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Hi all

This is to answer a request from Nikel.

step 1 --sharpen image (done before resizing; it may pixelate if you sharpen too much after shrinking it too fit frame.)
step 2--- add red tint (also before resizing)... this helps create a consistant base from various images
step 3--- Resize to fit RUS frame then slowly desaturate the image until you are happy with it... very slight sharpening may be needed if it blurred during resizing but go slow.. at this size it will pixelate if you are not careful.


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Armies are a little easier

using the same red tinted image from step 2 above...

1---resize to fit other RUS army images; it will probably blur a bit

2--- add a good amount of sharpness

3--- desaturate a little.. not as much as for the unit images... I like to add a little yellow to decrease the red and give it a browner tone. several of my earlier images I left a little too red IMHO.

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I hope this helps Nikel

Thanks Jack, you are very kind

Followed your instructions and got the first portrait, Czech Legion commander Syrovy. There is already a modded portrait, but I prefer the source used here, seems more characteristic


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Nice Nikel... I like it...

Great work guys

Nikel wrote:Thanks Jack, you are very kind

Followed your instructions and got the first portrait, Czech Legion commander Syrovy. There is already a modded portrait, but I prefer the source used here, seems more characteristic


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Really nice work Nikel, like it a lot better than my own version.

You might want to lay the frame above the actual portrait though.

This might help:

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Hi OneArmedMexican

It is the source portrait what makes the difference, the hats are usually not good, perhaps there are exceptions, like Wrangel


Must admit that do not understand what you mean with You might want to lay the frame above the actual portrait, can you explain, please?


And what about you? Could you post a tutorial on how have you done your last ROP expansion portraits?


Just finished another, Baron Ungern-Sternberg, does not look a dangerous guy, but the picture is clearer than the one included in the game


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Nikel wrote:Hi OneArmedMexican

It is the source portrait what makes the difference, the hats are usually not good, perhaps there are exceptions, like Wrangel


Must admit that do not understand what you mean with You might want to lay the frame above the actual portrait, can you explain, please?

You partially cover the lower part of the frame with your portraits. Perhaps this makes it more obvious:

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It's just a small detail but it is easy to avoid.

I wrote a tutorial months back but I think Jack has given you all you need to know.

http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=19325&page=2 see post # 34

Nikel wrote:And what about you? Could you post a tutorial on how have you done your last ROP expansion portraits?

Those are a lot more time intensive: The only way I could match the art style is redraw a completely new picture (you can do that either by hand and then scan it or you do it with a graphics program - in that cae you might want to work with a much larger size than the in game format for good results). It takes a of time. But I enjoy it.

Thanks, now I see what you meant

The way I use merges a bit the portrait with the oval.

Latvian Zemitans was also done, but found another portrait and did this version


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Regarding ROP portraits, you draw a completely new portrait?!

I think I cannot do that Anyway if you have some free time and want to post a detailed tutorial using software...Thanks in advance

Nikel wrote:Thanks, now I see what you meant

The way I use merges a bit the portrait with the oval.

Latvian Zemitans was also done, but found another portrait and did this version


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Regarding ROP portraits, you draw a completely new portrait?!

I think I cannot do that Anyway if you have some free time and want to post a detailed tutorial using software...Thanks in advance

Your Zemitans looks amazing. You might want to send a PM to Seb, I could imagine he might be interested in including your stuff into their next patch.

As concerns RoP, I tried to get close to the art style by using filters but it never really worked that well. In the end, I decided to do it the hard way and actually draw completely new portraits. I believe that is what the original artist did, too. So there isn't much help that I could give you.

OneArmedMexican wrote:Your Zemitans looks amazing. You might want to send a PM to Seb, I could imagine he might be interested in including your stuff into their next patch.

As concerns RoP, I tried to get close to the art style by using filters but it never really worked that well. In the end, I decided to do it the hard way and actually draw completely new portraits. I believe that is what the original artist did, too. So there isn't much help that I could give you.

OK, thanks.


No need to pm, Seb if you consider they are good enough, feel free to use them

OneArmedMexican wrote:I wrote a tutorial months back but I think Jack has given you all you need to know.
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?t=19325&page=2 see post # 34

Added with this: http://www.ageod-forum.com/showpost.php?p=197937&postcount=93
But I still didn't succeded in doing the files..

ERISS wrote:Added with this: http://www.ageod-forum.com/showpost.php?p=197937&postcount=93
But I still didn't succeded in doing the files..

I am always happy to help, but could you explain to me where you encountered difficulties exactly? Or even better post the unfinished work until the point where you ran into trouble?

OneArmedMexican wrote:, but could you explain to me where you encountered difficulties exactly? Or even better post the unfinished work until the point where you ran into trouble?

I think I miss some concepts, as layers (how to use them? what are really are?).
I upload my folder, in the state I stopped.

You are on a good way:

You need to get rid of the white background.

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The most clean way to do that is in the early stages of the work (before you scale the original down to the required size). The first thing I do with a jpg picture is use ctrl + x and then ctrl + v that will split a picture into two layers the lower one looking like checkboard (you will only notice that it is even there if you start removing the background, though). What works rather well is the eraser function alternatively you can use a select function

Attached you will find a png file where I removed the backround (using the most crude method possible that is why there still is some white residue around the edges). Unfortunately it is hard to see the difference due to the White background colour of this forum.

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What program are you using ?
I have been using Paint.NET to make POR rulers' portraits for PON, what satisfactory results.

If you want freeware, gimp is pretty good.

Don Cossack Commander Kudinov, AFAIK there was not portrait for him




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Nikel wrote:Don Cossack Commander Kudinov, AFAIK there was not portrait for him




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Good job !
But that moustache looks somehow familiar...

Yes, thought the same, but you mean Charlot, don't you?

Nikel wrote:Yes, thought the same, but you mean Charlot, don't you?

Of course, what else could it be ?

Admiral Vasiliy Aleksandrovich Kanin, commander of the White Black Sea Fleet.

Armies&Fleets portrait not needed, I think, but done just in case.


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FreiKorps time

Major Bischoff, Commander of the Freikorps Iron Division in the Baltic


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Good stuff Nikel,

Another thing that I do is;

If an image is very bright and has little detail... you can adjust backlighting a bit. It darkens/dulls the whole image but sometimes brings out some missing detail; after that add a little contrast or brighten as needed.unfortunately it doesn't work all the time.

Not sure about other programes but adobe has it under enhance/adjust lighting/adjust backlighting

btw Semitans is awesome!

Major Bischoff a bit older ,
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and Oraz Sirdar
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I have sent those months ago in leaders portraits forum page that says all the photos are welcome but not indeed
There is a saying that ,question to camel: why your neck is so thick? He answers that I perform all my my job all alone :-)

here ya go!

I haven't tried them in game yet they should work.

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mdls and images in the zip

Excellent. Thanks jack54 for your time.

jack54 wrote:Good stuff Nikel,

Another thing that I do is;

If an image is very bright and has little detail... you can adjust backlighting a bit. It darkens/dulls the whole image but sometimes brings out some missing detail; after that add a little contrast or brighten as needed.unfortunately it doesn't work all the time.

Not sure about other programes but adobe has it under enhance/adjust lighting/adjust backlighting

btw Semitans is awesome!

Yes, also modify shadows, brightness, contrast, but as you say the result is variable

Baris wrote:Major Bischoff a bit older ,
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and Oraz Sirdar
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I have sent those months ago in leaders portraits forum page that says all the photos are welcome but not indeed
There is a saying that ,question to camel: why your neck is so thick? He answers that I perform all my my job all alone :-)

Baris, this was no ill will on my part. I stopped making more graphic sets for RUS a few months back. At that point I had about a dozen low quality portraits left. The two you posted here for a second time were amongst them. Nikel did a very nice job transforming them into decent looking ingame graphics.

OneArmedMexican wrote:Baris, this was no ill will on my part. I stopped making more graphic sets for RUS a few months back. At that point I had about a dozen low quality portraits left. The two you posted here for a second time were amongst them. Nikel did a very nice job transforming them into decent looking ingame graphics.

No !! I know indeed, I have read the comments under names that they are indeed low quality. Major Bischoff was much easier to find but for Oraz.. I had to read whole documents about basmachi revolts and white alliances in with kazakhs. It was very interesting to read to understand who they hate much. Siberian Cossacks or Bolsheviks? They decide to support white movement. I highy find it interesting with seperate ideas versus Sultan Galiyev(He should be locked leader as Lenin in game)

Other than that Nikel's Bischoff is younger and have much clear portrait, much better suits leader portraits in game
But For Oraz.. There aren't much portraits in historical sources,(I figure it out from Kazakh sources after many days.)
And thanks for your work and Jack54.
Maybe we should start biographies.