[2020-02] Some novel character portraits

[EmuMusicFan]

Hello everyone! Recently I am drawing some portraits of novel characters. I hope to have the opportunity to share with you Wing Commander novel super fans here and listen to your suggestions.

I am not a professional painter. Actually, I haven’t been serious about drawing for a long time. My past experiences mainly came form graffiti on the notepads and class posters when I was a middle school student. I really love some scenes of Action Stations, and this book gave me the enthusiasm to pick up the pen again. Due to my lack of basic painting skills training, it is not surprising that these portraits have some technical problems. I would be grateful if you could give me criticism and guidance.

I'm just a new fan and I have very limited knowledge of the series, so if there is anything wrong, please correct me.

I will update the thread frequently.


Below are thumbnails, please view the full portrait in the following floors:

T A B C D
1
v
v
v

Format:
Position: Character Name #Floor Number
T1: Blair in WC4
T2: Catscratch
T3: Sosa
T4: Plilers
T4: Maximilian (age 22)
T2: Vance Richards (age 26)

A1: Baron Vakka nar Ki'ra #2 #26
A2: Juvenile Jukaga nar Vakka #4 #16 #74
A3: Harga nar Ki'ra #3 #25 #77 #125 #130
A4: Master (A semi-original character. He was Jukaga's photographer in Fleet Action. This is his look in 2680s.) #43
A5: Savior Blair (In Melek team's propaganda, Blair has been deified as a savior.) #90
A6: Chancellor Melek #79 #104
A7: Melek's Staff #102
A8: Melek's guard #116
A9: Haga Karigara (Haga Kaligara is a former pilot of Imperial Claw who was on the McAuliffe Ambush and survived more than 35 years to see the end of the war. He has his willingness to be thanked for providing his personal diary and flight logs to Terran historicle circles.) #110
A10: Uza (A semi-original character, mentioned by Baron Jukaga as his scriber.)
A11: Khitz (in the year of 2686)

B1: Baron B'shras nar Caxki
B2: Baron Harghah nar Qarg
B3: Baron Grap nar Kur'u'tak
B4: Baron G'trakh nar Ragitagha
B5: Baron Qhargha nar Shikag
B6: Farmer Zeke (Blair's friend in WC4.123106...) #95

C1: Admiral Nargth #11 #19
C2: Baron Qazkar #62
C3: WC3 Melek #111 #131 #134 #137 #138
C4: Young Haga Kaligara #127 #129


D1: Gilkarg nar Kiranka #8 #32
D2: Ratha nar Kiranka #8 #32
D3: Young Thrakhath nar Kiranka #8 #32


BTW: Hrothgars in FF14 are really good models.


The portraits are used in my Visual Novel DEMO here:

Online version (Runs in your browser, maybe laggy):

WCFan

Download version:

https://palmusicfan.github.io/WCFan-win.zip

As of now, the Visual Novel DEMO is mainly talking about some plots of Action Stations and The Price of Freedom novel.

Log:
[2022-01-20] update this index data floor
[2020-07-26] update Visual Novel, add WC3 novel ending draft
[2020-07-10] update this first floor
[2020-04-29] update Chancellor Melek’s portrait to version 2.0
[2020-04-16] add new portrait of Jukaga
[2020-04-19] add new portrait of Harga
[2020-04-16] update Jukaga's portraits to version 2.0, optimization of Harga's portraits
[2020-04-02] add Baron Qazkar's portraits
[2020-03-29] update Admiral Nargth's portraits
[2020-03-10] update Baron Vakka nar Ki'ra's portraits and a colored portrait of Gilkarg, and update Gilkarg family's sketch portraits
[2020-03-08] add the test colored versions portraits of Gilkarg family
[2020-03-06] update sketch portraits of Baron Vakka and the sketch portrait of Harga, as well as the colored portait of Harga
[2020-03-05] add two colored portraits of Baron Vakka
[2020-03-03] update the colored portrait of Baron Vakka and the colored portrait of Jukaga
[2020-03-01] update colored portraits of Baron Vakka
[2020-02-28] update portraits of Baron Vakka nar Ki'ra, optimization
[2020-02-27] update the portrait of Harga nar Ki'ra, optimiztion
[2020-02-23] a test version of colored Jukaga's portrait
[2020-02-20] update Jukaga's portrait
[2020-02-20] typo fix as well as update Melek's portrait
[2020-02-18] add a portrait of Juvenile Jukaga nar Vakka (02-20 updated)
[2020-02-16] add a portrait of Admiral Nargth (02-19 updated)
[2020-02-14] add portraits of Gilkarg nar Kiranka family and a portrait of Melek nar Kiranka
[2020-02-13] add a portrait of Harga nar Ki'ra (02-27 updated)
[2020-02-12] Initial post with portraits of Baron Vakka nar Ki'ra

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Baron Vakka nar Ki'ra

"My Emperor, my brothers of the other clans, I urge you to consider one point yet again. Now is not the time to wage war upon the Confederation. "

"My Emperor, I follow thy call for the hunt. Point out the prey to us and we shall spring upon it, but I beg for thee the right to point to the other herds which thou might not have gazed upon. ”

"But this one? No, I do not want it. It is the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. "

Edit: 03-10 optimiazation
Edit: optimiazation

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Harga nar Ki'ra

"Ah, so you do know a few words of their standard speech. "

P.S.
At present, this is the character face design that I am most satisfied with. I really like the character of Harga, even though there is only one scene where he appeared directly.



Update: Better font?
Update: 0227 Optimization
Update: 0306 Optimization

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Juvenile Jukaga nar Vakka

“It will be glourious! ”

Finally I have finished the draft portrait of Juvenile Jukaga nar Vakka. As mentioned in Fleet Action, Jukaga's eyes are dark. I intend to deal with this in the coloring.

Edit: 04-24 Version 2.1 ^_^
Edit: A new version as of 04-12~04-16!

 

[L.I.F.]

Phew, now I kinda want to see a comic made in this art taking place entirely within Kilrathi space, with no humans. It could be a great opportunity to show their society like some of the books briefly did. Great art!

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Phew, now I kinda want to see a comic made in this art taking place entirely within Kilrathi space, with no humans. It could be a great opportunity to show their society like some of the books briefly did. Great art!

Thanks for your encouragement!

Now I have uploaded Harga's portrait. Design of Juvenile Jukaga's portrait may be a challange. Perhaps I need more time.

 

[Silent Hunter]

Excellent work!

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Gilkarg nar Kiranka

"Va ka garga ka naru ha gara. Those not of the blood must have their blood spilt. "


Ratha nar Kiranka

"Precisely why we must fight the Confederation now -- or are you afraid of them? "


Thrakhath nar Kiranka

“You would have killed him. ”

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Bonus Portrait:

Chancellor Melek

“Hmm, it's a decision I do not regret. ”

This is Melek after 2670s. I think, as of 2634, Melek is not yet born or very young.

Edit: 0429 Melek version 2.0!

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Excellent work!

Thank you for the encouragement. I will update the current portraits as well as add new ones.

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Admiral Nargth

P.S. As the moment, the design of medals and ornaments are not yet confirmed. casually drawn. If you have better suggestions for the formal design, please let me know.

Edit: 0329 A new design.

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Phew, now I kinda want to see a comic made in this art taking place entirely within Kilrathi space, with no humans. It could be a great opportunity to show their society like some of the books briefly did. Great art!

Design of Juvenile Jukaga's portrait is really a great challange. When I finally found the feeling, it was really pleasant.

Now I have finished 10 draft version portraits of Kilrathi characters in Action Stations. Perhaps now I need to try coloring while continuing to adjust the drafts. 🤝

Edit: typo fix for Jukaga's name

 

[ChrisReid]

Looking good! A couple clarifications on nomenclature: it's Jukaga, not Jukarga. Also, we don't know what clan Melek belongs to, except that he's not a Kiranka. Heart of the Tiger calls him a retainer and a subordinate, and there is this passage:

"Melek began to wish he had never accepted the post as Thrakhath's chee'dyachee. As senior vassal and retainer to the Crown Prince, he wieled great power and commanded much influence... and was perfectly placed to watch the Imperial family in the interests of his own Clan."

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Looking good! A couple clarifications on nomenclature:

Thanks for pointing out the typo and Melek's issue! All fixed now. Fortunately, I didn't misspell Jukaga's name in the portrait. 😅 And, now I use "Chancellor Melek" in Melek's portrait.

 

[ChrisReid]

Perfect!

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Juvenile Jukaga nar Vakka
Coloring test:

Edit: 04-24 Version 2.1
Edit: 04-12~04-16 A new version! I think this version 2.0 is much better? Trying to draw talon for the first time ...

Original:

Sorry, in terms of coloring, I really don’t have any experience worth mentioning.

At first I didn't even know how to start. Then I found an AI-assisted coloring project and used it as the first step. Fortunately, the following works seemed easier... a bit.

Jukaga‘s eyes are really difficult to paint. The eye color should be dark, but totally dark is not... so good. So I painted his eyes with gray.

I know there are still many problems, technically with color matching. Please criticize and correct me.

Edit: Maybe this color set is a little better? I am looking for a sense of aristocratic clothing, although I have no professional knowledge of it.

Eidt: 02-25 A new color set with more red element.

Edit: 03-03 upper...

 

[L.I.F.]

I ain't much of a lore keeper here, nor an artist, so I won't be the guy to ask when it comes to canonicity or specific art style, but I definitely like more and more this Eastern drawing style. It also helps that I'm reading again the Empire book series from Feyst's Riftwar saga, which makes me wonder how a political saga would work within the Kilrathi environment, using the war against the Confederation as a distant background for palace intrigue, clan rivalries and the such. Considering both Tsurani and Kilrathi are heavily inspired from Japan, albeit in different manners, it would probably work, I guess. These character portraits feel like they would be at home in a Visual Novel.

I'd be curious as to how you'd tackle the uniforms and armours seen in WC2.

 

[EmuMusicFan]

I ain't much of a lore keeper here, nor an artist, so I won't be the guy to ask when it comes to canonicity or specific art style, but I definitely like more and more this Eastern drawing style. It also helps that I'm reading again the Empire book series from Feyst's Riftwar saga, which makes me wonder how a political saga would work within the Kilrathi environment, using the war against the Confederation as a distant background for palace intrigue, clan rivalries and the such. Considering both Tsurani and Kilrathi are heavily inspired from Japan, albeit in different manners, it would probably work, I guess. These character portraits feel like they would be at home in a Visual Novel.

I'd be curious as to how you'd tackle the uniforms and armours seen in WC2.

Thank you for your continued encouragement!

As far as I am concerned, I do pay more attention to the non-combat plots in the novel. This is also because my English level and military knowledge are insufficient. It is a little difficult to read the plot of the combat part.

Armours... It sounds difficult, it is a challenge. 😅

 

[EmuMusicFan]

Admiral Nargth

Coloring Test:

Sorry, I really do not know enough about military uniforms. Considering Admiral Nargth is not of the royal blood, perhaps his clothing is simpler or even more modern?


Edit: 02-25 A new color set with more red elements.
Edit: 03-29 A new version.

 

[capi3101]

I wouldn't go with white, personally. There's one of the source books - I want to say either the Confederation Handbook or Victory Streak, possibly both - that suggests Kilrathi largely use deep reds and browns. (Feel free to correct me, all y'all).

Which is a shame, really - the white looks good, IMHO.