AP Clash Round 1: A Second Look

Round 1 of AP Clash ended with a bang: boasting thirty-two EC entries and twenty-one IC submissions, the competition was fierce and certainly exciting. From veterans once thought of as "dead" to up-and-coming wallers, this project has seen tremendous success in bringing the community together. Despite some hiccups, the results truly call for a round of applause for the participants, coordinators Jay and flyin', and (speaking from a less-than-impartial standpoint) the judges.

As such, we endeavor to provide feedback for each round to honor the inordinate amount of time that these wallers have invested. This month, we try to identify the most effective ways in which participants expressed the theme and give advice on common difficulties wallers experienced. We hope that this can function by leaving a larger footprint for AP CLASH in the development of the walling community.



These three walls represent the most compelling stylistic choices that successfully communicated the challenge themes. jns, ze and AssasinXXX invested heavily in their ultimate message to express the themes while allowing us an understanding of the person behind the creation. Clear color schemes perfectly convey mood, while the minimalist and typographic abstract leads us down a path to infinite interpretations, each as insightful as the last.

A. The use of muted pastels contributes a sense of sadness but also impresses "summer" upon us. Light and airy, this wall also captures youth and innocence through its calming colors.

B. A product of multiple scans, this wall is beautifully constructed with particular attention to meshing various styles while reinventing the tone altogether. With heavy influences from urban artwork, this piece is a prime example of how to use monochrome as a vehicle for expression. What is more impressive: the message is displayed deliberately, and yet this wall escapes unsophisticated interpretations.

C. It wasn't difficult for the judges to recognize the author of this typographic wonder, but it would be facetious to say that we weren't all pleasantly surprised. AssasinXXX capitalized on his experience with this style to produce a wall that was stylistically his, yet reformulated from the ground up.

Rather than relying on excruciating detail, beautiful painting requires an excellent understanding of color and effective brushstrokes. storm-and-fire and Yina perfectly capture a moment in time by exploiting technique that resonates strongly with their intended message. Each piece has a well-chosen palette, creating a tangible atmosphere in the former and heartfelt emotions in the latter.

A. How can you not fall in love with that serenity? Whereas many forced the blue upon their walls in the name of the IC theme, storm-and-fire was able to express the color very naturally. The full range of contrast, varied tones of blues, and touches of warmth make for a gorgeous piece of art.

B. Yina's painting technique has seen years of refinement and her technical strength undoubtedly shines through. But the true test of greatness lies with the vivid palette and effortless transitions between warm and cool tones that communicate the character's anguish--and the EC theme.



One difficulty that we noticed was that wallers were overly constrained by the messages given in the original scan. While a scan is one of the most important tools in walling, wallers should be unafraid to employ creativity, especially in a competition where the intent is everything. Despite the demand for scan reCGs, scans should be wisely used as an aid to your artistic arsenal rather than heavily relied upon as the primary display of your artistic taste.

Let Your Message Through It is great when you find something that fits your concept to a T. But on the flip side, you will have to make sure what comes through isn't the scan artist's message but yours. And of course, don't let the scan limit your vision!

Change it up! Don't feel as if you have to follow the color scheme or even overall style of the scan. Figure out what it is you want to say then find the best style/composition to apply to the original scan.


Wallers also seemed to spend a disproportionate amount of time on technique, rather than trying to express their theme clearly. While technique is definitely important, the coordinators and judges were really looking for a waller's ability to both interpret and articulate their message. These walls certainly demonstrated clear mood and stylistic intent, but the interpretation of the theme was obscured.

When walling, whether for a competition or for yourself, try to think of technique as an afterthought. Pinpoint your theme/message and what you want to portray before settling on a style. After choosing a style, move to deciding which technical aspects will produce the best results.



One of the most exciting, and inevitably the most difficult, aspects of competitions is that it challenges you to think of walling as a means of expression. While scan choice and technique clearly get you noticed, they play a comparatively minor role in the overall scores. Because AP Clash has produced so many great walls, we are excited to see IC2 and EC2 entries and what new ideas they can inspire.