Is this a good PQ4 style?

[Peanut Monkey]

I think my personal preference is actually in the order they're shown.  That is to say no glasses, then glasses, then the two goggles

[GarageGothic]

If you go without glasses (which I also like), you should probably add something else to make him look more like a hacker and less like a biker. Like replace the skull on the jacket with some badges or something (the Watchmen smiley perhaps, or is that too geeky?)

[Knox]

Those are good ideas! Ok, let me fiddle with it...What I see for this character is an eccentric, I kinda like the contrast of a tough-guy biker, but a computer hacker...heh! I wanted this guy to be pulled over for erratic driving (on a motor-bike), but with further investigation the cop notices he's tweeked out on meth or something...hehe...perhaps he has a future role too as informant or something, Im not sure yet. Heck, he could even just be a thug, or a drug dealer, etc...too many options.

I have to say though, out of all the characters Ive been fiddling with so far, this one is the funnest!

[GarageGothic]

Oh, if he's on a bike it would make perfect sense with the goggles (I take it he's also breaking the helmet law), then you can always use the one without for when he's taken to jail or if the player meets him again later on.

[Bror_Jon]

General, all these pics look awesome. Looking forward for the pic of me (if you're making it)

[Knox]

Oh, if he's on a bike it would make perfect sense with the goggles (I take it he's also breaking the helmet law), then you can always use the one without for when he's taken to jail or if the player meets him again later on.

Exactly...hehe, didnt think of the helmet law though (ahem)...he's gonna be hauled to jail though, thats for sure

jon_swe : Yup, Im working on yours, but after a few others first, though

[Ryan Timothy B]

I know there are several states that don't have a helmet law.  Not sure which ones though, google popped up a few sites.

[GarageGothic]

I just assumed it was California since the building in one of the earliest screenshots belonged to LAPD, and they definitely do have a helmet law.

general_knox, in case you're doing further touch-ups I was looking at the portrait again and I think the highlights on the neck are a bit distracting. They seem brighter and the color of the light more yellow than the rest of the highlights. No biggie, but they just drew my attention.

[Peanut Monkey]

I know there are several states that don't have a helmet law.  Not sure which ones though, google popped up a few sites.

Oh wow.  I thought that sort of thing would be mandatory everywhere.

[Knox]

After a break from characters, Ive had time to work on 3 other character portraits...the main character older and younger...one you can see him as a detective close to retirement, another as an old patrolman (a few years before becoming a detective) and the other, at around 18 as a QB for his highschool team.

I was wondering if you thought they all look like the same person, including the original pic of the main character...and in your opinion, if you think something doesnt look right?

[Dualnames]

Wow, it's really beautiful, yes in fact he looks like the same person.

[GarageGothic]

Heh, the detective version looks like a mix between Jeff Bridges and Jim Walls! I like them a lot, and they do look like the same person.

A couple of things stick out:
* The shading where the detective's neck meets his head is weird. Even if he has a bit of a double chin, there should be some kind of shadow beneath it.

* Middle-aged cop looks good - not too sure about the haircut, seems a bit too young for him. Nametag could use some texturing/shading.

* Young football player: His bare arms are really poorly defined, probably they're just overlit, but the somewhat remind me of the fleshy blobs in a Francis Bacon painting . The black markings under his eyes look a bit too much like photoshop brushstrokes - try to play around with the blending settings.

Other than that, excellent work as always. Also love the lighting on the football player's shirt and how you can tell the edges of the padding.

[Knox]

Cool, I used Jeff Bridges as reference, Jim Walls must have been in my subconscious! The middle-aged cop, I used a bit of Tom Skerritt for reference aswell.

Ok, Ill get those changes done and repost...Francis Bacon, hehe!

[Moresco]

How about some variation in the nose? Just from where I'm sitting, seems like it has changed at all.

[Knox]

* Middle-aged cop looks good - not too sure about the haircut, seems a bit too young for him. Nametag could use some texturing/shading

Ok, I tried this hairstyle, much more mature and it fits his age better...how bout the tag? Its hard to get detail in, I feel Im missing resolution


theRedPress, true...I didnt modify the nose at all...! I could make it slight larger as he gets older, I believe thats what happens to noses in real life

[xenogia]

Looks absolutely fantastic general_knox, much better than the previous middle aged character. Seems you may have to change the older one now due to the fact he is greying out.  Also it looks like his thinning also.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I think they look great, though the middle and last don't necessarily look like the same person.  Young and middle age look like Val Kilmer and his detective years he's channeling Jeff Bridges around the jaw and neck.  If I were you I'd stick with the same face and just work to age it; in fact, just giving him a beard and some different hair for the detective (from the current patrolman) would be perfectly fine and I can't imagine anyone complaining.  I'm curious to see how you'll work in these different timelines into the the gameplay!

[S]

It's hard to say anything negative about this, but for this looks so much like the same person that it's a bit disconcerting. He has the exact same eyes and mouth on all pics, the exact same facial expression, making it obvious that this a cut-and-paste job, albeit a very smooth one.

About the name tag: it looks unrealistic because it is absolutely horizontal. Give it a slight angle and a metallic reflection cutting diagonally across it, and it will look better, I think.

But overall this is really good stuff, although I must say that the presence of these pics makes me curious about the story of the game.

[GarageGothic]

Great job on the new haircut! Looks much more natural, and also makes for a more bad-ass player character

I agree with S about the nametag, it's improved but still seems a bit too straight and clean, somewhat like a beveled GUI button.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Maybe this will help with the nametag, though both the tag and the badge are clearly bronzed:

http://davidhoustonvoice.com/media3/c9f32805.jpg

Compared to the badge, the nametag has almost no reflective properties and is pretty dull in sheen, like this: