Work in progess and Previews

[Quinzy]

Optics work differently in reality though- if you focus on your hand directly, even something a foot behind will be blurry.

[odintheking]

But not that blurry when it's that far behind him.

[Sword_Of_Geddon]

why would someone want to stare at a blurry background in dipolimacy?

[Antiochus VII]

I think the industrial preview is fine as is - too sharp a focus can make the picture look 2-dimensional, the change in focus gives it better depth.

[ShiroKobbure]

Well I don't like the background. But I don't know what it should be for a Faciest country.
The popes during the medieval l times popes were actual leaders, they lead armies, and ruled states.

[Quinzy]

Indeed, Antiochus- Even about a foot distance will blur your vision if the main thing is in full focus.

[Gen. Rommel]

I personally like the blur effect, and indeed, it adds to the dimension and perspective of the image. Without it, it would all seem to flat and bland.

In terms of better backgrounds, maybe you should opt for something more militaristic in nature. I was thinking a podium with a red flag featuring an eagle crescent or symbol behind Caesar. Or maybe a military council room with a large round table in the back with maybe a couple "dummy" advisors sitting around it.

[Blue Monkey]

Originally Posted by ShiroKobbure

Well I don't like the background. But I don't know what it should be for a Faciest country.

Italian Fascist Architecture

Troll the web for images from a Bertolucci film called "The Conformist" or "Il Conformista". There are some great scenes in there showing how the Italian Fascists appropriated Roman symbols into their monuments and architecture.

Then there's this image; I don't know the identity of the building.

[ShiroKobbure]

who is this, and how is it?

[Ogedei_the_Mad]

I think it looks great.

I can think of several possibilities as to who this could be:

as a Chinese leader-
Zhao Kuangyin (later Taizu) of Song- The Song Dynasty was founded by a military leader who led a coup against his ruler due to the urgings of his soldiers and political allies.

Zhu Yuanzhang (also called Taizu) of Ming - Like the Song, the founder of Ming was also a military man. His era name "Hongwu" means "vast military" and much of his reign was occupied with driving the Mongols out of the newly-established Ming empire.

Sima Zhao of Jin - Sima Zhao was the son of Sima Yi, a great military advisor who served Cao Cao of Wei. His father took advantage of Wei's weakness and manipulated things in favor of the Sima clan. Sima Zhao usurped the rulership of Wei and established the Jin Dynasty, which ended the Sanguo (Three Kingdoms) Period.

as a Korean leader (if there was a more specifically Korean background pic)-
Wang Geon of Goryeo- Wang Geon (a.k.a. Wang Kon) was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty. He started out as a military commander and was a very effective one.

Choe Chungheon of Goryeo- Choe Chungheon led a coup against a tyrannical leader and served as a Prime Minister in the Goryeo period. Though he never took the title of supreme king ("daewang") for himself, he was a very powerful figure at the Goryeo court.

Personally, I'd advocate turning this into a Korean leaderhead, perhaps replacing Wang Geon or representing Choe Chungheon, since we really need something to replace Firaxis's horrid Uncle Fester leaderhead.

[ShiroKobbure]

it was supposed to be Shi Huang Di.
I still need to work on the armor.

[Ogedei_the_Mad]

Statues of Qin Shi Huang depict him as being a bit more round-faced. Also, he needs his hat with the beads (like the one your Wu Zetian leaderhead has) and imperial attire.

If you just change the background, this leaderhead could work for a Goryeo period Korean leaderhead since the military equipment was similar to the Chinese.

[Keroro]

That's the first Emperor, right? I think that Qin Shi Huang only started wearing the beaded hat after the Qins had taken the whole of China. This would work well IMO for him before he became the Emperor, while the Qins were still fighting the other factions. Before that he was rather more, well, sane. I really do like the look BTW. Ogedei might be right about the roundness of the face, but again, if this was for an earlier version of the man then he might not have had the chance to do quite so much feasting (and arsenic) - and thus not quite such chubby cheeks.

[nc-1701]

For the industrial Ceaser a cool background would be one of those maps you see in WW2 movies. You know that have like all those little models on them, that they push around.

The Qin Shi Huang ios good, but I also think making the cheeks a little rounder would be a good idea.

[Yoda Power]

Originally Posted by Ogedei_the_Mad

Statues of Qin Shi Huang depict him as being a bit more round-faced. Also, he needs his hat with the beads (like the one your Wu Zetian leaderhead has) and imperial attire.

Weren't everybody depicted with round faces in that time?

[Ogedei_the_Mad]

Originally Posted by Yoda Power

Weren't everybody depicted with round faces in that time?

Chubby was "in" in those days. And it wasn't far off the mark either since elites typically ate quite well.

[Gen. Rommel]

The Chinese leaderhead looks very good. He doesn't need to be chubbier...but then again, it might add to the realism. Right now he looks more like a peasant soldier, one that survives by eating millet and other foods of the worker class.

Do any of the backgrounds for Caesar that the others have suggested; any would add a good look to that leaderhead.

[ShiroKobbure]

I didn't really know what to do for medieval era, I didn't want it to be too simple/ancient looking, but I also didn't want it to be Mosulem (although I may make that as a 2nd medieval version).

What should the background be?

[odintheking]

Originally Posted by Quinzy

Indeed, Antiochus- Even about a foot distance will blur your vision if the main thing is in full focus.

Yes, but look at something a foot in front of you. Everything behind it is blurred, but the farther away something is the less blurred the stuff behind it is. Things only need be blurred a little bit, seeing as how the leaderhead isn't exactly in front of you, he's sitting across the table. For an example of how the background blur should work, look at this pic notice how Mario is sharp, and the things behind him are mildly blurred. That's how a blur effect should work.

Anyway, sorry to threadjack, Shiro, . The Shi Huang Di guy looks brilliant, I really like him.

[Blue Monkey]

Originally Posted by ShiroKobbure

I didn't really know what to do for medieval era, I didn't want it to be too simple/ancient looking, but I also didn't want it to be Mosulem (although I may make that as a 2nd medieval version).

The texture on her headdress is really good. The closed "helmet" style looks a little too masculine to me.

I apologize if the image you just posted shows just a simplified version of a headdress you're still working on and I'm repeating suggestions you already remember and are taking into consideration. Remember these old discussions?

Originally Posted by Blue Monkey

...The photo is of a male Sri Lankan Kandy Ves dancer, included to show the ornateness of headdress and jewelry. The other images are from the caves at Sigiriya and show noble women and serving girls. ... the nobles had much more elaborated headdresses and jewelry. In general, following examples of southern India (keywords like Chola Dynasty, Dravidian, Tamil, etc.) wouldn't fall too far off the mark. Hope this helps.

Spoiler:

Tamil art (including both jewelry and architecture) tends to be highly decorative; I'd compare it to Baroque art in that respect. But you don't have to be as elaborate as these images. Something open and a little "lacy" that shows more of her hair would hit the mark.

Originally Posted by Blue Monkey

You got the basic spirit of the crown; I would do something like three bands, though: thick, thin, thick; or thin, thick, thin. ... You would be better to go for a slightly SE Asian looking headdress which could also be interpreted as classically Indian. ...This is quick and dirty, but anything along these lines ...

The images in the four corners have the typical and feminine look that I'm suggesting.

Originally Posted by ShiroKobbure

hows this?
Only the left side is done, because I want to know what you think before I do the other side.
Attached Thumbnails

I know I'm asking for something that's a lot of work; but maybe you could combine the pearl headdress in this old image with some elements I've suggested from the headdress galleries.