My first REAL character portrait... (Want feedback)

[Vazzaroth]

I have been getting into trying to make character portraits from real pics NWN style for fun. I followed Crosby's tutorials ideas and have messed around with some nice pic I have found. But, having a necromancer character lined up for play, I was dissapointed with the necromancer pictures I found on the web, nothing represented the character I imagined, so I decided to try to finally make a portrait I was going to use. I would like constructive critisim as well as suggestions to improve my nooby skills. I'll post updates periodically...

The original:


Tonight's changes:


Also, Im using FIreworks MX, similar ((ALOT)) to photoshop if you havn't heard of it.
Im worried that it is TOO dark and that he may end up looking like a woman. I want him to have darker lips, but they always end up red/pink, not dark/blackish, any ideas what tools to use? I generally mess with smudge/burn/dodge/etc and filters.

**Credits go to here:http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/31804060**

[Beleriphon]

Also, Im using FIreworks MX, similar ((ALOT)) to photoshop if you havn't heard of it.
Im worried that it is TOO dark and that he may end up looking like a woman. I want him to have darker lips, but they always end up red/pink, not dark/blackish, any ideas what tools to use? I generally mess with smudge/burn/dodge/etc and filters.

**Credits go to here:http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/31804060/**

My advice, try a new layer just for the lips and twig around with different filters. Something similar to Photoshop's multiply filter might work since it sort of blends the background and the new colour together. As a note if the effect is at all similar to Photoshop then black and white wont affect the blend at all.

[Captain van der Decken]

What with that beard thing, the pic probably won't end up looking like a woman. Your link is broken. Haven't used Fireworks or Photoshop much, but great idea.

Edit: This your link? You had two *s on the end, probably the reason it doesn't work.

[Vazzaroth]

I fixed the link.

It seems Fireworks does not have nearly as many filters as Photoshop, just color adusting and bevel/emboss type things. I think i'll move to darkening the hair next, and mabye trying to get that zipper out of there.

[Beleriphon]

I fixed the link.

It seems Fireworks does not have nearly as many filters as Photoshop, just color adusting and bevel/emboss type things. I think i'll move to darkening the hair next, and mabye trying to get that zipper out of there.

Multiply is not so much a filter as it is coloration option for an entire layer. No idea if that helps at all, but hey goofing around on separate layers is always recommended so you don't screw the whole image if you goof up.

[Medieve]

I've never used fireworks, but I'm pretty expert at photoshop.

If you are worried about the colors of the lips specifically, I suggest you use a brush tool using the hue-mode. Set the foreground color to a purple (any level of saturation works with hue) and paint the lips. That should fix your problem with making it too red. If you find that you can't get the lips to look consistent with the rest of the face's coloring, I suggest you edit the picture's color balancing.

((Hehe, I registered just to help))

::EDIT::

Also, if you are worried about the image being available to be changed later, you can create a layer set to hue and paint in the lips via brush tool set to normal mode. This way, you keep the modifications seperate from the normal image and can easily change it if you don't like it.

Thats a very cool face, too. Good find.

[Vazzaroth]

Ok, here's more updates. The second has darker hair, but I seem to have un-balanced the face tone, and looks blotchy. ..





THank you all for advice, it is indeed helping. Now I must decide what to do with those white stripes...

[Medieve]

I'm not sure what you can do about blotchiness except maybe work with a larger brush with softer edges.

[Vazzaroth]

I decided to work with the first pic. I'll just re-do the hair on that one. I'm also thinking about replacing the BG, those curtains are rather bland.

[Diabhan]

Necreomancer, right? I think the face works, and the dark circles make the face seem sallow and more grim...The hair can be fixed with a softer brush. The stripes? I'd try using different colors or filters to maybe have it give off a glow.