New portraits for Jevyan and Darken Volk

[lorak]

Hello everybody!

I downloaded the game this this very morning and found it, much to my surprise, to be of outstanding quality; which I think ought to be remarked specially considering that it is a free open source project.

While most of the art was gorgeous, it was soon rather obvious that there were some portraits that weren't quite up to par; I thought of it as such a pity, that I shortly thereafter decided to contribute to the cause and help by improving them a little bit and making them more of my liking.

So, being there no more to be said, this are the portraits:

Jevyan


Darken Volk


I would greatly appreciate your comments and thoughts about the pictures, I hope you enjoy them.

[Valkier]

Well I'm not positive of jevyan, however I am for Darken Volk. You painted over top of the existing portrait. Now, I'm not really sure if that matters to those who do accept the portraits, however it doesn't really solve the issue either. Those portraits are going to be redone completely (I was actually planning on redoing all of DiD myself) because they simply don't match the more realistic style we've been aiming for.

Now again, the powers that be may like your edit and implement it. I'm just letting you know there's an equally good chance that the style itself is under review for many campaigns.

edit: Same for Jevyan. Whether it would be accepted or not aside, there are some seams showing of where the original ended and your edits begin. Volk also has some noticeable changes in style, giving him a somewhat frankenstein look.

[lorak]

That is actually quite ironic. I thought of redoing them myself from the ground up, but not being sure about what you were aiming for as what style concerns (ironically I do have somewhat more realistic style) I just painted over both of them (therefore the word "improving" and not redoing). I was also afraid of making something not very "fitting" with the rest of the artwork.

During the same time and with the same effort I could have done them both quite better by not even bothering with the initial images. I rather feel like an idiot right now...

[Valkier]

Look up threads by Kitty, LordBob, TheSpaceInvader, and myself if you want a good idea of what we're looking for. Really, the best way to do this is to pick a portrait and show us what you can do. Otherwise we're all just guessing at the abstract.

[Sangel]

During the same time and with the same effort I could have done them both quite better by not even bothering with the initial images. I rather feel like an idiot right now...

Don't feel like an idiot. Wesnoth portraits do have a certain "style" which the team has worked quite hard to achieve, and so portraits that stray too far from that style tend not to be accepted for mainline. That said, there is a bit more leeway for campaign portraits (ie, not "default era" units), and there is room for variation of style. For example, Valkiers produces portraits that are far more "painterly" than the line-art based work that kitty does, but both produce superb work, and both are major contributors of mainline art.

If you take a shot at creating portraits in your own, more natural style, it's quite possible that they'll be suitable for inclusion after some tuning suggestions from the Art Team (look for "Art Contributor" and "Director" comments in particular here).

[Blarumyrran]

I was actually planning on redoing all of DiD myself, in early July after the revamp of city villages; and Darken Volk is almost ready.

(The original Darkenvolk potrait was just taken from either Saving Elensefar or Dark Hordes, so there's no real obligation to keep a similarity to it)

[Iris]

The portrait itself was made for The Dark Hordes, so that's probably the campaign where it was taken from first.

Regarding team color, just as a note, it is possible to override individual units' TC in WML (this is done in Northern Rebirth to make Tallin, er...purple?!) so if Darken Volk had TC pixels it'd be possible to force them to stay the same color even after he turns against the player.

[Spi]

I'm sorry if I'm completely mistaken but is "opetaja" the new Darken Volk?

If it is unfortunately I don't think it really fits the evil necromancer hermit mage that makes up , IMHO, his character in the campaign. These traits make for a mysterious and appealing character, someone the player actually looks up to just like Malin, as he reveals more and more about the world of the dead as the campaign goes on (I won't go into detail so as not to put up a spoiler).

Here I feel he could be any campaign mage, even one under the king's orders... I don't think he gives off the dark aura the dark mage sprite normally gives off.

Of course if I'm mistaken (he's named opetaja and not Darken Volk, but what with the references to Darken Volk's hint at blue colour and putting the sprite and the associated portrait in the same post, this may have misled me...)

Although, please ignore completely if I'm mistaken on the sprite's true identity. If I'm not this stays as always just as a suggestion, as I'm no art contributor.

Spi

[JustinOperable]

You should know that it's not typically best to randomly choose campaign-specific characters from disparate campaigns and do them. Also, in replacing campaign portraits, we intend to bring them in line with current mainline standards. If you are interested in working on Wesnoth portraits you should observe the stylistic directions in the instructional thread at the top of this forum written by Kitty and you'd be better off choosing one portrait to start with or else choosign a whole campaign. I have become very busy with school, but I had begun redoing the portraits for The Rise of Wesnoth to which Jevyan is part, and I had begun a portrait for Jevyan shown below. By all means you are welcome to work on it instead of me since I'm currently indisposed and cannot halt progress on it, but it's a tremendous undertaking and mainline standards are pretty high.

[Blarumyrran]

I'm sorry if I'm completely mistaken but is "opetaja" the new Darken Volk?

Yes

These traits make for a mysterious and appealing character, someone the player actually looks up to just like Malin, as he reveals more and more about the world of the dead as the campaign goes on (I won't go into detail so as not to put up a spoiler).

Are you kidding? He used to be a guy in an americanish supervillain swimsuit. Any possible change to that is an improvement. There is nothing mysterious about people in swimsuits like that at least for me (maybe it's just a cultural difference).

By all means you are welcome to work on it instead of me since I'm currently indisposed and cannot halt progress on it, but it's a tremendous undertaking and mainline standards are pretty high.

cannot continue*? (and I like the skull, but the cloth looks funny)

[Sleepwalker]

Seems like everyone and his mother thought about doing these portraits.

These traits make for a mysterious and appealing character, someone the player actually looks up to just like Malin, as he reveals more and more about the world of the dead as the campaign goes on (I won't go into detail so as not to put up a spoiler).

Are you kidding? He used to be a guy in an americanish supervillain swimsuit. Any possible change to that is an improvement. There is nothing mysterious about people in swimsuits like that at least for me (maybe it's just a cultural difference).

Sorry, I would have to agree with Spi here. Your portrait might be technically better, but I think the character it depicts just looks so... ordinary. It needs something to hint at what Opetaja is, what his character is. Perhaps adding the sprite skull, give him a more grim expression, anything.

[Blarumyrran]

Okay, I gave him more of a personality and made him more mysterious.

[Drakefriend]

Well, this is a little bit exaggorating, isn't it?
Er, why is Darken Volk "Opetaja"?

[Blarumyrran]

... I don't understand why people keep mentioning it. It's just the image name (meaning teacher) because I didn't remember Darken Volk's name at the time at first, and later kept it for consistency among imges in my directory.

[em3]

Well, this is a little bit exaggorating, isn't it?

I think this rendition was sarcastic.

Er, why is Darken Volk "Opetaja"?

Maybe because Darken Volk sounds like Mr. von Villain?