Dragonsfoot Magazine Adventures--Call Out

[squeen]

Sorry Malrex, I know I was suppose to switch gears but...

Ta Dee! The major muscles of the arm!

Pencil & Pen (scanned)

Using GIMP to smudge in lazy half-tones for a more "painted" look

(thank you cyberspace)

Yo! Orcs! I am gonna pump...you up!

 

[squeen]

Quick & dirty. Kinda regressing to comic-book style.

I was working on pose/legs...but they sucked---so I cropped them off!
Just can't get the foreshortening right.



The left hand should probably face away from the viewpoint, too.
Save me from my own foolishness, oh spirit of Jack Kirby!

 

[Beoric]

Yeah, he's meaner looking. The black nose make him look like a bugbear (well, from 2e forward, anyway).

 

[squeen]

I lighten the nose (in original posting) to reduce the acute case of "dog face", per your suggestion.

So many monster "rules" to learn!

Thanks.

EDIT: ...and then I went the other way and darkened everything. ?!? Up yours Peter Jackson! ;P

 

[TerribleSorcery]

I really like this dark one. Has lots of flavour buddy! Put a few hints of dungeon wall in the background and what more could a guy want?

 

[squeen]

I really like this dark one. Has lots of flavour buddy! Put a few hints of dungeon wall in the background and what more could a guy want?

Thank you!

And that is exactly what I was thinking...needs some sort of vast subterranean strata to spark the imagination.

Although, I think I probably will leave that sort of expansion to the next iteration---the one for the magazine. But I desperately want to tap into that "out of the darkness crawls..." vibe if I possibly can. Sometimes skulking in tunnels beneath the surface of the Earth falls too easily into becoming just another trip to the super-market (wearing swords). We forget how the dark used to scare us.

Truly, it's been a blast trying my hand at something new.

EDIT: Aw heck! I put a dash of stonework in...just couldn't resist.

 

[squeen]

I've looked at this a bit and have finally hit upon what's wrong --- the large shield, sword, and background portal makes the orc look small, almost like a halfling.

It's like that fleet of ships in Hitchhiker's Guide that went to exact revenge on the Earth for Arthur's careless turn of phrase, but due to a mix-up in size was eaten by a small dog.

Another mental step in the learning process.

Also, a concept for goblins...

 

[Beoric]

I've looked at this a bit and have finally hit upon what's wrong --- the large shield, sword, and background portal makes the orc look small, almost like a halfling.

I don't agree, I like all but the background, which doesn't look like stonework to me. The sword is big but the hilt is a hand-and-a-half. The chield might be a bit big but I don't think it makes him look small.

 

[squeen]

Beoric. Good to know. I think the shield is probably the biggest offender. You might not see the rocks on your monitor the same way I do with my brightness pretty high. Not stonework, per se, just some quick rounded stones making a (half) arch. Admittedly a low effort. I'll work on that too. Thanks.

 

[squeen]

Another 3D model, raytraced for reference --- skeleton model lit by an HDRI cave light-capture



and after pushing the contrast up and switching to sepia tones

 

[squeen]

Found this sketch on-line --- I think this is Malrex's (and many others) Platonic Orc.


Between that and the WoW CGI version (which all look like Thanos with tusks) I get "orc as Hollywood actor".
Not a fan.

 

[Malrex]

Found this sketch on-line --- I think this is Malrex's (and many others) Platonic Orc.
View attachment 627

Between that and the WoW CGI version (which all look like Thanos with tusks) I get "orc as Hollywood actor".
Not a fan.

Id consider that a half-orc.

 

[squeen]

Regular orc if he was bald?

 

[Beoric]

Regular orc is he was bald?

Less human looking. That one looks like Clancy Brown with prosthetic teeth. Maybe make the jaw protrude, and the chin wide, beyond the range of human variation, nose-and-mouth more snoutlike, tusks can sometimes be over the top long, nonhuman skull shape.



The last guy is more of a half-orc because of the human skin tone.

EDIT: This guy is a pretty good platonic orc for me. Or these guys if your orcs are more savage.

 

[squeen]

@Beoric: I like #3 (your half-orc) the best --- most gorilla. Also grey instead of green.
Found one more in pencil (less hair)

 

[DangerousPuhson]

I've always liked the looks of Warhammer fantasy orcs ("Greenskins"). They're not Hollywood, but they're definitely orc-looking.

 

[squeen]

BLAH!
I inflict more crappy amateur practice-art upon your unsuspecting eyeballs! You cannot un-see it!


EDIT: @TerribleSorcery...now censored to hide the disturbing lack of man-parts.
I think of the GIF time-elapsed progression: middle-school doodle --> comic book layout --> romance novel cover

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Sorry but I must reply thusly:

https://imgur.com/PMvSdlA

 

[squeen]

It's freaking D&D ART man! Not pornography!
(Humph! how crass)

You know I'm kidding, right?
I also feel compelled to add: no photo references were used --- just some recently learned basic anatomy.

 

[squeen]

I am finally reading Burrough's Mars/Barsoom books. No idea why I waited this long. Really enjoying them.

Anyway, it seems like the modern "orc" with green skin and prominate tusks are visually descendants of the Tharks (e.g. Tars Tarkas). I feel like so much of what we are accustomed to seeing today came from Franzetta's covers of the Barsoom and Conan novels.