This thread has nothing to do with sexuality. It's like an art class exercise. We have several people who are very artisitic, and I am enjoying watching how they work with these portraits. If you want to learn to draw or work with photographs, studying what makes an attractive man or what makes an attractive woman is par for the course. We're learning about angles and lines, and dissecting the human face to gain insight into the applied arts of drawing and photo retouching.
@Belgarathmth - I imagine part of it is that Valygrl is borrowing one of Mazzy's tops. Both have quite pronounced cheekbones and have a similar colour scheme (yellow backgrounds for both) and a similar shade of skin tone.
I've been told quite correctly that "her" eyes are still a little too far apart for a female face, so if I were to spend more time on it, asides from cleaning up the lines, that'd be the most important change. Maybe later though.
@Syntia13 - I like it, but I found something a little "off" with it, if you understand my meaning. The right side of her jaw (right side of the picture, rather than her actual right side) is a little too angular/sharp, and the cheekbones could possibly be just a tiny bit rounder.
Another possible thing is the hair, Anomen's cowlick is fairly distinctively masculine - it's actually realistic, since it's the result of his life as a male with male hairstyles shaping it, but it does add to the manliness factor.
Finally, the forehead is too "square" (much like my Aerie's forehead was left too "round"). This hasn't come up with Jimoen (whose fringe hides it), or Bran (who's got that headband), but with Anomen's high, masculine forehead and hairstyle, it's probably the primary reason I get a very "manly" vibe from it.
A lot of these are really good! I wonder if these couldn't be modded into the BGee game? When a character actually does have their gender switched by the belt?
A lot of these are really good! I wonder if these couldn't be modded into the BGee game? When a character actually does have their gender switched by the belt?
Good idea, but afaik difficult to implement. Unlike Edwin's story-controlled switch the girdle can be applied at any time and to any character. I think you'd have to add an effect to it for every character you wanted a picture-swap for; or add an effect to each character it concerns to be implemented upon a sexchange.
@Pantalion, @reedmilfam thanks for the tips, guys. I tweaked the pic further, but decided to keep the hair for three reasons: 1 - The portrait is from just moments after he changed, so he had no time to even change his armor, much less go to a barber. (But what of the pony tail, you ask? Well, I think Anomen has a ponytail, we just normally can't see it. Just look at the hair at the sides of his head - it doesn't look like short cropped hair at all - it looks like long hair pulled back into a ponytail). 2 - There are long-haired men, and short-haired woman both in RL and in BG, and most of the time people have no difficulty with telling which is which. So if I can't convey the gender change without changing the hair cut, then I'm doing it wrong. (Not to say I won't do it in other pics, just not in all of them). 3 - I used to have a very similar (ponytail and short, standing fringe) haircut at one point, and I'm female. 'Nuf said. :P So, here is Ania (also known as Anomastasia), take two:
@Syntia13 Ania is better, but still off the mark for me. Maybe you could: - alter the nose a bit (I realize for Imoen and Branwen you didn't change it), make it slightly more narrow at the bridge; - darken the ponytail, at the moment is a different, lighter shade of brown; - maybe, just maybe, bring down the hairline a little; - try narrowing a bit the face, it somehow seems too wide for "her".
At risk of becoming an unquestioning fan here but I think the Anomina is great, serves it's purpose and would fit in seamlessly with the pre-existing portraits.
@Raistlin82: Please stay civil. People here are posting their own attempts at this fanart challenge and put effort into their work. No need for condescending talk.
@Raistlin82: Please stay civil. People here are posting their own attempts at this fanart challenge and put effort into their work. No need for condescending talk.
Please, refrain from bothering us with aggressive and paraonid posts. No need for condescending talk.
My post was civil. Your wasn't.
I just made a joke. The image DOES look like both characters, I'm HONESTLY still not sure which one it's supposed to represent (whether female Valygar or male Mazzy), and I thought it was a FUNNY and INTERESTING thing to point out. In fact, there's also people who liked my post, and agreed with it. I don't see the author of the portrait complaining, as I'm sure he/she understood the joke. And if he/she didn't, he/she will talk to me directly. Neither me nor Pantalion need your passive-aggressive, falsely "politically correct", attitude.
People here are having friendly discussions on beloved characters (and my post was OBVIOUSLY in line with that). You are not. You are trying to take the moral high ground on imagined slights, attacking another poster, and trying to elevate yourself to the role of forum police, which nobody asked you to. You are way out of line. Stop doing that.
@Raistlin82 If you are making a joke, it is helpful to add an emoticon to let the reader know that. I'm not the author of the pic you commented on, and yet my reaction to your post was "Ouch". A simple " " would have greatly softened that.
Back on topic, another old file. You can tell it's old, because nowadays I would have left the tattoos unchanged. I modified it quite a bit, so it's kind of like "Carpet People" - not what I drew back then, and not what I would draw from scratch today. You could say it's a bastard child of the old me and the current me. ;P
@Raistlin82 If you are making a joke, it is helpful to add an emoticon to let the reader know that.
I guess you're right. I wrote it quickly, and I didn't even think about the off chance of the author taking offense. And in fact, well... the author didn't.
Somebody else did. Somebody who likes bossing others around (as I found out from some private messages I got from other users regarding her) and used my post as an excuse to do just that. What can I say? False accusations and hipocrisy get me in a bad mood.
PS: once again... I really DO like the Mazzy (?) piece, I just find it interesting and funny that it looks a lot like Valygar (?). Or, you know, the other way around...
@JalilyHer neck looks a little thick, but maybe it's just the shadows. Nope, not the shadows, I just forgot about the neck *sheepish author is sheepish*. I fixed that in the version posted on DevArt. Thanks for reminding me! (The fix is barely visible in the shadows, but it is there, honest!) @Moomintrollhow are you doing these things! with a lot of patience and referencing the masks from this site: http://www.beautyanalysis.com/mba_facevariationsbysex_page.htm (It's all just a trick, you see!)
Hey, if you're not tired with me yet, here is the pic that's been fighting tooth and nail with me. I was all "Oh, that's it, I'm done with you! ... Ok, I'll try just this one more thing..." more times than I care to count. Once again you can tell I was modifying an old repaint, because nowadays I wouldn't try to hide the tribal scars (or whatever they are). I like scars, always did, but back then (eight years ago if not more) I was much more prone to taking shortcuts, and I thought that removing scars would be the easiest way to 'feminize' the face. (The same can be said about the eyebrows, actually. I never liked the line-thin plucked eyebrows, but I kept using them as it seemed the only way to do the job). So, with the rambling out of the way, take a look at Haer-Dalia. She looks... weird? But she's a thiefling, so maybe that's why? (Ok, Ok, I just got REALLY tired of trying to improve her. I think I'll do Mazzy next, turning girls into guys seems to be easier than the other way round).
Okay, some of these are freakishly good... to the point that I just might want to add them to BG:EE for my next playthrough... only problem will be is that I'll keep thinking of whoever gets that portrait as the original character that got a sex change instead of a whole different character whenever I'd see that picture.
Cern is awesome, Heardalia.... I can see the pain it caused you, especially since ManHaer has this weird inverse curve to his jawline and funky sunken cheeks. I don't think the picture angle does any favours either, so I'm not sure what might be done with it.
@Raistlin82 - I confess I wasn't sure if you were trying to be humorous or critical, but figured it was unnecessary to comment either way. It is intended to be fem-Valygar, but it is indeed a strange coincidence that Mazzy and he share a similar skin tone and facial features.
I agree that the Haerdalice looks strange, could be weird material you were working with to begin with!
I was wondering if maybe you had reduced the amount that the eyes were sunken under the brow, making the face look a little flat? Comparing the two, the male version has far mare shadow under the top of the eye socket, whaddya think?
@Raistlin82 If you are making a joke, it is helpful to add an emoticon to let the reader know that. I'm not the author of the pic you commented on, and yet my reaction to your post was "Ouch". A simple " " would have greatly softened that.
Back on topic, another old file. You can tell it's old, because nowadays I would have left the tattoos unchanged. I modified it quite a bit, so it's kind of like "Carpet People" - not what I drew back then, and not what I would draw from scratch today. You could say it's a bastard child of the old me and the current me. ;P
I do believe the neck is a little thick compared to the new Jawline. It is however, fan-bloody-tastic. I am tempted to steal female cernd for my own nefarious uses... (for a player character at some point)
Speaking of that Cerndina... if 'she' can get a neckjob, I would -love- to have a higher res picture of it to use for one of my charnames. It's looks really good, and fits in perfectly with the other portraits.
@Raistlin82: Passive-aggressive? Really? Look who's talking. I think your post was way more passive-aggressive, no wait, active-aggrissive than mine. Your post could have been interpreted in many ways and I just happened to interpret 'bastard love child of Valygar and Mazzy' as a negative statement, because 'bastard lovechild' still has, for as far as I know, a negative connotation up to today. As @Synthia13 said, you could have indicated your 'joke' better with an emoticon. Also, seeing your reaction to my original post, I can objectively conclude that mine was still far less offending than yours. I just don't want to see any insults flung around. It is easier to criticize art than to make it yourself, afterall. Also, forum police? Excuse me? I just pointed something out another poster could have done just as well. Because, y'know, people have different views, different opinions and thus also different interpretations of what a person is saying. I'm sorry I didn't get your so-called joke then. But such an overreaction from your side was unnecessary as well. As for these PMs you've been getting, I don't know anything about them, nor what could have provoked such a negative attitude towards me. I am a generally peaceful person, I have no tendency to being forum patrol. We have @Tanthalas for that. Also, maybe you should consider talking to me first and getting to know me before judging me on a couple of posts from others. I'd greatly appreciate it. Because I don't deserve to be badmouthed behind my back. I just don't. @Synthia13: Those last portraits are again very well done. You really have a talent for this kind of work.
Comments
I've been told quite correctly that "her" eyes are still a little too far apart for a female face, so if I were to spend more time on it, asides from cleaning up the lines, that'd be the most important change. Maybe later though.
@Syntia13 - I like it, but I found something a little "off" with it, if you understand my meaning. The right side of her jaw (right side of the picture, rather than her actual right side) is a little too angular/sharp, and the cheekbones could possibly be just a tiny bit rounder.
Another possible thing is the hair, Anomen's cowlick is fairly distinctively masculine - it's actually realistic, since it's the result of his life as a male with male hairstyles shaping it, but it does add to the manliness factor.
Finally, the forehead is too "square" (much like my Aerie's forehead was left too "round"). This hasn't come up with Jimoen (whose fringe hides it), or Bran (who's got that headband), but with Anomen's high, masculine forehead and hairstyle, it's probably the primary reason I get a very "manly" vibe from it.
1 - The portrait is from just moments after he changed, so he had no time to even change his armor, much less go to a barber. (But what of the pony tail, you ask? Well, I think Anomen has a ponytail, we just normally can't see it. Just look at the hair at the sides of his head - it doesn't look like short cropped hair at all - it looks like long hair pulled back into a ponytail).
2 - There are long-haired men, and short-haired woman both in RL and in BG, and most of the time people have no difficulty with telling which is which. So if I can't convey the gender change without changing the hair cut, then I'm doing it wrong.
3 - I used to have a very similar (ponytail and short, standing fringe) haircut at one point, and I'm female. 'Nuf said. :P
So, here is Ania (also known as Anomastasia), take two:
- alter the nose a bit (I realize for Imoen and Branwen you didn't change it), make it slightly more narrow at the bridge;
- darken the ponytail, at the moment is a different, lighter shade of brown;
- maybe, just maybe, bring down the hairline a little;
- try narrowing a bit the face, it somehow seems too wide for "her".
Valygar and Mazzy's bastard lovechild?
No need for condescending talk.
My post was civil. Your wasn't.
I just made a joke. The image DOES look like both characters, I'm HONESTLY still not sure which one it's supposed to represent (whether female Valygar or male Mazzy), and I thought it was a FUNNY and INTERESTING thing to point out.
In fact, there's also people who liked my post, and agreed with it.
I don't see the author of the portrait complaining, as I'm sure he/she understood the joke. And if he/she didn't, he/she will talk to me directly.
Neither me nor Pantalion need your passive-aggressive, falsely "politically correct", attitude.
People here are having friendly discussions on beloved characters (and my post was OBVIOUSLY in line with that).
You are not.
You are trying to take the moral high ground on imagined slights, attacking another poster, and trying to elevate yourself to the role of forum police, which nobody asked you to.
You are way out of line.
Stop doing that.
Back on topic, another old file. You can tell it's old, because nowadays I would have left the tattoos unchanged. I modified it quite a bit, so it's kind of like "Carpet People" - not what I drew back then, and not what I would draw from scratch today. You could say it's a bastard child of the old me and the current me. ;P
EDIT: fixed the neck.
I wrote it quickly, and I didn't even think about the off chance of the author taking offense.
And in fact, well... the author didn't.
Somebody else did. Somebody who likes bossing others around (as I found out from some private messages I got from other users regarding her) and used my post as an excuse to do just that.
What can I say? False accusations and hipocrisy get me in a bad mood.
PS: once again... I really DO like the Mazzy (?) piece, I just find it interesting and funny that it looks a lot like Valygar (?). Or, you know, the other way around...
how are you doing these things!
@Moomintroll how are you doing these things! with a lot of patience and referencing the masks from this site: http://www.beautyanalysis.com/mba_facevariationsbysex_page.htm (It's all just a trick, you see!)
Hey, if you're not tired with me yet, here is the pic that's been fighting tooth and nail with me. I was all "Oh, that's it, I'm done with you! ... Ok, I'll try just this one more thing..." more times than I care to count. Once again you can tell I was modifying an old repaint, because nowadays I wouldn't try to hide the tribal scars (or whatever they are). I like scars, always did, but back then (eight years ago if not more) I was much more prone to taking shortcuts, and I thought that removing scars would be the easiest way to 'feminize' the face. (The same can be said about the eyebrows, actually. I never liked the line-thin plucked eyebrows, but I kept using them as it seemed the only way to do the job).
So, with the rambling out of the way, take a look at Haer-Dalia. She looks... weird? But she's a thiefling, so maybe that's why? (Ok, Ok, I just got REALLY tired of trying to improve her. I think I'll do Mazzy next, turning girls into guys seems to be easier than the other way round).
EDIT: changed the visible picture to a newer one. If anyone wants to play 'spot the difference', the old version is still available here:http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt347/Syntia13/Baldur s Gate stuff/VsHaerDalis.png
Can we replace Cernd with her? :]
@Raistlin82 - I confess I wasn't sure if you were trying to be humorous or critical, but figured it was unnecessary to comment either way. It is intended to be fem-Valygar, but it is indeed a strange coincidence that Mazzy and he share a similar skin tone and facial features.
I was wondering if maybe you had reduced the amount that the eyes were sunken under the brow, making the face look a little flat?
Comparing the two, the male version has far mare shadow under the top of the eye socket, whaddya think?
+cool website!
@Synthia13: Those last portraits are again very well done. You really have a talent for this kind of work.