LordBob's commissionned work

[Telchin]

> He is old. According to the timeline, he was already 59 when Asheviere seized power and he's past 75 when the campaign begins. By Wesnoth's (assumed) medical standards, he's lucky to even be able to walk. Yes, I know, magic is a potent preservative and whatnot, but old age happens to everyone and more often than not it gives people's features a character that they completely lacked in youth.

That makes sense given that his unit is literaly named "Elder Mage" and that he is weaker than his ultimate from in Delafdor's Memoirs. Also I might be wrong (or just slow-witted), but I assume that those protraits will be cropped when finished, as all (?) current portraits (both generic units and campaign characters) seem to depict the person waist-up. (I guess it's easier to get the anatomy right when sketching the entire body. Am I wrong?)

[LordBob]

(I guess it's easier to get the anatomy right when sketching the entire body.

You're absolutely right. Plus, it's a better practice for me to conceive full-body poses and it looks better in a portfolio.

Anyway, revised Moremirmu. If the book isn't mage-ish enough I'll replace it with the hand gesture of #2, but all in all I'd really prefer to stick to this one.

[zookeeper]

Looks good to me, and the book's ok too.

[Crow_T]

The current old Delfador sprite is quite burley, I picture him as a bit more beefy than the sketches.

[8680]

To me, Moremirmu’s right leg seems too thin compared to his left leg.

[Blarumyrran]

imo the cartooniness & strong perspective clash too much with other portraits! Delfador's staff looks really cool.

[vultraz]

Oh, and, Asheviere will be old, too. Not as much as Delfador, but 50's the youngest you'll get so don't you go expecting fancy cleavages and silky hair

Aw, darnit D:

Anyway, on Delfador, I like the second one, as it matches colors with the story art. That thing around his neck looks a bit weird, though, like something out of Elizabethan times.

[Mefisto]

For Delfador: medical conditions aside his pose suggests he is a humbled, broken man (who he is at least in the beginning of HttT admittedly) but people probably would like to see somebody like badass old silver-hair kung fu master "Nobody messes with Delfador the Great!". I like the second colour theme. It makes kind of impression of regal purple.

[Sleepwalker]

Campaign specific characters could have their own style right, so does it matter if they are more cartoony? Or are we moving away from that?

Green is a given, so the choice is purple or red. I prefer red.

Vultraz: It's a cape with a fancy collar. Any prestigious wizard should have something with a fancy collar in his wardrobe.

[Telchin]

Campaign specific characters could have their own style right, so does it matter if they are more cartoony? Or are we moving away from that?

I guess it's OK if campaign portraits deviate from generic unit portraits, but all campaign specific portraits in a single campaign should use the same style for some consistency. That said, I'm not up to date with what portraits are being redone and by whom (the latest BfW I have installed is 1.10.0) and I suppose that style guidelines are ultimately up to people who actually understand art, not myself.

[beetlenaut]

I prefer the red. I also think he should stand a little straighter: Currently, he doesn't look like he could walk for a hundred miles.

[Jetrel]

Moremirmu: I think his "gothic sway" is overexaggerated on his rear foot, but the draping of his tunic/hauberk would hide that entirely on the final portrait. His character/personality works well.

Delfador: I think the costuming and face work on this set is good, but I think I share everyone's concerns about delfador's own look, most succinctly stated by a worry that he's "off-model". That even accounting for the effects of age, his body looks like someone else's. He's very old, but I think for story-reasons he still needs to look decidedly "hale", since he's required by story to do a lot of rough travel.

Broadening his shoulders/chest and reducing his stoop somewhat might fix everything.

[LordBob]

Despite the prolonged silence, I am still around (been busy updating my portfolio). Delfador comment duly noted, I'll make him a little more fit and a little less like a crumbling old man.

In the meantime, I've finished Moremirmu. I didn't include any magic FX on the sword (other than uncanny shades of blue) given his relaxed pose as I'd tend to reserve them for "casting" poses, but if the white-mage part isn't obvious enough it'll be an easy fix.

[rmj]

Nice facial expression.

His right hand looks flat. Is that a bald spot on his head? If so, I don't think it would be visible.
Where is his wand?

[Iris]

Where is his wand?

He presumably doesn’t need one.