I was sort of operating under the impression that even gender bent, Aerie would still look very effeminate, she's just too willowy not to. I've now put them side by side for comparison, since you obviously guessed it.
I'm actually tweaking the picture now to make a non-Aeriesque portrait, if you're interested, I'll sling it over in a PM when it's done and you can take a look.
@Syntia13 can I just say, that masculine version of Imoen is so fantastically done! I was really, thoroughly impressed with it. So good. Just wanted to vocalise how good I felt your work was
@Pantalion, sure, I'd love to take a look at any more portraits that you do.
I hope that you won't bristle at what is intended as constructive criticism, but I don't think that Arius as you have posted him looks like an effeminate male. "He" is still very clearly a female with short-cropped hair. If you really want to create even an effeminate male out of the original portrait, it needs more work. There are certain facial features common to all males, no matter how "effeminate", that are not quite present in your Arius portrait as "he" now stands.
You are definitely on the right track with the mouth. Your male jaw, chin, cheeks, nose, eyes, and brow still need more work.
Let's see if I can find abstract templates by Googling. Yep, I found this website with only a first Google search, and it analyzes the situation extremely well, with many examples in the article. @Syntia13's male Jimoen fits the "perfect" male facial blueprint. Your "Arius" still isn't quite there yet. I've also seen Discovery channel specials on this issue. Here's the website:
I hold to the Giant in the Playground idea of elves myself, a race where androgyny is far more common than following the rules of human appearance. You're right I may have overemphasised it with Aerin however.
This aside, not bristly at all, I consider it most helpful to receive feedback and am always interested in improving my GiMP Fu.
The thing that strikes me about the male Aerie is the eyeballs. They are still too femininely almond. Upper lip is still too emphasized in a feminine way as well.
But, that's about the end of my constructive criticism there. She's still an elf so being willowy and feminine even man-ized works.
You know what would be hilarious? That aside from changing gender, the characters would als swap personalities. Imagine a borderline creepy positive Xan, or an overly masculine and brave Khalid. Or a humble Tiax, even! The possibilities! XD
@LadyEibhilinRhett Ok, thanks! I will get to improving my old files right after I post this one. And wow, that's a very pretty Xana sketch!
@belgarathmth Where have you BEEN when I was looking for those very tips all over the net? "I think that it will be much more challenging to make "hot women" out of the male NPC's," AMEN to that.
So, after the Jimmy's apparent success, I went back to Brandon. He refused to cut his hair. What do you guys think?
This forum gets weirder every day. I understand that most original BG1 fans are well over 30 yrs now as I am, but the sheer amount or sexuality concerned treads is simply worrying.
@asuzu :Sooner or later we are going to start posting nudes of ourselves.
@Syntia13 You sir have frightened me with your hauntingly accurate rendering of a male version of Branwen. I doubt I will ever look admiringly on this woman again, now that I know her dark secret.
@Syntia13@Pantalion@Wonderboy2402 Woah! Nice work you both have done! Syntia's work is seamless and I have a feeling you've done this before hmm? And Pantalion's Aerie is really good too though it isn't as perfect as "Jimmy" there. I have to say that "Minsc" made me laugh and smile for the rest of the day. This thread made my day.
@asuzu Oh don't be a stick in the mud. This is not a 'sexuality' concerned thread. This is a nice innocent fanart challenge that happens to deal with a hilarious in-game genderswapping cursed item. So far there is nothing that SEXUAL about it. Haven't you noticed most of the pictures are just the faces. It is not as if people are posting exposed breasts or genitals, or saying anything in general about the sexual habits, sexual orientation, or level of sexual activity of said characters. So far, even with the subject, this thread is just good, innocent fun.
Also, check the average BG gamer age poll. The majority of us are in our mid to late twenties.
@Syntia13, you made another great gender-swap portrait with the Brandon photo. I wasn't able to imagine Branwen as a handsome man, until I saw your photo. You are a really skilled photo-retouching artist.
@LadyEibhilinRhett, @Zphal, both of your "Xana's" are looking good. We have some really talented people around here.
I'd love to see if somebody can make an attractive woman out of Canderous' photo. I would guess that the male elves are easiest to convert to female, and the human males the hardest. Maybe Canderous would have the best shot at being an attractive woman if he went toward maturity, maybe a Captain Janeway type with a bun. Or not.
@Syntia13 - Anomeena looks like something you did earlier, because your newer stuff is WAY better! (Seriously - I'm a rabid fan of your stuff most of the time!) Anomeena needs higher cheekbones withiwill really take the 'man' out of her lower face. And pull the jawbone in under the ears.
I wonder what would happen to his misogynistic ways after a week in her armor...
@Pantalion, good picture. That's Valygar, right? I would never have guessed he would look so much like Mazzy as a woman. "She" isn't a knockout as a woman, but she's pretty. I'm glad to see some male-to-female portraits being entered.
@Syntia13, I actually kind of like your "Anomena". She isn't what we would call "beautiful", but she does look like a "she". If I didn't know that that was a transformed Anomen, I'd think I was looking at a hardened, no-nonsense warrior woman, which is probably what a transformed Ano would be.
I notice that both of the male warrior transformations remind me of Mazzy. That's kind of interesting.
I'd love to see somebody do Keldorn, and try their hand at "painting" a more mature woman.
This forum gets weirder every day. I understand that most original BG1 fans are well over 30 yrs now as I am, but the sheer amount or sexuality concerned treads is simply worrying.
Then feel free not to read or post in such threads.
Comments
You like your elves one way, I like 'em mine.
I was sort of operating under the impression that even gender bent, Aerie would still look very effeminate, she's just too willowy not to. I've now put them side by side for comparison, since you obviously guessed it.
I'm actually tweaking the picture now to make a non-Aeriesque portrait, if you're interested, I'll sling it over in a PM when it's done and you can take a look.
I hope that you won't bristle at what is intended as constructive criticism, but I don't think that Arius as you have posted him looks like an effeminate male. "He" is still very clearly a female with short-cropped hair. If you really want to create even an effeminate male out of the original portrait, it needs more work. There are certain facial features common to all males, no matter how "effeminate", that are not quite present in your Arius portrait as "he" now stands.
You are definitely on the right track with the mouth. Your male jaw, chin, cheeks, nose, eyes, and brow still need more work.
Let's see if I can find abstract templates by Googling. Yep, I found this website with only a first Google search, and it analyzes the situation extremely well, with many examples in the article. @Syntia13's male Jimoen fits the "perfect" male facial blueprint. Your "Arius" still isn't quite there yet. I've also seen Discovery channel specials on this issue. Here's the website:
http://www.beautyanalysis.com/mba_facevariationsbysex_page.htm
Challenge accepted. Google Stav Strashko.
I hold to the Giant in the Playground idea of elves myself, a race where androgyny is far more common than following the rules of human appearance. You're right I may have overemphasised it with Aerin however.
This aside, not bristly at all, I consider it most helpful to receive feedback and am always interested in improving my GiMP Fu.
But, that's about the end of my constructive criticism there. She's still an elf so being willowy and feminine even man-ized works.
Fem!Xan.
@LadyEibhilinRhett Ok, thanks! I will get to improving my old files right after I post this one.
And wow, that's a very pretty Xana sketch!
@belgarathmth Where have you BEEN when I was looking for those very tips all over the net? "I think that it will be much more challenging to make "hot women" out of the male NPC's," AMEN to that.
So, after the Jimmy's apparent success, I went back to Brandon. He refused to cut his hair.
What do you guys think?
@Syntia13 You sir have frightened me with your hauntingly accurate rendering of a male version of Branwen. I doubt I will ever look admiringly on this woman again, now that I know her dark secret.
Oh don't be a stick in the mud. This is not a 'sexuality' concerned thread. This is a nice innocent fanart challenge that happens to deal with a hilarious in-game genderswapping cursed item.
So far there is nothing that SEXUAL about it. Haven't you noticed most of the pictures are just the faces. It is not as if people are posting exposed breasts or genitals, or saying anything in general about the sexual habits, sexual orientation, or level of sexual activity of said characters. So far, even with the subject, this thread is just good, innocent fun.
Also, check the average BG gamer age poll. The majority of us are in our mid to late twenties.
Xanice c:
@LadyEibhilinRhett, @Zphal, both of your "Xana's" are looking good. We have some really talented people around here.
I'd love to see if somebody can make an attractive woman out of Canderous' photo. I would guess that the male elves are easiest to convert to female, and the human males the hardest. Maybe Canderous would have the best shot at being an attractive woman if he went toward maturity, maybe a Captain Janeway type with a bun. Or not.
Just a quick one.
I wonder what would happen to his misogynistic ways after a week in her armor...
@Syntia13, I actually kind of like your "Anomena". She isn't what we would call "beautiful", but she does look like a "she". If I didn't know that that was a transformed Anomen, I'd think I was looking at a hardened, no-nonsense warrior woman, which is probably what a transformed Ano would be.
I notice that both of the male warrior transformations remind me of Mazzy. That's kind of interesting.
I'd love to see somebody do Keldorn, and try their hand at "painting" a more mature woman.