271 replies to this topic

[Jazhara7]

Jaheira and Mazzy are really cute Aerie... I think, she should be... more naive =) bigger eyes, maybe?

Actually, I believe using "naive" in reference to Mazzy is a contradiction in itself...she's one Halflind who *knows* what's going on.

That's just my opinion, of course.


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[Choo Choo]

Jazhara, I think Mephala refered to Aerie as naive, not Mazzy.

[Jazhara7]

Jazhara, I think Mephala refered to Aerie as naive, not Mazzy.

Whoops!

Sorry, I guess I wasn't properly awake yet after all.


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[Isilven]

Fantastic job! You actually made me like Edwin! (it's only cause he looks like Oded Fehr now )

*lies in wait for Anomen*

[Vizeteufel]

Excuse the spam, but I just couldn't stand by and watch this page slip down to thread page 2.

It doesn't deserve this fate!

[Riviera]

It truly doesn't.

Great lineup there!!! Are you going to start on the BG1 npcs later? Please say yes.

[Duroth]

Hmmmm this has been quiet for awhile.........

Anything new to add? ?

[Vizeteufel]

Hmmmm this has been quiet for awhile.........

Anything new to add? ?  

My question exactly.

[Kaeloree]

I think Ilmatar has been extremely busy in RL over the past month or so, but I wouldn't worry--she loves this project far too much to abandon it!

[Vizeteufel]

I thought as much.

It just would've been nice to hear a peep every now and then.

[Sammi Somara]

What about the tattoo on Aerie's forehead? Shouldn't you put that in?

BTw, really nice work, ESPECIALLY lvoe the cernd pic

Can't wait to see how you draw Haer'Dalis.

[Ilmatar]

What about the tattoo on Aerie's forehead? Shouldn't you put that in?

BTw, really nice work, ESPECIALLY lvoe the cernd pic

Can't wait to see how you draw Haer'Dalis.

I haven't yet decided if I'll include the tattoos or not. Probably not. Just like it has been mentioned in this thread several times, these are supposed to be alternative.

Thanks for dropping by.

[Eleima]

Just found this thread (can't believe I missed it!!!), and wanted to say...... Ilmatar, you can't leave us hanging like that, your work is brilliant!!! I love what you've done to Jaheira (no more of those silly braids, and she doesn't look as haughty, I don't feel like punching her in the face anymore!! ), and Yoshimo as well (was kinda tricky, but you pulled off), and may I say that Edwin and Cernd look..... **HOT** (if I hadn't tried the Edwin Romance already, I'd run off and download it. But... where's the Yoshi romance? ). Looking forward to your Anomen portrait (and like Isilven said, I believe, "be gentle with him, he's my first love"! ). So many congrats!!!!
Good luck with RL, and I'll be peeking in!

[Alatariel]

I know you will probably hate me for this, Ilmatar, but I think that while with Yoshimo you had problems on hitting the "Asian' look, with Aerie you succeeded instantly. She does look like half-Asian to me. o.O No idea why, probably the yes and hair texture is responsible for that (also, when I look at her portrait for some strange reason it brings to my mind Rihn from CA... No idea why -- there is this *something* in their expression that makes them similar in my mind's eye -> _-_)

Anyway, Edwin is just PERFECT. In fact he is so absolutely perfect, and has such a subtle charm to him that it is painfully obvious that you are... well a 'fangirl' is a bit extreme, but if you say so yourself . You must have loved the character and working on him, because it really, really shows.

Cernd is nice, and the only thing that bothers me in him is that strange angle of his chin, that you can see on the left because of the black hair that contrasts it. It seems that this part of his face was supposed to be obscured by his hair...? My point is that it looks a bit unnatural, unlike the right side which is perfect. Also, the hair on the left side is/looks longer. It may be just me, though.

I love Jaheira's expression - in my imagination she had grey-bluish eyes, but that is irrelevant as it is *your* alternative potrtait pack. However, I would change her lip position a bit. I think that it would look more natural is she had a bit thiner, longer lip-line, if you know what I mean... A tiny little bit *lower*, perhaps, as the point-ness of the chin looks a bit too... well, pointy (<-at this point I am amazed myself with my linguistic in-capability, lol). Her neckless seems to be hanging above her neck rather than resting at it -- and as I have a similar (only silver) necklace I know that it looks a tad different in nature. Perhaps scaling down it's shadow on the left side would help the perspective? No idea.

Something in Imoen's upper part of the face bothers me but I can't really put my finger on it. I tried covering parts of the picture with my hand and comparing the effect and I think it is the left upper part of her face, because when I cover the upper part with my hand - the lower looks perfect. When I cover the left part - the right looks perfect. So, whatever is wrong and makes it look unnatural to me is in the left-upper part. Now, I am not an artist and know next to nothing about perspective/body errors and such stuff, so I can't really be more specific, only that something is *wrong* here. Perhaps it is her left eye, perhaps it is the left chin and perhaps it is the scar -- imho probably all three. Separately they may be great, but together they need a little adjustment. The scar is a little to straight considering her expression (when you smile your face changes it shape, skin 'going' to the sides -- so the scar would look a bit more, hm, curved?), the eye too dark and a tiny % too far in the left direction, the chin only a bit too much 'visible' compared to the right side - I really don't know. But I am *trying* to be constructive here. And failing miserably, as it seems.


Viconia - now, this is hard because imho it is the worst portrait in the pack. I think it is her lips and the right eye that rubs me up the wrong way. Also, the right ear seems to be slightly misplaced - I think it should be a bit higher and more 'removed' to the back, otherwise, compared to the left one (which is perfect) it looks like growing from the contour of the face rather then the actual ear. Again, maybe it is only me.

Hope you won't hit me for this rant, Ilmatar. Too painfully, that is .

[Cykuta]

I have to say I like the lack of symmetry in Cernd's chin. It makes him look older, sort of "bent-with-use", if you know what I mean. Too much perfection in the line, and you get characters which all look 21 years old, wrinkles or no wrinkles.

[Jazhara7]

Um...I just realised, like Yoshimo, Edwin seems to have a bit of rash, too. It's in the corners of skind at th his beard. And Yoshimo's is still a bit at the top of his face, on his ear, and near his beard, too.



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[Mahng]

I think it's great! Blonde hair is ok but I think I prefer brown as there is a developed connection of brunettes to a more conservative personality (though this stereotype is likely unwarranted). I like that the face is not too glamoury but I think it could be still less so for Jaheira - more practical, maybe a little stern. I'm attaching the portrait I think suits her best for my games. Ears are fine - could be smaller or not.
Good Luck! Looking forward to seeing more!

Attached Files

•  FJaheirL.bmp   55.17K   315 downloads

[Wounded_Lion]

You are a wonderful artist, and I love your style. Having said that, I'll offer some constructive criticism. Feel free to curse me to the Hells for eternity if I offend in any way...

Aerie: Her eyes are waaay too far apart, and the upper part of the bridge of her nose is too wide.

Cernd: His right shoulder (which is on our left) is just a teeny bit too low.

Edwin: The sparkle/reflection of both the earring and cloak clasp are a bit too pronounced.

Imoen: Her neck is slightly too thick.

Jaheira: OMG, she's perfect and I'm in love.

Mazzy: Great face and expression, but her armor seems to be of noticeably lower quality than the clothing in the other portraits.

Nalia: She looks as if she's craning her head foward a bit too much, making her look slightly dumb/retarded/slow-in-the-head. Also, her headband might look better shifted upwards a bit.

Viconia: The cheeks are a bit... strange, and the center-stones of the headpiece might look better shifted slightly to the left (towards the center of her forehead). Otherwise great... and damn sexy!

Yoshimo: Good. No probs here.

I'm looking foward to your take on Korgan (a favorite character of mine). I'd recommend either a focused/grim look or a grinning-as-I-share-a-joke-with-CHARNAME-and-bury-my-axe-in-a-kobold's-head look.

aWL

EDIT: additional comments

Edited by Wounded_Lion, 18 April 2008 - 05:09 AM.

[Galsic]

Aerie: Her eyes are waaay too far apart, and the upper part of the bridge of her nose is too wide.

Personally, I just think she needs bigger eyes. Dun even look like an elf if ye ask me, but as I understand it, Ilmatar isn't into drawing them big eyes, so...

Imoen: Her neck is slightly too thick.

I believe Ilmatar is accounting for the muscle (I think it's muscle, anyway) that sticks out when one turns his/her head, especially to the degree that Imoen does in that portrait.

Nalia: She looks as if she's craning her head foward a bit too much, making her look slightly dumb/retarded/slow-in-the-head.

I kind of agree, I think her neck could use a bit of a shift, but more than that, while I can't see Nalia's body past the portrait, given its apparent orientation in the portrait, it looks as if Nalia can stand to have a bigger body (wider, at least). Looks kinda small in relation to her head :/ , at least to me.

Edited by Galsic, 18 April 2008 - 08:23 AM.

[Mahng]

All of these are VERY. good! Imoen is the best with her expression. I think this is the most important factor (which I think is missing in many of the BGII portraits - BGI portraits were better in this regard). I do want to put in a request though that you add more depth - as in your self-portrait. I know it would take more investment of time but I think it would be worth it. Though I also realize the more simplistic look is possibly the style you are going for.