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Sister Miriam de-uglified

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  • #16
    Colonel Santiago de-somethinged

    This was a tough nut to crack, and, as is typical where Santiago is concerned, her nuts were bigger.

    You learn things about a picture when you’re altering it. Santi had no shading under her eyes- that’s one of the things that was off about the anatomy/perspective. I dunno. The whole thing is subtly and not-so subtly borked, and it’s beyond my powers to fix it right. Basically, the perspective of her face is exaggerated, not entirely consistently, and that ruins the whole thing and is difficult to set right.

    For a comparison w/ the original of my attempts see below: some differences don't stand out as much as I'd like them to at 100% in the .jpg format...

    Santigo.jpg on the left is the datalinks portrait as it came out of the de-interlace function.

    Santiago 1.5 in the middle is a full-out PhotoShopping, mostly with the smudge tool. Anyone who’s checked out my collaborations with Darsnan knows that I do not suck at that, though faces turned at angles a bit are very tricky to get right. This attempt has a few virtues, but the perspective is worse, if anything. I wanted to stay away from the features and only alter the shape of the face, but widening her right cheek made her look a tad man-ish and when I tried to compensate it was all downhill from there. It’s a much more thorough edit than I wanted, and doesn’t look quite like Corazon- her copycat, (half-ape) little sister, perhaps. I do not stand behind this result.

    I was ready to declare defeat and go home, but gamely started over. Santiago2, right, is a much more modest (and much briefer) attempt, largely done in Paint using the proven Miriam technique of selecting square portions and pasting them back in moved over a pixel. Her right cheek is widened, and the left side of her face narrowed a bit. Like 1.5, it has the virtue of being lighter than the original- you can see her clothes and braid better and her edges generally aren’t as lost against the background. Her shading is softened, for the most part, and her hairline is cheated in a little. Women tend to look better with more of their foreheads covered. I feel like I can stand behind this version, but not close behind with a big grin on my face. The perspective just isn’t fixed. I wish she was better-looking, too. Santi has potential, but it's beyond me. Not as epic a fail, but still.

    At least this is cleared off my agenda now.

    Illuminatus, if you zoom in on the original, my confidence level isn’t as high as with Miriam, but I think signs are there that she was indeed the victim of less-than-virtuoso altering after the original artist was through with her…

    As I've said before, I have little perspective about shots on which I spend more than a couple hours. More than usual, I'd like feedback to tell me whether these are any good.

    Thoughts, anyone?
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    • #17
      Your second edit looks pretty good. Santiago is still a butter-face though.
      I got scolded in Bold letters by Iluminatus.
      That makes me sad. :(

      I can't use smilies in my signature that makes me even more sad. :(

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      • #18
        Originally posted by Russia4Life View Post
        Your second edit looks pretty good.
        You, sir, are kind to say so. I more-than-half think it sucks.

        Santiago is still a butter-face though.
        Wait.

        -You've seen her body? Got any pictures you can post?


        Now I think her face is THIS close to being quite good-looking. (It'd help if you could get past the 'tude, I'm sure.) It's just not something I can fix merely by being obsessive and anal-retentive...
        AC2- the most active SMAC(X) community on the web.
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        • #19
          Nah it don't suck, your second edit is a vast improvement over the original IMO. There is only so much you can do with eyes like that, which I think is by far her worst facial feature.

          Well now that you mention it I haven't seen her body, but my imagination kinda filled that part in for me. I always imagined her as a slender 5' 10" maybe around 30 years old with a C cup and a plump booty. I may be completely wrong, I have never read any of the background stories on any of the SMAC(X) characters. All I know is the in game story line.
          I got scolded in Bold letters by Iluminatus.
          That makes me sad. :(

          I can't use smilies in my signature that makes me even more sad. :(

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          • #20
            ..Not too slender though- we know she's a boxer and can assume she works out a lot. She'll have turned that latina hiney into hard muscle- but looking even better...

            Thank you again for the kind words.
            AC2- the most active SMAC(X) community on the web.
            JKStudio - Masks and other Art

            No pasarán

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            • #21
              Finally, a chance to get back to this thread. I actually wrote something a couple days ago, but it was running a bit long and off topic, and then I suddenly had to leave. So I try again.

              Your new Miriam looks nice. By memory, I couldn't tell the difference, until I actually compared it to the original. You've managed to recreate the same person, but relaxed her significantly, mainly around the eyes. The original Miriam looks like she's peering at me in disapproval (which does convey the basic theme behind the Believers: that research penalty is there for a reason). The new one looks much less stressed, possibly even wiser.

              As for Santiago, all my untrained eyes can pick up is a reduction of the graininess and improvement of the lighting... definitely an improvement. As to what makes her ugly, I think its mainly the thuggish expression she wears. If she could just smile, she'd end up looking like--I don't know--Laura Croft?
              To those who understand,
              I extend my hand.
              To the doubtful I demand,
              Take me as I am.

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              • #22
                Thank you, Ironwood. I'm thrilled to have pleased you this time- (you're clearly a "tough room to get over with", as comedians would put it).

                I agree with your comment/reactions, though I assure you I did move stuff around on Santi's face. You can only do so much of that before it looks like different person though, a valid complaint about my first try at Miriam that I tried to accomidate with this one, too.
                AC2- the most active SMAC(X) community on the web.
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                • #23
                  I think just figured out what it is about your original edit (right side). The way the shadowing came out, it almost looks like she's got eyebrow ridges.
                  To those who understand,
                  I extend my hand.
                  To the doubtful I demand,
                  Take me as I am.

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                  • #24
                    Miriam, right? I think you're on to something, there.

                    If it really was more of an airbrushing, I'd probably would have caught that- but it's not bad for mostly a sample/pencil job in Paint...
                    AC2- the most active SMAC(X) community on the web.
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                    • #25
                      Poor Miriam. I know that we shouldn't write someone off because of appearance, but she always struck me as looking mousy and timid. Being homely just reinforces the other two, and even the edits shown above can't fix that. Miriam is supposed to have an overwhelming charisma that can make even the most rational of thinkers fall in line behind her... but her portrait just doesn't leave that impression for me. I can't see that person leading a potentially world-dominating faction.

                      Mind you, I actually enjoy playing her from time to time. Sometimes it's just plain fun to play the bad guy, and the Wicked Witch from New Jerusalem can easily fit the bill. And by the way, I have won the game playing her, either by conquest/gunboat diplomacy, or by controlling so many key resources that everyone else is forced to follow.

                      I've considered "re-casting" Miriam with a different face, but that's proven difficult. I haven't found someone with the right look. Call me a sexist pig, but I think it would be neat if Miriam were a downright beautiful woman, perhaps even glamorous, though still conservative. But she needs to remain a driven, highly charismatic, imperious, and potentially frightening person. Many a Disney she-villain witch has pulled off that combo, so why not Miriam Goodwinson?

                      Take a look at these stock images:



                      The Download key brings up a ZIP file, so instruct your browser accordingly. Do you think one of these could be modified for use? She would need to have some additions or modifications made to her clothes, because I can't see Miriam wearing a low-cut gown. But someone with skill at Photoshop or Gimp could do that.

                      In one image the model is pointing and yelling. That's something Miriam is good at, no doubt...

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                      • #26
                        I shall just comment that the stock image pack is called Evil Queen pack.
                        SMAC/X FAQ | Chiron Archives
                        The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --G.B.Shaw

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by Illuminatus View Post
                          I shall just comment that the stock image pack is called Evil Queen pack.
                          Appropriate, n'est pas?

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                          • #28
                            Two other "deviations" of the Wicked Witch of New Jerusalem, linked here just for fun:




                            I actually like the gown on the first one.

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                            • #29
                              Originally posted by RJPugh View Post
                              Call me a sexist pig, but I think it would be neat if Miriam were a downright beautiful woman, perhaps even glamorous, though still conservative.
                              You mean like...

                              Concerning the 'real' Myriam, I find her ugly, but probably because I find her ideology ugly, just as I see a hypocritical look in Lal's eyes. (PK and Believers are the only factions that I have NEVER played)
                              Buster's new Myriam looks like Agent Scully from X-Files. Strange!

                              And don't mess with my Santiago! She looks tough and that's good. In opposite, the one in the middle (1.5?) looks like a chinese teen going to some pageant. Hey, some people don't like cute girls, d'you know? (I just watched American Gladiators...so I'm a little biased )
                              From hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee. Ye damned whale!

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                              • #30
                                Liking the link to Miriam w/gown. Sarah Palin w/red hair would work. :-)

                                I think giving M longer hair also makes her aspect less severe.

                                Also have to agree about Col Santiago (my fave) keep her as is: Hard and hot (love strong women!)

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