hello guys im so excited to present nuniqs new headshot :33333 i feel like i nailed the val art style a lot better this time around and it shows how i envision her much better . im so happy i love making progress as an artist YAYYYYYY
uncropped + wip shots under readmore:
hallo welcome to floof wips. im gonna roughly explain my process here HEHE
so start with a grayscale base . i kinda cheated here because i used her 3d model but usually ur gonna want to just block out the basic values and make sure everything is distinct and contrasts well or else it gets all muddy and blends into eachother.
after that i drop the skin color over it since thats the most important thing to be rendered rn. dont worry about the other details since we'll get to them later .
at this stage i would paint over everything on another layer to fix the hues since the color layer doesnt get everything correctly . from here i referenced the other val portraits to get the right shade of lineart etc
in this shot you can see i painted over the hair because i didnt like how it was looking :33 thats fine, its an okay thing to do, sometimes u have to kill the "already good" parts of your painting to fix some underlying issues . for example i wanted there to be more gaps in her bangs so i scrapped the hair and painted her forehead in
something i realized with the valorant art style is that, the less you blend the better actually . the icon started looking more "valorant" the second i ditched the blending tool and just started picking local colors and blocking them in. it took a way a lot of the muddiness and moved it towards the more graphic art style val has. youll noticed i also shifted the hair towards a more purple hue instead of a brown one :33 i didnt use adjustment layers or blending modes, i just used my glaze brush with a bluish color until it looked right-- then i painted over it Again to fix the values while staying in that hue
anyway i hope this helps somehow !!!! always reference and think of things in 3d . something something closing statement . YAY
Havenât really thought much about their abilities but I think their major thing would be giving or fixing their teammates shields. Other than that I barely even thought about a story and personality, lil bro here is basically just a recycled oc from 6 years ago. At least they look cool and I kinda love them
âIâm not talking about agents on call 24/7. I mean regular, salaried workers. Come to my TED Talk as we explore this topic.
âI created a character that helps filling this void. She is a civilian researcher, a linguist specializing in ancient civilizations, hired post-Abyss raid. On Astraâs recommendation, she came in to catalog and research the artifacts the Scions of Hourglass were gatekeeping, taking the load off agents like the scholars and Killjoy (no matter the topic they always handle KJ work, poor girl).
âBut unlike the agents, she works a strict 40-hour week with full benefits (if my man Brim needs her to work overtime, he better be getting her money ready). She lives on-site at HQ during the week because logistics, but she gets a ride home with KAY/O on the weekends. I have a very vivid image of them in the VLT/R, blasting Charli XCX singing "vroom vroom, bitches know they can't catch me" as they ride off.
Still, one researcher doesn't make a full staff.
I truly believe a nurse to assist Sage in the med bay and an admin assistant for Brimstone would be vital. Sage shouldn't be responsible for handling every health-related issue alone. A nurse could handle the routine stuff: checking bandages, sutures, administering treatments, and managing med supplies. Sure, Skye probably tags along to help, but having a medical professional whose sole focus is patient care sounds necessary, right?
And don't get me started on Brimstone. He deals with way too much. Have you seen the emails he gets? Itâs like he is the HR department. Come on, hire an office worker to help you! It would free him up to deal with stuff more pertinent to, I don't know, saving the world? Instead of dealing with contract details and restocking snacks.
âWhich brings me to the menial tasks.
âWhat about doing maintenance work, cleaning and cooking? I know they have high-tech gear and can probably automate a lot with robots, but are you telling me there isn't a single chef to cook for nearly 30 people? A line cook? A kitchen assistant?
âAre you seriously telling me that Brimstone makes a supermarket run twice a week to buy fresh produce for the whole team? That implies the agents are getting emails like: "Sorry team, they were out of oranges, so I brought Clementines instead."
âOk, maybe they have a dedicated supplier, but they still need someone to physically get the stuff into the HQ. I refuse to believe Brimstone takes on that task too, but he's consistently paranoid about the VP security, so I don't think he'd let a stranger do that. If there's no staff, the only other available agent is KAY/O (oh the perks of being an android who doesn't get tired and is always available). And frankly, it would be comical to have a war machine responsible for hauling groceries, sending updates like: "The pantry is full again."
â Oh, man, they forgot my cocoa powder! Jett whines.
â Please fill the form so I can forward your complaints to the supplier, the monotone robot answers very seriously.
The protocol is about as international as it gets, and although most of them are bilingual there can be a bit of a language barrier. You and your S/O decided to practice a bit of their native language so you could. (Iâm bilingual in Spanish so everything else me actually learning words, so it may not sound like a native speaker). Like, reblog, and comment pls :) Special thank you to @darthladyofillusions for help translating the Turkish and Japanese!
Gekko - SpanishÂ
âOye Y/N, que onda?â Gekko asked as he entered the lounge and sat next to you on the sofa
âNada, estoy ehh⊠Iâm just sitting here. I don't really know how to say that yetâŠâ you trailed off with a bit of a weak laughÂ
âY/N, donât worry about it. Itâs good that you can understand when Iâm saying hi.â
âBut I want to know moreâŠâ you paused and looked at him, then an idea struck
âYou could teach me, you and I spend so much time together and it isnât like it would be studying in school.â
Gekko stared back at you for a couple of seconds and then sat up quickly
âIâd totally teach you Spanish Y/N!â His excitement matched yours, and a wide grin spread across his face
A few weeks went by between you and him doing the basics of Spanish. Practicing phrases for callouts helped a lot for the field, but even simple responses like âde acuerdoâ or âun poquitoâ became more common for you
During a particularly slow day, Brimstone called a meeting. Gekko and you sat together as usual
Part way through the meeting, Gekko whispered âCreo que vamos a morir en esas sillas. Seremos esqueletos secos cuando Brim esta terminado.â
You understood his joke clearly and stifled your laughter the best you could. Gekko had made a habit of telling jokes in Spanish for only you and him
Unless of course Reyna was in the room, at which point sheâd join in. Reynaâs Spanish was quicker than when Gekko spoke to you, but you had learned to pick out a few words
âYou arenât rolling the R in âarracheraâ right. Say it like this: Arrr-A-che-Ra.â
âAr. A! Ara!â You tried to pronounce it the same way he did but just werenât used to making that sound
âWell do you have any advice on how to roll an R?â
âJust put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.â he replied, taking a step closer to you while you tried to pronounce it correctly
âComo eso amor.â he leaned in and kissed you softlyÂ
âOn the top of the mouth, Y/N. If you can kiss, you should have no problems with saying it right.â
âFue incredibleâŠâ you whispered as he pulled back. Gekko was blushing as much as you were and giggled quietly
The rest of the evening was spent grilling, cutting vegetables, and making crude jokes in Spanish
Wingman nearly ran away with some of the plated arepas you and him had made. After rescuing them, you had your dinner together
âOye Mateo,âÂ
He looked up mid biteÂ
âI never got to thank you for how much youâve done for me. MuchĂsimas gracias a todos. Y tu sabes eso, pero te amo. Eres mi querido.â you worried you sounded too much like a telenovela but caught Gekko smiling
âBonsoir Y/N, ça va?â Chamber called to you from behind right as you entered the workshopÂ
âI donât know what you just said Vincent. I can only understand when you speak English.â
âBut Y/N, you could learn. After all, youâd have the finest tutor in all of France to teach you.â Chamber moved closer and looked over your shoulder as you began to disassemble a pistol
âYouâd actually teach me?â you asked, trying to fight the urge to turn around and meet him face to face
âCertainly Y/N. For two people to share a language is a wonderful thing. They work better together and they become so much closerâ
His offer got the better of you, and you relented. You turned to face him as he stood up and met your stare
âIâll do it then. Especially if it means we can spend a little more time together.â
Chamber adjusted his glasses and smiled. âMagnifique Y/N.â
For the next couple of weeks you met with Chamber whenever you could. Lessons tended to be something you looked forward to
âNon, non, Y/N. It would be a travesty for you not to assist on le mission. Je mâennuie Ă mourir sans toi. Tu es beaucoup trop amusant pour partir.â Â
âJe le pense aussi, but do you think Iâd just get in the way? I thought youâd be solo on this one.â
âY/N,â Chamber affixed his glasses and studied your hesitancy, âJ'adorerais ta compagnie Y/N.â
The mission was a strike on some Omega agents in the Pyrenees range. After some light exercise and carefully placed shots, you and him retired to safehouse in the mountains
âAh Y/N, puis-je vous offrir quelque chose Ă boire? Txakoli ou Sauvignon Blanc?â Chamber lifted two bottles for you to decide on
âJe voudrais le blanc, sâil vous plait.â you added on extra politeness knowing it would impress Chamber. Plus going with a French wine would make him proud
âPeut-etre.â Chamber answered, feigning ignorance and peering at his wine glass. His eyes mischievously darted to you
âYou knowâŠwhile Iâve been learning French, I never did learn how to say something I always wanted to learn.â
âQuoi? And that would be?â Chamber inched closer to you set his glass down
âKiss me.â you answered, leaning towards him and gazing into his enthralling eyes
âEmbrasse-moi.â Vincent whispered before taking his opportunity. He held your head and kissed you gently
After a while, you found yourself resting across Chamberâs chest. You looked up at the agent and caught him smiling down at you
âJe tâaime.â you quietly spoke
âJe tâaime aussi, Y/N.â
Fade - Turkish
It was getting late in the night and you were headed towards your room
âHey, Y/N.â Fadeâs voice made you jump and you turned to see her leaning against the wall just out of sight
âMerhabaâŠâ you groaned absent-mindedly. The lack of sleep was finally catching up to youÂ
âWhat was that? Y/N TĂŒrkçe mi öÄreniyorsun?â her typical scowl replaced with deep interest
âI mean, only a little. I donât know if Iâll keep doing it though.â
â...Well I could offer a few minutes every so often. İlgini çeker mi?
âE-Evet. Tesekkurler Fade!â despite your exhaustion, you still had trouble sleeping that night
The following couple of nights you spent in Fadeâs room with a cup of tea and a few notes you scribbled down
Most of the practice was just chatting together about life at the protocol and the day to day
â⊠Ăç saatlik sorguyu izlemem gerekti. Ăç saat.â Fade too a long sip of çay and laid back on a pillow
âReally, 3 hours and nothing? That must have been boring.â
âTĂŒrkçe Y/N.â She chided
âUzgunum! Ne kadar sıkıcı!â You quickly corrected yourself and adjusted your seat
âAnyways Y/N, GĂŒnĂŒn nasıldı?â Fade reclined back and trained her gaze on you
âUghh, tipik. KeĆke yapacak daha çok Ćeyim olsaydı.â you lamented. Â
âI can lend you a few books. İster misin?â Fade picked a few hard cover books from her nightstand and offered them to you
Almost half asleep, you took one and looked it over the summary. Despite theÂ
âUykum geldi Hazal, Iâm gonna head over to myâŠroom.â You yawned and drowsily made your way towards the door but fell asleep where you were.Â
Fade moved over to you and placed on of her blankets over you. She stood, captivated by how peacefully you slept
The following morning you woke up in her room and began to make your way to your own
âGĂŒnaydın.â Fade had caught you once more while you tried to quietly exit. In her hands was the book she gave you last night
âUnuttum! Thank you for reminding me.â you took the book back and set it your room
You met Fade outside your room after your morning routine. Both of you had the day off, so spent it together
Youâd chat in Turkish about plans and privately made arrangements to meet together outside for çay after most of the protocol went to sleep
 Most of the day was gossipping in Turkish and sharing stories from before the protocol. Fadeâs were usually dramatic considering her history, yours were a little more uplifting
Once the moon was hanging over the headquarters, you crept quietly to the spot with freshly made çayÂ
âİyi akĆamlar Y/N.â Hazal greeted you with a slight smile. âOtur Y/N.â
Taking a seat next to her, you began to sip your tea and chat with Hazal about how much things had changed for the both of you since joining Valorant
By the time the tea was finished, you had your head rested on Hazalâs shoulder while she held your hand
A thought crossed your mind
âHey Hazal, TĂŒrkçeâdeâŠI love you, nasıl denir?â you grinned as the words left your mouthÂ
Her eyes drifted towards you and she raised an eyebrow. Her green and blue eyes studied your growing apprehension
Without warning, she took hold of the back of your head and pulled you in close
Her kiss was impulsive and quick, and she held you gently as if trying to shield you from the surrounding darkness
When you broke the kiss, your face was flushed with surprise. The night air felt twice as cool against the warmth in your cheeks
âSeni seviyorum, Y/N.âÂ
Yoru - Japanese
âOi, Y/N, pass me the wrench.â Yoru had his face buried in his bike as usual, and you were helping out and catching up
âHai douzoâŠâ you muttered. Yoru grabbed a hold of it and began fastening something, then stopped
âDid you just speak fucking Japanese?â He sat up, almost hitting his head on the exhaust pipe and looked at you with suspicion
âI did, so what?â you replied. Yoru was always saying something in Japanese, so you decided to learn what you couldÂ
âAnd why did you decide to learn Japanese, out of all of the languages to learn?â Yoru leaned on the bike
â Betsu ni.â you shot back nonchalantly before folding your arms and smugly grinning at Yoru
âWell youâre sort of shit at it.â Yoru enjoyed the sudden embarrassment and doubt you felt before making his final move
âKomatta koto ga attara kike ne. Just make sure your questions arenât annoying. Wakatta?â His attempt to seem uncaring was outweighed by his offer
A few weeks went by of you and Yoru throwing barbs at each other in Japanese or just exchanging short phrases
âYoru-kunnnâŠâ you purred. It was just you and him in the locker rooms and you were being a little adventurous with new honorifics
âY/N. Ima nan to itta?â Yoru twisted around with a scowl forming while one eyebrow lifted
âOh, nothing. Trying out some more words, Yoru-kun!âÂ
Yoru took a deep breath and sighed. Â
âItâs dumb as hell to use that outside of Japan. Nobody uses it outside of businessmen trying to kiss someoneâs ass and people who donât know better.â
âJa dou yobou ka?â If he wasnât gonna use it, youâd go with something else to call him.
âOre no namae de kimatteru da. Same as you Y/N.â Yoru began combing his hair and dressing into some casual clothing
âFine then, Iâll use something else. Yatsu work for you?â
Yoru was almost proud of you for that
âAnata wada warugaki.â
More weeks passed by with you learning some more obscenities from Yoru. His days of crime taught him an assortment of terms you eagerly applied to your own learning
Soon, you and him were assigned to break into a building and sabotage some equipment
Once you were done, you and Yoru were free to enjoy yourselvesÂ
âGot any plans for us Y/N?â
âTokunai nai.â
âGood. Come with me then.â He pushed past you and grabbed your hand. Before you knew it you were traveling through his rift
Suddenly, you found yourself on a rooftop overlooking the city. Yoru teleported behind you holding some bags and taking a seat on the ledge
âCome on Y/N, foodâs gonna get cold.â
âArigatuo Ryo.âÂ
Steam drifted from the udon as you held it for warmth against the cold night. Yoru took notice and moved closer without a word
âHey Yoru, Kisusuru no mi wa nandesu?â you asked while resting your head on his shoulder
Yoru froze for a second, you felt him tense his arm ever so slightly. His eyes moved over to you and a small smirk began to form on his face
âMou ikkai ie, Y/N.â
Beginning to answer, âKisusuru no-âÂ
Yoru pressed his lips to yours and passionately kissed you. It was as if he had been waiting an eternity to do itÂ
Your arm snaked around his waist and he did the same to you. Warmth from him eased your shivering against the wind
He broke off the kiss and gazed into your eyes. You couldnât tell if the blushing was coming from excitement or the cold
âImi wa kore da yo. But do you know the meaning of aishiteru, Y/N?â
âAnata no koto daisuki.â left your mouth instinctively
Yoru and you watched the lights of the city together for the rest of the night
Sova - RussianÂ
âHorosho Y/N, excellent marksmanship!â Sovaâs applause was worth every extra hour of practice at the range
âIt was your advice that helped the most. Thank you again for the lessons!â Sova took your rifle as you thanked himÂ
âSova, I have a bit more to ask. Just a little favor, but only if you feel like it!â you instantly realized how much you were over clarifying
âYou always have my help, Y/N. What is it you would like?â
âCan you teach me some Russian? I always hear you speaking it and I thought it would be fun to learn it.âÂ
âThat would be wonderful!â Sovaâs eyes lit up in excitement. Later he brought you a small book, a Russian language manual
âI had a few books delivered here from the mainland. Vam eto nravitsya?â
âKonechno, spasibo!â you quickly thanked him with the Russian you had practiced
You and Sova took turns trying out words in conversation. It was a little intimidating, but his encouragement got you through the embarrassment
You and him started to meet for occasional chats in Russian, usually starting with a compliment on somethingÂ
This eventually continued over into missions, where you and him would use Russian because it was quicker
âY/N! Zaryadite seychas!â Sova yelled while aiming a recon arrow. You stampeded in and dispatched the hostile agents with his help
After recovering from the fight, you and him were together in the lounge and chatting in a mixture of Russian and English
âOh, I almost forgot! Imeyte eto!â Sova passed you another book, a copy of your favorite book but in Russian print
âMy mozhem prochitat' eto vmeste.â Sova was softly smiling and seemed lost in how happy he had made you
You practically crushed him with a hug. You buried your face into his sweater before pulling him onto the couch
Opening the book, you flipped through the pages to the front and found the start of the first chapter. Noticing the cover was loose, you adjusted it and your eye caught something
In elegant cursive was written: âya lyublyu tebya, Y/Nâ hidden away under the cover. Curious as to what it was, you asked Sova
âAh, Ń ne dumal, chto ty skoro eto zametish'!â he was blushing and nervously twisted a strand of blonde hair
âSova, chto eto znachit?â you asked, puzzled
âIt means, I love you. Ty dlya menya vse Y/N.âÂ
You decided to try some Russian you had learned for a moment just like this
âPotseluy menya.â you leaned in and Sova did as well
You placed the book down and embraced Sova. He was warm, and the comfort you felt in his arms was akin to sitting near a fireplace
Sovaâs kiss was strong, but gentle. His calm demeanor and tendency to take his time made the moment seem to last forever
âĐŻ tozhe tebya lyublyu.â you whispered into his ear
Neon - Tagolog
âKamusta ka Y/N!â Neonâs infectious energy broke through the boredom of filing a battle report
âIâm alright,â you put the report down and figured it was complete enough, âwhat about you?â
âJust trying to kill time. You still have the copy of that comic I lent you? Phoenix wanted a copy soâŠâ
Rummaging through the books on your shelf, you pulled a volume from the collection. A few books fell as you did so
Neon immediately went to help you place them on her shelf started replacing them. She suddenly paused
âY/N, is this a Tagalog learning manual?â she turned over to you and held the book upÂ
â-uh, yeah it is. I may have picked it up after we started spending more time together.â A sheepish look was your only defense
âYou couldâve just asked me to teach you. I mean I could totally do that if youâre interestedâŠâ Neonâs hair was beginning to stand on end as she waited for a response
âO pakiusap.âÂ
For a few days, you and Neon met together for lessons. Of course it was mainly her correcting a few phrases while the two of you went for a run or chatted
Sheâd also drop a few new words in every time, mostly whenever you couldnât remember oneÂ
On a late morning jog, you and her took a rest on some of the benches inside the gym and caught up
âPagod ka na ba?â Neon was already stretching her legs and retying her shoes
âIlang lap pa?â you sputtered out, still catching your breath. You loved running with her, but she never got tiredÂ
âEh, who cares anyway. Anong gagawin mo ngayong gabi?â Neon asked, taking a moment to crack her shoulders and neck
âBukas na ang gabi ko.â Normally you had a few plans with other agent, but tonight you were all hers
âAgh!â Neon winced. âY/N, you mind getting this one spot on my shoulder? Sobrang sakit.â
âO Tala,â you took a seat behind her and felt around her back until you touched the knot. You took your elbow and pressed into itÂ
A shock shot through your body and sent you tumbling backwards. As you regained your composure, Neonâs panicked eyes caught yours
âPatawad Y/N!â Neon cried. She carefully helped you to your feet and offered her water bottleÂ
âHuwag mag-alala, it happens.â you had been shocked a few times before and Neon was always worried about you
âI- patawarin mo ako. I shouldnât be around you Y/N.â she apologized profusely and sprinted away to her room
Hours passed and Neon hadnât left her room. By mid-evening, you decided that she had spent enough time alone and knocked on her door
âTALA!! Buksan mo ang pinto!âÂ
The metal panels slide apart and you entered. Huddled in on her bed was Tala, hiding under her hoodie
âYou shouldnât feel bad Tala, ayos lang ako?â you gestured to yourself to emphasizeÂ
âHindi ko mapigilang gawin ito.â Neonâs regret clung to each word, as she dug herself deeper into her clothes
You decided to use a trick you had absolute faith in to get her out of the pit she found herself stuck in
Neon reacted with surprise as you suddenly held her and kissed her. She froze, arms raising to keep you away
Wrapping your arms around her, you ran your hands over her back gently. Neon melted into you, but broke the kissÂ
âY/N, I-.â
âHuwag kang mag-alala,â you interjected, âtumutok sa kung ano ang maaari nating kontrolin.â
Neonâs teary eyes were filled with a mix of hope and relief
âSalamat Y/N. Paano ako makakabawi sayo? Please, I canât thank you enough!â
âWell, anong plano mo ngayong gabi?â you were going to make sure the night she planned didnât go to waste
âI rented some movies, well Cypher pirated them for me. Gusto mo silang panoorin magkasama?â she tapped finger nervously on her bed
âOf course! Magugustuhan ko iyan!â Â
With that, you and Neon spent most of the evening cuddled together in her room. About half way through the second film, she leaned over to you and whispered