thespaceinvader's portraits - Ancient Wose

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thespaceinvader
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thespaceinvader's portraits - Ancient Wose

Post by thespaceinvader »

As title... I don't have my own portraits topic at present, so since I've been doodling something which might be useful, I'm starting one. This is preliminary work for something on the Saurian Augur line. Needs costuming and detailing obviously, which I'm starting up on now...

The clawed hand would move further down its arm, and the right leg might need to move forward a little, but basically this would be the body shape.
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Turuk
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by Turuk »

Since it's still in beginning stages, I will not offer much C&C (little to say anyways), but I like it. I think you've managed to capture the whole lizard-like appearance. While it does appear sort of bipedal, the figure also stands in such a way the suggests carrying it's weight standing upright, back straight, would be extremely uncomfortable, painful, or unable to be done. A great start.
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by thespaceinvader »

I's what I was going for. I might hunch him over a little more, but overall, it's the right midpoint, IMHO, between anthropoid and dinosaur-ish. It needs to be human enough to relate to, but inhuman enough to be recognisable.
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by Turuk »

The tail is what is really going to affect that too, it has to leave the end of the backbone at enough of an angle so that standing upright would look ridiculous. That will help to set the image of a humanoid lizard. Curved as it is works great, or even a bit more straight out, which lizards tend to do for balance. I do know that curved reflects the sprites.
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by thespaceinvader »

Needs a LOT of finessing, but since I'm for bed, i thought I'd post what I have quickly. The right hand probably wants some attention, the staff definitely does, and it needs the detailing that I applied to make the scales on Inarix. Everything else needs some cleaning up and detailing. But otherwise... go to town =)

EDIT: attaching the image helps...
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augur.png
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by Cernunnos »

Hi, well drawn :D ,

Don't forget the right "big toe"!

Anyway i like it with the tunic, it (he?) seems larger than a skirmisher this way. Nice work!
"While portrait art may be where Wesnoth gets its glamour, and sprite art may be where Wesnoth gets its zest, it's the terrain art that's so crucial to Wesnoth's polish - it's the canvas that the rest goes on." Sangel
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by Turuk »

I have to agree, I think you did a great job. The only thing I noticed is that the robes are loose and flowing, but there are straps on the chest to hold it in place. Now if that is just decorative, that's fine, but if it's functional, then the straps are making it conform to the body of the saurian oddly.
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by Skizzaltix »

Nice work!
Though, I feel like his tail should be a little bigger. Maybe it's just my imagination? :?
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by thespaceinvader »

The straps hold the shoulder pads on. i;m open to completely removing those, but they are quite prominent on the sprite, so...
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by Turuk »

That's quite fine then, it was just the way it crosses the right arm made it appear lose to me, I agree about it matching the sprite.
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by thespaceinvader »

Major linework update.

As usual, C+C welcome. I'm leaving off this til at least tomorrow, so you've plenty of time...
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augur.png
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by kitty »

great to see you working on a project on your own for a change! it's always interesting to observe the differences in your seperate and collaborative works!

i like the basic creature design very much and the gesture works well, too.
but you asked for c&c so you get some:
- the jaw-line and mouth are way too similar.
- the spikes (?) on his head are cool but the ones extending down his spine are a bit bland - i'm sure you can come up with something more interesting!
- the way the shoulder connects to the ribcage is wrong. it looks like the scapula ends under the spine...
- get some ref for the folds on the arms.
- his hips are very, very wide. i know that lizard-ish creatures are build very flat and thus the legs conncet very sideways with the pelvis but this looks very feminine for a humanoid creature. my gender confusion is also aided by the way the cloth gravitates around the chest, the straps give it a nearly breast-like shapes...
(- i assume that you'll add more shamanistic elements and details later on - right?)

- generally i'm not sure if saurians really need full body portraits. i know jet said that special creatures like troll whelps can justify that but i'd suggest to use normal portrait shots in every possible case to make the impression as consistent as possible.


can't wait to see the next step!
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by thespaceinvader »

I'll shorten the jaw-line a good deal i think. i tend towards too many and too heavy lines anyway.

The back-spikes I'm fairly happy with tbh. I'm taking them from the sprite, and i don't want anything too elaborate. I might make them more membraneous like the head ones, but... I prefer them as they are i think.

I think i've borked the line at the top of the right shoulder. Should be an easy fix. But the skeleton is aimed to be avian in inspiration. Very little scapula, if at all.

I will do at that.

And I agree about the hips, now that you mention it. I'll bring the left leg in a good deal. It's got kinda child-bearing hips at the moment...

And if the saurians don't merit full-body shots, then I'll happily crop. my work scale allows that. But I feel that a wider view shows the species unique anatomy more effectively than a closer crop.

EDIT: oh, and can I take a minute to ask you for a hand making some shiny magic effects, or a quick lesson in how you do so? I'm not so good that those...

EDIT AGAIN: updated. I've made attempts at fixing the issues mentioned above. I've not added any extra details etc yet. need to find some reference material.
Attachments
augur.png
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by Cernunnos »

Hi,

If you want to make fire, that's quite easy : (5min draw)

Image
(edit: modified the image so there is no more white pixel around...)

You make a circle, fill it with red, use finger on it, make an orange circle, use finger, make some yellow lines, use finger...blue, white, finger. Done.

Anyway, you may want some other, more interesting, stuff, because i don't know what kind of effect might represent the type of damages saurian augur does. (curse i think, what should represent curse)...

I think saurian augur is the only unit which does this kind of damages so you can do whatever effect you want, since nobody has drawn the curse so far...

You should firstly have an idea of the effect you want?

Nice augur btw, seen what you did with the skirmisher and hope this will be this good!! :D

edit: looked at the sprite, it's a kind of white ball...
edit again: drawing lightening effects : http://www.webdesign.org/web/photoshop/ ... 11221.html (not realistic but nice imo)


Edit3: lightening (link)+ white fire (finger) + light source (easy and fast):

Image
Last edited by Cernunnos on November 22nd, 2008, 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"While portrait art may be where Wesnoth gets its glamour, and sprite art may be where Wesnoth gets its zest, it's the terrain art that's so crucial to Wesnoth's polish - it's the canvas that the rest goes on." Sangel
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Re: Since I don't have an active topic ATM... Portraits!

Post by thespaceinvader »

I know roughly what I want, and i'm more than capable of doing reasonable fire effects. I asked kitty for a reason - i love the effects she's used on just about every one of her magic users, and I'd like to know how she does them.
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