LordBob's commissionned work

[zookeeper]

Refined study for Asheviere. Her right hand will be holding a sceptre or wand of sorts.

Really nice! Her face looks pretty masculine though, probably largely due to the angle and the shape of the headgear. I don't know if it's a problem really as she doesn't need to be a beauty anymore, but on the other hand evil queens being ugly is a bit of a common trope too.

As far as I'm concerned it doesn't need to change, but it took me quite a while to come to that conclusion so I figured I'd mention.

[LordBob]

Now that you mention it... It's very likely the width of the chin and a relatively angular jaw. I'll fix that, thanks.

Zero: I'm not sure if we have a precise date of birth for her, but her firstborn son Eldred is already 21 when he is slain by Delfador, and the campaign begins 16 years afterwards. So she's anywhere between 50 and 60.

[Wesbane]

If this is recorded somewhere, it was never reveled to wider audience. However using official timeline of wesnoth it is possible to estimate her age on 56-60 years. When in 478 YW Garard II marries Ashaviere, he is at 38 and she has to have at least 16 since two years later she gave birth to Eldred. It can't be much more because in 498 YW her daughter, Li'sar is born. Under this most optimistic scenario she would be 36 then. And still young and pretty when her son Eldred makes an overthrow three years later.

[Dugi]

I think Asheviere should have a sharper chin. Otherwise she looks quite appropriate.

[vultraz]

When in 478 YW Garard II marries Ashaviere, he is at 38 and she has to have at least 16 since two years later she gave birth to Eldred.

That...is disturbing... But I suppose a normal thing in the time period.

[homunculus]

[...] she has to have at least 16 since two years later she gave birth to Eldred. [...]

Real life evidence contradicts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_yo ... th_mothers, so she could have married at age 3 and given birth at 5, and (if I understood your post correctly) that would put her youngest possible age at 56 - (16 - 3) = 43.

If not talking about a hard constraint like 'must have been', but trying to estimate what is likely, she might have married at age 10 and given birth at 12, that would put her more realistic youngest age at 50.

Edit: Became suspicious and read the details in the wiki, and need to correct myself.
With the condition that both mother and child would survive in medieval times, the youngest mothers would be 8 and the youngest possible age would be 46.

[LordBob]

Many of these examples are pushing nature to its limit by being the result of a child rape and/or involving very difficult birth conditions. I'd rather not have any of this here, so lets say she gives birth to Eldred anytime between her 12th and 14th birthday.

[Wesbane]

Age is really not of that importance for a portrait. Since all that matters is how character should look on it. Young, old, on her actual age. If this last is a case maintainer should provide all needed details, unless it suppose to be hard to tell.

As for extreme examples:

Real life evidence contradicts

No it doesn't. This is not about what is biologically possible, but what can be accepted by society.

[zookeeper]

Yeah, I don't want to specify her exact age. I don't want to go into the creepy territory of having a <16-year old have children with a 40-year old guy, regardless of historical accuracy. This isn't a realistic setting in the sense that we'd need to feature historically accurate aspects of medieval society which offend our modern sensibilities like the aforementioned or things like torture, female subordination in general or high infant mortality.

[LordBob]

Perfectly fine by me: the 50-60 age bracket is more than enough to tell her character.
Anyway, just a quick updae to show the general color scheme.

[direfish]

A few things while you're at it! Do you think her face could be made a bit more attractive? She looks like a hag, but she used to be good looking in her youth and she is incredibly vain, so I'd think she'd do anything to preserve her looks. I'd compare her to the Queen from Snowwhite. Face that still bears tracks of past beauty but is also cruel and haughty.. Does it make any sense to you?
Also, is it just me or does her neck seem a bit too long?

[LordBob]

It does make sense; I'll keep it in mind when doing the face, which I haven't taken care of yet.
The long neck that several of you noticed is, I think, caused by a comparatively short face and the (too) strong highlight on her shoulders, which makes her trapezoids vanish into the background. I'll take care of it.

Edit: updated with a longer face, didn't change the actual neck size. Is it better now ?

[vultraz]

MUCH better, now.

I don't really like the headgear, though. It seems so...impractical.

[direfish]

Well, she's a queen, she's supposed to wear opulent and unwieldy accessories.
Neck seems to be fixed and longer face suits her better overall, imo. I wouldn't mind the crown to look a bit finer and fancier, but it's just a matter of taste really. I think Asheverie is turning out wonderfully.
You're doing a lot of great art lately, LordBob, and we all appreciate it!

[vultraz]

I kinda think she'd look better with her hair let down and a small jeweled circlet for a crown, kinda like the one the storyart depicts her son lifting from the dead king's head, since ostensibly she would have that crown now.