Illustrations for Way of the Samurai (PFRPG)

[Gamerprinter]

So once again, I find myself lacking in paid-for commission artwork to fill my publication needs, so that means I have to do it myself.

While I am a better cartographer than an illustrator, sometimes I can do a decent job with an illustration. This illustration was created in the same application I use to make my maps, a vector app called Xara Xtreme Pro 4. These are shapes given color, transparency, edge feathering, and stacked with other objects to get the image to look right. I used a movie poster for reference.

As I create more illustrations for this product, I will post them to this thread.

This is my first illustration for Way of the Samurai, for Nitojutsu Sensei (two swords master) samurai archetype for Kaidan.

[jfrazierjr]

Did you use a reference picture? The shading on the face is quite darn good if you did not(ie, you have the skill to do this yourself if you can get that decent a looking face!) I would say that as dark as the front of the shirt is, I would advise either lightening it up or darkening the face quite a bit more on one side to get it more consistent.

Front sleeve needs more work though unless my eye is seeing things wrong....Hard line blacks and partially transparent "inside" of the sleeve just looks rather odd. On second though... perhaps what I saw originally as a sleeve is something else... not quite sure what though.. For that matter, I would suggest making sure there are no hard lines in the shadows of the clothing to make it mesh better with the illustration as a whole...

[Gamerprinter]

I used a photo from a movie scene for reference. I need to soften up the edges of some of the shadowing (I forgot to do it, while doing it elsewhere). The illustration is just needing tweeked, I wanted to post what I had so far. I did place a hard line on the swords, because they disappear into the background without them, which is something else I need to work on. I didn't need a background, as this is supposed to be an illustration of pathfinder class archetype for the product. I will look at the details you mentioned and see what I can do.

This illustration, like my Kawashi town map in the Finished Maps Forum, are for my upcoming Way of the Samurai supplement for Kaidan. It's still in editing, so I'm just creating some extra samurai pieces for the project. I need to create several more, at least two, if not four.

I'll lighten up that shadow on his torso. But the face is mostly facing forward, while the torso is turned slightly - that's why its more shadowy (too much however.)

Thanks for the critique, JFj!

[Gamerprinter]

Is this better?

[Gamerprinter]

Next illustration, the Onmyoji (origami wizard archetype), a samurai caste spellcaster for Kaidan.

[Gamerprinter]

Not as exciting as the illustrations and map, but I intend to feature 36 Samurai House Crests (kammon), as part of the supplement. These are the first 12, based on actual house crests.

I also think these would make nice center pieces for compass roses for Japanese styled maps.

[loogie]

origami wizard? that is quite possibly the coolest idea i've ever heard of!

[atpollard]

I agree.
Very good artwork and a very original idea.

[Jaxilon]

"Behold this paper bird, for it will soon be where the sun does not shine."

Hehe, just my first ridiculous thought. I'm full of those though.

I think those crests are cool.

[Gamerprinter]

Here's my complete set of House crests (kammon) for the supplement. These are real house crests, but I did not assign family names to each, rather making them available for choice as one's own house crest. While many of these crests belong to families that aren't known by the general public, the last kammon design in the second to the bottom row is Honda (for example).

Interestingly, Japanese house crests are generally based on plants and flowers (as well as most Samurai clan names are also plants, flowers, rivers, mountains.) Unlike the European use of lions, dragons and bears (oh my). The flowers and plants most prevalent within the regions of each family usually becomes their symbol and even clan name.