@Aedan, @Akerhon, @AHF, @JosefineS: Thank you! These kinds of portraits are fun to make, and I'm glad you like the results.
@Akerhon, @Drugar: I agree that elven features are generally more refined. My goal is this case, however, was to stick as close as possible to the originals in order to allow them to be seamlessly integrated into the game. This obviously wasn't possible in respect to facial hair, but my thought was that just as in any race, there must be some ugly drow... (Uthegentel is who I was thinking of... http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Uthegentel_Del'Armgo)
I'll hopefully be able to post Mazzy later today and Cernd either tomorrow or the day after to complete the set. I may also change Viconia's portrait just to have her fit better with the others.
Like Korgan and Jan, it wouldn't make much sense to have her be a drow, so she became a duergar as well. However, I thought she'd be ridiculous if bald, so she's one of the few who has some hair on her head. Her nose also had to grow just a bit, as she had unusually fine features. The new symbol at her neck is that of the duergar god Laduguer.
@KidCarnival beautiful portraits (a little note: drow race do not have a beard and mustache, like common elves)
This may be useful - Drow of the Underdark - Drow vary in shape, features, and hair color as greatly as humans do. The only exception to this rule is their uniformly jet-black skin (the few exceptions tend to be bone-white albinos). The majority of drow have snow-white hair from birth, yellowing (if female) or graying (if male) and thinning with great age. Rare drow have naturally silver or copper-hued hair, although there are those who deliberately dye their hair silver. Most drow have red eyes. Others have green, brown, or black. Various shades of gray, even amber and rose-hued eyes are not unknown. All drow eyes tend to grow redder when they are angry or upset. Yellow eyes usually denote illness, disease, poisoning, or the presence of certain detrimental magics. Blue and purple (and all the tints thereof) are the most unusual eye colors, and usually denote human or surfaceelven blood somewhere in the drows ancestry. Drow teeth may be black, white, or purple, and their gums, tongues, and throats pink, red, or purple. Drow females tend to be bigger and stronger than males. Both sexes tend to be lithe, slim, and graceful in build, features, and movements, much as other elves appear to human eyes
Yeah, but Edwin looks stupid without beard. I already removed the hood and assumed hair and added thayan tattooes. Without the beard, it could be pretty much everyone.
@Isandir what program (and on which platform) do you use to produce your artwork?
@Bhaaldog: I use Photoshop CS6, though I've also made and edited portraits in earlier versions. I always have it running on my desktop with a standard mouse and keyboard. I'm a long-time PC gamer, so that arrangement has always felt most comfortable for me in respect to anything tech-related.
i really like you did the whole NPC collection it can be actually used in-game.
my ONLY comment goes to the coloring of the eyes, they seem to be too glow(y) or blurry (color going too far into the skin area and lacking defined pupil).
and just to make it clear, i can't resist criticizing because i think they are good work.
@Isandir You can really tell you've put the work in on the challenges of Edwin, Korgan, Jan and Mazzy. Those 4 are all brilliant, much better than the more basic transformations.
This hasn't been an issue for this round yet, but please submit all entries in BMP format. I've added a note to the OP.
I've got a problem with that. Neither DevArt nor Photobucket allow uploads of BMP files - they automatically convert them to jpg and png, respectively. Where can I upload my pics as BMPs?
So here is Jaheira in her drow form. Not sure if drow really like braids, so I've decided to offer Jaheira a new hairstyle. I believe that would let her stay unnoticed. + fixed lips (for those who hate her BioWare lips problem)
I had intended to upload this last night, but for some reason nothing would attach... While some of the accessories of some of the other characters could likely pass unnoticed in the Underdark, Cernd's feathers seemed too symbolic of the surface, so I took them out.
Is it possible to edit attachements? Because I modified my Jaheira, but it seems I can only delete the attachements, I don't think I can reupload the bitmaps... for now, I just included two versions of the same portrait as an alternative for the problem - it was already there in her original BioWare portrait The fixed lips is kind of alternative version, if her lips appear in your nightmares.
It was a real challenge to retain his bone structure while making him look "elvish" - I don't think I succeeded, but oh well. I extended his scars at the top of his eyebrow, and carved a Lolth tattoo into his neck. Ouch!
@Jalily@Troodon80 Attach a file?... Well, hallo there, nifty forum function I've never noticed before! Fancy a test post? XD
@Isandir huh, now I feel kind of... copycat-ish? But I really need to start with Viconia. Hope you don't mind?
My reasoning for Disguised Viconia: She's too pale and too blue and too blond, and there's no way she wouldn't draw attention to herself in the city of xeno-hostile drows. Apart from coloring, her portrait is not consistent with Jaheira's and Aerie's ones when it comes to that alien/elvish look I like so much. Some time ago I made an altered picture of Viconia with VERY dark, nearly black skin, and very thin nose. While it appeals to my sense of aesthetics, it was rather hard to actually see her features. I decided to compromise between the darkness and the visibility. This picture is also my 'matrix' for the other pictures - I'll try to keep the skin tone more or less even for all the NPCs; as for facial features, I'm going with big, slightly slanted eyes, thin noses, no facial hair and sharp chins. And ears. Can't forget the ears. :P
Ok, enough talk. Let's see... A preview: And attached files:
And now for the first serious contestant from my herd. Keldorn is not thrilled to be masquerading as a creature of pure evil, but he will suffer for the cause. :P
EDIT: Heh... I only just noticed that I put a shaved version of human!Keldorn as comparison... a, well, he must shave occasionally anyway, right?
I still believe my Jaheira was better (if you want to check her, it's few posts above this one), but I decided to give Yoshi a chance. I am sure he would do a great job, if only he could follow his true allies.
@Isandir huh, now I feel kind of... copycat-ish? But I really need to start with Viconia. Hope you don't mind?
@Syntia13: No worries. The more, the merrier in my mind. I admired your work long before I started making portraits myself, so it's nice to be counted among the ranks now.
@SwordsNotWords: Thanks! Korgan in particular was difficult to make, as the spiky duergar hair just wasn't working at first. I had to replicate patches of it and blend it all together to make it work.
@trinit: Thank you! In the case of the duergar, I just stuck to lore, which specifies that they have dull, pupil-less eyes. (I didn't want to make them entirely blank, however, as it looked a bit odd.) Looking back at the drow, I think I did go overboard with Minsc and Valygar. The glowing eyes look less like glowing eyes and more like purple eyeliner...
@Synthia13: I like your recoloring of Viconia, but I think the colours used in the clothing are too bright. The Underdark is a dark place and thus dark colours such as purple, black, deep red and dark brown are used most. Just a few thoughts.
Comments
@Isandir You are my Portrait GOD good sir (or ma'am
@Akerhon, @Drugar: I agree that elven features are generally more refined. My goal is this case, however, was to stick as close as possible to the originals in order to allow them to be seamlessly integrated into the game. This obviously wasn't possible in respect to facial hair, but my thought was that just as in any race, there must be some ugly drow...
I'll hopefully be able to post Mazzy later today and Cernd either tomorrow or the day after to complete the set. I may also change Viconia's portrait just to have her fit better with the others.
Baeloth' bad disguise is... bad.
Like Korgan and Jan, it wouldn't make much sense to have her be a drow, so she became a duergar as well. However, I thought she'd be ridiculous if bald, so she's one of the few who has some hair on her head. Her nose also had to grow just a bit, as she had unusually fine features. The new symbol at her neck is that of the duergar god Laduguer.
Yes, she does look a bit like Tina Turner.
(a little note: drow race do not have a beard and mustache, like common elves)
The majority of drow have snow-white hair from birth, yellowing (if female) or graying (if male) and thinning with great age. Rare drow have naturally silver or copper-hued hair, although there are those who deliberately dye their hair silver.
Most drow have red eyes. Others have green, brown, or black. Various shades of gray, even amber and rose-hued eyes are not unknown. All drow eyes tend to grow redder when they are angry or upset.
Yellow eyes usually denote illness, disease, poisoning, or the presence of certain detrimental magics.
Blue and purple (and all the tints thereof) are the most unusual eye colors, and usually denote human or surfaceelven blood somewhere in the drows ancestry. Drow teeth may be black, white, or purple, and their gums, tongues, and throats pink, red, or purple.
Drow females tend to be bigger and stronger than males. Both sexes tend to be lithe, slim, and graceful in build,
features, and movements, much as other elves appear to human eyes
i really like you did the whole NPC collection it can be actually used in-game.
my ONLY comment goes to the coloring of the eyes, they seem to be too glow(y) or blurry (color going too far into the skin area and lacking defined pupil).
and just to make it clear, i can't resist criticizing because i think they are good work.
link to the package with fixed lips: http://www.speedyshare.com/UK28d/DJaheira-fixed-lips.zip
I had intended to upload this last night, but for some reason nothing would attach... While some of the accessories of some of the other characters could likely pass unnoticed in the Underdark, Cernd's feathers seemed too symbolic of the surface, so I took them out.
It was a real challenge to retain his bone structure while making him look "elvish" - I don't think I succeeded, but oh well. I extended his scars at the top of his eyebrow, and carved a Lolth tattoo into his neck. Ouch!
Link to the other sizes
edit: fixedbroken links
This was simply a recoloring, but I wanted to have a version of her that fit better with the other characters and with the existing lore.
@Isandir huh, now I feel kind of... copycat-ish? But I really need to start with Viconia. Hope you don't mind?
My reasoning for Disguised Viconia:
She's too pale and too blue and too blond, and there's no way she wouldn't draw attention to herself in the city of xeno-hostile drows.
Apart from coloring, her portrait is not consistent with Jaheira's and Aerie's ones when it comes to that alien/elvish look I like so much.
Some time ago I made an altered picture of Viconia with VERY dark, nearly black skin, and very thin nose. While it appeals to my sense of aesthetics, it was rather hard to actually see her features. I decided to compromise between the darkness and the visibility. This picture is also my 'matrix' for the other pictures - I'll try to keep the skin tone more or less even for all the NPCs; as for facial features, I'm going with big, slightly slanted eyes, thin noses, no facial hair and sharp chins. And ears. Can't forget the ears. :P
Ok, enough talk. Let's see... A preview:
And attached files:
EDIT: Heh... I only just noticed that I put a shaved version of human!Keldorn as comparison... a, well, he must shave occasionally anyway, right?
I still believe my Jaheira was better (if you want to check her, it's few posts above this one), but I decided to give Yoshi a chance. I am sure he would do a great job, if only he could follow his true allies.
@SwordsNotWords: Thanks! Korgan in particular was difficult to make, as the spiky duergar hair just wasn't working at first. I had to replicate patches of it and blend it all together to make it work.
@trinit: Thank you! In the case of the duergar, I just stuck to lore, which specifies that they have dull, pupil-less eyes. (I didn't want to make them entirely blank, however, as it looked a bit odd.) Looking back at the drow, I think I did go overboard with Minsc and Valygar. The glowing eyes look less like glowing eyes and more like purple eyeliner...