wizzardz: completed.

[Kestenvarn]

The 'masculinity' remarks are unrelated to what I meant. Doesn't really bother me.

@ kestenvarn: she is supposed to calmly, intospectively pose for a portrait - but i fear you're the minority, you're the only one who thinks she's too doll-like, all the others call her too manly (even if i would rather agree with you)...

I honestly can't tell what she's supposed to be doing - with the slack facial muscles, her expression resembles the dead stare of a manikin. Is she smiling? Gaping? Is her mouth slightly open? Is it closed?

The nasolabial lines and eyebrows may be part of this confusion. Maybe the unfocused gaze? I'm not sure; she seems dazed instead of thoughtful.



PS. Is her right hand in the sleeve or offscreen?

[Thumper]

omg- that are a lot of complaints!
to be honest i just don't see most of the issues you have problems with... and thus have big problems fixing them...

So don't. You've got the approval of the art director, and no good has ever come from paying too much attention to cries of "too manly" / "too ethnic" / "too chubby" from the peanut gallery.

- Chris

[mesilliac]

From her expression, I'd say she's lost in thought (hence looking a little blank).

I don't really see anything wrong with the somewhat masculine face.

Perhaps downscaling hasn't done her justice? She looks more feminine if you zoom in.

I'd quite like to support the face and expression here. Mainly because they aren't clichéd.

[Quietus]

The white mage kind of reminds me of Galadriel for the LOTR films. I think there is nothing wrong with the gender, it is quite obvious she is a female. I love the red mage portrait though looks very nice.

The only thing that bothers me about the white mage is that her right arm appears a little low, still great work as always

[JW]

about the breast positioning/size i disagree - they are rather big, normal positioned breasts. i attached a rough linedrawing to demonstrate that. it's a thick fabric being pulled over them. (when did you guys see a nude woman apart of the plastic internet babes last time? )

Actually, that's one of the things keeping me from Wesnoth.

@ jw: i hope the drawing explains the breast thing...

Well, that is a little helpful with my interpretation, but this only reinforces my imprssion that the backline is too far back from the body, which is what gives her such a stocky appearance. She is too thick from front to back: a woman's lower back doesn't jut out backwards the way you have drawn in your outline - if you mirrored the curve it would be more appropriate. Also, the point of her right nipple appears to be slightly higher in the portrait than the outline; this is really what was throwing me off when interpreted with the other conceptions I had.

I think the breast thing isn't really that big of an issue, though I would stress again the problem I have with her back and ask that you look at it again.

If I sound harsh I apologize. I'm not trying to make her a Barbie, only to help her be more representative of an actual woman's shape.

[Boucman]

I have no issue with the breast...

big breast with a heavy garment will look like that, especially since the belt region seem s very adjusted and the garment may be actively pulling down because of the belt, not just because of its weight

it gives her a "motherly" look that fits well for a healer kind of persion


I clearly see why people see her as manly,but I think kitty's last tweaks have reduced that to a point where she is "a girl with strong feature" and not "a man with a wig" anymore...

so overall great...

/me sits back and wait for jetryl's commit

[Garen Voh]

*Shrugs*

Looks female to me. The face looks matronly. I have very little problem seeing an expression--very slight smile. If I had to agree that she seems expressionless, I think it has to do with the eyes. But even they don't seem that bad--perhaps (assuming she's older) smile lines crinkling the corners of the eyes?

She does seem slightly wide, but then she's wearing robes.

It also seems to me that with multiple white mages, we'll be able to compare the two and say "Yep, this one's a guy, this one's a girl."

I also like the new character you're bringing to women. I get sick of perfection. I just don't see video game women walking around in real life. Ever. So while we're avoiding some aspects of realism (magic, anyone?), and right to do so for a fantasy game, I think it was a good idea to draw some women as you've been doing. Good work.

[Sapient]

hmm.. yeah I think JW may be onto something with the hips. Maybe the belt is covering one side so that her hips look narrower than they actually are. kitty-- if you don't want to change anything about the pose, then I'll just shut up, but I still think you could bring out her form better with some minor changes. My problem is not the figure underneath, but its (mildly) ambiguous presentation. It's still a lot better than I could have done, assuredly.

[kitty]

for the comments on the white mage are too contradictory and confusing i will leave her as she is for now (that is until jetryl shows up). it's not that i don't appreciate your comments or that they aren't useful, but since my last post i count 5 "fine as she is", 3 "appears too broad", 1 "problem with her hand" and 1 "problem with her expression"............

but i've a new one: the male dark adept. (it's somehow strange to show him since my boyfriend posed for him and it turned out like a pretty realistic portrait of his dark side )



@ turin: those are folds... if i look hard i can see what you see as a problem but it is none - just a bit of cloth.

@ thespaceinvader: thanks for the critique! i see what you mean about the sleeve getting confused with the body. actually there is a little gap between them. perhaps it isn't big enough.

@ kestenvarn: sorry you don't like her expression (or lack of it), but i don't think so.

@ thumper, mesilliac, quietus, boucman, garen voh: thank you for the encouragement!

@ jw: you're the only one who answered this question! you're right about her back in the sketch, the red line is too far back and the outwards curve is missing because i didn't continue further down. but (i don't want to sound defensive ) she isn't nude. there is a thick cloth tucked under her belt, following the laws of gravity.

@ sapient: it's not that i'm not willing to change something about her but there are so many different remarks that i fear the others would start to complain about the thing i would change. and i don't want to work forth and back on her details forever.

[Sgt. Groovy]

It's pretty good but looks sort of "mundane" to me, like a peasant who's trying to pose as "bad." Remember that the "dark arts" are draining on the life force of the user (they may end up as skeletons) so the dark adepts should already look sickly and corrupt.

On the technical side, I find the lighting a bit inconsistent. The face is very strongly illuminated, yet there is very little light reflecting from the front of the torso and the near side arm, even though they are facing the light (I know it's your style to overexpose the faces, but still).

[Shadow]

Technical good as always.

Artistical he looks like the depressed disaffected hero.
Not like the evil one. (Not that I wouldn't like it )

[kitty]

thank you for those quick replies!

yep, he isn't very corrupted by evil at this stage. i intended to gradually de-humanize the line with ascending levels.

but i could start with giving the level 1 already paler skin and deeper, darker eye sockets and play with the expression a bit more - i was afraid to make it too daffy. i hope those measures will help. unfortunately he hasn't much evil accessories i could play with... update later this night.

[anakayub]

All I can say is wow, you've even got the anatomical snuffbox correct!

[Boucman]

I love it, great portrait.... probably one of your best

thank you for those quick replies!

yep, he isn't very corrupted by evil at this stage. i intended to gradually de-humanize the line with ascending levels.

but i could start with giving the level 1 already paler skin and deeper, darker eye sockets and play with the expression a bit more - i was afraid to make it too daffy. i hope those measures will help. unfortunately he hasn't much evil accessories i could play with... update later this night.

I think you can do that, there is only two human levels (three for the sorceror branch) so corruption has to come pretty quick.

[Garen Voh]

I'll agree with Boucman... probably one of your best. Any critiques from me would just be the same as everyone else. So I'll just say good job, and I'm liking all your portraits.