TRoW portraits--tried Jessica Again

[Jetrel]

jessica attempt, done myself so it probably isn't good, and I'm not done yet.

Yeah, it isn't good.

You're missing the following:
- correctness of general anatomical structure
- some of the basic precepts of cell-shading, such as 'inking'.
- smooth curves generally defined by "continuous functions".

Look at the tutorials here to figure them out:
http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/External_Tutorials

Specifically, Andrew Loomis' books would be good for tackling the first, and the section on Cell-Shading styles would be good for the second. In fact, I believe Julie Dillon has a short bit in her tutorials on the basic cell-shading process.

As for the third point, you just need to practice general linework. There are many styles of drawing lines, but cell-shaded comic work (especially the manga variety, in whose direction you seem to be leaning), typically wants for long, coherent/singular/connected lines that could be drawn on a computer with a bezier curve. Using multiple lines to show a single edge is typically much less "clean-looking".

[Thrawn]

There are many styles of drawing lines, but cell-shaded comic work (especially the manga variety, in whose direction you seem to be leaning), typically wants for long, coherent/singular/connected lines that could be drawn on a computer with a bezier curve. Using multiple lines to show a single edge is typically much less "clean-looking".

bezier curve?? I really don't understand what this is.

I know what you mean about the lines--thats how I did the face itself-- so I just continue trying!

[Boucman]

a bezier curve is a mathematical construct which is used to draw a smooth curve from a dozen points

basically, you do as you did with lines, but instead of linking your clicks with lines, it'll do a smooth curve

most graphic programs implement these

[Jetrel]

a bezier curve is a mathematical construct which is used to draw a smooth curve from a dozen points

basically, you do as you did with lines, but instead of linking your clicks with lines, it'll do a smooth curve

most graphic programs implement these

And it's something you can draw by hand, too. The reason I mentioned the name of the computer-generated version is that it has a specific name. Pop open some decent graphics creation program (eg. the Gimp, Photoshop, Illustrator, Inkscape), and play with it to see what I mean.

The biggest "point" is that the lines on an edge should almost never have sharp corners. XD, and simply because I can't resist saying this, please quote me, someone, "Breasts don't have corners, unless the girl forgets to take the kleenex out of the box."

(Please don't kill me, folks.)

[Jetrel]

Here are cleaned-up, OptiPNG'ed versions of the portraits. The problem Thrawn had in his edits is that he used the "pencil" tool instead of the "brush" tool. Don't ever do this unless you are working on sprite images.

However, I really don't feel comfortable tampering with someone elses' art in this way, so if someone wants this committed, it ain't gonna be me that does it.

[scott]

Heh I have no problem with committing it as long as you're satisfied. It will be about a week (how I miss procare) until I can since Apple is currently having their way with my ibook latch.

Propping the thing up by the screen on the edge of a desk... apparently that's not a recommended practice.

[martenzo]

I think that thoshe portraits should be removed, they are too unwesnothish to fit the game. I'm not saying that they look ugly, but that style just doesn't fit to wesnoth, nor the Green Isle.

[scott]

They are not intended to fit in with the rest of the game portraits. If we ever have a regular portrait artist it might be a good idea to redoing campaign portraits at the end of the art run.

[Jetrel]

I think that those portraits should be removed, they are too unwesnothish to fit the game. I'm not saying that they look ugly, but that style just doesn't fit to wesnoth, nor the Green Isle.

Hah. Though I can certainly understand 'where you're coming from,' since the portraits do have a very stylized and comical feel, they, however, were clearly a very large amount of work on grp21's part.

If you want better portraits, draw them. It won't be easy, but hey - it's a change you could accomplish yourself.

Hell - it's exactly why I joined the project - I really didn't like fmuñoz's original Li'sar portrait (though I liked the spirit behind it), and I basically joined to draw a better one. After about 15 different attempts, most of which shall not be documented (please!), I finally got the hang of this whole "drawing cell-shaded images" thing, and made one I can permanently be happy with. Pitiably, the same is not true of the rest of the cast, but theirs are at least palatable.

[Thrawn]

on line art, are these better?

[Eleazar]

They are not intended to fit in with the rest of the game portraits. If we ever have a regular portrait artist it might be a good idea to redoing campaign portraits at the end of the art run.

IMO i'ts not desirable (or practical) to have all the campaign portraits done in the same style. Sure the tRoW portraits are extreme, but there's a consistent set for the campaign-- It gives the whole thing a quirky flavor that meshes with the style of dialog.

As an art-person, it's never bothered me that a campaign has differently styled "hero" portraits from the normal units. But when the hero art is distincly different within a campaign, that bugs me.


Thrawn, the Orc is not bad, but too simplified if you mean it to go with the rest of the tRoW portraits.

[Thrawn]

Thrawn, the Orc is not bad, but too simplified if you mean it to go with the rest of the tRoW portraits.

No, just an exercise in drawing.

What about the elf? I realized so many wonderful orc art has been done, but no elves, with the exception of tRoW.

[scott]

It may be obvious that once ALL units have portraits done in the core portrait style, the TROW portraits could be out of place. Or, they may be that much greater since they would be distinctive.

In either case, they're done.

I think you should try to match the core portrait style for the elves. We have the shaman portrait but that's it. Why do our portrait artists draw a couple of brilliant images then disappear?

[Thrawn]

I tried again--drawing on comp, not scanning.

It's not done yet--arms and hands not done, some details, but wanting to know if I should bother finishing

please post critisims and advice!

[toms]

This basically really looks good!

But...I think you should set harder lines.
I´m confused about the colours...
And pleace make the hip a bit thinner.

The style of the hair is quite good.

The face proportions

These were just a few thoughts. I would like to see this improved and used fopr tRoW.