Art for games

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Johnny Angel

What is suggested for non-character artwork? Photoshop works well for characters, but are there any programs that work well for mapping or other such needs?

Short answer: I use MSPaint for just about everything. I'm a huge fan of un-complex answers.

[Captain-Captain]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I'm also working on some updated art for Mrugnak, my minotaur who I keep playing in various games.

I've had one-too-many folks tell me he's cute, when it clearly says "Hideous" on his character sheet ;)

From some angles he looks a little like a famous historical figure and a cartoon character based on same but the resemblance seems to be reduced by him actually doing something.

And here's one with a very simple outfit just to test some movement on the body shape and demonstrate Bad Temper which is also on his character sheet.

Background and subject have almost no contrast. I had to lighten the picture by a third to make out details of your minotaur. If you want people to comment on the details of the minotaur it helps to see them.

That said, as scary monsters go, his eyes make him look weary and battle wizened, the sort of person who might just talk with someone about not fighting simply because he's done the fighting enough times to be bored with it.

The rest of his face isn't all that fierce. Ignore the horns and you have a fat faced Doberman Pincher who's running up to jump on you and slobber all over your face to say "Hello! Let's Play!"

I'd suggest darkening the eyes, bive them shadows refocuse the pupils, make them beady and angry and focused directly at the viewer. They send the following message: "I'm going to kill you, EAT the person your guarding, have a bit of you for dessert just because, then I'll use you as a toilet to discourage carrion from eating you so you'll just rot where you lie."

Bloodshot eyes would do wonders for making him fiercer looking.

Narrow the face. Gaunt suggests hungry.

This is a dog rather than bovine thing, but so what? Have him flair his ears back behind his horns for protection from being bitten in a head to head fight.

Subconsciously we pick up on a dog with it's ears back MEANS to attack. We will apply that to your minotaur.

[Gigermann]

Originally Posted by Johnny Angel

What is suggested for non-character artwork? Photoshop works well for characters, but are there any programs that work well for mapping or other such needs?

Whatever you know best is typically the best for you to use—if you don't know the program, you're generally wasting a lot of energy trying to figure it out and/or doing it the wrong way.

That said, repetitive stuff like mapping works well in a vector-based drawing program, like Adobe Illustrator or Freehand.

Example From Illustrator

[Bruno]

Thanks very much for the critique and suggestions, Captain-Captain!

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

Background and subject have almost no contrast. I had to lighten the picture by a third to make out details of your minotaur. If you want people to comment on the details of the minotaur it helps to see them.

I've been harboring suspicions that my old CRT monitor is wibbly wobblying its way to the recycling depot for a while, so I always have to guess if things are balanced correctly. :/ I'll definitely use a better choice of background color next time. Or perhaps a portrait-studio type backdrop, like when you get the family photos done at Sears ;) Not very fantasy but at least makes for a useful contrast.

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

That said, as scary monsters go, his eyes make him look weary and battle wizened, the sort of person who might just talk with someone about not fighting simply because he's done the fighting enough times to be bored with it.

The rest of his face isn't all that fierce. Ignore the horns and you have a fat faced Doberman Pincher who's running up to jump on you and slobber all over your face to say "Hello! Let's Play!"

Yeah, the expression is pretty neutral right now; I was working with him in a "default" state (yes, he's a mouth breather...) while focusing on the facial structure/horns/body shape. I'll give him a more "lively" expression next iteration and get those eyes opened.

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

I'd suggest darkening the eyes, bive them shadows refocuse the pupils, make them beady and angry and focused directly at the viewer.

As in darkening the yellow iris color, or the shadowing? Shadow casting on the eye surface, or more hollow/"bruised" inside the orbital ridge?

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

They send the following message: "I'm going to kill you, EAT the person your guarding, have a bit of you for dessert just because, then I'll use you as a toilet to discourage carrion from eating you so you'll just rot where you lie."

Bloodshot eyes would do wonders for making him fiercer looking.

They're already bloodshot, but seeing as it was too dark for you I'm not surprised you can't tell. Hopefully it will come out better when I work with better contrast, and adjust the levels somewhat.

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

Narrow the face. Gaunt suggests hungry.

A good idea, but he's pretty fleshy, and it'll look strange in contrast to heavy built neck and torso. I'll see what I can do to emphasize musculature to counteract the softness, and perhaps exaggerate bone structure some more.

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

This is a dog rather than bovine thing, but so what? Have him flair his ears back behind his horns for protection from being bitten in a head to head fight.

Or getting torn off in a horn to horn fight, really. I'll go see if I can find some footage of cervids or bovines locking horns.

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

Subconsciously we pick up on a dog with it's ears back MEANS to attack. We will apply that to your minotaur.

Part of the problem is the base figure has basically immobile ears (the base figure is completely human) but I think I might be able to rig them. Or at least come up with something involving D-Formers... or actually perhaps some custom morphs. Hm.

I really do need the ear mobility for him to have a properly expressive face, so I *should* tackle that now rather than later.

[Captain-Captain]

Shadowed like bags under his eyes. The junkie mugger with a knife in a dark alley sort of look.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Bruno

I'll definitely use a better choice of background color next time. Or perhaps a portrait-studio type backdrop, like when you get the family photos done at Sears ;) Not very fantasy but at least makes for a useful contrast.

The last thing I do is worry about a background. And, I usually only use them for pictures I post here. Normally, when working on an image, I'll keep the background white (for high-contrast). After I get the pose where I think I want it, I'll load up some lights and shadows and go for some quick renders. After everything else is how I want it, do I worry about fixing the background.

[Bruno]

Sure. I can drop in a portrait backdrop last after all. The point that was made is that perhaps I should add that step to my workflow before posting here (like you've mentioned you do) where as for the moment I'm NOT.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Sure. I can drop in a portrait backdrop last after all. The point that was made is that perhaps I should add that step to my workflow before posting here (like you've mentioned you do) where as for the moment I'm NOT.

Sorry, mis-understood what was being said.

[Mark Skarr]

I got working on a picture and MonkeyFist came over and told me I should change it into being an updated picture of Carmen Alexandros. I got to playing with some advanced surface shaders for her skin.

[Mark Skarr]

Here’s the family-friendly version of Brandi and her demon master, Taraxus.

Brandi’s probably next on the block for an updated version.