Rambuchan
The Funky President
I have some interesting characters to request leaderheads for. They are largely untouched by artists in the forums yet there is beautiful artwork to base LHs on and they were significant rulers in history. A lot of them have very unusual characteristics too. 
I should say this is with a view to populating a scenario we are doing but there is a total of 16 leaders in all, so I will initially request characters who may be useful to others.
1) Ranjiit Singh: Along with Tipu Sultan and the Mughals, this man offered fierce resistance to British incursions into India during the 18th century. He was a flamboyant character who used a blend of subterfuge, diplomacy, espionage and brute military force to carve a powerful kingdom. Nice highlights: He was blind in one eye (he's showing his good side in this portrait). Wore copious amounts of jewellery. Wore outlandish turbans, often decorated with fat gems - including the Koh-i-Noor Diamond or The Star of India, which Queen Elizabeth II now has in her turban.
2) Akbar The Great: The most famed and arguably the most successful of all the Mughal rulers. It is worth mentioning that the Mughals were one of the 3 great Gunpowder Empires which included their contemporaries the Safavid Persians and of course the Ottomans. Many, many great portraits of this man out there. Nice highlights: He is often depicted with a halo. Portaits of him come from a quaint style of painting (Mughal miniatures) which could lend itself well to a new leaderhead style. There are many animals in a lot of his portraits - I've chosen a particularly outlandish example here. Again gems, jewellery, beards and turbans.
3) Vasco De Gama: That intrepid Portuguese mariner who appears in so many mods/scenarios. His history is well known and well covered in these forums. Nice highlights: Funky felt hats. Big wavey bear. Opportunity for nice seascapes in the background.
4) Jamshid Qutb Shah of Golkonda: A contemporary of all the above fellows. His famed Golkonda mines produced the diamond mentioned above. I've included this guy cos he's in our scenario and also cos it's another nice representation of the Mughal style. Nice highlights: Falcon on the hand provides another example of using animals in the leaderheads as a kind of mascot.
5) Jan Pieterszoon Coen of the V.O.C. (Dutch East India Co.) Another mariner par excellence although more of a financial whizz-kid. Ran the V.O.C. with great success, establishing and enriching Dutch trading connections in South East Asia. Nice highlights: Good example of medieval European portraiture (contemporaneous with the Mughal style). Frilly collars. Pointy beard.
I mention all these because the medieval period seems to get ignored in favour of more modern leaders. I'd also like to say that there are so many other artistic styles which can be exploited when making leaderheads rather than the recreation of the Civ3 style. Why not make them more painterly? There is good opportunity for a real departure in leaderheads style based on those in the attachments.
I should say this is with a view to populating a scenario we are doing but there is a total of 16 leaders in all, so I will initially request characters who may be useful to others.
1) Ranjiit Singh: Along with Tipu Sultan and the Mughals, this man offered fierce resistance to British incursions into India during the 18th century. He was a flamboyant character who used a blend of subterfuge, diplomacy, espionage and brute military force to carve a powerful kingdom. Nice highlights: He was blind in one eye (he's showing his good side in this portrait). Wore copious amounts of jewellery. Wore outlandish turbans, often decorated with fat gems - including the Koh-i-Noor Diamond or The Star of India, which Queen Elizabeth II now has in her turban.
2) Akbar The Great: The most famed and arguably the most successful of all the Mughal rulers. It is worth mentioning that the Mughals were one of the 3 great Gunpowder Empires which included their contemporaries the Safavid Persians and of course the Ottomans. Many, many great portraits of this man out there. Nice highlights: He is often depicted with a halo. Portaits of him come from a quaint style of painting (Mughal miniatures) which could lend itself well to a new leaderhead style. There are many animals in a lot of his portraits - I've chosen a particularly outlandish example here. Again gems, jewellery, beards and turbans.
3) Vasco De Gama: That intrepid Portuguese mariner who appears in so many mods/scenarios. His history is well known and well covered in these forums. Nice highlights: Funky felt hats. Big wavey bear. Opportunity for nice seascapes in the background.
4) Jamshid Qutb Shah of Golkonda: A contemporary of all the above fellows. His famed Golkonda mines produced the diamond mentioned above. I've included this guy cos he's in our scenario and also cos it's another nice representation of the Mughal style. Nice highlights: Falcon on the hand provides another example of using animals in the leaderheads as a kind of mascot.
5) Jan Pieterszoon Coen of the V.O.C. (Dutch East India Co.) Another mariner par excellence although more of a financial whizz-kid. Ran the V.O.C. with great success, establishing and enriching Dutch trading connections in South East Asia. Nice highlights: Good example of medieval European portraiture (contemporaneous with the Mughal style). Frilly collars. Pointy beard.
I mention all these because the medieval period seems to get ignored in favour of more modern leaders. I'd also like to say that there are so many other artistic styles which can be exploited when making leaderheads rather than the recreation of the Civ3 style. Why not make them more painterly? There is good opportunity for a real departure in leaderheads style based on those in the attachments.
