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JRock-Prophet — Read 'em 'n' weep
Published: 2007-09-02 14:56:47 +0000 UTC; Views: 1841; Favourites: 28; Downloads: 29
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Description
With calm, collected satisfaction Semper reveals his hand, his eyes sparkling with humble smugness, showing once and for all just how much your pair of queens was worth.Semper, another character from my Tales of the Elessi. He's a musician come amateur thief and an expert at all things relating to cards whether that be playing them or doing tricks or simple shuffling in exciting and flamboyant ways. It's probably a big mistake to try and play Semper at poker...
Anyhow, it's been a long time since I did a detailed facial study and I felt Semper really needed it since I wasn't really sure what he looked like. I'm particularly pleased with the skintone and general contrast on the face - I realise I often lack shadow. As I drew more and more it became increasingly clear to me what he should look like, finally culminating in this finished piece...
It's probably a little geeky for me to say this of my own character but I never realised how attractive he was until I drew this. *Blush* I just love the way he looks out of the picture. I've never quite managed to achieve that before, I think. Even if my characters are looking forwards it never works out that they seem to be looking at you and following you. I really wanted Semper to have that piercing gaze as he's a pretty sharp and intense guy.
Here's proving ginger is sexy! Woo! Go Semper!
If you are interested in the line art look here: [link]
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Comments: 124
Lovely piece, I am quite in love with the "goatee".
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Heehee, my favourite kind of facial hair formation. It's rather dashing, methinks.
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Heh! Oh, and thanks for that earworm, btw.
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Because I needed a card outside of the four aces and 9 of spades seemed good. Because spades are the nicest suit (I think) and I really love the number 9 - for no particular reason except that when I was learning English I liked the sound of the word "nine"... also my house number was 9... and I was fairly good at 9 times tables...
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Semper can. He invented it. You can't mess with a man who invented a whole new facial expression. *Nods sagely* I bet I can be humbly smug too if I tried... but it requires a certain situation, I guess.
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Those eyes! *dies* I love how you've got the emotion in, and the grime on the tattered, worn cards 
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Hehe. Glad you feel the same way about his eyes as I do. They must be the most direct, captivating eyes I've ever done. In my opinon it's the best part of this picture. I think that even if the rest of it wasn't as good as the eyes it maybe wouldn't even matter because the eyes are like "Look at meeee" and you can hardly look at the rest of the picture. It's smug, it's confident, it's also gentle and soft, like he's laughing behind those eyes but keeping a cool interior. I can practically see him give a calm, slightly confrontational nod. Ah! I think I've never pulled off such attitude before in my life. I really, honestly... don't know how I can top this right now.
Ever since I've finished it I've had it up in my photoshop window to look at me as I walk by and every time I feel a bit awkward when I look into his eyes. It's almost daring how direct they are.
Haha! On the plus side I think that after this picture Semper's part in the story will drastically improve. 
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niiiiice!! being away from art HAS made you improve! i like the textures on his face and the cards, the pose and his expression...
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Thank you! Haha! I guess that's everything you like then - the sign of a good picture! The shading of the face started off a lot more subtle and I gradually built the contrast. Even when I was finished it still lacked it so I just altered the contrast setting and then played with saturation for a bit. I took a long time over the face because it was meant to be a facial study. I never realised how much of his true character this would show. It's not just a person that looks like Semper and resembles him... it actually gives me Semper VIBES. I rarely get that from my own pictures. I can confidently say that this is my own favourite picture to date.
And I LOVE old cards. They have such texture and attitude!
Omg! There's even a hint of lightsource to the left! To my knowledge I've never had obvious lightsource before.
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why yes, there is! i see that now...
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I could easily stick a candle over to the left and it wouldn't look out of place. ^_^ Eeeee! Best pic ever!!!!
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not my fav of yourz (prob just cuz theres no gurlz in it 
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Haha! *sticks long haired wig on Semper and shaves him* Any better?
Hehe, well, I don't draw girls much, to be fair. All my most interesting characters are men. What IS your fave pic of mine, then?
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hmm...that a tuff questtion. ill have to go thru your gallery again and make a decision...
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Please do. It would be very interesting for me.
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k-- i surely will! by the way, were you able to find that pic you said you were going to look for at Uni? Im holding off on finishing your pic until i can take a look at it... or any other good recent pix you may have lying around...
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Here are some pictures but these are a year old, maybe almost 2. These are the most recent things I have apart from the yuna costume and I don't have them on this computer. I've asked some other people if they have them but they aren't at the right computer either. I think my housemate has some but he's gone right now and I can't navigate his computer since it's a mess. He'll be back in the evening and I'll ask him then.
In the meantime:
Me when I was going to a ball: [link]
me when I was posing with a plastic sword and my hair up in a way that I never have it: [link]
me cosplaying as Rukia and doing a funny crouch thing in an attempt to be cool: [link]
A video of me and my friends doing an evil laugh! Spirits are always with you! [link]
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lol cute! such a dorky video!
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Isn't it great? Mwahaha! That's us anime society people having a laugh in the silliest way imaginable. We were doing stupid laughs like that all day long. ^_^
I hope some of those pictures are some use to you as it's all I can get my hands on right now. Still waiting to get more pics off my housemate.
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i really like the one of you posing with the sword, but your hair is in the way! but yeah, i just need enuff to be able to come up with a "model" of your face from multiple angles. the more pics the better tho!
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There are, of course, the photos I have of myself on here. My school photo and the one of me with the short hair... I really don't have many photos of myself, I guess! Hehe. I'll look for more for you, though.
Ok, here's some more.
Me with flowers - you've probably seen this one before: [link]
And this one too: [link]
Here's one not many people have seen... me in sepia: [link]
Me trying to be cool with yellow sunglasses: [link]
Me and my name *Shrug*: [link]
Me hugging a plushie: [link]
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wow, that sepia one is AMAZING!! why dont you put that up somewhere?
the last one with the plushiee is perfect for what im working on. i still have to finish a couple others tho before i complete yours. AND i have to go get some new colored pencils today. but ill be working on it!
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Here. Me wielding sword and staff... at last. [link]
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noooooooooooo!
Ok... I'll just change the name...
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damnit... it read a bit of the link as a happy face... GR!
Gonna try again.
[link] 
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Mh... well, I don't really like it that much for some reason. Because you like it, though, I'll put it up.
Hehe. I can't wait to see what it is.
Haha! finally got the pictures! But they don't have the one I have up among them. Actually, there aren't many of me at all and the ones that there are are of my back.
Here's me wielding both magic staff and plastic sword! [link]
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i think that sepia pic is awesome! i dont see why you wouldnt like it...
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Hehe. I don't know... *Shrug* I can't pin down a reason. I just don't like it for some reason. I'll still put it up, though.
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I'm sorry. When I got back to uni I discovered that the computer is broken. It just won't start. This makes me very sad and confused because I was doing stuff on it last time I was down here! *cry* All my photos are on there and all my anime and some unfinished pictures I was going to put up. But there is no way I can access them. I am just using my laptop right now. Considering my boyfriend built this computer for me there is no store guarantee or anything. I just have to wait for the next time he will be here which isn't likely to be for a month yet. *sigh* Or more. Who knows with him.
I will see if any of my friends have the photos...
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ok... sorry to hear about your puter
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Yeah, it really sucks. I had a groovy new picture on there that I wanted to put up too.
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so bf is going to take a look at it when he comes down next? any chance hell be able to fix it?
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Well, he built it. I'd say that he's probably the only person who CAN fix it.
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oh yeah, that makes sense...
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Hehe. Also I can guilt-trip him into the fact that he built me a computer and it broke in just under a year. That makes it his duty to fix it!
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He reminds me of one of the dudes from Gamesoc...
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Yeah? Well, probably nobody I know.
I'm so glad I finally managed to draw some eyes that look OUT of a picture. I've been trying for so long to get that intense gaze...
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I'm trying to think which of my friends he reminds me of...
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Ok. Keep thinking. I'd like to know. Do you appreciate the chin fuzz?
*Thinks that Semper is a surprisingly attractive guy even if he is western....
Oh, the usual question - please estimate age?
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I appreciate the chin fuzz and I'd guess he is 21.
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Mh... that young, eh? Hehe. My characters look too young.
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Okay, 25?
Your characters all look really young.
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Ooh! Better! He's actually 26.
On a side not I guess my characters look young because most of the ARE young.
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The average age of my characters increases as the story progresses...logical, really, given the massive timespan.
BTW, without reading the description, can you guess how old Veldrin is in this one? [link] I'm curious now, I wanted to see how our characters square up in terms of looking older or younger than they are.
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