Curse

Minami · Feb 09, 2012, 11:36 PM // 23:36

Awws thanks DBAA ^_^

Well, here's the same post I have just posted over on GW2Guru.

Oki, so here are the steampunk girl WIPs:

Base sketch idea for my steampunk girl:

Steampunk stage 1
Started the pose:

Steampunk stage 2
I normally don't load the wings/accessories till the pose is done, but I did here just so you can see it.
Loaded Faraday too, he's so cute ^_^ (The little thingy she's "holding")

Steampunk stage 3
Loaded table, zoom for closer posing. It's still so crude...
I don't like that wing controlling handle, gotta turn it off later.

Lights are set up so-so, still refining the posing.

First render test. Not done with the posing yet. No lighting, just basics.

Put in light, set raytracing, but things look weird, because render settings are set to test run.

Testing lights, adjusting poses and camera angles.
By this time, I had done approximately 20 test renders, but I won't post them all.

I reposed the wings a lot, changed camera angle, changed lights, and added a point light.
All lights are set to raytrace.
Fiddled with surface settings of different materials, and changed the skin texture.
Then changed the lips to have more of a retro-red look.
I did so many changes that I barely even remember now.

So there you go, this is where I'm at right now with the SteamPunk girl

I like to think she's a lost Charr soul in human body

Later today or tomorrow I'll post the progress pics for my Asian. ^_^

Minami · Feb 10, 2012, 11:03 PM // 23:03

As promised, here is my Asian Girl WIPs:

First test render
Figure morph and skin texture, plus 5 lights are already done here.

First test render with wet skin (I just rendered this version for fun, I didn't plan on the final face to be shiny)

Changed the hair, a LOT of the lighting, put some makeup on her

Changed the lighting, took the makeup off

Final picture (as of before photoshop), changed the lighting again, no makeup.
Render took approximately 7 hours.
Raytracing and 2 hairs combined makes for one damn slow render LOL

Put in background and fixed the lips... the upper lips were too big for my liking, and it looked like she was making a duckface...
Death to the duckface!

Some basic adjustments

Totally changed the adjustments and put on a series of filters

Getting closer, brightness and contrast adjustments.
I only post these stages to show how I work lol

Added highlights around the edge of her hair, and other obvious places.
Tried to fix the issue with her right eye being brighter than the left.
Changed the lighting a bit again.

OK, redone all the filters, changed her lips again, her eyes, shortened her forehead a bit, changed some of the lighting and did a green color dodge layer.

This is where I am now.
I'm not sure what else to add or do to the picture.
I'll wait a few days and get back to it.

Changed filters, selective blurred, morphed a bit more, changed the background's positioning, and changed a lot of the hair.
Like it a lot better now.

This might be the version I go with, since I really like it.

Thanks for looking! ^_^

P.S.: I made this for Expose 10's portrait section.
Once I uploaded the pic into the contest, I'll post the drool-worthy high-res pic here. Original size is 3636x2657.

Araiia · Feb 11, 2012, 02:02 AM // 02:02

Very neat, Minami! I was wondering about your new forum avatar. She's so pretty *9*

Death By An Arrow · Feb 11, 2012, 02:36 AM // 02:36

Both of those look awesome Minami! My only quip is that after you darkened the picture, a lot of the detail in the hair was lost. Her hair is a uniform black, which just feels a little strange to me. Is it possible to lighten up just the hair a tad? The rest of it looks lovely, so I wouldn't want the rest to be skewed out of balance.

Minami · Feb 11, 2012, 07:17 AM // 07:17

Thanks for the feedback, DBAA! ^_^
I see some highlights in the hair on my monitor, I don't see it all completely black
O_o
I did try to put more highlights into her hair earlier, but it made it seem almost like she had old hair (like... grey strands).
I'll go back and take a look at what would happen if I lighten it just a tiny tiny bit.

Death By An Arrow · Feb 11, 2012, 02:17 PM // 14:17

It could always be my moniter then, because its mostly just pure black :S Doesn't sound like thats how everyone else is seeing it D:

Minami · Feb 11, 2012, 03:11 PM // 15:11

@Araiia: Thank you very much ^_^ Yes, I really like the way she turned out

It takes something for a pic to be my avatar LOL

@DBAA: The hair did use to be completely black, but the Jas suggested on FB (and Charlie too) that I lighten it a little bit, also around the edges. So I did that.

I think if you're seeing it pure black (or almost pure black), then it could be your monitor

Thanks for the feedback though ^_^