147 replies to this topic

[Enkida]

Wow. So first of all, thanks for the feedback! About grabbing these guys - I am planning to make a pack so if you wait a little it should come all nicely polished abd zipped in a bit. I hope at least, someone else would have to package it for me since I don't do any zipping or WeiDu or executables etc. :-)

Re Nathaniel - I don't play him so I'm not sure what he is supposed to look like. I did read his writeup, though, so unless he had a career change I assumed the Fist would be wearing full plate armor or better, and the default was in a green shirt because that's what the model was wearing for the photoshoot, real life platemails being hard to come by. XD I also thought his default portrait was blond, though maybe that is just my eyes? Someone who plays him should let me know if he's lore correct or if he dual classed to a thief or mage or something.

As for the BWP, I had my experiences with that. They weren't, ahem, pleasant, though I can speak German and follow even the Deutsch support. It may be colored by the wasted installation hours of my life that I will never get back, that didn't include Ascension anyway, but I really don't feel like redoing every single NPC featured in BWP, especially since a lot if them are for BG1! If there is some list of BG2 only NPCs that includes their default portraits I might take a look, but for the meantime i am only doing mods I play and special target requests, like Fade and Nathaniel. Sorry! Though you could seek out MiLeah at petalsandthorns.com, last I checked she was doing an awesome Gavin picture among others. :-)

[Lollorian]

Ah cool about the package then I only linked to the BWP linkliste for you to find the NPC mods though

PS: Nathaniel left the fist peeps because... Sarevok (according to this anyway )

PS2: Great work on Kelsey and Balthazar too btw!

[Crazee]

Note on Nathaniel: he's a Kensai, which means he can't wear armour But yes, he was part of the Flaming Fist in the past. And there's two portraits for him, one blonde, one black, so that might be where the confusion's coming from

[Lava Del'Vortel]

About Fade - sorry, but that's not it. Your Fade looks a bit like a arrogant courtesan, while she's mysterious, she wears black leathers, she's got red intense hair, smooth and rather slim (more elven) face. Take another look at Elysia's (she's the author) work. Here's the link. Don't take it bad - that's not Fade, in my opinion, and it's better to give some hints than stay silent

[Enkida]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll fix Nathaniel's armour and make a black hair version later on, then. :-)

About Fade: that's no problem, a little recolouring and I have my female red wizard portrait done! It's a shame, though, I really thought this girl's eyes looked like a tiefling:-(. I don't actually play Fade or the TB mod, so maybe you(Lava) can point me to some celebrity or models whom you think look like those female portraits (Fade, Kachiko and Sime) and I can save myself a bit of future editing time.

Note to other portrait requesters: I refuse to put Jude Law in anything else besides Xan. After shopping around a bit it seems that poor guy has the most overused face in allof BG portrait modding history. XD

Added to the female roster is Nikita, unreleased NPC by CoM Solaufein. This is because I offered to help him before I started working on a portrait pack. Which reminds me also, he is in dire need of beta testers for Nikita so please help him out if you got some free time.
http://baldursgateha...d6e&topic=959.0

This is an indirect link to the CoM download because my iPad can't handle opening a direct one. But Nikita will be having one of my portraits as an option after beta (I hope) so let that be a motivator if you like my work? ;-)

[Lava Del'Vortel]

Hmm, about Fade... this expression is ok, face is rather ok, but it's not perfect. It should be more like that, but the second photo isn't really helpful. On the other photos, the model from 2nd photo has a tendency to be "too sexy", if you know what I mean. And here she's too "joyful"... however, maybe you'll know what I mean.

As for Sime - I would say this is rather ok (the 2nd one). However, she should be in a leather armour. What's more, maybe she would need a hood... she also has a garland in her invectory, but I think there's no need to include it in the picture.

That would be nice Kachiko, but the problem is the shoot itself. I guess you would need a better shot. From a bigger distance.

Edited by Lava Del'Vortel, 25 November 2011 - 02:00 PM.

[Enkida]

Well, I ended up going with Bianca Beauchamp (those of you who know who she is can stop laughing). I was actually looking for a Fade Outfit and I found that she had a face and hair that seemed to be pretty good! So here you go, perhaps the only child-safe picture of Bianca Beauchamp on the interwebs, LOL:

[Enkida]

Also, now my newly minted Red Wiz of Thay, I think from the Edwin mod again:



Next: Nathaniel corrections and recolour

[Enkida]

Corrected Nathaniels are stripped of armour:

light version



dark version


I will admit I did not put a lot of hock into the dark version, but I want to be done with the male portraits already. XD

[Lava Del'Vortel]

Fade is much better. Still, you could make her hair a bit more dark and intense. It would be nice to see her a bit more "sharp", too. I mean... she looks really delicate now, but I have no idea how to apply the change, so...

Now I'm eager to see Sime and Kachiko ^^

[Enkida]

The Kachiko portrait might be a problem, as some of the shots from the stock provider require use on DA only, and this counts as "outside of DA." I will see what I can find though.

By the way, that model Marianne Guidotti is Brazilian-Filipino. POWER TO THE PINOY! (I am part Filipino too XD )

Edited by Enkida, 26 November 2011 - 12:43 PM.

[Lava Del'Vortel]

Oh, maybe use Yui then? She's a japanese singer and I think she would suite the character.
link

I believe Kachiko shouldn't be smiled. She isn't really cheerful character. I think she's quite harsh, yet good.

[Enkida]

Sime:




I have never seen a picture more suited for a straight lift to Viconia's portrait before, so that's just what I did. I left out all those wild freaky tattoos in the default portrait, though. They bugged me. XD

The base image is Faestock, as suggested:
http://faestock.devi...ock/7428&qo=547

Edited by Enkida, 26 November 2011 - 02:31 PM.

[Lava Del'Vortel]

Maybe make her smile a bit? Sime is rather cheerful, Kachiko is the serious one It would be nice idea to think what can be done to make the picture less Viconia-ish.
But the concept is really nice!

Edited by Lava Del'Vortel, 26 November 2011 - 02:41 PM.

[Enkida]

Thought it would be fun to put up a WIP since once again, sleep comes before Photoshop. I chose Ebihara Yuri to be the model for Kachiko:

original image:
http://www.fubsypig....ge/MQ07AW01.jpg









After I finish this one and Nikita, that's it for open requests. I really, really need to finish this project up and it just... keeps... expanding. Originally I started it because I wanted a more immersive game, and in the end I haven't touched my running BG game for a while now. So, I'll be finishing up Bodhi, Elvira, Seas, Suna Seni and Suu and that's it. And maybe that alternate Mazzy picture, if I don't run out of steam by then. We'll see.

Edited by Enkida, 04 December 2011 - 01:38 PM.

[MiLeah]

Wow, Enkida! I just had to stop by and say that I think you're just doing an amazing job on the portraits! I love your Nathaniel! And your Fade *Gasp* Loves her! I think I might use your version (I just downloaded her and don't feel like editing any portraits ). I also love how you added that lady into Viconia's robe, that is very fitting *Rim shot*! Continue on with your excellent work!

[Enkida]

That means a lot to me coming from someone whose work I admire. Thank you so much, and I can't wait to see what you come up with. I am totally linking to your project for any NPCs I haven't covered yet, because you are awesome. :-D

[Lava Del'Vortel]

Urm... maybe join the projects and then you can both include your portraits in one mod? Just discuss together which portraits are good enough (you both should agree) and then we can code it (I can help if you need some help)

BTW, don't you think Fade is a bit... faded? I adjusted the colours a bit.

Attached Images

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Edited by Lava Del'Vortel, 27 November 2011 - 12:51 PM.

[Enkida]

Hmm, she's too dark for my monitor that way. If you want her hair to be more vibrant I can do that, but I am trying to make base portraits match default Bioware artwork, and default Bioware artwork is largely desaturated. I wouldn't do a laundry list saturation though or the shadows will overtake her face (and her armour and the BG for that matter), which will make her look more like a photograph and less painterly.

I've been thinking about the Sime portrait. The problem with shopping in a smile is that they are difficult to do. Smiles thin the lips and change the musculature around the eyes, cheeks and mouth significantly - which changes where the shadows fall. Thats why shopped in smiles usually look "weird" when you see them in photomanips. (I actually was a decent realist portrait and hand artist before I went manga style years ago. I was one of those people folks hired to do charcoal pictures of their kids at the local medieval festival, that kind of thing, so I do know a little bout this anatomy stuff. Applying it to fictional pictures is a beast of a different nature though... )

What I came up with is a compromise that might make both of us happy (or make you unhappy if you look at it one way, LOL) - this portrait you chose for Sime is actually a fairly good replacement for the portrait portal Suna Seni that comes from the Unfinished Business mod. The default Suna Seni is much too light, much too saturated and her head is too big, but the post, the blondness, and the hood colour are the same as my original Sime. So, my idea is to take that portrait and make her Suna Seni, and do a completely new Sime. But this time I will choose the model, and I'll get one with a smile. I hope that will be satisfactory, and it will save me quite a bit of work. Which means I might actually have enough energy left over to do the "Mazzy in Armour" portrait which will make other people happy as well.

Edited by Enkida, 27 November 2011 - 01:17 PM.

[Lava Del'Vortel]

Hey, I'm not an author so there's no need to have any compromise! I like new Sime and if you can't make her smile, it's still ok! I hate Suna's portrait and I don't like the idea of the character as well. It's an additional that doesn't really matter (in my opinion), so it's hard for me to say that "Suna deserves such a nice portrait"