Portrait [WIP]

[EvilEye]

Got tired of programming and decided to do some art.

I think it was Helm that told me I should be able to pixel as fast as I could paint and shrink, so I will put it to the test

This is for a lizardman NPC char.

Reference / Quick Sketch / Line Art based on Quick Sketch :



My progress so far:

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Colors are bad I know. I am trying to go for a pale green tinge to the skintone. Like hes mostly human. But I admit not to being the best color mixer.

Time spent so far 4 hours + 


BattleSprite:

Quick Sketch / Lines:



Progress:

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Female Magic User

Reference ( from of bovasso ): http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp170/bovasso/art/pixel/pxWIPsp003.png

Sketch:



Progress:

>>>>

BattleSprite:

Sketch:



Lines / Progress:

>

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Game ScreenShot:

[EvilEye]

Tweaked the colors and touched it up a bit.

Looking at it now I wonder if I made it too realistic. Its sharply contrasts with the rest of my games portraits.

Other portraits:



Then this one:

[EyeCraft]

Hey, pretty cool stuff!

Well it'd be coming along great if you were going for a highly detailed portrait, but looking at the other portraits that doesn't seem to be the intention. I would say the others make steps to simplify forms quit alot, and focus on texture for strategic detail.

I think all you really have to do is dial back the detail just a little, and when you start playing with the palette to bring out contrast and saturation, well I think it'll come up sweet. 

Oh as for pale-green tinge, maybe something like this?:



Kind of, have an injection of redness (arrow in pic) towards the terminator (think I used that term correctly), and then drop into grey-greens. I think that's the best way to go for human-lizard thingo (not necessarily these exact colours, though).

[EvilEye]

That looks a little pinkish to me EyeCraft.

I updated with some minor changes though.

Un-detailing a picture is tough to do. I just hate to lose all that hard work.

[Helm]

First thing I would introduce to this is contrast.



Then I would work on lizardman-like textures and scaling on the flesh.

Also I don't know if having worked so closely to reference would help such a fantasy-type game.

[EvilEye]

Well I adjusted the contrast and stylized it to look a bit more like my other portraits.



Hope I didn't go overboard.

[Helm]

Still contrast issues in my opinion (perhaps monitor issues?) looks like flash photography in the face of the subject. Also if you're going for lizardman, he doesn't look very much like he has lizard skin!

[EvilEye]

Well I am going for part lizardman. I didn't want large visible scales.

I don't know about the contrast. I messed with it a little and thought I got it just right, turns out its exactly the same as it was before. So maybe I've been looking at it too long.

[EvilEye]

Since the portrait is at least passable for now, I am going to start on the battle sprite.

Here is a quick sketch of the pose:

[EvilEye]

lines:

[EvilEye]

And there it is so far.

The halberd is a real trouble spot

Comments?

[EvilEye]

Fixed the halberd I hope. Some minor tweaks. I am pretty satisfied with it so far.

Here's how it looks in game ( jpg'd for size ):

[Souly]

Just nitpicking I liked the old halberd better.

[EvilEye]

Just nitpicking I liked the old halberd better.

Put your glasses back on Souly

( just kidding ), but I must disagree, I like the detail on the new one.

[Souly]

Oh... It's pointing backwards isn't it. Dx
I thought it was pointing towards us, but now I see on yours... Yea.

In my edit I did a thing with the heel, and the plates of the legs, as well as a bit on the shoulders.

[EvilEye]

Oh... It's pointing backwards isn't it. Dx
I thought it was pointing towards us, but now I see on yours... Yea.

In my edit I did a thing with the heel, and the plates of the legs, as well as a bit on the shoulders.

Didn't notice the other edits sorry.

Should look like the blade end is pointing toward you. I guess looking at it now I can see how it could be confusing.

Here's an update.



Starting another one now. Female magic user.

Sketch:



Reference ( of bovasso's picture, with her permission ):

http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp170/bovasso/art/pixel/pxWIPsp003.png

[ptoing]

Please refrain from double (quintupple) posting like you did up there. Cheers.

[NaCl]

Hey EvilEye, good work so far. Is that you in the first pic of the guy? If so, good god man you have an intense chin.

On the female magic user's portrait, I think you made her right eye too far down. Looks a little like that half of her face is melting. I redid the eye, and leveled the eyebrows. Also I played with the lips and darkened the ear by one shade. Take or leave any of it:



I put a red line through the pupils of both eyes, so you can see it may not be lined up right.

[EvilEye]

Hey EvilEye, good work so far. Is that you in the first pic of the guy? If so, good god man you have an intense chin.

No that isn't me. I'm way better looking.

On the female magic user's portrait, I think you made her right eye too far down. Looks a little like that half of her face is melting.

Ya I was noticing that myself.

I think this should fix it. Looks even to me. Also remember the camera angle of the original picture.



Better? Perfect?

*EDIT* Update:



Wow, taken me so long I lost track of the hours.

Imagine Helm trying to tell me I should be able to do this in less than 3 hours . What a kidder!

[eobet]

Say... did you swipe that first reference from gay porn?  What a hunk!

Anyway, the dragon and its portrait are awesome. So much so that frankly, the goblins next to him look generic and the hero character looks out of place.

I think it s because the posture of the hero is too extreme compared to the others, and the silhouette reads like a comic book cover.

I would at least redraw the cape of the hero character, if not the entire character. I'm sorry, but he's just not up to par with the rest, in my eyes.

[Conzeit]

Hey there....you were saying that your Lizard was "too realistic" for the rest but I dont think so, I think it's just too plain, no dramatic angles or lighting as opposed to the other portraits

I think just giving him a simple gesture would sort of step him up to the level of the rest.

I thought he looked sort of strict and demeaning, I kinda see him as some Reptile Nazi-ish soldier....so I gave him a fist like he's about to smack you for being such a pathetic soft skinned human :p hope it's of any use at all

[big brother]

I think the main reason it contrasts sharply with the other art is because this portrait is pixel and the others are digital paintings. It's obviously that there is much more control involved with the former, while the latter remain more gestural.

[EvilEye]

Took a bit of a break but I'm back at it.

Almost done I think.



I changed the pose a bit since the original was a bit boring.

[NaCl]

Hey EvilEye,

I think you fixed the eye problem I mentioned. I made them level because I didn't think I could capture that very slight tilt and still make the face look correct, but you seem to have done it. Keep up the good work.

[EvilEye]

Ya, that's a tricky angle

I would at least redraw the cape of the hero character, if not the entire character. I'm sorry, but he's just not up to par with the rest, in my eyes.

I thought the cape was pretty good myself.

Hey there....you were saying that your Lizard was "too realistic" for the rest but I dont think so, I think it's just too plain, no dramatic angles or lighting as opposed to the other portraits

I think just giving him a simple gesture would sort of step him up to the level of the rest.

The backhand is an interesting idea.

Maybe for another character.

*UPDATE*

Sketch for battle pose:



*UPDATE*

Woops! Forgot to post the lines. Here they are, colored.

[Dr D]

The other portraits look painted, whilst the lizardude's portrait looks a lot more.. pixely. All the detail and attention to pixels (Thin lines and outlines and such bring them out) seem to differ from the rest of the portraits style. They seem to rely more on shading and coloring, with thick black outlines.
It's almost as if 2 different people drew the portraits.

But they look good, nonetheless.

I really like the sorcerer, good pose, as well.

[surt]

The other portraits look painted, whilst the lizardude's portrait looks a lot more.. pixely. All the detail and attention to pixels (Thin lines and outlines and such bring them out) seem to differ from the rest of the portraits style. They seem to rely more on shading and coloring, with thick black outlines.
It's almost as if 2 different people drew the portraits.

I think it was Helm that told me I should be able to pixel as fast as I could paint and shrink, so I will put it to the test

I'd say the problem with the lizard-man is he doesn't look like a lizard-man. He looks to me much more like a stone golem or like a dude with some skin disorder. To convince me of lizardliness he'd really need at least some reptilian anatomy beyond skin colour/texture. Remove the ears, extend the corners of the mouth back, shallow the nose, give him a touch of a maw, etc.

[EvilEye]

Update.



And here's a ScreenShot from the game engine: