New portrait

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Sun May 09, 2004 1:04 pm

Planning on replaying BG2 once more; a blessing or a curse, this game, who can say? Anyway, wanted to play an Invoker (once more) and this time with a portrait of myself (yeah, what an ego...)

. So, back to Photoshop... Here's the result for those interested. As always, feedback is much appreciated!

The portrait has been slighty improved thanks to Sytze's suggestion - new version posted 22.25 CET, May 10, 2004.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Sun May 09, 2004 1:05 pm

And the smaller one, new version as well:

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Sun May 09, 2004 1:12 pm

Nice photograph of yourself btw.

However, I think the picture has a large flaw (dont flame me now

).

The blending between your face and the rest of the picture is kinda unnatural IMO...

werebeargoddess · Post by **werebeargoddess** » Sun May 09, 2004 1:13 pm

nice, that picture

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Sun May 09, 2004 1:33 pm

http://forums.forgottenwars.net/index.p ... topic=7722

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Sun May 09, 2004 1:49 pm

Originally posted by UserUnfriendly
http://forums.forgottenwars.net/index.p ... topic=7722

Although I think it is an insult to Astafas his picture, I have to admit it was quite funny

I know wonder how long it will take before fable sees this as spamming

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Sun May 09, 2004 2:04 pm

Originally posted by Sytze
Nice photograph of yourself btw.

However, I think the picture has a large flaw (dont flame me now ).

The blending between your face and the rest of the picture is kinda unnatural IMO...

I would never flame the guy who gives me the asked for feedback!

Do you mean you'd like a more "painted" look? Please compare with the attached portrait (posted here earlier as well), and see if that is it. Cause you know, it's not like I've just cut in my face in the middle of a one of the NPC portraits...

The portrait is made "from scratch", had more than 20 layers, with painted skin in several tones, shadows, highlights and so on... It is possible to give the portrait/photo a more painted look, but there would of course be some loss of details.

You could also compare with the portraits here.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Mon May 10, 2004 12:44 am

Originally posted by Sytze
Although I think it is an insult to Astafas his picture, I have to admit it was quite funny

I know wonder how long it will take before fable sees this as spamming

urm...sorry, i didn't mean it to be an insult...i was just struck by how many people are playing with portraits these days, and wanted to share the funniest portrait site i knew of...

sorry astafas if you thought i was trying to insult you...i wasn't.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Mon May 10, 2004 12:57 am

Originally posted by UserUnfriendly
urm...sorry, i didn't mean it to be an insult...i was just struck by how many people are playing with portraits these days, and wanted to share the funniest portrait site i knew of...

sorry astafas if you thought i was trying to insult you...i wasn't.

Hehe, of course I don't! Why do people think me totally lacking of humor? Even vampires may have a laugh every now and then, you know... (rather common after a fresh kill, actually)

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Mon May 10, 2004 8:51 am

Originally posted by Astafas
I would never flame the guy who gives me the asked for feedback!

Do you mean you'd like a more "painted" look? Please compare with the attached portrait (posted here earlier as well), and see if that is it. Cause you know, it's not like I've just cut in my face in the middle of a one of the NPC portraits... The portrait is made "from scratch", had more than 20 layers, with painted skin in several tones, shadows, highlights and so on... It is possible to give the portrait/photo a more painted look, but there would of course be some loss of details.

You could also compare with the portraits here.

IMO, the first picture you posted looks like you copied and pasted your own face into the rest of the picture. Thus giving it an unnatural look. Especially the blending between face-robe.
I think, that this is caused by the difference in the shadow inside the hood and the bright red line on the robe.
But maybe I am being to much of a critic here...

The portrait you posted (see my quote) does not look copied and pasted, because your own face blends in very well. Especially with the rest of the armor. It has a more natural look this way.

@User: I said, that I thought it was an insult to Astafas picture (maybe I used a too harsh word here), since he posted a serious portrait and asked for feedback, while you gave a link to some misformed Minsc

(even though the faces have been copied from well-known paintings...)

I didnt mean to offence anyone or cause a disturbance though....

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Mon May 10, 2004 10:52 am

Originally posted by Sytze
IMO, the first picture you posted looks like you copied and pasted your own face into the rest of the picture. Thus giving it an unnatural look. Especially the blending between face-robe.
I think, that this is caused by the difference in the shadow inside the hood and the bright red line on the robe.
But maybe I am being to much of a critic here...

The portrait you posted (see my quote) does not look copied and pasted, because your own face blends in very well. Especially with the rest of the armor. It has a more natural look this way..

Thanks once more! I think you're actually after more shadows on the face - that's the only way to make the face blend in more in a shadowed hood. However, when making the picture I kind of imagined light coming in to show the face (would be kind of boring with a black hood!).

The bright red line on the hood is (as the rest of the "upper" side of the hood) under no shadow, thus bright red.

The portrait is, in addition to the photo, made from (modified) pieces of the original portraits. As can be seen on the attached file (an earlier version), the head is comfortably (let's hope so!) resting on a neck, that is resting on part of Imoen's armor (enlarged, distorted and changed with Curves). What's missing on this picture is the "background" in the hood as well as the shadows caused by the hood.

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Mon May 10, 2004 11:19 am

@Sytze

The alternative to using more shadows on the face (as stated below) would logically be to remove some shadows to give a clearer view of the armor (thus giving the face a less "cut in"-look). Tried that and think the result is actually better! What's your opinion?

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Mon May 10, 2004 12:15 pm

Originally posted by Astafas
@Sytze

The alternative to using more shadows on the face (as stated below) would logically be to remove some shadows to give a clearer view of the armor (thus giving the face a less "cut in"-look). Tried that and think the result is actually better! What's your opinion?

Ahh, now I see how the portrait "truly" is. In your first post, I had the feeling that your face was floating in all those shadows. Its alot more realistic this way, although I woudnt keep the color "white' in the portait.
Maybe a brighter black would be an option. Just bright enough so you can see the neck??

It's a bit hard for me to tell you what you should change for the better (I am not an artistic talent

). So I told you what I thought was "wrong" with the portrait.
Expecting you, the artist, to know what I ment and thus to know what to change if you would actually agree with me...

Hmm, thats alot of speculating...

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Mon May 10, 2004 2:23 pm

Originally posted by Sytze
Expecting you, the artist,...

Hehe, the artist?! You're to cute!

Seriously, I really think the portrait was made better by your opinion, so thanks!

(I don't plan to make the armor lighter, though, as I'm satisfied with the removal of shadows as seen in the version posted above.)

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Tue May 11, 2004 2:19 am

Originally posted by Astafas
Hehe, the artist?! You're to cute!

Well, euhh- thanks, I guess...

Originally posted by Astafas
Seriously, I really think the portrait was made better by your opinion, so thanks! (I don't plan to make the armor lighter, though, as I'm satisfied with the removal of shadows as seen in the version posted above.)

Glad to be of some help. Although I am a bit confused now...
You edited your first post and replaced it with the latest version, which you liked best??

Another thing, my former post was a reply to your portrait, which had, instead of shadows, a white colour around the face. Thats why I said:

although I woudnt keep the color "white' in the portait. Maybe a brighter black would be an option. Just bright enough so you can see the neck??

But then you posted a different portrait where you added the shadows, although you used a lighter black now. So the neck could be seen. And that is what I ment with "using a brighter black instead of the colour white".
You still with me??

Anyway, the latest version is indeed very good

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Tue May 11, 2004 6:57 am

@Sytze

No, I didn't use a lighter black for the armor in the latest version, only removed some of the shadows (which of course were in another layer). Thus, I'm still using the armor as it is in the "white", unfinished portrait. Are you with me?

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Tue May 11, 2004 7:05 am

I got it, I hope

So just to get things straight; You replaced your first portait in the first post, by the final portrait.

Anyway, may I ask how long it took you to make a portrait like this?

Astafas · Post by **Astafas** » Tue May 11, 2004 7:44 am

Originally posted by Sytze
So just to get things straight; You replaced your first portait in the first post, by the final portrait.

Anyway, may I ask how long it took you to make a portrait like this?

Correct!

I'd say about ten hours. The original photo can be seen here if you're interested: