Character Art

[∬: Rafael Z. Wolfram]

I've just spent most of my day playing around with photoshop and decided to come up with a past and present picture for Wolfram.

Past:[/b]



Caption:
Rafael Wolfram as a first lieutenant, during the invasion of Poland.

Present:[/b]



Caption:
A more quirky and comic-book feel look, displaying a far more experienced and dangerous man. Managed to thankfully display scar/s and red-eye into picture, one of my best photoshop images to date. I'm not fantastic, but spent a lot of time on it.

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So, anyone else designed any specific character art for their characters? My images are just supposed to represent a past and present (well 1944/1945) transformation of a man moulded by war.
- Raf

[∬: Rafael Z. Wolfram]

A dedication to JT's character, Edward McMillan.

Title: Ed's Hurt-Locker

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Caption: Just a small image to represent Edward's emotional and phsyical change through-out the war. Once a herioc and patriotic American soldier, to a ruthless and (emotionless?) man of war.

Hence the scratch marks signifying a tally of deaths maybe? Along with the boot-knife stabbed into the picture of himself presented with the American flag...

Not a spectacular image, but hey.
- Raf

[Leeroy Atherton]

Fabulous work, Rafael. I can tell you put a lot of effort into your work - the edges definitely are not as sharp as some might make them. However, I have but a few critiques:

- Lighting your drawings can give that extra boost of realism. The knife, for example, could have cast a shadow across Ed's picture, which could have also doubled as a dramatic effect. Adding a bit of shading around the red eye in the second picture would have helped it blend better, as well as bit of a darker hue.

- The first picture blends the two images fairly well, although a little more playing around with light and shadow, as well as bit of a smoother edge to Wolfram, would have given the suspension of disbelief just a hint more of a boost.

Otherwise, awesome job. You should think about joining the siggy thread.

[∬: Rafael Z. Wolfram]

Thanks Addie, yeah I know there's plenty of touch-ups I could do, nice point about the shadow too, with the knife. I didn't initally think of that, perhaps I wasn't really paying much attention, but yeah I can see how that would make the image a lot more realistic and dramatic as you said.

The first picture I done (assuming you're on about the on with Wolfram in Poland?) took me a little while to do. I had to edit in shoulderboards and small collar tabs, as well as find a suitable picture where he's young and covering his chest as much as possible, to save me the headache of adding tunic buttons and badges. I was sneaky really. I did blur/soften most of the torso, but looking over it, I can see the legs are sticking out a fair bit with sharpness and stuff.

My second picture I played with and played with for ages. I have lighter and darker options, the darker ones look a bit too dark though? So I plopped for the medium variation. I still wanted to keep that comic book feel, whereas making it a bit darker (and taking some contrast away) made it seem a bit more photograph like, then bold comic book.

Thanks for all the pointers though! Always open to it to try and build on my slowly growing photoshop skills. Come a long way since I've been playing around with it! Lol!
- Raf

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

<--- tears of joy

Don't listen to Addie, it's freakin beautiful!!!

No Offense Addie, was just messing. I'm touched Raf, makes me feel special.

-JT

[∬: Rafael Z. Wolfram]

I'll create a better one for Ed' sometime soon, I wasn't sure what to do, but then I came across that awesome pic of a younger looking Ed' (Kurt Russell) and thought I'd play with it. I'll make you a proper character artwork soon, I have lots of ideas when it comes to Edward actually...

I made a different type of artwork for Erik below though, thought this would suit his character better then some present looking picture of him with crazy eyes or something. At least this has you thinking and tilting your head a little, wondering what's behind the picture.

Title: No Limits

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Caption:
We all know Erik's bit of a daring sort and what a better way then to show the bone beneath the skin in a signifying way of mortality? He's been hurt quite a few times in battle, yet always bounces back. The picture shows a mortal man - without limits.

Again, isn't the best picture and I know I can spend more time on these pictures touching them up a lot, but I'm just throwing them out at the moment with my muse doing overtime. I'd be happy to revamp this pictures later on and like I said above in this post, I have quite a few ideas for JT's character Edward I want to scratch out on paper.
- Raf

[∬: Erik Schneider]

<--------- also tears of joy

No, really. That picture rocks, Raf! Had a bit of a laugh when I opened this thread up.

I guess I am known for going into bloody battles. Just look at SROMT. JT's missing a leg and a pinky, Sepp's lying in a trench with a bullet in his shoulder, Mitchell's dead, and I'm half knocked out with a bunch of shrapnel in my legs.

The wounds do look really cool though and fit the picture quite well. Nice work, Raf!

[Dieter "Iceman" Rentz]

Raf's got some serious Photoshop-skills, very nice! I like the artistic look of the pictures and you have experimented with several different styles. Hopefully you'll do more of these!

[∬: Rafael Z. Wolfram]

Thanks Dieter, wouldn't say I have serious skills though, still learning!

Title: Wolfram & Edward

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Caption:[/b]
Wolfram and Edward caught on camera unaware; photo later sent to Wolfram's office, where he enscribed the names underneath.

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Just a random picture I made, hope you like it JT.
- Raf

[Stephen Colly]

WOW RALF!!! Did you take like computering arty skills for like your qualifications cause they are amazing!!

[∬: Rafael Z. Wolfram]

Thanks Stephen and no I didn't, just been playing around with it, seem to be a nautral. Made you a picture.

Title: Memories

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Caption:[/b]
Picture of Stephen and a few friends from the division; including an interpreter (middle). Crossing out two faces, this picture represents Stephen's loss during the war.

Just a symbolism of his loss; may create a picture of Stephen and Edward to show a deeper compassion for his loss of friendship.

Sorry the picture ain't brilliant! Just hard to think of different ideas for everyone's character art.
- Raf

[Stephen Colly]

Aww Ralf! LOVE IT!!!! *tear to eye*

[∬: Rafael Z. Wolfram]

Like I said, nothing special or brilliant, but different.

I just made, perhaps, one of my best pictures yet. Spent a while on it, touching it up. Here's the picture in it's entire form, I may create it into a signature soon enough. It's that good in my eyes.

Title: Sturmbannführer Wolfram

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Caption:[/b] Latest picture of Wolfram (in the RP world). Picture taken on the Eastern Front...

- Raf

[Aldebrando von Württemberg]

Rafeal;

I have to say that personally I am quite fond of the work you submitted here. Personally I have no talent to speak of when it comes to photo manipulation. Thought it seems to my eyes that you do. Just figured I would put my 2 cents in is all.

Aldebrando (Marius)

[∬: Rafael Z. Wolfram]

Thanks Marius. There's some far better artists here, to name a few; Heiko, Dieter, Addie... But I just have the bug at the moment, playing around with Photoshop and I'm kicking these out like no tomorrow. I guess my muse is fired up?

Thanks again though, if you like the stuff I've made, then you should check out the other artists' work named above, who've made signatures and avatars for people here.
- Raf