Melons Outlaw Portraits

[thespaceinvader]

The ghoul sprite could be seen as more muscley than fat. And them being always hungry makes this look appropriate. The image wouldn't work for the Necrophage, which definitely moves towards the corpulent side of the scale.

[Melon]

The Ghoul looks wicked. It's radically different from the current attempts, but i think it sticks close enough to the sprite for it to work. I'd say finish up that one, and the current attempts can go on to be tries at the Necrophage. =D i can't wait to see what you come up with.

Though the ghoul seems to be getting good feedback, Girgistian already seems to be working on a portrait for it, and I wouldn't want to get in the way. Splitting the unit tree in half is a silly idea since we'll end up with two completly different interpretations.

The Saurian looks a little too humanoid to me - it's very upright, with short, fairly straight legs, and very little neck. TO my mind, the saurians want to be a little more animalistic and less anthropomorphic. The same is true of the Wose. And for that one, we want be be able to see more of the body and right to the top of the head too, if possible.

Here's a second attempt, this time using the skirmisher. If this isn't right ether then I guess I just don't get it.

[thespaceinvader]

It doesn't really matter if a unit tree is split as long as all concerned can match the canon style sufficiently. That's why we have a canon style...

The skirmisher looks to be an improvement, but personally, i'd still prefer to see a more hunched, animalistic appearance. Mind you, that's just my view. It's fairly unimportant, in the grand scheme.

Here's Inarix, for comparison purposes.

[AI]

Here's the working version

[thespaceinvader]

>.>

That works too >.<

[AI]

I'm the one who moved those portraits to their new path.

[Melon]

It doesn't really matter if a unit tree is split as long as all concerned can match the canon style sufficiently. That's why we have a canon style...

What I meant was that my version of the ghoul mismatches Girgistians version of it in therms of concept. My take on the ghoul removes his lower jaw and neck in favor of a mouth of sharp teeth that stretches all the way down to his collar bone. It also uses somewhat more humanoid facial features and keeps his hair intact. Girgistians take on the ghoul makes it into somewhat of a mutant zombie, which is a lot closer to what the ghouls sprite actually looks like.

Here's Inarix, for comparison purposes.

Believe it or not, my portrait was based on Inarix. But I always thought of saurians as being bipedal, so I drew the skirmisher standing upright rather then crawling about.

[thespaceinvader]

He's not meant to be crawling - I imagined that as crouching to examine a track or somesuch. But he would walk, to my mind, in a stance little higher up. Something a little more like a dinosaur, using the tail for balance. I hope that's a little clearer =).

Loking at the portrait i did with an eye to the reference, i think part of the confusion may come from his legs meeting a little too close together, and not allowing enough space for the hips to go through in the middle. Ah well, somethign to be aware of.

[Sapient]

What I meant was that my version of the ghoul mismatches Girgistians version of it in therms of concept. My take on the ghoul removes his lower jaw and neck in favor of a mouth of sharp teeth that stretches all the way down to his collar bone. It also uses somewhat more humanoid facial features and keeps his hair intact. Girgistians take on the ghoul makes it into somewhat of a mutant zombie, which is a lot closer to what the ghouls sprite actually looks like.

I think yours could potentially be better; but until you try, I guess we'll never know.

[kitty]

i just wanted to drop some encouragement! really nice sketches!
and don't feel bound too much to what already exists as campaign or unused portrait - you are trying to create the generic mainline portrait! the version that will get this spot will define what the wesnothian standart ghoul/sauerian/whatever look like.
(but apart from that i think spaceinvader's inarix is really a great example (apart from the hands))

but on to the sketches:
the saurian is a bit too humanoid, like already pointed out - and showing the head in perfect profile is boring for a portrait in most cases. also try varying the headsize.
the ghoul is very, very cool! to me he is a bit too far from the sprite but if no one else complains that should be fine. perhaps more expressive hands?
the nightgaunt is my favorite! very interesting design. perhaps open the belly-mouth even more? and i'm not sure what you are going for with his right hand, seems a bit random spike-ish.
the elder wose won't work this way in the new portrait format. the portrait shouldn't touch the upper and right edge o the canvas at all.

generally try to come up with designs that don't only fit one unit but branches of the unit tree (like one for all three woses). there is so much work to do, no need to do more than necessary.

keep it up!

[Sangel]

Some great sketches here. I particularly like the Nightgaunt - would you be interested in doing the Ghost line? (Ghost, Shadow, Nightgaunt, Wraith, Spectre) I imagine that there'd be a lot of fun that could be had with transparencies and other effects there.

[Melon]

i just wanted to drop some encouragement! really nice sketches!
and don't feel bound too much to what already exists as campaign or unused portrait - you are trying to create the generic mainline portrait! the version that will get this spot will define what the wesnothian standart ghoul/sauerian/whatever look like.
(but apart from that i think spaceinvader's inarix is really a great example (apart from the hands))

but on to the sketches:
the saurian is a bit too humanoid, like already pointed out - and showing the head in perfect profile is boring for a portrait in most cases. also try varying the headsize.
the ghoul is very, very cool! to me he is a bit too far from the sprite but if no one else complains that should be fine. perhaps more expressive hands?
the nightgaunt is my favorite! very interesting design. perhaps open the belly-mouth even more? and i'm not sure what you are going for with his right hand, seems a bit random spike-ish.
the elder wose won't work this way in the new portrait format. the portrait shouldn't touch the upper and right edge o the canvas at all.

generally try to come up with designs that don't only fit one unit but branches of the unit tree (like one for all three woses). there is so much work to do, no need to do more than necessary.

keep it up!

Thanks a lot for the words of encouragement Kitty, it means a lot coming from you . I guess I'll leave the saurians alone for now. Despite all the positive feedback I've received in regards to the ghoul, I will also have to give it a pass for the time being. I don't want to steal it from Girgistian or force someone to redraw the sprite just for the sake of a new concept. Instead I'll take a shot at the portraits for the Ghost line as Sangel suggested. I've attached the rough for the first unit, I'll take it step by step this time around to avoid any foul-ups.
Should I start a new thread for the ghost portraits, or should I keep all my junk in one place?

[Skizzaltix]

Nice work! I really like that hood.
Though, I feel like the "robe" should spread out more below the waist--Right now, it looks like the ghost is standing with both "legs" together, and leaning it's pelvis forward, sort of like it was doing and Elvis impression (So that's where he went!)--IMHO, it should sort of fade away below the waist. I'm not sure what the official stance on ghosts with feet is, though.
Also, is it just my imagination, or is it's right arm a little short?
Anyway, great job!

[thespaceinvader]

Agreed on the costuming. Bear in mind that the ghost is based off the idea of it being a dead Dark Adept. Slightly longer robes down over the legs would be good. And I'm not quite sure whether you're intending the hand to be visible or not... but those minor concerns aside, i really like where you're going with this. It looks great. i particularly like the touch of the rune-covered ribbon binding it. That is a great piece of imagination.

[Turuk]

Per what the above two have already mentioned, I would say that you could follow the lines of how the ghost sprite appears. Shape and form given to the head and shoulders, arms as well, but the farther it goes down the body and the closer it gets to the extremities on the arms, the more ethereal and insubstantial it could be.

Excellent work though, I enjoy the little details, like the wrappings to around the "form" of the hands.