1. I Am Vague

    I Am Vague Active Member

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    Character art

    Discussion in 'Character Development' started by I Am Vague, Mar 15, 2016.

    So, I've seen a few people's avatars, and I gotta assume they're characters they have created. I kind of want to see more. How many of you have character art drawn up? Show us all of them! Let us know who they are, why they were drawn in that pose, why they're drawn in a certain style, all that good stuff.
     
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  2. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    I have like 40 pictures of my characters currently and I rotate my art every month. Currently my Avatar is Vanessa + .... someone. lol. Vanessa is the blonde and the pose them getting a picture taken for prom. Hense the pink dress and suit.
     
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  3. I Am Vague

    I Am Vague Active Member

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    You were actually the reason I started thinking about this, although, I have noticed others with their avatars as characters as well. I'd be on the same boat, but... I'm absolute shit at drawing...
     
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  4. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    I can't draw either. I commission artists. :)

    Wanna see the one that is probably the best quality?

    http://andromon1217.deviantart.com/art/Valorie-and-Victoria-At-the-Movies-Color-540784246
     
  5. I Am Vague

    I Am Vague Active Member

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    That's actually pretty badass. I thought about having an artist try and sketch a few things, scenes, or people from my writing, but I'm personally saving that step until after I finish a story entirely.
     
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  6. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    Yeah, some art can be expensive, but I know a few artists that have a pretty fair price. Oh I got one more. A villain. :D

    http://andromon1217.deviantart.com/art/Alptraumkatze-In-the-Moonlight-Color-582280085

    One of my more bad ass villains. :)

    Sorry, I just got so much art. lol
     
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  7. I Am Vague

    I Am Vague Active Member

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    I actually kind of really liked the Alptraumkatze mask. I was looking through, and it really stuck out and has a unique image. I dunno, I have a thing for masks/ helmets. Maybe it's because of Halo and Star Wars... anyways, and she has a very mystifying presence because she appears benevolent, but is a villain in reality. A very interesting character
     
  8. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    :D I have a picture of just her mask. :)
    http://andromon1217.deviantart.com/art/Alptraumkatze-s-Mask-Color-586949172

    Well, maybe some context. Alptraumkatze is a terrorist that researches people and then usually kills them. Alptraumkatze was given the name because of her first known mission. Which she raided a German military base stealing military grade equipment and left all but one at the base, over 40 people, dead. Alptraumkatze is German and it means Nightmare Cat. It was the codename German government tagged her with after the raid. The funny thing, soon after, it was noticed that all those 40 dead military officers were dirty and much of the tech on base wasn't even supposed to be there. The one living person had just started and was unaware why the stolen tech was there.

    Alptraumkatze has other nicknames. She is also called "The Maiden of Massacre" and "The Woman with a List." I assume the first name is obvious. The second name comes from the fact that her kills always seem intentional. It is said that she has a list of who she will kill on her opperations and no one but them ever dies.

    So, she is a mass murderer and a terrorist, yet in her own unique way, she has her charm. :)
     
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  9. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    Since this thread is lonely. I am tagging the one person to whose avatar I am sure is character art.
    @dreamersky1212
    I hope you don't mind me tagging you dreamer. Plus you are a painter and this is an art thread! :D
     
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  10. I Am Vague

    I Am Vague Active Member

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    I also have a thing for villains, and she sounds like, to me, the most complex and interesting character. She sounds only half evil, because, yeah, killing 40 people is fucked up, but it was justified.
     
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  11. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    :D So you like the cat?

    A side story of mine is about a copy cat. Which causes the original cat to return. When the two meet. I picture the old cat saying something lie. "I haven't decided yet if I should kill you or not yet."

    In a sense. Alptraumkatze is very direct. I haven't had her say it yet, but I know she would say this to someone. :) "I am not a hero, but as such, I am not bound by a heroes code. I am like, a cleaner of sorts. Those that make messes, they anger me. People that just shit over the lives of others. So like any cleaner, I remove them."

    Or another one. In which case someone asks her. "If you kill a killer, don't you just become a killer? and nothing changes!"

    and she replied. "What if I killed all the killers?"

    The person replied. "Well, you can't. Even if you could. You would still exist."

    Alptraumkatze replied. "No, I wouldn't."

    Get where I am going with that? lol.

    :) I have more art of Alptraumkatze if you would like to see? :)
     
  12. LostThePlot

    LostThePlot Naysmith Contributor

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    I really wish I had the money to commission people to draw my characters. I know it's not really a very me thing to want to do but I absolutely don't care. There's all kinds of crap I'd love to have something more tangible created from my work but I just can't justify it.
     
  13. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    You can find artists that do it for decent rates. Practically a steal really. The quality varies with those, though and it is free lance work. So they all work kind of different. I know one person that finishes in a three days, another that takes a month. And they aren't always available but I know some artists that are in the 10USD to 25USD range. Not sure if that changes the affording problem but thought I would point it out.
     
  14. DarkusTerror

    DarkusTerror Member

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    Well, I have drawn up line-art, non-coloured pieces of a few of my characters, but given the requirement of balancing art with actual writing with real life things like education and employment and whatnot, they are quite few and lacking in quality. I find character art as a good way to visualise your characters, but you have to understand that the image will NOT be exactly the same as how your readers will interpret their appearance or personality.
     
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  15. Sileas

    Sileas Member

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    For so many years I've been wishing I could draw half well enough to draw my characters. I can't write nearly as fast as I want to, so another way to bring my characters to life is to draw them. This latest main character isn't necessarily different from any others---he just happens to be the one that pushed me over the edge and I made a New Year's resolution to draw every day. Stop sucking. Start getting good.

    Sad thing is, I'm chasing one heck of a goal. It's said that if you can draw someone, either a live model or a picture, and get a good resemblance, that's one good thing. Being able to draw a random face off the top of your head is also supposed to be a sign of skill. But combining the two.... draw exactly the face you see in your head, I think is painfully hard, or at least it's turning out that way for me. I'm not gonna give up, though. I've improved quite a bit and I now am pretty good with drawing mouths and noses especially. I used to just be able to draw eyes well.

    I would also love to see other people's artwork of their characters. Vicarious enjoyment, I guess.
     
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  16. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    This is an art thread! I would love to see your sketches. :D If you want to share them of course.

    I wish you luck in getting better at art. I am beyond hope with drawing. It would be generous to say I can draw stick figures. So I am the writer that commissions people to do art.
    Darn though, the girl you commented on in the other thread. The one with DPD(did I remember that right?) I am planning to have her drawn next month. So, no sketch yet.

    But if you want to see character art. How about an alien queen that is from a planet that had such strong magic, they never developed technology and as such don't have even a working radio on their planet?

    http://andromon1217.deviantart.com/art/Queen-Gemma-Color-591410182

    Don't let her pretty demeanor fool you. She is a warrior of the highest class, and with magic, she can enhance her physical attribute. She isn't wearing armor or holding a weapon because she they would be redundant. She is both, and could easily rip a tank apart with her bare hands. Though, she doesn't need to use her bare hands. She turns her dress skirt into a whip and could shred an Earth army apart with ease single handedly.
     
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  17. Shbooblie

    Shbooblie Senior Member

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    I've drew a few of my characters but my style is not realistic enough for me to properly capture the images I've got of them in my own head. I've got some line drawings I could post of my guys, but lately I've taken to making sim characters and photoshopping them into key scenes, it really helps. I could post some if anyone wanted to see?
     
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  18. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    This is an art thread about showing art. No need to ask permission. POST IT!!! NOW!! :D If you want to of course. ;) Also hi. Sorry, I love art, as you may have noticed. lol
     
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  19. Shbooblie

    Shbooblie Senior Member

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    Ahaha! ok then - here goes - just a line drawing of my MC to start, I'll post a couple of other images i made with my sims game - i'm such a geek, when did this happen haha.
     

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  20. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    Yeah, like I said. Me personally? I can't draw stick figures. lol. I like it. I like the shading in the eye. :) So is this the vampire?

    Thank you for sharing. :)
     
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  21. Shbooblie

    Shbooblie Senior Member

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    Yeah that's my vampire guy, he's supposed to look a little older than that which is why I've taken to using the sims cause I couldn't quite capture what I saw in my head Here's a little photo manipulation of a scene made with my sims game as well - this is why I don't get much writing done!
     

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  22. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    :D

    Either you are great at photo manipulation or Sims has stepped the game up since the last time I saw it.

    Well, yes, random side projects can seem like they slow writing down, but I still think they are useful. I mean, imagine it like a fire. If you just sit in front of a fire, it is eventually going to go out. By the fact that the wood will eventually all be burned up. So you have to get firewood. Yet getting firewood may seem pointless. The point is to be warm near a fire. And getting firewood means you aren't near the fire. Yet it has its value. Right? If it seems complicated. I am saying pictures are like the wood that feeds the fire of your passion to write.

    Yet you are right. Obviously, if you become so into collecting firewood you forget to return to the fire before it is out. That is no good either. Balance is the key. I figure that someone like you would be even more driven to write everyime you look at that picture. Right? :D

    Okay. I got another one. My first art ever. Before she was covered, everyone thought the water was smoke. lol. Because of my love for Alliteration. This girl could best be descripted in three words as possibly a wicked water witch! lol
     

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  23. Shbooblie

    Shbooblie Senior Member

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    That's a great way to put it @GuardianWynn, and if it improves your writing then it is totally worth it! Yeah I do often go through my little picture file before sitting down to write, it gets me pumped for writing the scenes.

    You can totally tell that is water, she looks badass :bigcool:
     
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  24. GuardianWynn

    GuardianWynn Contributor Contributor

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    Yeah. In my case, I suck at description. So writing a description for the artist helps. And once there is art, my mind can't wiggle anymore. And looking at a picture really helps. The firt book I wrote. I totally forgot to describe the MC's look the entire book. lol.

    Oh yeah, the mistake was just when it wasn't in color. People thought she had a cigarette. lol.

    Thanks for the compliment. :D
     
  25. Jack Asher

    Jack Asher Banned Contributor

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    The following is exactly how it will appear in the finished novel.

    “You look like the Mahna Mahna Muppet in a fishing vest,” Chuck said to me.
    Jack-mahna-mahna.jpg
     

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