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
Haven‘t 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
I’m not talking about agents on call 24/7. I mean regular, salaried workers. Come to my TED Talk as we explore this topic.
I created a character that helps filling this void. She is a civilian researcher, a linguist specializing in ancient civilizations, hired post-Abyss raid. On Astra’s 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).
But 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? It’s 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.
Which brings me to the menial tasks.
What 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?
Are 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."
Ok, 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."
– Oh, man, they forgot my cocoa powder! Jett whines.
– 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. (I’m 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 - Spanish
“Oye Y/N, que onda?” Gekko asked as he entered the lounge and sat next to you on the sofa
“Nada, estoy ehh… I’m just sitting here. I don't really know how to say that yet…” you trailed off with a bit of a weak laugh
“Y/N, don’t worry about it. It’s good that you can understand when I’m saying hi.”
“But I want to know more…” you paused and looked at him, then an idea struck
“You could teach me, you and I spend so much time together and it isn’t like it would be studying in school.”
Gekko stared back at you for a couple of seconds and then sat up quickly
“I’d totally teach you Spanish Y/N!” 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 ‘de acuerdo’ or ‘un poquito’ 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 ‘Creo que vamos a morir en esas sillas. Seremos esqueletos secos cuando Brim esta terminado.’
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 she’d join in. Reyna’s Spanish was quicker than when Gekko spoke to you, but you had learned to pick out a few words
“Dime Gekko, ¿qué quieres comer anoche? We got some skirt steaks in so we can make some ar-achera.” you looked over at Gekko, a puzzled expression on his face
“Como? Que dijiste Y/N”
“Arachera?...”
“You aren’t rolling the R in ‘arrachera’ right. Say it like this: Arrr-A-che-Ra.”
“Ar. A! Ara!” You tried to pronounce it the same way he did but just weren’t used to making that sound
“Well do you have any advice on how to roll an R?”
“Just put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.” he replied, taking a step closer to you while you tried to pronounce it correctly
“Como eso amor.” he leaned in and kissed you softly
“On the top of the mouth, Y/N. If you can kiss, you should have no problems with saying it right.”
“Fue incredible…” 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
“Oye Mateo,”
He looked up mid bite
“I never got to thank you for how much you’ve done for me. Muchísimas gracias a todos. Y tu sabes eso, pero te amo. Eres mi querido.” you worried you sounded too much like a telenovela but caught Gekko smiling
“De nada Y/N. Eres el amor de mi vida también.”
Chamber - French
“Bonsoir Y/N, ça va?” Chamber called to you from behind right as you entered the workshop
“I don’t know what you just said Vincent. I can only understand when you speak English.”
“But Y/N, you could learn. After all, you’d have the finest tutor in all of France to teach you.” Chamber moved closer and looked over your shoulder as you began to disassemble a pistol
“You’d actually teach me?” you asked, trying to fight the urge to turn around and meet him face to face
“Certainly Y/N. For two people to share a language is a wonderful thing. They work better together and they become so much closer”
His offer got the better of you, and you relented. You turned to face him as he stood up and met your stare
“I’ll do it then. Especially if it means we can spend a little more time together.”
Chamber adjusted his glasses and smiled. “Magnifique Y/N.”
For the next couple of weeks you met with Chamber whenever you could. Lessons tended to be something you looked forward to
“Non, non, Y/N. It would be a travesty for you not to assist on le mission. Je m’ennuie à mourir sans toi. Tu es beaucoup trop amusant pour partir.”
“Je le pense aussi, but do you think I’d just get in the way? I thought you’d be solo on this one.”
“Y/N,” Chamber affixed his glasses and studied your hesitancy, “J'adorerais ta compagnie Y/N.”
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
“Ah Y/N, puis-je vous offrir quelque chose à boire? Txakoli ou Sauvignon Blanc?” Chamber lifted two bottles for you to decide on
“Je voudrais le blanc, s’il vous plait.” you added on extra politeness knowing it would impress Chamber. Plus going with a French wine would make him proud
“A good choice,” he replied while pouring your glasses. “Es-tu installé confortablement?”
“Oui, but I have to wonder why we have a wine selection at a safehouse.” you slyly asked. Chamber gave you knowing glance
“Unless, someone went to great lengths for some time together. Avez-vous prévu cela?”
“Peut-etre.” Chamber answered, feigning ignorance and peering at his wine glass. His eyes mischievously darted to you
“You know…while I’ve been learning French, I never did learn how to say something I always wanted to learn.”
“Quoi? And that would be?” Chamber inched closer to you set his glass down
“Kiss me.” you answered, leaning towards him and gazing into his enthralling eyes
“Embrasse-moi.” Vincent whispered before taking his opportunity. He held your head and kissed you gently
After a while, you found yourself resting across Chamber’s chest. You looked up at the agent and caught him smiling down at you
“Je t’aime.” you quietly spoke
“Je t’aime aussi, Y/N.”
Fade - Turkish
It was getting late in the night and you were headed towards your room
“Hey, Y/N.” Fade’s voice made you jump and you turned to see her leaning against the wall just out of sight
“Merhaba…” you groaned absent-mindedly. The lack of sleep was finally catching up to you
“What was that? Y/N Türkçe mi öğreniyorsun?” her typical scowl replaced with deep interest
“I mean, only a little. I don’t know if I’ll keep doing it though.”
“...Well I could offer a few minutes every so often. İlgini çeker mi?
“E-Evet. Tesekkurler Fade!” despite your exhaustion, you still had trouble sleeping that night
The following couple of nights you spent in Fade’s 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
“… Üç saatlik sorguyu izlemem gerekti. Üç saat.” Fade too a long sip of çay and laid back on a pillow
“Really, 3 hours and nothing? That must have been boring.”
“Türkçe Y/N.” She chided
“Uzgunum! Ne kadar sıkıcı!” You quickly corrected yourself and adjusted your seat
“Anyways Y/N, Günün nasıldı?” Fade reclined back and trained her gaze on you
“Ughh, tipik. Keşke yapacak daha çok şeyim olsaydı.” you lamented.
“I can lend you a few books. İster misin?” 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 the
“Uykum geldi Hazal, I’m gonna head over to my…room.” You yawned and drowsily made your way towards the door but fell asleep where you were.
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
“Günaydın.” Fade had caught you once more while you tried to quietly exit. In her hands was the book she gave you last night
“Unuttum! Thank you for reminding me.” 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
You’d 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. Fade’s 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 çay
“İyi akşamlar Y/N.” Hazal greeted you with a slight smile. “Otur Y/N.”
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 Hazal’s shoulder while she held your hand
A thought crossed your mind
“Hey Hazal, Türkçe’de…I love you, nasıl denir?” you grinned as the words left your mouth
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
“Seni seviyorum, Y/N.”
Yoru - Japanese
“Oi, Y/N, pass me the wrench.” Yoru had his face buried in his bike as usual, and you were helping out and catching up
“Hai douzo…” you muttered. Yoru grabbed a hold of it and began fastening something, then stopped
“Did you just speak fucking Japanese?” He sat up, almost hitting his head on the exhaust pipe and looked at you with suspicion
“I did, so what?” you replied. Yoru was always saying something in Japanese, so you decided to learn what you could
“And why did you decide to learn Japanese, out of all of the languages to learn?” Yoru leaned on the bike
“ Betsu ni.” you shot back nonchalantly before folding your arms and smugly grinning at Yoru
“Well you’re sort of shit at it.” Yoru enjoyed the sudden embarrassment and doubt you felt before making his final move
“Komatta koto ga attara kike ne. Just make sure your questions aren’t annoying. Wakatta?” 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
“Yoru-kunnn…” you purred. It was just you and him in the locker rooms and you were being a little adventurous with new honorifics
“Y/N. Ima nan to itta?” Yoru twisted around with a scowl forming while one eyebrow lifted
“Oh, nothing. Trying out some more words, Yoru-kun!”
Yoru took a deep breath and sighed.
“It’s dumb as hell to use that outside of Japan. Nobody uses it outside of businessmen trying to kiss someone’s ass and people who don’t know better.”
“Ja dou yobou ka?” If he wasn’t gonna use it, you’d go with something else to call him.
“Ore no namae de kimatteru da. Same as you Y/N.” Yoru began combing his hair and dressing into some casual clothing
“Fine then, I’ll use something else. Yatsu work for you?”
Yoru was almost proud of you for that
“Anata wada warugaki.”
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 yourselves
“Got any plans for us Y/N?”
“Tokunai nai.”
“Good. Come with me then.” 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
“Come on Y/N, food’s gonna get cold.”
“Arigatuo Ryo.”
Steam drifted from the udon as you held it for warmth against the cold night. Yoru took notice and moved closer without a word
“Hey Yoru, Kisusuru no mi wa nandesu?” 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
“Mou ikkai ie, Y/N.”
Beginning to answer, “Kisusuru no-”
Yoru pressed his lips to yours and passionately kissed you. It was as if he had been waiting an eternity to do it
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 couldn’t tell if the blushing was coming from excitement or the cold
“Imi wa kore da yo. But do you know the meaning of aishiteru, Y/N?”
“Anata no koto daisuki.” left your mouth instinctively
Yoru and you watched the lights of the city together for the rest of the night
Sova - Russian
“Horosho Y/N, excellent marksmanship!” Sova’s applause was worth every extra hour of practice at the range
“It was your advice that helped the most. Thank you again for the lessons!” Sova took your rifle as you thanked him
“Sova, I have a bit more to ask. Just a little favor, but only if you feel like it!” you instantly realized how much you were over clarifying
“You always have my help, Y/N. What is it you would like?”
“Can you teach me some Russian? I always hear you speaking it and I thought it would be fun to learn it.”
“That would be wonderful!” Sova’s eyes lit up in excitement. Later he brought you a small book, a Russian language manual
“I had a few books delivered here from the mainland. Vam eto nravitsya?”
“Konechno, spasibo!” 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 something
This eventually continued over into missions, where you and him would use Russian because it was quicker
“Y/N! Zaryadite seychas!” 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
“Oh, I almost forgot! Imeyte eto!” Sova passed you another book, a copy of your favorite book but in Russian print
“My mozhem prochitat' eto vmeste.” 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: ‘ya lyublyu tebya, Y/N’ hidden away under the cover. Curious as to what it was, you asked Sova
“Ah, я ne dumal, chto ty skoro eto zametish'!” he was blushing and nervously twisted a strand of blonde hair
“Sova, chto eto znachit?” you asked, puzzled
“It means, I love you. Ty dlya menya vse Y/N.”
You decided to try some Russian you had learned for a moment just like this
“Potseluy menya.” 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
Sova’s kiss was strong, but gentle. His calm demeanor and tendency to take his time made the moment seem to last forever
“Я tozhe tebya lyublyu.” you whispered into his ear
Neon - Tagolog
“Kamusta ka Y/N!” Neon’s infectious energy broke through the boredom of filing a battle report
“I’m alright,” you put the report down and figured it was complete enough, “what about you?”
“Just trying to kill time. You still have the copy of that comic I lent you? Phoenix wanted a copy so…”
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
“Y/N, is this a Tagalog learning manual?” she turned over to you and held the book up
“-uh, yeah it is. I may have picked it up after we started spending more time together.” A sheepish look was your only defense
“You could’ve just asked me to teach you. I mean I could totally do that if you’re interested…” Neon’s hair was beginning to stand on end as she waited for a response
“O pakiusap.”
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
She’d also drop a few new words in every time, mostly whenever you couldn’t remember one
On a late morning jog, you and her took a rest on some of the benches inside the gym and caught up
“Pagod ka na ba?” Neon was already stretching her legs and retying her shoes
“Ilang lap pa?” you sputtered out, still catching your breath. You loved running with her, but she never got tired
“Eh, who cares anyway. Anong gagawin mo ngayong gabi?” Neon asked, taking a moment to crack her shoulders and neck
“Bukas na ang gabi ko.” Normally you had a few plans with other agent, but tonight you were all hers
“Agh!” Neon winced. “Y/N, you mind getting this one spot on my shoulder? Sobrang sakit.”
“O Tala,” you took a seat behind her and felt around her back until you touched the knot. You took your elbow and pressed into it
A shock shot through your body and sent you tumbling backwards. As you regained your composure, Neon’s panicked eyes caught yours
“Patawad Y/N!” Neon cried. She carefully helped you to your feet and offered her water bottle
“Huwag mag-alala, it happens.” you had been shocked a few times before and Neon was always worried about you
“I- patawarin mo ako. I shouldn’t be around you Y/N.” she apologized profusely and sprinted away to her room
Hours passed and Neon hadn’t left her room. By mid-evening, you decided that she had spent enough time alone and knocked on her door
“TALA!! Buksan mo ang pinto!”
The metal panels slide apart and you entered. Huddled in on her bed was Tala, hiding under her hoodie
“You shouldn’t feel bad Tala, ayos lang ako?” you gestured to yourself to emphasize
“Hindi ko mapigilang gawin ito.” Neon’s 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 kiss
“Y/N, I-.”
“Huwag kang mag-alala,” you interjected, “tumutok sa kung ano ang maaari nating kontrolin.”
Neon’s teary eyes were filled with a mix of hope and relief
“Salamat Y/N. Paano ako makakabawi sayo? Please, I can’t thank you enough!”
“Well, anong plano mo ngayong gabi?” you were going to make sure the night she planned didn’t go to waste
“I rented some movies, well Cypher pirated them for me. Gusto mo silang panoorin magkasama?” she tapped finger nervously on her bed
“Of course! Magugustuhan ko iyan!”
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
#the odyssey
#art
#ao3
#star wars
