Author Topic: Portraits  (Read 14215 times)

Offline MrsCake

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Portraits
« on: February 16, 2008, 08:31:06 PM »
Soooo...portraits. These were fun and half-way through Karin I realized I'd be having to buy Icewind Dale. I tried to get a nice balance between Icewind Dale style while still trying to get close to the spirit of what Kulyok sent me. Away we go,

Nella

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/8444/nelicopygv4.png

The main thing for me was to make her look level-headed and cover her vital organs. Chain-mail bikini syndrome is the enemy. Changed her face and hair, since I really wasn't happy with the other one.

Severn

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/7241/iwd2copyxa9.png

I (heart) him. I wanted him to look a bit thread-bare, but confident. He sort of ended up looking how I imagine Schmendrick, for those of you familiar with The Last Unicorn. Fraying at the cuffs but sure that things are looking up.

Korin

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/7324/iwd3copy2ms5.png

Kulyok described him as "Xan as a ranger" and so, exactly how I imagine Xan, but in green and brown instead of purple. Sort of pale, proud, and slightly arrogent.

Teri

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/6529/iwd4ii6.png

Since you don't often have a female character as the dashing rogue, I wanted to really emphasize that and give her the confidence you get in portrait like Coran or Haer'Dalis.

Holvir

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/808/iwd5si1.png

Since Carrot stayed at the back of my mind, where the sun hits Holvir's hair, he's a bit ginger. There aren't nearly enough ginger heroes.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2008, 08:22:28 PM by MrsCake »

Offline Kulyok

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2008, 01:16:00 AM »
Thank you!

I'll send you a PM at G3(since you haven't got five posts here, PPG PM system might not be working for you, yet)...

Offline jcompton

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2008, 10:08:06 AM »
My snap judgment is that the elves, particularly Teri, don't have a particularly Elven slant (literally and figuratively) to their features. With Korin we can at least see some extra ear peeking out but not so with Teri, and her facial structure looks wholly human, rather than the steeper, more angular structure of D&D elves.

And while Nella artfully dodges the Anti-Chainmail Bikini Patrol (ACBP, pronounced ack-beep), I fear she may be picketed by the Anti-Tiny Waisted Women Alliance (ATWWA, pronounced at-waah).

Oh, and since I know you and Kulyok were discussing it, I personally think Nella is certainly "attractive enough to be romance material" and that the hair is fine, but I'm sure tweaks in that department won't ruin anything.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2008, 10:16:59 AM by jcompton »
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Offline MrsCake

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2008, 11:02:21 AM »
Isn't Teri half-elven? I didn't want to make her look too much like a full elf, but I haven't checked the character page lately. Maybe her race has changed since Kulyok e-mailed me?

I really don't know anything about D&D outside of Bioware games, so I don't know what the elves classically look like. Korin is based on the look of the BG elves, like Xan and Kivan, mixed with the attitude of the IWD portraits. I've always liked that the Bioware male elf portraits aren't classically pretty, so I try to stick with that.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2008, 11:04:08 AM by MrsCake »

Offline Kulyok

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2008, 11:35:23 AM »
Teri is definitely half-elven, yes. I'll play a good cop here and say I'm happy with both portraits, and, yes, Kivan, Xan and other elvish BG/BG2 characters(with the exception of Aerie and Jaheira) have distinct human features, as well - possibly because they all were strongly based on human models. So do Diriel, Salomeya and Rizdaer in IWD2 NPC, and I love these, especially the former two.

Now that jcompton has commented, I admit I would be curious to see how Korin and Teri'd look with more slanted features and angular faces, but I am not sure it is worth it, since it can distort the original features, which may not be so good. (That is, I'll see it and say: "Thank you, my curiosity is satisfied, now can we get back to the original, please?" :) )

Offline jcompton

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2008, 11:45:57 AM »
I don't know what the elves classically look like.

Check your e-mail.
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Offline MrsCake

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2008, 11:51:00 AM »
I can certainly give it a go. And if you prefer it, go for it. In the immortal words of Arlo Guthrie, I'm not proud... or tired. :)

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Check your e-mail.

Hmm. Pretty much the generic elf look, I guess. I think I prefer the Bioware way, even if you do occasionaly get one that looks like the Coran portrait.

Offline Kulyok

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2008, 12:30:00 PM »
I agree; I think the face is already there, and I do like Korin and Teri as they are now.

Offline PrincessSuzie

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2008, 04:38:47 PM »
I think nella's eyes look too hollow... or too black. she look a bit like undead... *plz dont kill me* but I like the rest of portraits.

Offline Eleima

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2008, 11:53:12 AM »
Well, I **really** like your work MrsCake, and I don't think Nella looks like an undead!! :)
Great work, MrsCake, I really like 'em!! :D
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Offline Iguana-on-a-stick

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #10 on: February 19, 2008, 01:27:34 PM »
I'll just say I like all these portraits and that I do not think Korin looks too human at all. Yes, Teri looks fairly human but her portrait's great anyway (not sure I could pick a favourite between her, Nera and Severn, which is 3 out of 4... oops) so I'd -definitely want to keep it.

All I'd complain about is that Teri's right hand looks... unfinished somehow.

Offline Kulyok

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2008, 07:17:13 AM »
Oh - my - god! I JUST noticed that Holvir's portrait was here, too! And new Nella! Unattentive, lazy, lazy me!

Am writing to MrsCake with thanks right now, and will be integrating the portraits into the mod as soon as - this evening, most likely. :)

Offline Alatariel

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2008, 03:41:52 PM »
...And damn, you made the paladin look god... Damn. I didn't think it even theoretically possible;p.

I don't like Severn's portrait, however. Firstly because it doesn't appeal to my aesthetical senses (and he is supposed to be a bard, so can't be physically appalling, right?) and secondly because for some unknown reasons he is too similar to Kido in my eyes...
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Offline KIrving

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2008, 04:33:37 PM »
Nice portraits!

There is just something about Teri's upper body that looks too long and narrow(also very dark around the waist) and she looks(not that there is anything wrong with that) completely flat chested.  I suppose I imagined her a little more buxom.

Love Holvir's portrait.  Yum! :)
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Offline Iguana-on-a-stick

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #14 on: March 13, 2008, 07:24:51 AM »
I have to say I liked the old Nella portrait much better. This one looks too... sharp, too well defined to match the style of the other portraits and the general pastel IWD style. The face does not really match the portrait anymore.

Plus, I liked the older one quite a lot so I may be biased. ;-)

All in all I still think this is an awesome set of work and the new Holvir is very nice.

Offline Jenova

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #15 on: March 13, 2008, 10:56:56 AM »
New Nella's portrait is fantastic, much better than the old one!
Severn looks like the Bard (from the game Bard's Tale) so I hope it speaks volumes about his character!
And just like Alatariel said - something about Holvir makes him extremely good looking  8)

And overally it's another great piece of work, MrsCake!  :D
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Offline Qwinn

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #16 on: March 13, 2008, 06:58:45 PM »
Okay, I mean this in a purely constructive-criticism kinda way... cause I -do- like the artwork...

And the pics of the -guys- seem fine... the girls here seem to like them, anyway, and that's what counts... :)

But for us guys... well... erm... the two girls seem a bit, well, boyish?  At least in physique?

I say this because if there's going to be romance options available with them, it'd be nice to be attracted to them ;)  And the two female pics... well, they're not -ugly-... they're sorta kinda cute... but, well, nothing my friends are going to be jealous over either, heh.

And note, I'm -not- asking for the chainmail bikini syndrome, lol, I think that's as silly as the next person, and it'd be pretty hard to pull that off in the IWD portrait style anyway.  But there's plenty of ways, I think, to stick to that portrait style and still be somewhat hawt :)

(I will add, Teri's face is very pretty, no need to change anything there :)

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« Last Edit: March 13, 2008, 07:01:32 PM by Qwinn »

Offline Kulyok

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #17 on: March 14, 2008, 02:34:58 AM »
In the actual game, you'll only see their faces in "small" portraits, and their in-game "figures" are quite full, so. :)

Offline Annatar

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #18 on: March 14, 2008, 04:52:37 AM »
I'm going to go with the consensus here and say that I don't find the girl portraits particularly ...fascinating.
They're very (very) well done and I admire the skill behind them, they just don't grab me in any way which makes me interested in the characters.

Lukily I have a vast store of custom portraits so it's not a real problem, but I'm not entirely sure that's keeping in with the spirit of the thing.
« Last Edit: March 14, 2008, 04:59:57 AM by Annatar »

Offline Kulyok

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #19 on: March 14, 2008, 05:13:41 AM »
Sure, it's entirely up to you. It's particularly easy to change the portraits, because you can use any and all BG2 portraits in existence.

Offline Iguana-on-a-stick

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #20 on: March 19, 2008, 08:12:52 PM »
Two guys do not a concensus make. :-p Tastes differ, after all.

So let me hereby formally dissent and state the Nella and Teri are just as guilty from the "beautiful people" syndrome as any hollywood movie ever.

And that most definitely is not a complaint.


Offline Rodman49

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #21 on: March 19, 2008, 10:42:30 PM »
Oh, and since I know you and Kulyok were discussing it, I personally think Nella is certainly "attractive enough to be romance material" and that the hair is fine, but I'm sure tweaks in that department won't ruin anything.

She looks fairly well done except for the hands.  I mean they are huge, I don't think a PC would hit that man, those are mangling hands not loving hands.  Otherwise the portraits look very good.

Offline Lord of Al

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Re: Portraits
« Reply #22 on: April 01, 2008, 07:29:58 PM »
brilliant work! I got used to the IWD2 npc portraits and these (obviously) have the same art style, i admire your dedication!
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