floodl8

[floodl8]

actually, i did want to ask you all - a commonly shared sentiment about character creators in games or dressup games online is there's very frequently a lack of black hairstyles.

so it made me curious - what are some black hairstyles you wish would be included more in character creators/dressup games? or ones you get really happy to see are included?

[floodl8]

Oh boy, VaM is kind of a trial and error experience LOL I couldn't really show you how to use the interface and stuff without a whole video or something, but it's not THAT difficult to get a hang of if you just give yourself a day or two to play around, not to mention the number of tutorials you find out there. Luckily, if you only want to use it as a reference software that makes the process far easier (to this day I have no idea how to animate on that thing, since that's not what I use it for)

As for how I use it, it's pretty self explanatory - if there's a complicated pose I want to draw but I'm either having trouble with it, or just want to double-check angles/anatomy, I will use it as a resource! I use for most of my "proper" pieces (y'know, the nicer looking ones) and every once in a while for my silly comics if I'm having trouble with a pose.

Lets use this drawing for example (the character on top of DU drow belongs to @namespara )

I don't draw a lot of mud-wrestling (shocking, I know) but I had an idea of the kind of pose I wanted them to be in. So the very first thing I did was make a rough sketch of what I was envisioning:

I often do a rough sketch first, even If I know I'm going to be pulling the program up because A) It's less tedious than adjusting the models over and over again until I pick a pose and B) because sometimes I'll decide I don't need the reference, after all, and so that's 30 minutes I'll have spared myself of playing around on the software.

Now, this is a pretty complicated pose! It's in a weird angle and the bodies are making contact in ways I'm not used to depicting, so I did choose to whip out VaM for this one. I went into the program and after some messing around, I flopped my little dolls together like this:

Now something really cool about VaM is that you can completely customize your models, and if you have the patience, I would definitely encourage you to do so! Obviously, you don't have to make picture perfect replicas of every single character you have, but as you can see here I have made a DU drow "decoy" to help me better understand some of his features when I draw him: he has a strong brow, a short nose, a square jawline - these are all going to look a very specific way from certain angles, and I might not always be sure of how to draw it right! So it's useful to have models that bear SOME semblance to the character so you can better understand how different viewpoints will affect their bone structure and mass.

Also thank fucking god for the elf-ear slider. Figuring out how to draw those shits from certain angles was a huge pain in the ass when I started drawing DnD races.

So, with the reference in hand, I go over the sketch again:

Now you may notice that I don't stick to the reference 100%. There's three reasons for this:

posing on VaM is tedious as hell. You can get something incredibly natural looking and picture-perfect to reference from if you wish, but it's going to take you hours to do. So, for the most part I just slap guys together until the results are "close enough" and use that.

In my opinion, you should always aim to ENHANCE your reference material, not replicate it exactly!

While VaM is a PRETTY DANG GOOD source of anatomical reference, it isn't perfect, I often supplement it with further reference from real life resources or make tweaks based on my own knowledge where I catch it falling short (and, antithetical to what I just said, I sometimes fuck the anatomy up further on purpose if I think it looks better that way LOL it's all jazz baby).

Then lines, color, yada yada. I don't have a tutorial on that and I don't think I could make one, because my process is chaotic as hell, but I do at times use Virt-a-mate as loose reference for lighting too when coloring - waaaaayyyy less so however, because that process is even more tedious and I feel like I often get better results by just winging it. It is a feature of the program though, and I'm sure it would be helpful for someone who has a difficult time visualizing lights and shadows. I only started using this program a few months ago, so I happened to already have a pretty good understanding of that kind of thing and just don't personally feel like I get much out of that particular mechanic.

Here's a few other examples of pieces that I made reference for (WARNING: Suggestive)

Now, for the question many of you may want to ask:

"Can I trace this junk?"

And to that, I say: Buddy, you can do whatever the hell you want with the reference material you created.

However,

If your goal is to learn and improve your art, and to recreate realistic proportions and anatomy from memory, tracing won't help you.

Developing your own style, your muscle memory, and personal technique will all be hindered by choosing to trace instead of drawing from observation, so I would encourage against it. Hell - even when tracing is employed as a technique, it's usually by high-skill realism & concept artists who are looking to either cut some corners, save time, or just double-check their own proportions in order to improve further - if you try tracing as a beginner, you will most definitely find the result to still look stiff and "off".

So trust me, there is so much more to be gained from drawing from observation. Make note of tangents, compare proportions, use all the elements of the picture to dictate where and how things should go - it will be a far more rewarding experience.

Hopefully this has been helpful! VaM is a really cheap program (you get it on the guys' patreon for I think 8 dollars, just google it!) and it's definitely been worth my money as an artist since I found it. Learning to use it can be a little intimidating at first glance, but as I said above you only really need a day plus one or two tutorials to get a hang of the interface.

A fair warning though, IT IS A SOFTWARE MADE FOR VIRTUAL SEX/ADULT ANIMATION So when looking it up expect to see a some spicy content.

[floodl8]

astarion is cheating

[floodl8]

Praise the new vampire lord! 🙌

#baldur’s gate 3 #baldurs gate astarion #astarion ancunin #bg3 #astarion #digital art #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 fanart #my Tav became his spawn because she still thinks he will change #stupid girl #stupid stupid girl

[floodl8]

This is insane 🤩🤩🤩

Lighting study with Raphael.

#baldurs gate #baldurs gate raphael #digital art

[floodl8]

Another PnP Character

#pen and paper #digital art #art #rogue #elves #the dark eye #she discovers killing is fun #you get thinks for free #like those ugly stinky hat

[floodl8]

Trying out a new artstyle 💕

#bg3 #bg3 tav #digital art #art #baldur's gate 3 #tav #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 fanart

[floodl8]

Currently playing a TTRPG with friends and we’re a bunch of idiots who just slaughter everything… I love it.

#pen and paper #das schwarze auge #the dark eye #roleplay #dwarf

[floodl8]

lazy day with Zevran~ prints | high res on patreon

[floodl8]

Why is this man so pretty...

I like to imagine that this is him after Tav gave him an unexpected kiss on the cheek before leaving their meeting room in Sharess' Caress. And now he is alone, flustered and confused about it.

[floodl8]

😍

temperance (I finally did it, I painted her!!)

prints | patreon

#lae'zel #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate #bg3 lae'zel #githyanki

[floodl8]

reverie some more of my Sun Elf Astarion for you guys :3 prints | patreon

[floodl8]

Art Help

I redid this list because broken links 💀

General Tips

Stretch your fingers and hands

Art is for fun

Never too late to start/improve

Using a tablet

Editing software: pictures & video

Moodboard resources

Comic pacing

Watercolor

Coloring

Color Theory (not children's hospital)

Resources: coloring things a different color

Gold

Dark Skin undertones

Dark Skin in pastel art

POC Blush tones

Eyes colors

Cohesive Color Palette

Lights and Colors

Human Anatomy

POSE REFERENCES

Wizard Battle poses

Romance poses

Shoulders

Tips for practicing anatomy

Proportional Limbs

Skeletons

Hair Directions

Afro, 4C hair

Cane use

Clothing

Long skirts

Traditional Chinese Hanfu (clothing reference)

CLOTHING REFERENCE

Sewing information

Animals

Horse -> Dragon

Snouts: dogs, cats, wolves, fox

Foot, paw, hoof

More

Drawing references sources

Art tutorial Masterlist

Another art tutorial Masterlist

Inspiration: father recreates son's art

Inspiration: Lights

ART BOOKS

Plants/flowers: North America, Hawaii, Patagonia

Art Cheats

[floodl8]

Apparently Raphael has the ability to read minds and uses this skill on his lackeys (You get this dialogue if you fail detect thoughts). That just opens up a lot of naughty possibilities. It's probably how he sees into the minds of his debtors to find out about their deepest, darkest fears and then uses this knowledge to craft the very specific, personalized torments we see displayed in the House of Hope for them. Most of these punishments carry themes of eroticized sadism, he twists their fears into something he can enjoy.

So I imagine he'd also use that technique in bed with Tav. He pulls all the naughty thoughts, the things you'd never tell him straight from your head - that you enjoy his cruel touch, crave his obsessive love for you, that you want and need him. You tell him you hate him, don't like certain things and ask him to stop but he knows it's a lie. Well, who knows. He might actually stop if he's in the mood to tease you and make you beg for his touch, be careful what you wish for. He'll force your mind open and know exactly what you want him to do to you, down to the smallest detail. Perhaps you weren't even aware of these desires yourself, depraved unspoken secrets buried in your subconsciousness. Raphael knows them all, no words needed. He'll use this knowledge to discipline you, uses your fears and shame to subjugate and humiliate you. He studies meticulously how to push your buttons, uses the fragments of your worst nightmares to tailor you your own personal hell, just like he did to his debtors. It's horrifying, but you don't need to worry because you're not like those poor souls. You're so much more to him. You'll always find solace in his arms, the only safe harbor in the House of Hope. Just leave everything to him, he will protect you. There's no hiding from him. Raphael is the person who knows you most intimately. The only person in the entire world who truly understands you. You belong to him completely, body and mind.

[floodl8]

True 🙈

[floodl8]

marked for death prints | patreon

#omg omg omg #cazador #astarion #astarion ancunin #vampire #bg3 #baldur's gate 3

[floodl8]

"It's not everyday one meets such a cavalier sinner such as yourself! A true, bloody pleasure."