmond.

[tim]

I'm in, with custom package.

I'm a motion designer living in Paris.

Favorites : Chihiro, Blade Runner, Shadow of the Colossus, Another World, Flashback.

I'm working on a flashback-like pixel art cinematic plateformer, using HD pixel art that
looks like Matte Paintings. First screen here :

http://www.behindnowhere.com/screens/tree960.png

[Gogglecrab]

Whooo! Seems like it's been forever waiting to do it again, let do this!!!   

here's a quick list of some things I like,

Greek mythology
Cryptids
Film/movies & cinema
Mechanical/machinery
Steampunk
Time travel
20's, 50's style
Wilderness survival
Leonardo Da Vinci
old fashion things
coin operated machines
old gentlemen/handlebar mustache/BULLY! type things

[Jim16]

I'm in. 

My hobbies are, Long distance running, art, reading, and photography. My interests are: DC comics, specifically Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner(Green lantern), Super Boy, Gar Logan (Beast Boy) and all the well known ones like superman, wonder woman, aqua man etc. Terry Pratchett books, fantasy, mockups, PUGS. and Christmas. I also love creativity, so do what ever you feel comfortable with, I'll like it

[Cure]

In.

Likes:
8bit mockups
Zombie apocalypse (hence thereisnoCURE)
Post-apocalyptic scenarios of any sort.
Vikings, knights, samurai, pirates, and various other warriors
Monsters, aliens, robots, and any excuse to have fun with character design
Art history (Van Gogh, Freud, Bacon,  Rubens, German Expressionism, Baroque, et al.)
High fantasy
Mythology (preferably Norse or Jewish/Christian)
Deep sea

Dislikes:
Fan art
Super cutesy shit
Anime

[Opacus]

Definitely joining in on the fun.

I love skulls, horns and antlers, girls, mechas, samurai, cephalopoda and other strange sea creatures, lush forests, waterfalls, post-apocalyptic settings, sci-fi settings and vibrant colours.

Would also love something wholly original this time, no pop-culture references.

[Sherman Gill]

Sup I'm in, I like:
Rap music
David Cronenberg
John Carpenter
Cute people
Shipping PtoingxIlkke (my OTP <3)

[Gecimen]

I'm in

Like:
High fantasy
Steampunk
Sci-fi
Post apocalypse
Monsters and dragons
Mechs
Game mockups
Fantasy RPG portraits
Pieces that look like oil or watercolor
All stuff that's designed by the artist

Dislike:
Anime
Nintendo related stuff
Zelda mario metroid etc.
Incomplete or irrelevant pixel art
All sorts of NPA elements

[Crow]

I'll play.

 

Please provide some information on things you like/dislike to help the person who will be making your gift.

[VictorRojo]

at last .... This is the first year that I'm going to participate, I hope to do well XD

I like all XD but I prefer something in my way;

love,dark,blood,smile,light,girl,monster,minimal,cute ,16x16 characters, low palettes
appearance of some of my creations? it´s possible?

I dislike: bad AA, not seems a platform game (sidescroller)

in return I'll do a great job XD

[Zizka]

I'm in, also.

Likes:
*sexy asian samurai women (woman, not girls).
*Anything from Jamie Hewtett (that's the guy who draws Gorillaz and Tank Girl).
*A nice portrait of a cute woman.
*Some dark ninja stuff.
*Romeo & Juliet, King Lear by Shakespeare.

Dislikes:
*Anything cute, manga or chibi style stuff.
*Guys

[Dex]

as per usual, I'm in!

my likes are as follows:

landscapes
fantasy/sci-fi-ish stuff
owls
trees
post-apocalyptic things
realism
underwater/deep sea creatures and seascapes
baroque/classical/renaissance art
vikings/scandinavian/norsemen

and generally anything like that, really I'm always happy with anything!

[Harlequin]

I'm in 

I like:

• Vintage things
• Animals
• Retro games/films

Actualy there isn't things I dislike except cars and guns.

[HughSpectrum]

Count me in.

Likes:
- Cats
- 007 (ones more in the line of Casino Royale, For Your Eyes Only, License to Kill, The World is Not Enough...)
- Die Hard
- Moody atmosphere
- Fantastical environments
- Final Fantasy 1
- Winter
- D&D Clerics

Not preferred but would be okay with:
- Tolkienesque Fantasy
- Cyberpunk
- Anime (Chibi and otherwise)
- Nintendo related stuff

Dislikes:
- Dogs
- The color green (this is the big one)
- Beaches
- Jungles
- Zombies
- Westerns
- Twilight
- Goth, emo, scene
- Donkey Kong
- Star Wars Prequels
- Star Wars Prequels Lightsaber scenes
- The clear lack of good space ship dog fights in the Star Wars prequels
- Jedi in general, even outside the prequels
- Gore just for the sake of gore

[makapuf]

I'm in ! (quite a beginner here  )

I like :
- * shoot them ups * 
- sci fi
- cartoony
- retro games (shmup, rpg, snes)
- sprites
- DB'16 palette ( http://www.pixeljoint.com/pixelart/64505.htm ) as well as semi-hicolor palettes.

Mmkay : anime,

Dislike : gore, weird, ZOMBIES   

[cirpons]

Im in!

I leik:
*Cyberpunk
*Magic
*Game mockups
*Weird color ramps
*Ships
*Space ships
*Medieval fantasy
*Low color pixel art
*Aquatic stuff

[IvanM]

I'm in.
As usual, I like unusual things.
Clumsy people and wooden things (especially mechanical things) are ok too.

Win +5 love points if you avoid manga style and eye burning colors.

[Doppleganger]

sign me up

Likes:
-fairies
-magical scenes
-octopuses
-representation of one or all of the four seasons

[crozier]

Hello! I would love to be a part of this.
Can't wait to start pixeling in a week. Specially since a bunch of those names on the list are familiar. 

So here are a few of my likes: Landscapes, trees, futuristic stuff (hey who doesn't love this?), winter, playing acoustic guitar, turn based rpgs, nintendo stuff, eye-glasses (kinda weird...), but whatevers cool really. Let your creativity run free, I guess.

[Batzy]

Yo! i'm in >:-)

Likes:
-Martial Arts
-Pixelssss
-Christmassy things

Dislikes:
-Posting stuff i like here :X everything goes seriously! just that i get something 

[Riva]

How dare you wake me up with your Xmas email notifications ?!!
Now I will haunt this site again ! Muhahaaa.. :]

..so yeah, I'm in

My prefs basicaly stay the same from last year (and forever I guess
I like: art style of Bitmap Brothers, Henk Nieborg, Mark Jones, (Amiga) demoscene, steampunk
I hate: manga, basic izo, ega/cga/similar crazy palettes, emulation of weird video modes (C64 scanline ..)

..Im excited, Im excited ..

[Raster]

Count me in brah.

Likes: Soviet propaganda posters, Cold-War stuff, 80s action heroes, giant steampunk robots, film noir.

[Metaru]

its been so long since i ever dare to post on pixelation. always wondered why I never tried to join the secret santas. though it seems i'm more interested in doing something for someone rather than for getting something.

I basically love scifi. giant, stylized space fighting robots are my thing(Gundams and Zakus, for example), but also i'm fond of Shoot 'em Ups, Arcades, action movies and all those things that make you feel alive. cool radical stuff in general is a-ok in my book.

[Kcilc]

I'm in!

I like pastel colors, swooshy hair, majestic skylines, spaceships, cool outfits, lady hips, sunsets, bright afternoons, acrobatics, the TV show Castle, also the Stargate series.

I dislike pineapple.

[Argyle]

This is honestly my favorite thing about Christmas.

For some yuletide revelers,
presents and mistletoe are where they find their drive.
For me and my family,
we're driven to Pixelation, gleefully a-mashing F5.

I'm in!

Dear [SANTA AGENT NAME HERE]

I'd be honored to receive a pixel gift that is a reflection of what YOU like and would be something that you would take joy in creating. This is you taking your time to make a surprise for me, so I don't want my potential Santa to feel chained to creating something they dislike or is in some style or format that they will dread/not be able to give their all to. I just ask that you put the same care and effort into it as a piece you strongly wanted to do for your own personal growth and expression.

Note, the list that follows is all over the place, I know. I just want these things to serve as separate ideas or themes to consider exploring for any potentially indecisive Santa. Generic 'I will love whatever I get' speach aside, here are some things I like to serve as a little inspiration:

• Animation, animation, animation! Characters in particular.
• Dinosaurs
• I love and appreciate things that are beautifully designed and quality art that are, at the same time, funny.
• Curvy womens (Grossly skinny supermodel-proportioned girls are just off-putting to me.)
  
  • Most any females featured in Big Brother's drawings meet the posterior proportional standards of curvines that I'm getting at.
• Skateboarding
• I am always taken in by good background art. Environments are one of my weaker points as an artist, so I'll stare in wonderment at a well-rendered scene for hours.
  • Specifically inspired and appreciative of the pixel pushing BG styles of Vierbit, DarkFalzX, Henk Nieborg, and goddamn... I spent hours running around in Aliens Infestation DS just ogling the gorgeous backgrounds Helm, Ptoing, and Vedsten filled that game up with.
• Metalocalypse
• Game of Thrones
• Things so ridiculous that their hilarity ascends into awesomeness.
  • To illustrate what I mean, I have shirts and computer backgrounds on rotation of things like an amazon spear-holding babe bursting out of a wave riding on a chrome robotic shark, or a T-Rex using a computer with 3D glasses. Artists in the 80s had a real knack for generating art that tried far too hard to look totally rad, and it makes me laugh.
• Comic Book art
• Every person in the world has mentioned robots, steampunk, and kick ass sci-fi stuff. But it's cool and I can't say I don't like that stuff too!

Dislikes:

• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Pickles
• Generally, I dislike anime unless it serves a style purpose or is parodying it.

Whatever you make, if it's something you are proud of having made, it will forever be our anonymous secret santa love child that will live on immortally in every harddrive I'll own for the rest of my life. No pressure.[/list]

[a3um]

w00t, I'm in 

Likes:
- giant non-humanoid creatures, shoggots
- massive destruction, ruins, dungeons
- big and hairy spiders, spider web
- vikings, barbarians

[numlock]

I like to participate aswell

What I like

I like cartoony/cute things and high fantasy including spaceships&stuff(not just medieval fantasy), I like landscape/stars aswell, doesn't have to be animated or still picture so do whatever you would like, also females in panties.

What I don't like

I don't really hate things except mosquitos but I don't like ugly designs, like I said I like cartoony&cute things, I think even the most horrifying thing should look somehow appealing, I don't really hate generic designs but if I need to give a name I don't like unappealing and generic looking characters like sweet tooth, I'm sorry if you are a sweet tooth fan.

edit because "provide some information on things you like/dislike to help the person who will be making your gift"

[Photocopier]

I'm in.

Giant robots
Cyberpunk stuff
Cowboys

[Dr D]

Count me in, gonna try not to screw up this year.

I like beautiful scenery, steampunk scenes, all kinds of video games (esp. League of Legends atm), and anything reeking of badassery.

And I like love RPG mockups.

[pistachio]

HUMBUG! Don't forget the lurkers!

Likes: 90's Rareware, old school animation, explosions, Sci-fi/horror, deep sea (Bioshock), space (Alien), zombie apocalypse (Walking Dead), cosmonauts, robots/androids/mechas, dogs, good stage-style lighting, rimlighting

Dislikes: stiff poses, anime eyes, blandness, iso-projects

[Kren]

I'm in!

I study Mechatronics so robot stuff and gears are cool, I'm also into anime so any anime related is cool, evangelion, HunterxHunter, Fairy tail, Nichijou <- mostly this anime style is what I love..

[Crow]

I like to participate aswell

You too:
Please provide some information on things you like/dislike to help the person who will be making your gift.

I'm also into anime so any anime related is cool, evangelion, HunterxHunter, Fairy tail, Nichijou <- mostly this anime style is what I love..

I sure as hell hope I can be making something for you

[Starstew]

Count me in (etc.)! Should be fun.

Some themes I would enjoy: Yar's Revenge fan art, Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson film) fan art, space exploration, mushroom gnomes.

[Dusty]

Hmm, I think I'll participate this year.

Likes:
> Pixel art(duh?)
> Paintball
> Minecraft
> Artistic games(Shadow of the Colossus, Okami)
> Gaming in general
> Horrific/psychological monster designs(think Silent Hill)
> Zombies
> Space/Astronomy
> Adventure Time
> Mythological stuff from most of the older religions(Japanese, Roman and so on)
> Nintendo(Zelda, Mario, Metroid...)
> Exploration
> Beautiful landscaping/Earth porn

Not much I can say for dislikes.

[Reo]

I'm in this year as well!

I like and enjoy Robots (though not transformers), Monsters, mockups, Cats, Mechanical things.

Updating with some additional info: I like skulls and skeletons (but not in a biker t-shirt kind of way) I like tight pixelling and unique ideas!

[Lanarky]

PM recieved, so count me in too!

I like...

• Dystopian, sci-fi, supernatural, and victorian worlds.
• Sidescrollers, 1:1 isometric perspective (like in Boktai), and RPGs.
• Manga and anime.
• Weapons, especially the ball and chain weapon.
• Norse mythology and vikings.
• Machines, especially if they are industrial junkers.
• NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBC, and GBA.
• Character portraits, mock-ups, funny animations, and horrific battle scenes.
• Scarves, capes, cravats, and hoods.

But hey, anything works!

[miascugh]

I'm in!

Draw: The Catastropillar!





And by draw I mean pixel.

I also like Franz Kafka, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and other dude/ttes from around that time. So, in one word: Science fiction is cool.

[ui]

IM SO IN I THIS!!!!!...

Do something nice for me and gift me a nice pixel xmas!

[Crow]

IM SO IN I THIS!!!!!...

Do something nice for me and gift me a nice pixel xmas!

And you as well:
Please provide some information on things you like/dislike to help the person who will be making your gift.

[Zccc]

Happy I'm not late Count me in.

You can draw everything you like, but I like anything game-related and not too silly I like tiny detailed stuff too!

[Facet]

Happy I'm not late Count me in.

Nope, consider yourself counted

Today is the last day for sign-ups though. It's now or next year folks!

[Argyle]

Finally updated my post to have content for whoever gets to fulfill the destiny of being my santa.

Jump to post to see the ravings first-hand!

[Scarab]

I'll join in as well please. 

What I love to see in pixel art:

• Mockups (I love RPG towns in particular)
• NES/GBC/SNES/GBA style
• Animation!
• Steampunk and Victorian aesthetics
• Limited/creative colour palettes

What I am less partial to:

• Micro-pixel art (with large objects or characters represented by less than 8x8)
• Orcs and goblins
• Cyberpunk

All in all I'd be happy with anything you'd enjoy making though.
Can't wait until Xmas

[Life Person]

Count me in too please.

I like surrealism, space, roller blades, plant life, scientific and computer equipment from the 60s/70s/80s, cassettes, 80s action heroes.

[Facet]

In the nick of time, Person!

Sign-ups are now finished, and that makes 65 Santas! Well met Pixelation . Look out for a PM from Crow with your partner's name later today!

I'm leaving the thread open for comment, but for those that haven't spoken up, the deadline's past, sorry.

[alex pang]

Sorry about that

Like:
"christmassy" stuff
mockups (especially platformers)
yeti sports
penguins
cats
soviet union
splinter cell (the old ones)
stealth
about anything in between...

dislike:
anime
rpg's

[Crow]

Is it to late to join? I was sick yesterday, so I couldn't. If its not, I will edit this post with what I like/dislike.

Consider yourself signed up! Please edit your post accordingly and add some information about your likes/dislikes.

[Crow]

Alright, everyone! PMs have all been sent out. Remember: don't tell others who you're making a gift for!

Any questions regarding the event and/or your partner, send me or Facet a PM. Happy pixeling, and don't be late for Christmas

[Corinthian Baby]

Damn, I always let secret santa pass by, I was gonna enter this year but totally forgot. I'm guessing it's too late if the PMs already went out.

[Crow]

It is indeed. Sorry!

[crozier]

That doesn't mean you can't make gifts. Just pick a name out of a hat, and start pixeling 

[Xamllew]

Of course I remember to sign up for this the day that sign-up ends. :c

[tehwexxl0rz]

Ugh, what the hell.... the thread says sign-ups closed the 23rd, so I didn't bother posting yesterday, but now the banner says the 24th. :/

[Crow]

Last date to sign up actually was the 23rd, I believe the banner had that pesky little error from the start

[Facet]

Ah, my bad; that was done in a hurry. Was intended as 'finished on the 24th', or 'before the the PMs get sent'

Surely though, if you'd read the thread beforehand, there's no problem?

[HughSpectrum]

You guys should just let people that didn't make the sign up be able to make and deliver gifts, but they can't can't be assigned someone to give a gift to, and those gifts can be given to those that didn't receive a gift at the end or randomly given.

[Facet]

Just to clarify here, the necessity of the organisation; the allocation of partners, times & dates etc. is motivation and inclusion; everyone is guaranteed a personalised gift that commits to making one.

There is absolutely nothing stopping anyone else making additional art to share, which I'll try to accommodate. There is no monopoly on goodwill here!

[Raster]

Just to verify: a low-poly 3d model/scene would be okay as well, correct? Or would that be considered to be "exotic"?

[Argyle]

I'd wager it would be fine and dandy if you're aware of the person you're making the 3D lowpoly gift for likes that kind of stuff. Just be aware that I saw at least one person that said they did not like lowpoly. Generally, I'd say at the very least try to make something that your recipient hasn't listed as a dislike, unless it's being lightheartedly spiteful for the sake of a joke they'd understand. 

Also, all the people bummed that they missed signups that still have the interest to participate - it wouldn't hurt to post your wish list anyway and pick a person you would want to make a gift for (keep it a secret though) and who knows, maybe somebody will finish their gift and have the kindness to surprise you with something? It might not be a sovereign match made in the eyes of the almighty randomized pairing algorithm secret santa software Crow uses, but at least you still get to join in on the gift exchange and make somebody else totally surprised and happy.

[Elk]

Best of luck to all participants I will create a present for someone random nontheless, even though I cant participate ^^

[Facet]

Good good, PM me if you want it put up with the others.

No-one need wager on low-poly, it's specifically mentioned as kosher in the FAQ, but I'd rather latecomers didn't post up wishlists because there's likely to be confusion and disappointments that way.

4 gifts in already!

[Zizka]

I've started mine already but I'm far from being finished.

[Charlieton]

Just wait 'til the day before the deadline to make it. It's just like school!

Although, I could never really pull that off... Maybe best if I try and get finished as early as possible, m'kay?

[Jim16]

Counting down the days  Get to it if you haven't started yet!!

[HughSpectrum]

At the worst I could probably throw in an hour of work and submit mine and it would be considered finished, but I intend to work on it on and off until I am angry with how awful it turned out.

[Drazelic]

I'm maybe 50% done with mine. Going for an ambitious piece this time, and it's taking me longer than usual- though I /am/ learning plenty of new techniques and tricks along the way.

[Peach]

is it OK leaving any signature on the gift?

[Facet]

Totally peachy

Just 'bout a week left folks!

[adcrusher524]

I guess I should start mine huh?

JUST KIDDING almost done! kinda...

[Peach]

Totally peachy

Just 'bout a week left folks!

great, I was just worried how much secret Santa should be...
Mine will be delivered tonight when I'm back from work, after about 10h worth of work.

[philippejugnet]

I think I'm starting mine today 
no dude just die I have done a gift and already finishing the second one '-' I dont like the first one tough... :p

[Gogglecrab]

Whoo! It's getting close but i'm pretty sure I can get this done! Well, really no other choice; I'm about 75% done now! I can't wait for it but at the same time I wish time would go slower!

[Drazelic]

Hmm, I think I've invested at least 15-20 hours into my project by now. Been working on it over the last few days in 2-3 hour chunks.

I'm starting to get tired of the piece and cutting some corners, and I can tell. Best finish it quickly before my quality collapses even further.

[Charlieton]

FINALLY getting some good progress on mine! I'm feeling it's a bit late. Good thing I'm such a bum and have nothing else to do for the rest of the week, anyway!

[Carnivac]

Hm, it says it's encouraged to post the 'custom wrappings' in the thread for teasing so here you go.



Finished both this and the actual secret santa piece yesterday so now looking forward to seeing all the awesome gifts from everyone.  And yeah that there's a rare bit of isometric work from me.  Sorry I copied the basic shape of the bow from the default gift boxes cos it's a real pain in the butt shape to pixel...

[Crow]

Hm, it says it's encouraged to post the 'custom wrappings' in the thread for teasing so here you go.



Finished both this and the actual secret santa piece yesterday so now looking forward to seeing all the awesome gifts from everyone.  And yeah that there's a rare bit of isometric work from me.  Sorry I copied the basic shape of the bow from the default gift boxes cos it's a real pain in the butt shape to pixel...

[...] but make sure to PM it along with your gift as well, or it may not get used.

I hope you did not forget that

[Facet]

Nope, I goddit

'tis the weekend before Christmas! 15 17 gifts in already, 50+ to go!

[Carnivac]

 

[Drazelic]

I'm wrapping up my present as well!

[cirpons]

So am I

[MashPotato]

No fancy wrapping from me, but mine's in!

[Raster]

Mine's in. Now it's just a matter of time before my self-confidence gets horribly crushed when viewing other people's submissions.

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

Mine's in. Now it's just a matter of time before my self-confidence gets horribly crushed when viewing other people's submissions.

Same here.

[Crow]

Mine's in. Now it's just a matter of time before my self-confidence gets horribly crushed when viewing other people's submissions.

You're not alone

[Opacus]

Sent mine in. Here's the wrapper:

[Dex]

finished and sent! looking forward to all the art!

[Argyle]

Submitted!



Here's to hoping there aren't any no-shows this year.

[tim]

I'm living in Paris, what's the very last time to send the gift ?
I'm afraid of missing the deadline because of a timezone issue.
Can I work on it all day long the 23rd ? It's a pretty big piece and the animation still need to be refined.

[ptoing]

Usually forum time was used, which is gmt.

[Gecimen]

i had to rush the last part :/ but its sent

[Dr D]

Guess I better get started..

[cirpons]

Guess I better get started..

Not sure if joking

Or gonna get banned.

[tomic]

 
have been held up by a 10m chaos project suddenly popping up at work, even had to cancel my holidays.. in short: started my entry today (after buying xmas presents, priorities!) so there'll only be a wip from me, sorry! i'll try to deliver to final version asap.

edit: submitted something

[Shrike]

been having some serious computer issues but everything should turn out okay.
Excited to see everyone's gifts!

EDIT: Submitted.

[xhunterko]

Also submitted. I really wanted to do something else. But then a holiday visit snuck up  on me.

[Dr D]

Actually, I was just joking. (poking fun at myself, because one of the previous years I didn't make it.) I've already submitted.

Sad to hear about Tomic though; now I feel terrible. I'm sure it would have been great. (And will be) 

[Crow]

Going by GMT, you guy/gals still have about 140 minutes left. And still a lot of gifts to go How unpleasent.

[Raster]

I can arrange a guillotine if you want.

[Zizka]

Would it be possible to get an extension until tomorrow morning ? 

[Red_Mist]

Red_Mist places his gift under the tree next to the others... ...seriously somebody should make a tree and place all the custom gift wrappings under it!
Merry Holidays Everybody.

[cirpons]

Would it be possible to get an extension until tomorrow morning ? 

140 100 minutes left, do eet now, your account depends on it.

[Crow]

Would it be possible to get an extension until tomorrow morning ? 

You can send in a WIP, then finish things afterwards (as soon as possible ).

I can arrange a guillotine if you want.

I'd like that.


Also, everyone, keep in mind to send your gifts to Facet, not me.

[Zizka]

Almost done! I'll make it after all. *Phew* my honour is safe.

[Charlieton]

Completed!

It's past midnight now, so Merry Christmas everyone!

[Opacus]

Merry Christmas!

Love that this is still being put together every year. It's currently the only thing I do to make
sure my skills don't completely rust. Always a joy. Can't wait to see what everyone's made.

[Facet]

Whoa, a whole lot of gifts coming in right at the last minute

 It'll take a little while to organise yet , there's a little flexibility there. Only 12 not in atm and I'll set to badgering them after putting the post up, tons of wonderful stuff!

[Dusty]

I think the GMT thing may have caught people off guard. I just happened to open this thread and see someone mention GMT, and notice it was 11:50pm at the top.

[Photocopier]

Waiting for my little santa face 

[Red_Mist]

:santa

Its kind of wierd, I dont think it really works too well as a face.

[Jeremy]

Left it a bit late this year, had to work off my laptop 'cos my desktop hard disk is fucked.

Oh well!

[hapiel]

Yeah so here is some of the best spriting that I could come up with

[Facet]

I'd rather make allowances for time differences so no-one feels hard done by, no hard feelings from me unless they don't actually appear in due course.

Waiting for my little santa face 

I've neglected the little santa faces, sorry was formatting the new post, don't worry!

[Gogglecrab]

I sent it to crow by mistake! I resent it to facet but it wasn't in time according to the Gmt zone! I hope it's still accepted!

[Ashkin]

Excited to see what everyone's made!

[Facet]

Crow passed on any gifts sent his way so there's none been forgotten, gifts up