Dwarf Portraits

nehuen · Post by **nehuen** » February 17th, 2008, 5:07 pm

the quality is good, but it looks a bit static, a bit egyptian-like style.

Maybe if you make a sketch with more dynamic, in movement, it will looks better.

Post by **thespaceinvader** » February 17th, 2008, 5:41 pm

The shading should remove that effect with any luck - the flats+lines look tends to look very flat and egyptian-y. I use it to show what the lines look like more than anything. I'd show just lines on a white background, but they don't show too well when the lines are coloured as they are in this style.

Speaking of which, Dragonguard lines/flats.

Post by AI » February 17th, 2008, 7:04 pm

You may want to move the trigger lever closer to the stock, as it is it seems difficult to fit your hand around it and pull it at the same time, making it hard to keep the weapon stable while firing.

Post by **thespaceinvader** » February 17th, 2008, 7:17 pm

Hence the comparative difficulty of hitting...anything...with a dragonstick =P Well, anything smaller than a troll, at any rate...

Yeah, you're probably right. I'm not sure how crossbows of that style would have been fired in the first place o_O

Post by AI » February 17th, 2008, 7:26 pm

The way I see it, modern-style triggers are simply miniaturized levers with a guard around them so you won't fire the thing by bumping into something. So, you should look at some kind of rifle without pistol grip and let the lever appear in the same place as the trigger, just bigger.

try this:
http://www.adamsguns.com/2250.jpg

EDIT: made image into link

Post by **kitty** » February 18th, 2008, 10:45 am

that's comming along nicely! the new posture of the dragonguard is great!

a few details:

- i think his right eye is lopsided, i would rotate it a few degress counterclockwise.
- his right ear is too long. ears generally end where the nose begins.
- the right edge cropping is awkward, wether give it some space or crop part of the weapon. now it looks like you didn't dare to make a decision.
- the way his cape lies on his arm looks unnatural - try to act it out or find a reference....

Karo · Post by **Karo** » February 18th, 2008, 11:01 am

@ai: Could you make the rifle (carbine?) picture a link?

@thespaceinvader: The gryphon's bridle looks rather odd... I don't think the front strap is necessary. Perhaps, instead of a typical equine bridle, you could modify it to sort of look like falcon's hood. With the exception, of course, of eye-holes.

Post by **thespaceinvader** » February 18th, 2008, 4:41 pm

Kitty: thanks for the input. I'll sort the eye, ear and the cloak (need to check the reference again - i was going from memory off an old one from one of the tHoT portraits and i'm not sure i got it quite right), and i think you're right, i have to bite the bullet (groan) and crop off some of the weapon barrel. I'll try to preserve as much of the decoration as possible, though.

Karo: I'd thought of a falcon hood type thing, i'll look into it. But i don't want to do anything too obtrusive, because the sprite doesn't appear to have much of a bridle, if any at all. It certainly doesn't have a leather hood...

Karo · Post by **Karo** » February 18th, 2008, 7:48 pm

thespaceinvader wrote:Karo: I'd thought of a falcon hood type thing, i'll look into it. But i don't want to do anything too obtrusive, because the sprite doesn't appear to have much of a bridle, if any at all. It certainly doesn't have a leather hood...

Actually, I was thinking more of a skeletal hood, also, meaning just a strap around the neck attached to the bottom of the beak portion, and a strap over the top of the head between the eyes (connected to the collar).

Post by **thespaceinvader** » February 18th, 2008, 8:00 pm

I think i get what you mean... I'll look into it when i get time.

Post by **thespaceinvader** » February 19th, 2008, 8:57 pm

Initial colours for Thunderer. C+C will be greatly appreciated. I might fiddle with some things, particularly the brightness of some of the highlights in order to make the chainmail detailing stand out more.

Post by AI » February 19th, 2008, 9:04 pm

His right eye looks like he's looking at his thunderstick, while the left stares straight forward.

Try covering one eye and following his gaze, then doing the same with the other.

Post by **thespaceinvader** » February 19th, 2008, 9:10 pm

Good point - the right iris is slightly too far to our right i think. And that reminds me, i forgot to shade the eyes >.<

Post by **kitty** » February 20th, 2008, 9:58 am

he is even better looking in colour! the braces are really funny and dwarven at the same time, which is a good thing! and the braid is cute.

the rendering of the wheapon is absolutly great!

few nitpicks nevertheless:

- he seems a bit tilted, i would rotet him a few degres clockwise

- i miss his neck! a bit of his neckline should be visible.

- the colour of his beard and the leather beneath are too close.

- same with belt buckle and the thunderstick's metal part.

- the eyes were already mentioned.

- i'm sorry to say, but the chainmail doesn't look like chainmail at all.... it rather appears like silver silk.

February 20th, 2008, 10:11 am

Thanks =) I like the braces too myself. I was initially going to leave them out, but i reasoned that that leather shoulder-armour would need some kind of attachment to him. Initially they were going to be one long piece of leather each, but again, i realised that would be near-impossible to actually put on, and put in the buckles.

- so he does. I'll rotate him.

- neckline: i'll bare a little bit under his ear where the leather goes up to meet it. I wasn't too sure about the leather going right up there anyway...

- that's a good point. Not sure what to do with that, because the beard needs to be brown. I'll bring some highlights out at the very edge of the beard to mark the delineation, and see if that works.

- i think the belt buckle and thunderstick metal are pretty OK personally - unlike the beard and leather, it seems pretty clear to me where the edge lies, because of the line of the edge of the weapon and differing shading. I'll see what i can do with them, though. I don't want to change the colour of either really, but i might change my mind and make the clothing buckles silver. But then they'd match the chainmail >.< I could change the colour of the decoration plate, though. I'll think about it.

- eyes, check again

- yeah, i definitely need to enhance the detailing on the chainmail, then - there are little white half-circle highlights and dark half-circle shadows which make it look very chainmail-y at full size, but which practically disappear at final resolution. I need to exaggerate them more to make them stay. And possibly desaturate the colour a bit.

Will be working on this this afternoon, assuming that i get all my own stuff done this morning.