Create visual representation of your character

[blangel]

Hello everyone, I try to find all the possible/better ways to get a visual representation of your character.
I think it's a really important part when you make a new character to visualize your creation, and to give to your friend/DM a way to see your character like you see it in your head.

I already found/use several tools but I'm sure you can help me to find other :

# https://www.heroforge.com/
+ 3D model, lot of possibility for fantasy character, 3D print available
- no color (except if you pay to get the miniature and paint it), no good for 2D support (character sheet, book cover, ...)

# http://www.heromachine.com/heromachine-3-lab/
+ 2D, color, easy to use
- 2D (yeah I know it's also a + ...), few choice for race, face feature, and pose. bad quality (IMO) / cartoon style.

# Ask a skilled artist ?
+ good and personnalized drawing, no limitation
- who ? (a friend, a stranger of the internet ? where can i find one ?)
note : I know there is some sub reddit where you can ask people to draw your char, but it never work for me (try 2 times, and I asked politely !)

# use a game to re-create your character (ie : skyrim with ton of mods or any rpg with great customisation)
+ good quality, lot of choice for the equipment (with mods)
- hard, long (don't say what you are thinking about !). Limited choice for the physical features.

Any other suggestions ?

[alexd1976]

I tend to just figure out what I want them to look like, and use Google to find an image.

Latest character: Beatrice Sharp. Wanted a pirate character, wind up discovering a new video game while searching for red-headed pirates. :D

[blangel]

alexd1976 wrote:

I tend to just figure out what I want them to look like, and use Google to find an image.

Yes that's also a possibility but I never find EXACTLY what i'm looking for.

[alexd1976]

blangel wrote:

alexd1976 wrote:

I tend to just figure out what I want them to look like, and use Google to find an image.

Yes that's also a possibility but I never find EXACTLY what i'm looking for.

It can be tough, for sure. I often find something that is 'close enough' and just go with that instead.

Of course, I almost always play humans, so it's pretty easy for me.

I pity the fool playing a Tengu gunslinger. ;)

[eakratz]

+ 1.

I sometimes try Bing too, but caveat, the results can be...interesting if the settings are not filtered . I looked for images of a female dwarf the other day... Let's just say that D&D/Pathfinded is not the predominant interest in that subject.

[Kalridian]

As far as artists go, I can recommend Ari Baker (scroll down a bit for some character designs)

Her work is great and her prices are very reasonable (between 20 and 35€, depending on size, coloring, inclusion of animal companions, background etc.)

[SlimGauge]

Sometimes you can find something useful on DeviantArt

[blackbloodtroll]

I just draw all my PCs.

Though, a number are basically stolen(borrowed with credit noted) from other peoples designs, with heavy altering to meet the concept. Sometimes, not so heavy altering.

Finding minis, is the hard part.

[Froth Maw]

It's actually not hard to do it yourself if you force yourself to keep it simple. I was the only one in my last party using a paper character sheet, while all of my friends were using digital ones that allowed for a picture in the top left corner. Being that I did the cartoons for my university's newspaper, they asked me to make little cartoons for their characters and got this http://imgur.com/Zwhwsiq. 4 human arcane sorcerers (all wearing masks) and a tiefling barbarian. They were seperate when my friends used them, I just put them together here so I'd only have to post one link.

I use illustrartor, just because I can, but you can do simple drawings like that in any program.