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Actually, I've already picked it out, the problem is... I'm not gonna use a black and white picture as my avatar, it doesn't feel right. It's about time for a change though, so I've been looking through the 'net to find something I like, and this is what I've come up with... just needs to be colored. If someone could color this I'd be much obliged--- I plan on using the image below (cropped out to a perfect square containing the face and whatever else can be contained in said square and resized to various sizes for various websites)

Though I can recolor things to my liking quite easily, I'm no good at coloring from scratch (IE, from grayscale)-- I've tried about half a dozen times to color this, but for some reason I just find it lacking every time. Maybe I'm just being too hard on myself, like I always tend to be for my own art (and my painted minis in 40k). I know there already is a colored version on deviantart, but it is... uncanny valley due to how the colorist shaded her neck, eyes, and face, making her look almost like a cyborg or something, and frankly I'd rather start fresh if I'm gonna recolor it.



So if anyone wants to take up the challenge, color it similar to what's in my avatar.


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For those wondering about why I'm asking someone else to do it...
(click for full image)
This is what I have thus far, still working out the various kinks in the hair and skin (where the fuzzy selector didn't catch a pixel or two), but meh... it just doesn't have the depth of color that a real colorist (IE, not me) would be able to give it. I don't even have photoshop, I'm using GIMP for this, so eh.

I think its fine, actually. Maybe pastel-y. I don't see that as a bad thing though.

You wantin' it to pop?

Micromegas wrote:You wantin' it to pop?

What?

Sorry, just don't know what you mean.

Melissia wrote:

Micromegas wrote:You wantin' it to pop?

What?

Sorry, just don't know what you mean.

It's hard to explain what popping means but you achieve it with clever use of vibrant colours or contrast, your current avatar achieves this whereas the pastel shaded one doesn't.

But-but, who will confidently smirk at me as my arguments are parsed and destroyed?

Use less masks and paint buckets. Your edges are pixelizing along the alpha masks edges that don't fill. Just use a multiply (or whatever the gimp equiv is called) overlay method and color directly on top of the piece. Use layers. Also don't use gimp. If it wasn't semesters end I would give a go at coloring it. As it is, i've got a few dozen heavy photo edits i've got to do to finish this damn app :( .



Have you tried just asking 4chan for the colored version? I'm fairly certain I've seen a fan colored version of that exact pic.

I'm gonna say wow and good luck.

I know, I've seen the fan colored version.

It is... uhm... wrong. Very uncanny valley and that's not what I want to achieve with my avatar.


Also... I'm not using masks or paint buckets. The only things I've used thus far are the fuzzy selection and colorize features of GIMP.


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corpsesarefun wrote:

Melissia wrote:

Micromegas wrote:You wantin' it to pop?

What?

Sorry, just don't know what you mean.

It's hard to explain what popping means but you achieve it with clever use of vibrant colours or contrast, your current avatar achieves this whereas the pastel shaded one doesn't.

Yeah, that is definitely what I want compared to my edits-- more vibrant colors and more contrast.

Also... I'm not using masks or paint buckets. The only things I've used thus far are the fuzzy selection and colorize features of GIMP.

Selections are alpha masks.

Well in your current avatar the thing that makes it pop is the gold of the neck armour, so perhaps you need to see a finished image before passing judgement on if a piece pops or not.

For reference, here is the fan-colored version.

It is...uhm... it's hard to describe-- it's just... wrong, and very subtly so. The neck has far too much detailing and looks like it has cables under her skin. Her eyes have far too much shading and look like they're bulging out. Her skin looks like her entire body is mildly burned or something, it's just too pink.

Aside from that it's okay, but... I really don't want to use this as a base for my avatar, as I don't think I can salvage it with recoloring.

Melissia wrote:For reference, here is the fan-colored version.

It is...uhm... it's hard to describe-- it's just... wrong, and very subtly so. The neck has far too much detailing and looks like it has cables under her skin. Her eyes have far too much shading and look like they're bulging out. Her skin looks like her entire body is mildly burned or something, it's just too pink.

Aside from that it's okay, but... I really don't want to use this as a base for my avatar, as I don't think I can salvage it with recoloring.

The skin tone has way too much blue in it, not pink.

If I finish recoloring it, I'm probably just gonna have her neck be a blackish greyish color, like a body suit worn under the power armor.

Sort of the same effect as seen in my current avatar.


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ShumaGorath wrote:

Also... I'm not using masks or paint buckets. The only things I've used thus far are the fuzzy selection and colorize features of GIMP.

Selections are alpha masks.

Well, what do you expect me to use?

I really don't know my way around editors very well, if I'm not editing pixel by pixel (which is FAR too much work)... my training (And enjoyment, as far as actually producing art goes) is more in drawings than in colors. Was never good at paintings, pastels, etc.

Print it out and get some colored pencils! Do it right!

Dreadwinter wrote:Print it out and get some colored pencils! Do it right!

Coloured pencils? Bah, real men used crayons.

Avatar 720 wrote:

Dreadwinter wrote:Print it out and get some colored pencils! Do it right!

Coloured pencils? Bah, real men used crayons.

I use the blood of my enemies.

Which smells like cinnamon.

Chowderhead wrote:

Avatar 720 wrote:

Dreadwinter wrote:Print it out and get some colored pencils! Do it right!

Coloured pencils? Bah, real men used crayons.

I use the blood of my enemies.

Which smells like cinnamon.

The scent you're thinking of probably isn't cinnamon but rather cassia. A related plant with a somewhat similar but far more powerful and less subtle flavor.This is because the vast majority of "cinnamon" sold in the USA is cassia rather than true cinnamon.

Melissia wrote:For reference, here is the fan-colored version.

It is...uhm... it's hard to describe-- it's just... wrong, and very subtly so. The neck has far too much detailing and looks like it has cables under her skin. Her eyes have far too much shading and look like they're bulging out. Her skin looks like her entire body is mildly burned or something, it's just too pink.

Aside from that it's okay, but... I really don't want to use this as a base for my avatar, as I don't think I can salvage it with recoloring.

wow that is creepy! (the fan coloured version)
and its such a beautiful original portrait
she looks like an old woman just about to succumb to Carbon Monoxide poisoning.... *shudders*
wish i could help with the avatar but im no good at pc colouring and dont have access to a scanner to do it by hand, i do agree with the others though, try printing it out and having a go yourself, at least that way you've had a go even if you dont like the results.

Your Avatar should be a Space Marine in a circle with a line through it. Y'know think Ghostbusters.

lol, no. If I wasn't gonna use Sisters or a female Guard (or other female or ambiguous soldier art such as DKoK) I'd use Orks.

They DO have a female Ork mini

No.

No, they do

There is no female Ork miniature.

*goes to her happy place, singing the katamari damachi song*

Oh Melissia forgot to mention in the last PM if you'd like you can post up the images I'm sending you of the current progress I'm making on the avatar.

Also I did actually try red lipstick, but it was too much

And as much as I hate to say it, there is a female Ork miniature, as disgusting as it is

KingCracker wrote:No, they do

No...No...really they don't...

Do not speak of such nonsense.

(and if you post it in my thread I'm gonna have to ask mods to delete the post for being off topic and in bad taste >.> )

I'll post it when you're done, Wolf

Melissia wrote:There is no female Ork miniature.

*goes to her happy place, singing the katamari damachi song*

FITZZ wrote:

KingCracker wrote:No, they do

No...No...really they don't...

These responses are exactly how I feel about this movie.....it does NOT exist..... this picture is actually a blank spot on your screen

Alright, here's my two cents from the limited Photoshop experience I have and my anatomical architecture class.

The current avatar you have looks more like a comic book or graphic novel kind of deal which looks fine with the current colors you have in it. The one you're looking at looks more like a real-life portrait kind of deal. Sure it's not 100% like a portrait, but it looks more real than your current avatar. I would suggest changing the color scheme you're using. Instead of the darker/grayish pink you have in your current avatar and looks similar to what you're using in the new one I would make it a bit more pink to match a flesh tone.

I could do that with colored pencils, but can't tell you how to do it on photoshop or whatever thing you have. When looking at the smaller version the hair looks like it has a green tint, I would probably try a darker brown for the hair color(guessing that you're trying to match the hair/skin/eye color of your current avatar).

Melissa, one thing worries me about your to-be avatar, and that is the lack of correlation with the most up-to-date fluff. In light of this I have decided to present a more accurate depiction for you.