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[Itnetlolor]

I have a modular picture of a dorf as my avatar that I made 100% in Photoshop. No pre-drawing or anything, no sketches, nada. I'm rather impressed with how well it turned out, considering the method I was experimenting with to make it. Even re-rendering it to an avatar size looks good. So...

I figure, there is more I can do with this picture, and I'm feeling rather creative, and as well, I'm lending my talents to my fellow dorfs if anyone is interested in an avatar overhaul.


Here are some samples using my avatar as an example:
Miner, inside a cave.

Spoiler: Full-Scale Base Profile (Miner) (800 x 600) (click to show/hide)

To-scale (for size/filesize; also multi-purpose, and a way to see more detail, even when reduced.) (160 x 120)

And furthermore, to scale (due to forum auto-adjustment, IE- What to expect when used) (80 x 60)




So, feel free to make requests, and go nuts. I'm willing to go all out. From job class, to clothing, to accessories, beard length/color/style, hair length/style/color, eye color, and the background. And if it renders well, and it looks right, even expressions. But expect it to look somewhat similar to the base (miner) pic.

I'll get them done whenever I can, or feel like it, or if I remember to.

Postings in the gallery will only be of the smaller size, not full-scale.


ENJOY!


Gallery:
Ultimuh (An engraver in a fey mood)

Blonde Variant:

[Ultimuh]

Can you make an engraver in the middle of a fey mood?
You know.. engaving a masterpiece!

[Itnetlolor]

How would I express a fey mood? I'm still a little iffy about that.

According to dictionary.com:

(adj.) C. Appearing touched or crazy, as if under a spell.

[Ultimuh]

Just as you imagine a Dorf in DF.
Or as dictionary.com expresses it.

I dunno myself really, so just go with what you think.



Tough sometimes when I play Dwarf fortress,
I imagine my engravers as the painter  (forgot his name) in the Heroes series,
whenever he has a vision.

[Vester]

How would I express a fey mood? I'm still a little iffy about that.

According to dictionary.com:

(adj.) C. Appearing touched or crazy, as if under a spell.

Wide, staring eyes, disheveled hair, furrowed brows.

Also a flashing exclamation point, if you want to be DF-y about it.

[Ultimuh]

Sounds good to me.

[kholhaus]

The expression 'fey' may have roots in the witches' name Morgan le Faye. In which the character may be bewitched, or possessed by a third party.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Actually, it's from the Old English for "doomed to die".  Apparently the Anglo-Saxons didn't keep a good stock of materials to make sure their crafters didn't go insane during moods.

(Morgan's name, incidentally, comes from the old French for "fairy".  Only slightly different concepts, but very different etymologies.)

[kholhaus]

So it's like the dwarf thinks he's gonna die, so he tries to make a masterpiece before the premonition comes true? Hey, I'd want to make a masterpiece to please armok before the floodgates 'accidentally' open and the doors close and lock on their own.

[612DwarfAvenue]

How about a Warhammer40k Space Marine, but with a Dwarf's head? Maybe something like what i have right now.

[Itnetlolor]

Can you make an engraver in the middle of a fey mood?
You know.. engaving a masterpiece!

This do it for you?

I did a bit of varying. How does blonde with green eyes suit you?

BTW, the engraving tools have been around for some time, and the tools have begun to rust.

Like I said, expressions are hard to make visible when reduced. It should be visible, though. The eyebrows are up a bit, but the blondeness does make it harder to see. And if it's noticeable enough, the eyes are widened, like more awakened.

EDIT:
I adjusted the value of the eyebrows and lowered them to make them more visible. Now how does it look?

FURTHER EDIT:
I did a little reworking with the chisel. Now it looks less like a beer bottle. And I re-adjusted the background the be smoother walls to work on. Sorta.

UPDATE:

Hehe, looks good but.. could you make the hair/beard/brows abit more red?
I'll be using it soon tough.

Better now?

Heh, looking at it full-scale here, this guy looks manic. Scarier than my guy.

[Itnetlolor]

How about a Warhammer40k Space Marine, but with a Dwarf's head? Maybe something like what i have right now.

That's going to be a little tricky. What kind of armor will he have; I mean, what serious details are there? Skulls for shoulder panels, armor color, dorf aesthetics, weapon on hand...

So far, I'm just going with the original theme of the game (DF), but I'll see what I can do with what I have. So far, I'm making all this on my own, no copy/paste or any other trick (from other sources). Plus, you can't forget to consider reduction, and the quality drop it causes. Certain fine details can easily fade/super-enhance and it won't look right.

Look at my pictures for an example of what I mean.

BTW, new items/adjustments take a while to make. Adjustments (IE-colors, beard length, simple mods (Pick to hammer), etc.) take minutes to adjust.

A tip as to the process I'm using is the use of a 50% base color of what I'm making, and alot of burn/dodge tool to get the desired effect. And much, much experimentation with different brushes for added effect (IE-rust, hair/fur). Let's not forget transforming messes around with different things with not-so-desirable effects. Like the arms for example. Those are tricky to bend beyond how I illustrated them, so plenty of clone/healing brushes are involved to keep it consistent. It's more involved than it looks. So consider avatars with new stuff to take longer than simple job changes/palette swaps.

Sorry if it sounded like I lashed out, but this is just to gain a better understanding of the process.

[Ultimuh]

Can you make an engraver in the middle of a fey mood?
You know.. engaving a masterpiece!

This do it for you?

I did a bit of varying. How does blonde with green eyes suit you?

BTW, the engraving tools have been around for some time, and the tools have begun to rust.

Like I said, expressions are hard to make visible when reduced. It should be visible, though. The eyebrows are up a bit, but the blondeness does make it harder to see. And if it's noticeable enough, the eyes are widened, like more awakened.

EDIT:
I adjusted the value of the eyebrows and lowered them to make them more visible. Now how does it look?

FURTHER EDIT:
I did a little reworking with the chisel. Now it looks less like a beer bottle. And I re-adjusted the background the be smoother walls to work on. Sorta.

Hehe, looks good but.. could you make the hair/beard/brows abit more red?
I'll be using it soon tough.

[612DwarfAvenue]

How about a Warhammer40k Space Marine, but with a Dwarf's head? Maybe something like what i have right now.

That's going to be a little tricky. What kind of armor will he have; I mean, what serious details are there? Skulls for shoulder panels, armor color, dorf aesthetics, weapon on hand...

No problem.

A Blood Raven, in normal (but Dwarf-sized) Power Armor (but without the helmet), with a Dwarf's head (something like yours, but with a slightly shorter beard, and a p***ed off expression), wielding a Crossbow (If you can, see if you can make the Crossbow look like it's a type of Bolter, with the panels and bolts and all that), and have the background just be dark rock.

I'm not worried about any smaller details, since they're not gonna show up in the Avatar-sized version.

If you need anything else just let me know. Cheers  .

[Ultimuh]

I adjusted the value of the eyebrows and lowered them to make them more visible. Now how does it look?

I did a little reworking with the chisel. Now it looks less like a beer bottle. And I re-adjusted the background the be smoother walls to work on. Sorta.

UPDATE:

Hehe, looks good but.. could you make the hair/beard/brows abit more red?
I'll be using it soon tough.

Better now?

Heh, looking at it full-scale here, this guy looks manic. Scarier than my guy.

Well now that's more like it!
Thanks!

Now I'm gonna engrave theese walls with cheese!
And even more Cheese!
And maybe some towercaps..