More wrinkles! More!

I am really having fun with this. Despite the fact that each one takes SEVERAL HOURS of nit-picking.

1) Matronly figure! She's supposed to look like a kindly grandmother type, which is why I went with a model that was looking down - as if she's greeting little munchkins. While the photo was of a Mexican woman with an "oh God, I'm being photographed" grimace, a little tweak gave her a full smile. One gray pixel means a gap in the teeth. Phew!

2) Grown-up Tabrin. Thanks to Ms. X for the modeling! Here it is! It's not a precise match because I only have, really, 3 colors with which to cover the skin tones of a young person, and the photo was taken under fluorescent lights of death. But, all things considered, I hope it's OK!

3) A vastly improved seer. I was scared to go with the crinkly eyes at first, but seeing the weird clown-looking face changed my tune. So I let her wrinkles go wild, along with some pursed lips and better-defined face paint. I mean, come on. She may be old, but she can apply her makeup!

Talking heads.

I've been on a tileset-making blitzkrieg the last several days, including character portraits!

Young Tab'rin (modeled after me, proportionally adjusted for a child's facial anatomy), the Seer (modeled after an old Mayan woman) and grown-up Tabrin, which was also kind of modeled after a Mayan girl, but looks more like my neighbor. So I think I'll scrap that one. But, still, here's a few hours' worth of pixel work.

Today I was getting my script filled when I looked up at the pharmacist and thought "IT'S TAB'RIN!". Through all the awkwardness that a flaky artist can muster, I managed to get permission for a few camera phone snapshots so I could try the portrait again. I then learned that this pharmacist has an Aztec name! HOW AWESOME, and a true sign that this face belongs in my story that likewise features huipils and stone temples. I'm excited to have Tab'rin that looks more like the Tab'rin in my head than the pictured Tab'rin that cat-sits for me.

So if you're reading this, Ms. X, hi! And thanks for contributing for my nebulous science fiction project. E-mail me sometime! Otherwise, thanks for the bipolar medication. (The irony is that my project probably makes the most headway when it's NOT working!)

Pixel art!

I started by modeling a few things off Dragon Warrior 4 (which I have been playing for like 3 hours a day) and I'm hopeful that I can end up with a nice tileset.

True-to-pixel size:

300% size:

It'd be fun to use some game editing software to create a little mini (very mini) RPG. I just adore these '90s wonderlands.

Daisy chain.

Four individual threads and a plethora of beads! The most complex beading I've done. It actually warrants a spot here, I think!

Sunflower!

I have been attracted to plants lately. I think it's beginning to hit me that winter's coming - I wanted to draw the deadly nightshade that is growing around my house (!) but the blooms have already disappeared. So perhaps I'll draw more dying flowers than fresh!