Normally I'd say that Wayne Reynolds is trash, but that's almost exclusively because:
A.) he can't seem to do anatomy correctly to save his life, and
B.) his character designs are very busy looking due to the sheer amount of equipment visibly on their person.
You don't seem to have those problems though Beastro, so as long as you don't incorporate the BAD, I wouldn't mind it. I'm not sure how well that style would work in black and white though.
Also, I've yet to go wrong agreeing with Arcanis, so I'll just keep doing so and say the artists he linked.
What Shinyo said about Arcanis applies to me as well. Arcanis and I agree on many things.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? Honestly, an action pose would be nice and very cool. But as long as John looks imposing (cause that's how I tend to picture him) I'll be more then happy with your drawing.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? Given that John doesn't carry much in the way of visible equipment, I don't have a vested interest in either option (equipment or no equipment) John is John, he's not his equipment.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? - Pretty much yes. I'd rather give guidelines and see what the artist creates then presume to dictate every step and detail.
Is there a standard in your mind? - your art is the standard, think you can keep to that standard? :P
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? - don't know the names of any, so no.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.) Whatever, I trust you to turn out really great looking art. Or I could have a little more involvement in the process, that'd be really cool as well. So, either works. Not being more involved lets me be lazy, so I might prefer that.
Not very decisive or opinionated am I? Trust me, par for the course.
I would be more than happy to put him back in the queue, I would have just felt awful if I was "that guy" who was treating the cool dude handing out free drawing like garbage. That said most of what I would change would be looser, open top, wide sash, and less aggressive pose. Consider me re-queued with the same guy. As it approaches his turn again I'll do more tuning.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? It depends heavily on the personality of the character. I could really go either way.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? No, I really do prefer to see something that is more like a snapshot of them in action rather than a static image.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? Yes, but mostly because I've got no experience with commissioning artwork. I like to see what the artist can imagine.
Is there a standard in your mind? The closest thing to a "standard" I can imagine is any of the artwork in the Pathfinder books. They're very consistent in terms of style and form, and I like that.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? Daryl Mandryk, Wayne Reynolds, and most other artists for Pathfinder, mostly because their styles are of such high quality and consistency.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? Absolutely. If further input is requested I'm more than happy to give it. While I feel bad about being so vain about free sketches, I am incredibly vain about my characters.
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cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
Do you prefer to see your characters in action?
-Not particularly, a static portrait is fine.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
-If applicable, yes, but it doesn't really apply to this character.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
-Absolutely.
Is there a standard in your mind?
-Somewhat.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
-N/A
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
-If possible, yes, if not, no worries.
Thanks for taking the time on those guys. It helps me a lot.
okay, so it's kinda dumb that I took this long to get to line work only. But this will save me a lot of time, its clean, readable, and I can paint it later if I want to. Plus its a lot faster than when I was trying to fix a drawing for three hours. It turns out I was just not using a small enough brush size for the image in photoshop. Should have known, oh well. Here's what the requests will start to look like.
Alice MacLaren is a modern day wizard; not from Harry Potter either. She is a thin redhead with a runner's build and favors t-shirts and jeans which is offset by the gray cloak pinned around her shoulders and large blackened staff she carries (it's a long rune-carved thing blackened like it's been burned several times)
she also wears a single silver ring on her left hand
her hair is generally worn loose at shoulder length and has a pair of small round glasses - as for emotional mood for the character, a quiet smile and a gentle demeanor
Alrighty, Here's Alice I hope you guys dont mind just line work. It's been refreshing, because I think I can focus more on the pose and anatomy.
(EDIT:Noodled with arm a bit and added some value washes.)
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? Eh. Do what works.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? He's only got his clothes, really.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? In your case, yes.
Is there a standard in your mind? Um. Be as awesome as what you've already posted?
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? It never occurred to me that they had specific people for that.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.) Nah, it's cool.
This is ridiculously classy of you and really cool. If you have the time I'd certainly love to supply you with something to draw.
Human warlock by the name of Annika Kamanov. No specific age (because I incorporate my laziness into backstory) but she's certainly an adult and has seen a bit of time. She doesn't exactly dress up though, so. Generally speaking she's got a blonde bun, and pretty minimalist but functional and unnecessarily dignified robes - this was the image I sort of had in mind when I crafted her general look, particularly the high collar. Class, even when it's completely superfluous in the middle of a dungeon. Like all good RPG characters she has a needless amount of adventuring material on her person - tomes, potions, and so forth. One of her little niches is that much of these have a certain stargazing and astronomy component to them, owing on her reliance on the heavens for magic. This culminates in the best completely stupid and ineffective weapon ever - a sextant that doubles as the handle to a sword. The middle part just goes straight into the blade. It is stupid as fuck, and totally rad. She's haughty, proud, and a total goose to those she doesn't respect, but will total brofist and be all camaraderie with those she does - like most of the party.
Now even if you don't have the time for that I'll be happy to answer your inquiries:
Do you prefer to see your characters in action?
I prefer to see my characters in situations that are fitting for their character. For someone like Annika above, a quiet moment of study would potentially be as representative of her as a shot of her making a kobold's mind explode. When I've commissioned work in the past I generally approach the artist with a general idea of a sort-of pose I'd like, and let them fiddle around and see what they think works best. That sort of ties into the fact that that's a commission and I'd prefer to be a bit more involved with the process as my money is getting involved, as opposed to a free work like this where I would really be happy with whatever.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
If I was commissioning just a general picture of the character, one that could serve as say a profile picture or a sort of iconic image of them, yes I would want a good chunk of their equipment represented. If it was a more casual sort of thing - say for example a picture of a party drinking - then things would be reduced as necessary. In addition if it was a situation where I already had several pictures of a character I would likely consider this less important.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
To a certain extent. I'm of the opinion that if you're purchasing art from an artist it's because you're interested in getting some of that artist's particular tastes or flare involved in the art. Off the top of my head for example if I somehow managed to commission Tim Burton and got back a well-dressed person that looked completely normal I would feel a little disappointed. I have never gone to an artist with absolutes. With the above for example I've given a very general sense of what her outfit would actually be and that's because I want a certain amount of the artist's creativity to shine through.
Is there a standard in your mind?
I would expect any commission I receive to be on the level of quality of the artist's work for a similar price. I would not commission an artist who was an unknown quality in terms of what they produced.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
To be honest I am not very knowledgable about DnD artists. My favorite DnD art is actually like, the really old, awful shit, where you're wondering if it was done by the same guys who wrote the book, because I find that stuff hilarious. In terms of actual professionals who know what they're doing, I don't have enough background knowledge to say.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
As mentioned, when I involve my actual money, I like a more back and forth. I give the artist the basics, maybe I get a few sketches, I say what I like from those, maybe I get a final sketch, I say yeah totally that looks rad and we go. For something offered for free like you are, it's not as big of a deal. I'm just flattered to get work from a pretty solid artist for free, even if you feel that it's just some schlock you cranked out in a day.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action?
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
Is there a standard in your mind?
Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
Curious are we answering these questions in particular regards to the character we're asking to be drawn? Mainly asking about the first two questions or if you are wondering about our tastes in general in regards to that.
Good question. In general your overall tastes in AND also for your character specifically here.
When I've seen some of the art for characters they are sometimes under fire/standing ready/ ready for battle so to speak. And others are a moment when they character is walking forward in the wind, or maybe standing still but there are still hints of power. So I wanted to know what you liked to see when you are looking for pictures, what makes you say "this ones him/her, etc" Or do you even find pictures for games? I've never even had the chance to play unfortunately.
Beastro on
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Lord Palingtonhe.him.hisHistory-loving pal!Registered Userregular
Character requested - Akra, female dragonborn fighter.
This is one of my player's characters in my tabletop game. She wears scale armor and wields a longsword in one hand and keeps the other free for punching/grabbing. Other notable equipment would be an ancient holy symbol of Bahamut (picture below), a spiked gauntlet on her free hand, and a wooden flute she keeps on her belt. She has a poisonous gas breath weapon she isn't shy about using. She's brash, she's tough, and she'll be more than happy to kick your ass.
Reference images:
Female dragonborn in scale armor with a longsword. Minus the shield, the dragonborn in the back is the one she uses for her character picture now.
Holy symbol of bahamut. Feel free to stylize this how you'd like, this is just the basic version.
I know everyone's already said that you are pretty awesome for doing this, and I just wanted to go ahead and add my vote to that.
Answers to your questions:
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? I think it gives an opportunity to showcase the personality than just a standing still portrait.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? I think this stance is good for a portrait, maybe a detail job on the face or a particular piece of equipment. As a standalone image though, it runs the risk of being boring.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? I try to trust the artist when it comes to things like this.
Is there a standard in your mind? I'm always of the mind that I get what I pay for.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? I don't really have a favorite, but I do like Mike Krahulik's stuff he did for his group.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? In general, I like the idea of silhouettes then final choice. If I were buying a commission, I would be very comfortable with that. However, since your goal here is to get a lot of practice, I don't know if adding more time to each piece is necessary.
god yes!! point out everything. It will immediately tell me what I need to develop my eye for and study instead of me seeing it two weeks later after I've done studies. This forum has been more helpful in terms of critiques than conceptart.org..bottom line
.
on looking at it further, something about it was bugging me and i figured it out:
you have a tendency to draw your females kind of... mannishly
i'm sure it has more to do with general cultural perception of the genders but to me the last two characters have been somewhat stocky looking, especially in the torso
None of the characters are very..thin , I think that may be one problem (same applies to males -all are pretty solid). Facial features (Eyes, lips) which are normally associated with attractiveness aren't getting much attention in the conventional sense either (which could be a deliberate choice). None are very buxom either.
*lips that is fullness ,etc.
*eyes that would be very-slight slant or "allure". sometimes hints of make-up or...eyelashes.. etc.
One of your posted sketches I liked quite a bit was this this one. Where you sort of mixed the extreme dark values with a few areas of shading that hinted at volume or mass (if that makes sense) - but it isn't too explicit. So our eye is drawn to certain areas of the body that are more developed but the other areas still have some gravity to them because you gave them some attention. But you didn't go overboard with the attention as to make the piece feel overburdened.
What's good about the Cyrus piece is that I think it keeps a similar value to the simple works you show in spread, but your method is very different. It is negative space that defines what is and isn't there, you are doing it through shading and the like. And it works. It's simple but it gets the job done. Just shades of black and his lighter face.
With the girl, what I like (except for her hand- which seems a bit abrupt ; I think if you have the dark parts you should probably emphasize more than one part or else it may seem a bit arbitrary *), is that you are clearly in control of the line density and where you want our eye to be drawn. Some of the other work seems to be lacking that a bit. The way you have her hair detailed, her necklace(?), her armband, her belt, going down. It forces me to read the character. It's something I like.
Hope that made sense
* in regards to the dark space/negative space. I would advise using it if it adds to the overall balance/composition of the piece. In the swordsman picture mentioned above , I think it does
Very cool. I'm excited to go do some research now. School is staring back up tomorrow, so my contributions may slow a bit but I don't plan on stopping. Next one should be up tomorrow night
Hey Beastro, the stuff you've come up with so far is awesome. I'd like to add my Legend of the 5 Rings character to the line.
My character is named Shigurui, a warrior monk of the Spider Clan. If I was summing up his general demeanor, I'd say he is Casually Menacing. While he wields a bisento with great skill, his true strength lies in his mastery of the martial arts. Being of partial Crab lineage, he towers over other Rokugani at 6'3'', and possesses a very powerful frame. He wears heavy armor (for samurai period), and an iron full face mask wrought in the form of a horned demon's face which he never removes.
Background Info:
Spider monks are renowned for their style's focus on crippling or killing their adversaries, and Shigurui is no exception. Killing a man can embolden his enemies with vengeance; plucking their eyes out and moving on to the next will leave them shaking in terror.
He is a driven man, methodical, and willing to do whatever must be done to achieve his goals. While he would prefer things to work out smoothly, his imposing nature and appearance often make people less than cooperative. Lacking the refined social graces and diplomacy of his companions, he often finds himself resorting to threats, violence, and, in extreme cases, torture as motivational tools. Following the tenants of Shourido, especially the virtues Strength and Will, he trains himself constantly, working towards perfection of self and dominance of his enemies.
Having been stricken down once before, and brought back by the dark powers of Jigoku, he is tainted by it's darkness. While not throwing himself headfirst into the corruption, Shigurui will embrace it to take advantage of its power in dire straights.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? Sweet kung fu moves look cool, but so does an imposing, somewhat looming stationary shot.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? In general, just the critical gear that really identifies or defines a character. Backpacks, jade pendants, and tattoo needles are somewhat extraneous, whereas without a demon mask, Shigurui wouldn't be Shigurui.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? Yes. I'm no artist myself, and I believe in leaving professionals to their profession.
Is there a standard in your mind? I don't really know.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? Not really D&D, but Steve Argyle is pretty much the power and the glory.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? I'd be more than happy to give input, but if you have a really solid concept, I'd be just as pleased to let you do your thing.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? Eh. posed is fine. Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? For this kind of thing, probably. Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? I'm totally comfortable with that. Is there a standard in your mind? I don't know what you mean. Do you have a favorite d&d artist? Nope. Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.) Sure, assuming waiting for my input doesn't slow things down too much.
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vertroueI am FemaleTotes Not a SithRegistered Userregular
edited March 2012
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? Na Rwn usually does not need to move often. Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? Barring her familiar and guardian she really does not have that much gear. Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? Hell Yes!! I have drawn Rwn myself before. But I was unhappy with it....Anyway the whole point is to get it in a different light. Is there a standard in your mind? As good as your previous works? Do you have a favorite d&d artist? I like the pathfinder art better then the DnD work Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.) I would not mind.
vertroue on
Blood and Fire
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
Arc nailed what I was going to say on the head. Alice doesn't really have any curves in her torso where perhaps there should be. It makes it look like maybe she's wearing a bulletproof vest underneath her t-shirt, like everything is padded out.
Which just so happens to work, but it's not exactly feminine. This is one case in particular I'd definitely recommend studying the comic artists. They draw their girls so over-the-top buxom that I think you'll wind up meeting in a happy middle. As for a specific example, check out Arc's first link to Amanda Conner and look at her portrayal of Power Girl. Biggest titties in DC Comics, but even more important is the general shape of her torso.
I'd say you've got the masculine form down pat though, so I wouldn't worry at all about that.
This helps a lot guys I really appreciate you all answering the questions. And the critique is really helpful for me to notice when and what to change and pay more attention too. Especially weak points. I thank you much.
Speak of the Devil, Shinyo here are some sils.
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vertroueI am FemaleTotes Not a SithRegistered Userregular
In that first sil it almost looks like the left leg is hyper extended...it might just be because of how the sword is held.
Blood and Fire
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? With my particular character, I'd kinda prefer a lurking in the shadows pose. Nothing cliche or overt like you would see on the cover of Thief or something, but more of that of say a character in Assassin's Creed. That is standing in the crowd, perhaps with a weapon in hand - a slightly weary/cautious look on his face.
Generally speaking I'm not a huge fan of real flashy poses for characters unless it fits the characters. Let's say an overconfident kid who thinks he can beat up anyone- having him flexing and kissing his bicep would fit then (for example). For me the main thing I'm concerned with is conveying character through the pose. However you accomplish that. Jump kicking or just arms crossed..whatever works.
I tend to like a lot of concept art in terms of just character designs. The stuff you would see for video games and such...
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
With my character I would prefer him equipped with everything.
In general. I think the artist should decide what is pertinent and what isn't. This is mainly an issue when you are dealing a shit-ton of equipment. Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
As long as they stay within the general core concept given to them, I'm ok with them trying different things out visually. As long as it isn't too far out. That is to say you give them a lean guy description and he suddenly becomes a hulk. Is there a standard in your mind?
Not really, each artist has their own style. Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
Tony Diterlizzi, Brom (even though some of his stuff is fetishistic ), Todd Lockwood is pretty good, and Jason Manley does good digital D&D art. Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
I'd definitely be interested.
That's really good. Yeah, the neck and collar look a tad too long but the pose and the face look fantastic.
If I were picking nits, I would echo that I didn't picture Fiona with a mohawk either, still as a character drawing in its own right, Wonderful job.
The quality of art just in this thread is astounding, you seem to improve with every piece you draw. I love the dark greyscale color scheme. Makes me think of the old style photographs you see around of all the western outlaws.
It's pretty awesome you're doing this and the output all looks great. I guess I'll add a possible character for the queue.
Radomir's a senior human military officer from a vaguely Traveller-esque space opera setting. The nation he serves has been fighting a series of disastrous wars that have seen civilization fall into decline and he's gone through his career losing more friends and family with each step higher. The last big offensive ended with him being declared a hero by state propaganda but was just so grueling and brutal it pretty much left him with some sort of post traumatic stress.
He's a pretty gaunt man in his fifties, just totally worn down and weary. Almost like all the responsibilities and duties he's carrying are physical burdens weighing him down. Not completely broken down but the attempts he makes to try and put on a mask of confidence for the sake of his subordinates don't really succeed all too well. Years spent aboard ships in darkened compartments have left him pretty pale and the stress has ensured a lot of gray hair.
As far as clothing and material stuff goes, it'd be a uniform loosely inspired in appearance by the sort of stuff you'd find around the first world war. A high collared tunic of this sort though prolly without buttons. A single elaborate starburst and cross medal worn at the neck, this general shape, a high honor received for a past victory. Perhaps a longer coat draped over the shoulders to ward off some imaged sense of cold. A pistol worn in a holster at the hip, more for the sake of following some regulation than for any practical purpose. A very minimal earpiece and thin microphone.
As far as the questions go.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action?
It really depends on the character's style and personality, I guess. In this case though the guy's almost anti-action.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
If it's equipment that's somehow important to the character it certainly helps to have it around, if the picture's not one of them in action. Radomir's defining material gear is most certainly his warship though and bringing a giant mountain of metal to a photo shoot would literally overshadow the actual character.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
Absolutely. Having someone who's got a knack for visual stuff add in their own creativity to the basic sort of ideas I usually have rattling around in my head can produce some pretty cool results. If you're involving someone else in the creative process it's cool to see what they come up with.
Is there a standard in your mind?
My stick figures are pretty lousy. It's a low low standard.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
Not particularly. I can't claim to be really familiar with the individual artists there.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
I certainly wouldn't mind, but I'd be happy either way.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? I think the way I described my character kind of leaves that open to the artist. Either way I'd be happy. I can see her firing her weapon, sitting at a table with her computer, or just standing there. I'm okay with all of the above.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? I described the equipment so that it could be included or not. I would be happy either way.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? Yes, except for one thing. Zithra is feminine in the face, so that is important. She was selling her body after all, I would think that there would have to be some sex appeal going on, and I definitely imagine her as a little gamine, with a pretty face.
Is there a standard in your mind? Nope.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? Nope.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? If you want my input, feel free to shoot me a PM. If you want to wing it, that's cool too. It's your show, Beastro, I just want to facilitate your creativity.
Also, I love, love, love Shinyo's character the best. She is so kick-ass. Paint her in woad and send her at the Romans.
I am speechless. While the warpaint wouldn't be his usual street-wear, it's so fitting. I can picture him putting it on when about to go out and kick some ass.
guys i need to study up. I'm hitting a wall and need to gain some xp so to speak and slay some anatomy and take the time to do some homework. I'll post this weekend. Thanks for your patience.
Posts
A.) he can't seem to do anatomy correctly to save his life, and
B.) his character designs are very busy looking due to the sheer amount of equipment visibly on their person.
You don't seem to have those problems though Beastro, so as long as you don't incorporate the BAD, I wouldn't mind it. I'm not sure how well that style would work in black and white though.
Also, I've yet to go wrong agreeing with Arcanis, so I'll just keep doing so and say the artists he linked.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? Honestly, an action pose would be nice and very cool. But as long as John looks imposing (cause that's how I tend to picture him) I'll be more then happy with your drawing.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? Given that John doesn't carry much in the way of visible equipment, I don't have a vested interest in either option (equipment or no equipment) John is John, he's not his equipment.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? - Pretty much yes. I'd rather give guidelines and see what the artist creates then presume to dictate every step and detail.
Is there a standard in your mind? - your art is the standard, think you can keep to that standard? :P
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? - don't know the names of any, so no.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.) Whatever, I trust you to turn out really great looking art. Or I could have a little more involvement in the process, that'd be really cool as well. So, either works. Not being more involved lets me be lazy, so I might prefer that.
Not very decisive or opinionated am I? Trust me, par for the course.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? It depends heavily on the personality of the character. I could really go either way.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? No, I really do prefer to see something that is more like a snapshot of them in action rather than a static image.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? Yes, but mostly because I've got no experience with commissioning artwork. I like to see what the artist can imagine.
Is there a standard in your mind? The closest thing to a "standard" I can imagine is any of the artwork in the Pathfinder books. They're very consistent in terms of style and form, and I like that.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? Daryl Mandryk, Wayne Reynolds, and most other artists for Pathfinder, mostly because their styles are of such high quality and consistency.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? Absolutely. If further input is requested I'm more than happy to give it. While I feel bad about being so vain about free sketches, I am incredibly vain about my characters.
-Not particularly, a static portrait is fine.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
-If applicable, yes, but it doesn't really apply to this character.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
-Absolutely.
Is there a standard in your mind?
-Somewhat.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
-N/A
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
-If possible, yes, if not, no worries.
okay, so it's kinda dumb that I took this long to get to line work only. But this will save me a lot of time, its clean, readable, and I can paint it later if I want to. Plus its a lot faster than when I was trying to fix a drawing for three hours. It turns out I was just not using a small enough brush size for the image in photoshop. Should have known, oh well. Here's what the requests will start to look like.
Alrighty, Here's Alice
(EDIT:Noodled with arm a bit and added some value washes.)
Human warlock by the name of Annika Kamanov. No specific age (because I incorporate my laziness into backstory) but she's certainly an adult and has seen a bit of time. She doesn't exactly dress up though, so. Generally speaking she's got a blonde bun, and pretty minimalist but functional and unnecessarily dignified robes - this was the image I sort of had in mind when I crafted her general look, particularly the high collar. Class, even when it's completely superfluous in the middle of a dungeon. Like all good RPG characters she has a needless amount of adventuring material on her person - tomes, potions, and so forth. One of her little niches is that much of these have a certain stargazing and astronomy component to them, owing on her reliance on the heavens for magic. This culminates in the best completely stupid and ineffective weapon ever - a sextant that doubles as the handle to a sword. The middle part just goes straight into the blade. It is stupid as fuck, and totally rad. She's haughty, proud, and a total goose to those she doesn't respect, but will total brofist and be all camaraderie with those she does - like most of the party.
Now even if you don't have the time for that I'll be happy to answer your inquiries:
Do you prefer to see your characters in action?
I prefer to see my characters in situations that are fitting for their character. For someone like Annika above, a quiet moment of study would potentially be as representative of her as a shot of her making a kobold's mind explode. When I've commissioned work in the past I generally approach the artist with a general idea of a sort-of pose I'd like, and let them fiddle around and see what they think works best. That sort of ties into the fact that that's a commission and I'd prefer to be a bit more involved with the process as my money is getting involved, as opposed to a free work like this where I would really be happy with whatever.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
If I was commissioning just a general picture of the character, one that could serve as say a profile picture or a sort of iconic image of them, yes I would want a good chunk of their equipment represented. If it was a more casual sort of thing - say for example a picture of a party drinking - then things would be reduced as necessary. In addition if it was a situation where I already had several pictures of a character I would likely consider this less important.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
To a certain extent. I'm of the opinion that if you're purchasing art from an artist it's because you're interested in getting some of that artist's particular tastes or flare involved in the art. Off the top of my head for example if I somehow managed to commission Tim Burton and got back a well-dressed person that looked completely normal I would feel a little disappointed. I have never gone to an artist with absolutes. With the above for example I've given a very general sense of what her outfit would actually be and that's because I want a certain amount of the artist's creativity to shine through.
Is there a standard in your mind?
I would expect any commission I receive to be on the level of quality of the artist's work for a similar price. I would not commission an artist who was an unknown quality in terms of what they produced.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
To be honest I am not very knowledgable about DnD artists. My favorite DnD art is actually like, the really old, awful shit, where you're wondering if it was done by the same guys who wrote the book, because I find that stuff hilarious. In terms of actual professionals who know what they're doing, I don't have enough background knowledge to say.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
As mentioned, when I involve my actual money, I like a more back and forth. I give the artist the basics, maybe I get a few sketches, I say what I like from those, maybe I get a final sketch, I say yeah totally that looks rad and we go. For something offered for free like you are, it's not as big of a deal. I'm just flattered to get work from a pretty solid artist for free, even if you feel that it's just some schlock you cranked out in a day.
Curious are we answering these questions in particular regards to the character we're asking to be drawn? Mainly asking about the first two questions or if you are wondering about our tastes in general in regards to that.
When I've seen some of the art for characters they are sometimes under fire/standing ready/ ready for battle so to speak. And others are a moment when they character is walking forward in the wind, or maybe standing still but there are still hints of power. So I wanted to know what you liked to see when you are looking for pictures, what makes you say "this ones him/her, etc" Or do you even find pictures for games? I've never even had the chance to play unfortunately.
This is one of my player's characters in my tabletop game. She wears scale armor and wields a longsword in one hand and keeps the other free for punching/grabbing. Other notable equipment would be an ancient holy symbol of Bahamut (picture below), a spiked gauntlet on her free hand, and a wooden flute she keeps on her belt. She has a poisonous gas breath weapon she isn't shy about using. She's brash, she's tough, and she'll be more than happy to kick your ass.
Reference images:
Female dragonborn in scale armor with a longsword. Minus the shield, the dragonborn in the back is the one she uses for her character picture now.
Holy symbol of bahamut. Feel free to stylize this how you'd like, this is just the basic version.
I know everyone's already said that you are pretty awesome for doing this, and I just wanted to go ahead and add my vote to that.
Answers to your questions:
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? I think this stance is good for a portrait, maybe a detail job on the face or a particular piece of equipment. As a standalone image though, it runs the risk of being boring.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? I try to trust the artist when it comes to things like this.
Is there a standard in your mind? I'm always of the mind that I get what I pay for.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? I don't really have a favorite, but I do like Mike Krahulik's stuff he did for his group.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? In general, I like the idea of silhouettes then final choice. If I were buying a commission, I would be very comfortable with that. However, since your goal here is to get a lot of practice, I don't know if adding more time to each piece is necessary.
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you have a tendency to draw your females kind of... mannishly
i'm sure it has more to do with general cultural perception of the genders but to me the last two characters have been somewhat stocky looking, especially in the torso
*lips that is fullness ,etc.
*eyes that would be very-slight slant or "allure". sometimes hints of make-up or...eyelashes.. etc.
One of your posted sketches I liked quite a bit was this this one. Where you sort of mixed the extreme dark values with a few areas of shading that hinted at volume or mass (if that makes sense) - but it isn't too explicit. So our eye is drawn to certain areas of the body that are more developed but the other areas still have some gravity to them because you gave them some attention. But you didn't go overboard with the attention as to make the piece feel overburdened.
What's good about the Cyrus piece is that I think it keeps a similar value to the simple works you show in spread, but your method is very different. It is negative space that defines what is and isn't there, you are doing it through shading and the like. And it works. It's simple but it gets the job done. Just shades of black and his lighter face.
With the girl, what I like (except for her hand- which seems a bit abrupt ; I think if you have the dark parts you should probably emphasize more than one part or else it may seem a bit arbitrary *), is that you are clearly in control of the line density and where you want our eye to be drawn. Some of the other work seems to be lacking that a bit. The way you have her hair detailed, her necklace(?), her armband, her belt, going down. It forces me to read the character. It's something I like.
Hope that made sense
* in regards to the dark space/negative space. I would advise using it if it adds to the overall balance/composition of the piece. In the swordsman picture mentioned above , I think it does
My character is named Shigurui, a warrior monk of the Spider Clan. If I was summing up his general demeanor, I'd say he is Casually Menacing. While he wields a bisento with great skill, his true strength lies in his mastery of the martial arts. Being of partial Crab lineage, he towers over other Rokugani at 6'3'', and possesses a very powerful frame. He wears heavy armor (for samurai period), and an iron full face mask wrought in the form of a horned demon's face which he never removes.
Background Info:
He is a driven man, methodical, and willing to do whatever must be done to achieve his goals. While he would prefer things to work out smoothly, his imposing nature and appearance often make people less than cooperative. Lacking the refined social graces and diplomacy of his companions, he often finds himself resorting to threats, violence, and, in extreme cases, torture as motivational tools. Following the tenants of Shourido, especially the virtues Strength and Will, he trains himself constantly, working towards perfection of self and dominance of his enemies.
Having been stricken down once before, and brought back by the dark powers of Jigoku, he is tainted by it's darkness. While not throwing himself headfirst into the corruption, Shigurui will embrace it to take advantage of its power in dire straights.
Reference pictures
Spider monks:
http://images.wikia.com/l5r/images/3/3c/Michio.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gtAC_qfSs_g/TD80Qe7tB4I/AAAAAAAAADw/xjqZkEY1dtg/s1600/Tetsuo___Spider_Clan_Monk_by_Silent_Black.jpg
http://l5rsearch.com/images/cards/Katahide.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xzx3qcObuSY/Tr4R_rOrPLI/AAAAAAAAG1E/kS2AWOHBBHQ/s1600/Daigotsu+Kanpeki.jpg
Answers to your questions:
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? In general, just the critical gear that really identifies or defines a character. Backpacks, jade pendants, and tattoo needles are somewhat extraneous, whereas without a demon mask, Shigurui wouldn't be Shigurui.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? Yes. I'm no artist myself, and I believe in leaving professionals to their profession.
Is there a standard in your mind? I don't really know.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? Not really D&D, but Steve Argyle is pretty much the power and the glory.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? I'd be more than happy to give input, but if you have a really solid concept, I'd be just as pleased to let you do your thing.
EDITED FOR HUGE PICTURES
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? For this kind of thing, probably.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? I'm totally comfortable with that.
Is there a standard in your mind? I don't know what you mean.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? Nope.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.) Sure, assuming waiting for my input doesn't slow things down too much.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? Barring her familiar and guardian she really does not have that much gear.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? Hell Yes!! I have drawn Rwn myself before. But I was unhappy with it....Anyway the whole point is to get it in a different light.
Is there a standard in your mind? As good as your previous works?
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? I like the pathfinder art better then the DnD work
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.) I would not mind.
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
Which just so happens to work, but it's not exactly feminine. This is one case in particular I'd definitely recommend studying the comic artists. They draw their girls so over-the-top buxom that I think you'll wind up meeting in a happy middle. As for a specific example, check out Arc's first link to Amanda Conner and look at her portrayal of Power Girl. Biggest titties in DC Comics, but even more important is the general shape of her torso.
I'd say you've got the masculine form down pat though, so I wouldn't worry at all about that.
Speak of the Devil, Shinyo here are some sils.
From the Desk of Darth Vertroue Diplomat to the USA.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? With my particular character, I'd kinda prefer a lurking in the shadows pose. Nothing cliche or overt like you would see on the cover of Thief or something, but more of that of say a character in Assassin's Creed. That is standing in the crowd, perhaps with a weapon in hand - a slightly weary/cautious look on his face.
Generally speaking I'm not a huge fan of real flashy poses for characters unless it fits the characters. Let's say an overconfident kid who thinks he can beat up anyone- having him flexing and kissing his bicep would fit then (for example). For me the main thing I'm concerned with is conveying character through the pose. However you accomplish that. Jump kicking or just arms crossed..whatever works.
I tend to like a lot of concept art in terms of just character designs. The stuff you would see for video games and such...
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
With my character I would prefer him equipped with everything.
In general. I think the artist should decide what is pertinent and what isn't. This is mainly an issue when you are dealing a shit-ton of equipment.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
As long as they stay within the general core concept given to them, I'm ok with them trying different things out visually. As long as it isn't too far out. That is to say you give them a lean guy description and he suddenly becomes a hulk.
Is there a standard in your mind?
Not really, each artist has their own style.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
Tony Diterlizzi, Brom (even though some of his stuff is fetishistic ), Todd Lockwood is pretty good, and Jason Manley does good digital D&D art.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
I'd definitely be interested.
I had pictured hair like this craziness, but at around shoulder length. I trust you to go with whichever one seems better though, Beastro.
That's really good. Yeah, the neck and collar look a tad too long but the pose and the face look fantastic.
If I were picking nits, I would echo that I didn't picture Fiona with a mohawk either, still as a character drawing in its own right, Wonderful job.
The quality of art just in this thread is astounding, you seem to improve with every piece you draw. I love the dark greyscale color scheme. Makes me think of the old style photographs you see around of all the western outlaws.
Radomir's a senior human military officer from a vaguely Traveller-esque space opera setting. The nation he serves has been fighting a series of disastrous wars that have seen civilization fall into decline and he's gone through his career losing more friends and family with each step higher. The last big offensive ended with him being declared a hero by state propaganda but was just so grueling and brutal it pretty much left him with some sort of post traumatic stress.
He's a pretty gaunt man in his fifties, just totally worn down and weary. Almost like all the responsibilities and duties he's carrying are physical burdens weighing him down. Not completely broken down but the attempts he makes to try and put on a mask of confidence for the sake of his subordinates don't really succeed all too well. Years spent aboard ships in darkened compartments have left him pretty pale and the stress has ensured a lot of gray hair.
As far as clothing and material stuff goes, it'd be a uniform loosely inspired in appearance by the sort of stuff you'd find around the first world war. A high collared tunic of this sort though prolly without buttons. A single elaborate starburst and cross medal worn at the neck, this general shape, a high honor received for a past victory. Perhaps a longer coat draped over the shoulders to ward off some imaged sense of cold. A pistol worn in a holster at the hip, more for the sake of following some regulation than for any practical purpose. A very minimal earpiece and thin microphone.
As far as the questions go.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action?
It really depends on the character's style and personality, I guess. In this case though the guy's almost anti-action.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot?
If it's equipment that's somehow important to the character it certainly helps to have it around, if the picture's not one of them in action. Radomir's defining material gear is most certainly his warship though and bringing a giant mountain of metal to a photo shoot would literally overshadow the actual character.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it?
Absolutely. Having someone who's got a knack for visual stuff add in their own creativity to the basic sort of ideas I usually have rattling around in my head can produce some pretty cool results. If you're involving someone else in the creative process it's cool to see what they come up with.
Is there a standard in your mind?
My stick figures are pretty lousy. It's a low low standard.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist?
Not particularly. I can't claim to be really familiar with the individual artists there.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? (IF SO THIS WILL INVOLVE A TWO STEP PROCESS, Silhouettes then final.)
I certainly wouldn't mind, but I'd be happy either way.
Do you prefer to see your characters in action? I think the way I described my character kind of leaves that open to the artist. Either way I'd be happy. I can see her firing her weapon, sitting at a table with her computer, or just standing there. I'm okay with all of the above.
Do you prefer to see them standing with all of their equipment like a photo shoot? I described the equipment so that it could be included or not. I would be happy either way.
Do you prefer to let the artist roll with it? Yes, except for one thing. Zithra is feminine in the face, so that is important. She was selling her body after all, I would think that there would have to be some sex appeal going on, and I definitely imagine her as a little gamine, with a pretty face.
Is there a standard in your mind? Nope.
Do you have a favorite d&d artist? Nope.
Do you want to be more involved in the creation of your Character? If you want my input, feel free to shoot me a PM. If you want to wing it, that's cool too. It's your show, Beastro, I just want to facilitate your creativity.
Also, I love, love, love Shinyo's character the best. She is so kick-ass. Paint her in woad and send her at the Romans.
Zithra Melitch in Star Wars: An Empire's End
Jellica in In the Shadow of Zeus
high res
I am speechless. While the warpaint wouldn't be his usual street-wear, it's so fitting. I can picture him putting it on when about to go out and kick some ass.
That's awesome. Excellent work.
I am pleased.