thespaceinvader's portraits - Ancient Wose

[thespaceinvader]

A flask is an excellent idea - but flint and tinder would probably go inside the pack, to make sure they stay dry. Possibly a lantern, but I think Dwarves wouldn't really need them at night, being cave dwellers they probably have good night-sight.

Bob - thanks for the hints. I haven't yet refined his brow, nose and eye area, i'll make him a good deal more craggy - he looks youthful at present partly because he has very thin eyebrows, and partly because his face is still more or less mine from the nose up... I'll sort out contours to guide placement of his straps and gear, too.

A belt-knife is an excellent idea, though. In case it's not clear, by the way, the 'belt' is actually intended to be connected to the pack, it's more of a waist strap. But it can still have gear on it

Overall, I think I could do with bulking him out a good deal more, and setting his head further down on his neck. Though I don't want to lose the leaner look for him, since he's supposed to be swift...

[kitty]

New project Do you abandon the wose or will you come back to it?


For the Explorer:
Apart from the things lordbob already mentioned, I advise against a stance with one leg bent and set higher than the other, this always ends looking awkward (because our portrait format doesn't allow us to show his surroundings and the imaginary stone he set his foot on). Set both his feet on the same plane. And his hands look giantic.

[thespaceinvader]

No, I will finish it, but I felt like a change from painstaking detail work back to something I know.

And yeah, his hands got a touch too large when I scaled them up in the reference. Will shrink.

EDIT: Updated: initial linework and flats.

[AI]

Hanging a flask from your belt like that is probably going to be rather uncomfortable when running. I think you want to either move it up (where it won't be hammering against your thigh) or secure it with straps.

[thespaceinvader]

Yeah, I'll move it i'd've thought. Also, Scout posing sketch. In terms of gear, I'm thinking that this chap will be wearing a brigandine, and maybe a cloak - I'm going to keep the pack only for the explorer. Probably a few bits of kit, maybe the flask and some belt pouches, maybe a belt knife if i can find room. Since this covers both Pathfinder and scout, I've gone with two axes, one throwing, one larger. Plus smaller, narrower facial hair and generally younger features.

[kitty]

Much new stuff again

The explorer has a lot of nice detail going on! At the moment you seem to start to add more detail which is great, but you think of "equipment-detail" most of the time. Your portraits could get a whole lot more realistic if you started to add in (different kinds of) seams and stittching, the thickness of leather, an extra shirt below the main one and all the little things that don't really seem to matter and that one doesn't notice and think of easily. That's not a specific crit on the explorer but rather a general observation.

Apart from that the explorer's legs look a bit too thick, if you don't exaggerate them that much the nice little belly will shine much more. And the rear hand's position may be possible but is very uncomfortable, if you moved his (invisible) ellbow down a bit and the hand came up higher due to that the pose would look more relaxed.

The scout is in a too early step of the process to say much but his rear forearm is too short and his body's centerline doesn't match up. But the general pose looks good!

[thespaceinvader]

I've tried to incorporate your suggestions into my Scout lineswork - attached. I'll do some fiddling with the Explorer and post probably tomorrow evening - it all depends what's happening with the Drakes. As with lordBob's when he's drawn them, the dots are a guideline for where the rivets will go for the brigandine. The buckles on it are of a slotting-together design inspired by my old scout belts, mainly because I found that fitting in proper buckles was way too fiddly...

[kitty]

Jepp! That's nice! So many little details make him believable on new level

Before you start shading you should fix some anatomical issues with his face and arm. For the face: The eyes are differently sized and the nose is overly long. And something is still strange about his rear arm: it is still shorter than the other one, the ellbow construction is off and the thumb is too small.

[thespaceinvader]

The rear arm is slightly foreshortened, i don't think it's reading quite correctly without shading. but I'll sort the elbow and thumb. I'll sort the face out - i think i put the bottom of the nose too far down, due to the thin moustache.

Thanks.

[Jetrel]

The rear arm is slightly foreshortened, i don't think it's reading quite correctly without shading. but I'll sort the elbow and thumb. I'll sort the face out - i think i put the bottom of the nose too far down, due to the thin moustache.

Thanks.

There's a contradiction between the rear arm, and the rear-arm's hand.

The rear arm is foreshortened as though the arm is jutting "mostly foward" (there wouldn't be foreshortening to the side).

The hand, though, is drawn as if it's facing totally to the side. Change the way that hand holds the axe-handle to face to the front, I think. Change the axe-handle so the "plane" on the butt of the axe is actually visible.

[thespaceinvader]

Flats for the Scout. Working on shading for the Explorer.

EDIT: attachment >.<

[JAP]

*Cough* forgot something?

[thespaceinvader]

Me, forget an attachment? You cain't prove nuthin

EDIT: Shading for the Explorer - still to come, countershading on all non-metal areas, line weights and colours. But I'll give you some time to crit the shading overnight

[kitty]

Quick crits since I am tired (but basically you are doing well )

Scout: You don't seem to have worked on the problems me and jet mentioned at all - The rear arm has a problem - if you want it foreshortened you'll need to change the hand's angle and position. And the thumb is still tiny and the ellbow wrong. And his nose is also still too long. Don't try to get around those issues - they'll be the more work the later in the process you tackle them.
(And I suggest giving the little bag a different colour from his trousers - it looks a bit like a pointy ass atm)

Explorer: You're really doing a lot better than with the last batch of dwarves! His skin colour looks nice and healthy. The shading on his upper arm doesn't describe its form well. And like with the scout the issues with his legs and rear arm I mentioned last time are not adressed at all (If you are not interested in crits, just say it - that would only spare me time )

[thespaceinvader]

I'll admit to forgetting to redo the thumb and elbow. I did shorten the nose a good deal, but evidently, not enough. Will do more. However, the hand position and overall arm position ARE correct. See reference. Agreed about the little pouch, however. I did have that thought myself, should have fixed it before I uploaded.

I did thin the explorer's legs, but again, obviously not enough. They need work anyway - I've only form-shaded them at present. I'm reasonably happy with the hand position, though - it didn't feel uncomfortable when I took the reference photo... I might re-think it in the morning, we shall see. Perhaps, however, his rear shoulder isn't quite large/high enough.

Plenty to do tomorrow.