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Mitz
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![[*]](./images/onepoint9/default_icon.gif) posted on February 24, 2005 at 09:15 PM |
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PHB Cover for The Fold
One of my guilty pleasures is video games, and one of those I currently play is Neverwinter Nights. I enjoy it because not only do you have the game
itself, but the opportunity to play in different worlds other people create.
One of those realms is called The Fold (http://www.thefold.org/nuke//index.php). It's a great spot, fun, challenging... and they've been working on a handbook for
people new to the area that can be downloaded.
And helpful person I am, I volunteered to work on a cover for them.
Now, this first sketch, and the following tweak in Photoshop, is just a rough layout, getting a feel for what I want to show.
Two figures, front and center. Well, it is a Player's handbook, after all, got to have someone playing, yes? And the elf and the monk
seemed like a good pairing.
To the left, a cherry tree in full blossom and the hint of an oriental style home set the tone for where you first come in. I think I will need to
shift the placement of the building, though.
Above, hidden in mists, an Elven city I remember one of the other players being excited about being the first to find. I've not seen it myself, yet,
so I had to guess.
And to the left, the Three Books on their obsidian pedestals: The Birth, The Gathering, and The Taint, veiled in smoke and shadow.
Well, that's the idea, anyway. Obviously, it needs work.
Starting with fixing the poor monk's hand, and then maybe the books.
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Mitz
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| posted on February 27, 2005 at 11:32 AM |
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Part 1, People
One of the good things about working with references is that you find little mistakes you never realized...
I decided to use Poser to help me iron out the poses for the people in the center... which is when I learned I'd put the sword in her left hand...
I'd not really been thinking about it in the first sketch... Anyway, this is what I'm using for reference now... Hopefully I'll have the sketch
done by late Monday night, mid-day Tuesday (Not morning, I work then).
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Mitz
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| posted on March 1, 2005 at 07:27 PM |
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And this from yesterday's painting a day, a quick study of the elf... not one of my best, but I did get a start on what works and doesn't on skin
tones.
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 1, 2005 at 08:48 PM |
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i like it
can we maybe get a 3d version done? I should probably relearn how to use 3ds max.. but hey
who has the time these days?
i like it all.
keep it up.
send me whatever you want when you've got a finished copy.
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 1, 2005 at 08:50 PM |
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also
left handed swordwork was common in the days of D&D's setting, by the way.
A lot of warriors used their right hands to weild the sheilds instead.
more control and it was usually the stronger arm and could bash and deflect blows easier.
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Keith
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| posted on March 1, 2005 at 09:16 PM |
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Mmm. I don't think that's correct.
Even looking back at the illistrations of the period, I think you'll find that most of them wear their swords on their left side to be drawn by the
right hand.
Using one's dominat hand for defence is universally a bad idea, due to the nature of battle. You want to hit first, hit hard, and do as much damage
to the other guy before he hurts you. You need power and control for that.
And right handedness is after all a dominat trait.
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Mitz
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| posted on March 2, 2005 at 10:02 AM |
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Have to agree with Keith on that one, Luuna... I did a little swordfighting in the SCA, and believe me, you want the stronger hand holding the
sword....
Anyway, here's the sketch off of the reference, with the start of the adjustments already underway... yes, hands and feet are my weaknesses, but
they'll be ironed out by the time I'm done...
By the way, those that are lurking, feel free to comment...
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 2, 2005 at 12:27 PM |
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You two both might want to brush up on some reading,
anyways.
its LUUNTA
TA
everyone messes that up.
regardless. i like the sketch, the sword hand doesn't really matter. I use both. are you planning on colouring it? If we can I would like to make it
darker, like in a dark forest or something. The world of the fold isn't a nice place, and a darker imagery would be better in my mind. It would match
the towers. The time period of the fold right now is also a very dark time, dead are rising from the grave, so on and so forth.
I'll be adding the final photoshop touches if thats ok with you? But I'm excited to see the final sketch, actually very excited. I rarely get a
chance to work with actual physical artwork!
Also, to Keith, it's spelled dominant.
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Mitz
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| posted on March 2, 2005 at 09:09 PM |
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Yes, I plan to color it, very much as the original sketch has been done. The imagery was taken from a newcomer's perspective, with the lighter
elements of Ingerii, and subtle foreshadowing of the further elements of the game, as Bannon has already seen and approved.
And um... no, it's not okay to put in "final photoshop touches". Sorry, but I stand firm on that. The artwork is mine and mine alone.
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Mitz
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| posted on March 6, 2005 at 10:46 AM |
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Okay, a couple of quick posts to try and catch up... the last week has been insane.
First is an update on the people. Got the feet mostly fixed, still working on the monk's fist. I'll be showing a rough color version later on.
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Mitz
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| posted on March 6, 2005 at 10:50 AM |
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Next I've started working on the books in the cave. The basic sketch doesn't do much other than give the basic shapes, so I did a little playing
in Photoshop to show how the finished part will be like. I will be doing some other work to get the obsidian look ironed out.
The book in the far back is The Taint.
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Mitz
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| posted on March 6, 2005 at 03:06 PM |
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And just as a quick update, the colorwork I was doing while waiting for the meeting to start. Not real thrilled with the detail on her eyes, but I
was just toying around, and the resolution was 72 dpi...
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 6, 2005 at 10:01 PM |
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Nice of you to take over my project for me.
I'm wondering whether or not I'll be allowed to do the titles anymore?
Or should I just hand that over?
If I can't adjust the image with the titles, then you may as well just do them all.
There ya go, enjoy. Welcome to the fold.
*note, this is entirely sarcastic.*
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Mitz
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| posted on March 6, 2005 at 10:29 PM |
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It's very simple, Luu... you paste them over the top. You do nothing to the art itself.
And as far as I know, I was the one who volunteered to do the cover art.
And sarcastic or not, it's rude.
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 7, 2005 at 04:25 PM |
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Reaaaaaaaally.
Well, learn somethin new everyday.
You're newer, I should've remembered that, I had signed up a while ago, like 3 months, and nobody even noticed that I had requested ideas for the
cover.
Anyways, I'm not going to bother, you just do it.
If I can't adjust the art to match the titles, thats fine.
Enjoy it, you obviously do to run the site/forums. *non-sarcastic*
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Mitz
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| posted on March 7, 2005 at 11:00 PM |
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Moving along.
After playing around with the colorwork on the sketches, I had the wild hair idea to maybe play with the doing the rest in Photoshop. One thing is
stopping me at the moment... memory. My poor machine went into fits when I tried working in the size and resolution I wanted... but it was kind of
fun, and gave me some idea at any rate.
Unfortunately, I started doing the work -very- late, and so the only thing that looks even remotely polished is the upper background... the rest I
sort of dropped in the general shapes in layers to get back to.
Why I didn't get back to them today, you'll see in the next post.
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Mitz
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| posted on March 7, 2005 at 11:11 PM |
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=blinks= Ookay, that came out a little bigger than I had expected or planned... but then I'd uploaded it last night when I was half asleep as it
was.
Today was the day I took out the acrylics. What I have here is mostly the same as what I did in the digital, laid out the basics, did some detail work
on blocks of area, specifically the city in the background, and the cliff walls. The city looks much more dominant in this pic compared to the
digital one because I haven't added in the mist yet, and I think there are some corrections I want to do first. Once the mist is in, the city itself
will fade into the same sort of hinted at impression the digital has.
Don't worry, xluuntax, when I'm done, there will still be plenty of negative space for you to put the title into.
And my apologies to those looking, I don't have the best set-up just at the moment for photographing my work... but I know some great people to go to
as soon as I'm done.
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 8, 2005 at 05:21 PM |
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You might as well put the title right into the artwork, it'll look less digital.
It'll look better.
I'm just going to work on some page titles and such, besides, my work is very dark, and yours is very light (we totally contrast each other).
I'd rather you did your own title, as what I'm planning doesn't work very well with your image.
I like the acrylic one though, I don't like much light artwork either. 
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Mitz
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| posted on March 9, 2005 at 02:15 AM |
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I apologized before about not being great with photographing this kind of stuff, yes? Good, just double-checking.
Today I finished out the background, and started on the meat of the piece, the couple and the hints of mystery from the cave.
Yeah, right now it doesn't look like much... it will get better.
And yeah, my stuff is mostly light. =chuckles= Part and parcel of what I am. Even my darker stuff seems to incorporate a lot of light, like
"Confrontation", which is a desert scene, though it's hard to see that. The figures sort of get in the way.
What I want to do here, is not to avoid that light, or make the Fold... 'fluffy' is the only word coming to a sleep deprived mind, forgive me, but
to show the apparent innocence that you see when you arrive in Ingerri, with hints throughout of something more sinister drawing the eye...
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 9, 2005 at 03:46 PM |
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I see what you're getting at.
Definitely add your own title in there, as mine would clash, I think what we'll do, is I'll make my own titles just for the individual chapters.
And we can definitely use yours as the coverpage, because it'll coincide with what you just said about the innocence of what you just see in Ingerii
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 11, 2005 at 04:21 PM |
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Just wondering - from speculation - where the books on the pedestals come into play?
I just dont understand why they're there.
I'd just like to know, is all. 
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Mitz
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| posted on March 11, 2005 at 07:44 PM |
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http://www.thefold.org/nuke/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=846
"Welcome brave adventurers...welcome and be greeted...
Your first step has begun, so tighten your grip upon your weapon, give light to that torch in your off-hand, and follow your thoughts into the depths
of the void...
You begin your descent into the bowels of the land; torchlight casting strange shadows upon the rough, chiseled, stonewalls. The shadows dance above
your head...perhaps it's a trick to the eye, but the shadows seem to beckon and call you further into the blackness...
You come to the first room...in the center are three old and worn tomes, each upon a highly, polished obsidian podium.
Each of these books gives a tell to the ages that have passed...You step closer and a faint light seems to bathe each podium.
The words scribed upon the gold enlayed cover of the first tome, The Birth, feels warm to the touch. You open the cover and the words bury into your
soul -- calling you deeper...deeper...
You continue to the second tome, The Gathering, and finally your feet take you to the last The Taint...
Your breath escapes in a soft, slow hiss, the moisture becoming visible in the coolness of the cavern. Your torch flickers a few times, and you
continue your journey...
...your feet take you to a ledge that overlooks a land...a land that gives a saddness that touches your soul...calling you to help it...or perhaps to
finish it...
As you gaze at the panorama before you...an understand fills your mind as you gaze to the villages scattered before your eagle's perch... "
From what I understand, that quote is also going to be part of the introduction in the PHB...
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xluuntax
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| posted on March 13, 2005 at 01:42 PM |
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Right, good point. I hadn't thought about that.
That's a new feature that isn't ingame. Thanks for reminding me though. Looks like they communicate with you much better! lol.
Took me 2 months to get an answer on which titles to start with.
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Mitz
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| posted on March 14, 2005 at 10:02 AM |
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=chuckles= Actually, I found that piece just digging around, and saw it again on one of the various posts about the handbook. It seemed like a strong
visual feature to include.
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Mitz
Bug the artist. She likes it.
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| posted on March 14, 2005 at 10:32 PM |
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Well, it's been insanity central here, so I've not gotten nearly as much done as I'd hoped to by now, and the surprise surge at my day job means my
estimated completion time just got blown out the window.
Still, I have managed to steal moments here and there to work on it, so it's still moving forward.
Using the stones to push the tree back some, and adding others on the opposite side gave me an idea to toy with...
And more work will be done on the mists surrounding the books to tone it down some.
And I keep forgetting shoes... maybe because I tend to go barefoot? =g=
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