WIP desktop screencap: when ideas attack

[Acyl]

This...needs some explaining.

I was working on the Hero Sandwich picture, getting increasingly frustrated with redrawing Terry's arm. I think it works now, actually - but at
the time I was like, BUGGER THIS, I need to stop and draw something else.

Earlier today, MicroShade talked to me about drawin' his VEATs. I met him in a well-lit area of my choice, and got screencaps.

Now...for a while, I've been thinking that with a sufficiently good screenshot, I can dispense with about half my usual work process. I don't
need references. I can just blow the screenshots up and sketch over them. Granted, this would demand a final image of higher detail level, but given
I'm not penciling as much, that's not a problem.

The thing is...I'd need really really good screenshots. So to do this, I'd probably need to specifically screencap someone else's character - with
the detail settings I want, in approximately the pose I require. Not the exact perfect pose - I mean, there's only so much emotes can do
- but close enough. Should be possible, right?

So as of this afternoon, I had suitable screenshots banked. So I thought...eh, what the heck, worth a go as a break from the main work, right?

Yeah...well...ideas, y'know, they...get out of hand.

Lady Spiders - WIP



Original screenshot's there for comparison. As you can see from the partially coloured Bane Spider (Arachnia Tormentia), it's not a direct imitation of
the screenshot...but you can see where the basic figure work comes from. I obviously took the screenshot as a guide for the main body and basic angle...then
winged it for the arms, mace, hair, and so on.

This is probably cheating, but the dudes who do the Ultimates for Marvel use a similar technique with photographs, so pardon if I don't feel
guilty. =P

Thoughts? Is this good? Bad? Ugly? Cheapass? What do you think?

EDIT: I should note that the screencap I did is zoomed it; the final image will be full-body for the two and partial body for a third figure, unless I change
my plans.
-- Acyl

[Rev Dark]

Forget Marvel, rotoscoping for animation and other art has been around for a long time indeed.

If it works, do it.

PS. The spider looks great.

[Acyl]

Ah-HAH. Rotoscoping! I forgot the proper term. Thank you, Rev. =D

Granted, that's with live action shots as the base reference, not MMO screenies, but hey, vocabulary is meant to be mangled. Thanks. If this works out,
I'll probably do more like this.
-- Acyl

[Wiregeek]

tiiiiiight.

I can't think of a better way to be 'true to the game'.

Besides, this is a lot easier than logging in on another machine and having the person 'model' for you...
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[OpMegs]

Well, with regards to Ultimate Marvel....

...you're not tracing from porn. Really. It's a running joke at this point to figure out where the artist's models were getting banged at the time
the picture he's tracing from was taken.

Otherwise, WOW, that pic looks freaking amazing.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."

[Shader]

For a WIP and with the rather loose conversation we had about the final pic color me extremely impressed.

After glancing at the pic I had the two of them do a 'bad cop, worse cop' routine with them 'talking' to a contact including the lines
"Wack him in the head again sis, I think that made sense." and "Spurting blood? I don't see any spurting blood." and "I like your
way better."

No I am -NOT- going to provide the complete transcript... just very impressive work Acyl. (Now to shut those voices up)

Shader.

[Acyl]

I had a different idea for the foreground subject, but I'll see how it works out - like I said, I plan to include another partial figure in there, but currently I'm not so attached to the exact scheme I had in mind. I'll see how it works out when I sit down to draw that and the background.
I'm glad to know this works for folks - I had some misgivings initially...it seems this is cool, though. And certainly I had an easier and smoother time of it finishing up the second figure in the picture (went faster once I had the hang of what the heck I was doing).
I've heard the pr0n jokes about Ultimate Marvel, yeah. o_O I'd also forgotten them... baaaaad thought, thanks Ops. =D
Current WIP shot at 25% zoom. Finished lineart for Redback and Arachnia, laid down the flat colours for both. I'm not entirely satisfied with the hands, but lacking a model for the specific poses I want, you'll have to settle for me winging it. While this method means a lot of the lineart goes faster, there's still a fair bit of detail where I need to break 'off-script' - which is fine, otherwise it'd be durned boring and I'd feel awful about it. This way I'm still, y'know, working.
In case anyone's curious as to my art process, 'flats' are what I call the base colour layer. I paint on shades and hilights separately. My flats are always somewhat brighter than the intended final colours, 'cause shading will do a lot to darken it. I also colour things like eyes and lips (plus other fiddly details) at the very end.

-- Acyl

[Shader]

Hey, don't let me or my comments put you off or change your artistic vision.... I'm just amazed at how much you got done and how good it is.

Oh, and Acyl you were asking about heights? On the login screen they are the same height, but I was recently playing around in a demo with them and Torm is
definitely -looks- taller, and she's taller in my head as well.

I can't wait to see the final thing... but there's no rush.

Shader