Screenshot Art & Posing Guide

Updates:
9/26/2010: Added some veno poses example shots, added female archer section & examples, inserted tips from Cocobelle & Nowitsawn, added link to female cleric guide by Cocobelle
9/28/2010: Added Esnemyl's archer poses
10/02/2010: Added "Places to Visit" Post #2 and random examples #3
10/04/2010: Added Cleric (Female) Poses



"Posing" - Pressing the "E" Button and using the given emotions to create a scene.
Screenshot - Press Alt+H to hide the UI and press the Prt Scr button, or press F9, have the Hide UI checked, and pressing the button to take the screenshot

Examples:




Basics of Taking a Screenshot

1. Take time. Although some just take a screenshot when something pretty comes up, ususally the best most interesting ones come from one that has been thought out. Use some imagination, and think ahead. Although sometimes its just about trying different poses and seeing what happens, if you just watch the character do a certain pose several times you get to see the individual poses within it that you might want to try out.

2. Pick an appropiate background. Sometimes even though your pose isn't exactly perfect, having the best background that helps interpret what's going on will help make it more meaningful. In general, a place where your character(s) are in light will make it stand out more. Also, turn your effects up if you can to max, or at least the vegetation and textures. Having shadows is a nice detail you can always use. In water try and have the warp and V-Sync turned on. When taking a shot in front of a particularly great landscape, turn on Sharpen.

Cocobelle's Tip - "Another thing I'd suggest is using the Soften option in your screenshots. It makes everything smoother and easier to edit."

3. Make sure that there is no writing on your screen. Go to your UI menu and turn off all texts including your name, other people's names, npc names, item names, etc. There is nothing more distracting in a picture than text.

4. As in most art, simple is best. Try not to get in your screenshot more than you need to convey whatever you're trying to say with your pose, while having as much detail as possible. This means that sometimes you might want to turn down distance so that objects in the far background don't show. Often times because of the lack of options, overemphasizing a certain pose/action will make the image more impactful.

5. Jam that print screen button. You most likely will not get the perfect angle the first couple times. It'll be easier if you hotkey the pose you will use. Make sure to take screenshots as many times as you can while your character is in motion - do not just try and get the timing right (this is only true when you are not working with other props; when working with npcs, pets, mounts, animals, etc. make sure you get a general timing and then start taking as many as you can once you are cordinated). Just take as many as you can, and you will most often find one that will surprise you. Check them out, and if its not perfect, set your character to "walk" and move them to new position. Rotate the angle in several ways with your mouse, zoom out, zoom in. Press F9 and move the screen up or down, or pan out or in even more. In some cases, you will have to find a slanted plane to match up arms/legs/poses (like one character will have to be higher up the hill in order for the other person's hand to reach their hands, etc)

6. Have patience.

7. Sometimes, having another character there to take the screenshots help. Like having another computer, or asking a friend to pose/shoot them for you. These allow the very close up pictures.

8. If you are creating a screenshot just for the pure sake of it and not to show off your character, the following is important. Pick your actor(s) right. All classes have specific poses, and some are eaiser to find different uses for than others. This is especially important when taking group/couple pictures.

9. Edit your pictures. Photoshop is your best friend when it comes to finalizing your screenshots. Resize them, crop them. Increase or decrease the contrast, saturation, and brightness to your hearts content. Remeber however, photoshop will NOT make your screenshot (until you get into actually designing with them which I won't discuss here - See Nowitsawn's post #9 on this thread for an editing tip) the work of what is shown has to be in the original before you can twick it to make it look polished.

Cocobelle's Tip - "Another tip is that you do not need Photoshop (for those of you who ask) in order to edit the screenshots. Gimp is one of the free tools you can use to edit your screenshots. Usually just by editing the contrast will make your screenshot look better. http://www.pixlr.com/editor/ is a free online "photoshop-like" tool is for those of you who do not want to download any image-editing programs. It has a lot of common things with Photoshop such as filters, layer modes, etc."

10. Share them! What's the point of taking if you not share with anyone? It helps to give a description of what's going on, but the best ones often speak for themselves, or are open to interpretation.




Posing Guide
Click on the Name (Link) to see an example!
Watch some of my Youtube Vids that show all the poses of specific Classes.

Venomancers
Wave:
{Side/Back} Hi-Five - Put two venos close together and make their hands line up.
{Side} Tired- Stand close to the wall, make it seem like she's leaning against it.

Nod:
{Side} Sassy - Put two venos back to back, at least one of them using this pose.
{Back} Contempleting - Have her face something different, like she's thinking as she is looking at it.
{Front} Leaning- Position the veno behide a counter/box that is the right height so that her arms will be resting on top of the counter.

Shake Head:
{Side} Looking Down - Cute when she is looking down at something, like someone dead or a pet.

Shrug:
{Front/Back} Holding Hands - Line them up doing pose at the same time, make them look like they are holding hands and having fun

LOL:
{Back} Touched - Towards the end of the animation, both her hands will look like she is holding them close to her heart. Perhaps a man kneeling in front of her, or a hurt animal.
{Front} Shocked - Take it at the moment a hand is on her mouth and the other arm is down in front of a shocking scene.
{Side} Saddness of Departure {2}- Works best when the arm to her mouth is towards you. Take it close to another person and wait til the other arm is on the other person's chest/back. It will look like she is sad that person is leaving.

Mad:
{Front} Leaning - Position the veno behide a counter/box that is the right height so that her arms will be resting on top of the counter.
{Any} Fighting - Take as soon as you start the action, will look like she's raising two fists for a fight.
{Side} Trapped - Take from side her face is away from you. She will hug her body like she is cold/lonely. Pick a good background, like behind those transparent boxes or a cage.

Faint:
{Side} Petting/Picking up - When she is getting up, start spamming. Her out stretched arm will make it look like she's picking up something/petting a pet on the ground.
{Side} Bowing - A little after the above pose, she will pull back the arm. If standing in from of a king/another person, it'll look like she's bowing.
{Back} Pushed - Have someone zoom past her as she is a little tilted to the side before she falls. Will make it look like someone pushed her aside to get past.
{Back} Beaten - Maybe in front of a boss/evil player, the stance she does as she is pushing up from the ground (her hands are on the ground) will make it look like she's looking at her foe in agony.

Sad:
{Side} Looking Down - A little more contempt looking down.
{Front} Looking Down - zoom in and tilt the angel so it looks like she's looking down at the screen, like she's discovering something (the viewer)

Kiss:
{Side} Feeding - Match her outstretched hand to a pet's mouth. Works best with flying pets/horses/mounts.
{Side} Assuring - In much the same way, have her arms stretch and touch the chin of another person like she's telling them it'll be ok.
{Front} Surprised - Take right when her hand is to her mouth like she's surprised at something.

Shy:
{Side} Looking Down - More like she's thinking tho.
{Front} Bondage - Taking from a little lower angle closer up, the way she has her hands behind her back will make her seem like she's tied up.
{Back} Leaning - Against a post, she'll look like she's leaning against it.

Solute:
{Front/Side} Going for the hug - Take right before she crosses arms
{Back} Touched - Same as before, towards the end it'll look like she has her arms to her heart.

Sit:
{Front} Brushed - Right before she sits, she'll tilt her head down a little. Have a kitten or
something stand near her feet rolling/cuddling, make it like she's surprised to find him there.

Charge:
{Back} Arrested - Have a person standing where her outstretched arm is to her back while she is looking backwards. It'll look like that person is pulling her back by the arm.
{Front} Titanic - When she is facing a little back and her arm is out, having the right male character behind her with his arms around her will make a titanic scene.

Think:
{Front} Leaning - Position the veno behide a counter/box that is the right height so that her arms will be resting on top of the counter.

Provoke:
{Side} Looking through a window - Has to be almost a direct shot against a window or something, have her stand close like she's looking inside.

Victory:
{Back} Reaching - Works best from the back, looks like she's reaching for something above her. Do near a tree like she's picking a fruit off it.

Stretch:
{Side} About to Jump - Especialy in front of the water, taken at the right times it'll look like she's preparing to jump in

Atk 1:
{Front} Casting a spell - Zoom in, and take when her arm is across her mouth like she's casting an evil spell.

Defend:
{Any} Shocked - like she's shielding her eyes from something bright

Fall Over:
{Any} Punched - Classic

Fall Down:
{Any} Falling - I know it's the same, but have her dive off an edge of a cliff or a bridge being chased by someone

Dance:
{Top} Breath of air - When she looks up, looks like she's taking a breath
{Side} Taken Back - Have a man stand behind her holding her and take when both her arms are stretched to the ground. She's being taken back

Skills (Turn Effect Down to Zero)
{Top} Parasitic Nova - When she looks up, looks like she's taking a breath


Archers (Female)
Wave:
{Side} Hello - Works best when arm that's waving is behind her. Have her stand near away from a wall and someone in front of her either waving or touching her waving hand. Romantic scene.
{Side/Back} Tired - Stand close to the wall, make it seem like she's leaning against it.

Shake Head:
{Side} Pushing - Against a wall or a person
{Back} Playing - Have two match up their hands like they're playing

Shrug:
{Side} Resting Head - This needs to be a close up of the face. She will tilt her head back away from the screen. Have another person's shoulder/head be on either side so it'll be like she's resting her head on them.

LOL:
{Front/Side} Tragic - Close up on the torso, or full body and take when arm is on her mouth in front of a tragic scene.
{Back/Side} Leaning - Against a wall, prop her elbow against the wall

Mad:
{Back/Front/Side} Through the Looking Glass - Again, looks like she's looking into a window/door at the end of the animation

Faint:
{Side/Back} Surprise - Set a pet on the ground and faint next to it. Take when she looks down to the pet, especially cute if pet is doing some cuddling

Sad:
{Side} Looking Down - End of the animation

Kiss:
{Side} Reaching - Her arm to feed something, hold up a firefly, etc
{Top} Blowing - like she's blowing off some dandelion seeds from her hands
{Side} Opposed - Right as it begins, when her hand is turned away and arm on her waist like she's disguisted
{Front} Surprised - A little close up, when her body is slightly twisted and her hand is to her mouth and she is looking down.
Esnemyl's Tip: It kind of looks like im trying to explain something
Esnemyl's Tip: It looks like im partially shocked


Shy:
{Any} Struggling - Looks like her hands are tied together

Solute:
{Back} Dear - Arms close to her heart, touched
{Bottom} Chant - Have her head show up between her arms

Sit Down:
{Back} Action - Right as she's getting down in front of a foe like shes ready to spring

Charge:
{Side/Back} Throwing
{Top} Protecting - When her arm is back have someone standing behind it like she's pushing them away to protext them

Think:
{Side/Back} Resting (Esnemyl's Example) - Prop her elbow on a box/object like she's resting on it

Victory:
{Side} Hold Hands - have two standing facing and hold hands
{Back} Knocking - on a door

Stretch:
{Top} Matrix - lol dodging bullets
{Front} Group hug - Position people in front of each arm like she's about to bring them in for a hug

Atk 1:
{Side} Pat on the Back - When extended arm is on shoulder of another

Defend:
{Side} Kissing - Hold someone inbetween arms

Fall Over:
{Any} - Punched

Fall Down:
{Back} Blinded - Like she's falling from the impact of something stunning

Look
{Front} Anticipation - Standing next to someone, head tilted towards their cheek like they want a kiss

Skills (Turn Effects to Zero)
{Front/Back} Blazing Arrow/Winged Shell/Protection - Fireball about to be fired

Clerics Female

Cocobelle's Guide!

Wave:
{Back} Leaning - Against a wall, rest her hands on it

LOL:
{Any} Hug - In the beginning, looks like she's raising hands for a hug

Mad
{Front} Shock - Hands to her mouth
{Bottom} Pondering - Angle camera upwards, looks like she's looking at someone on the ground puzzling

Faint:
{Front/Back} Tanning - Especially when looking at the sun, looks like she's looking out into the distance or just tanning in the light

Sad:
{Any} Huh? - She's looking at something on the ground

Kiss:
{Any} Embrace - Towards the end, arms spread going in for a huge hug

Charge:
{Back} Sick - When her arm is to her forhead, especially against a wall, looks like she's feeling dizzy/exhausted

Provoke:
{Side} Pushing - Pushing a box/person, just rest her hands on them

Stretch:
{Side} Rest - Rest her arms on something/someone's shoulder

Defend:
{Top} Gift - Looks like she's handing something to someone, like a light (if she has wiz buff on her)
{Front} Hmm - Angle so it's tilting up a little near a door, looks like she's opening/trying to peek inside