Guest Post: Everything You Wanted to Know About the Wiki Character Images and Some Things You Didn’t by Taibhrigh

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Quick Overview.

So, I’m taibhrigh, Sylum’s Resident Artist –a title the General graced me with without really telling me until after 🙂

I have created just shy of 1000 pieces of art (in some form or fashion) for Sylum. Around 400 of these have been for the “New Wiki Character Image” Project. Which started by accident… kind of like most things in Sylum. And, there are A LOT of characters.

Each character image has to be approved.

There is a spreadsheet. It is detailed –in RL the General and I both have detail oriented jobs.

Why do we need a spreadsheet? Because there a lot of characters and those characters are played by the same actors… BUT, for many, the characters do not look alike. Hair and eye color, physical description, hair of length, etc are all taken into account when trying to find the image to represent the character.  And keep in mind, this is a character image (and sometimes the General replaces the actor — sometimes she replaces the actor while the new character image is being made).

The images represent the CHARACTERS not the actors who may or may not have portrayed the characters.

Still following? Good. So we have a spreadsheet. It currently only lists about 550 of the Sylum Characters. And I have no clue how many there actually are. There are way more than 550 though.

How It Works.

I pick a character to work on. When I do this I generally also create the image for the character’s Mate and Sire –so it’s a twofor or threefor. Why do this? Because if you read the character bio there is a good chance you are clicking on the Mate or Sire links next. Which explains why, until very recently, there wasn’t a single Clan completed. There is now, but I’m not telling you which one.

The spreadsheet will tell me the Clan, their position within the Clan, Mate, Sire, plus some general notes that might be needed. Then there are the important information for the actual image: character name, name to appear on image, eye color, hair color, hair style or length, and then there’s the “notes on physical features” column. This is the fun field. It includes things like:

• Remove tattoos
• Very James Bond looking w/ or w/out beard it doesn’t matter <– Note, this was not for James Bond.
• Snappy dresser
• Young, goatee; suit

Bet you guys are getting the picture now. It is not a speedy process. But, does explain why one or two actors have all of their characters done at the same time.

There are other things that may have to be done to the image as well; from removing a wedding or nose ring to removing, changing, or blurring the background.

Each character gets two images. One with a name and one without. The name printed on the image is often the one the character will be most referred to as in Sylum. Like Daniel Jackson instead of Dan’el, or is it? You’ll just have to check the wiki to see. The image with the name on it is used for promotional things so you (the reader) knows who the image represents.

Random Fact. The wiki character images are 420 pixels (wide) by 520 pixels (tall) and there’s really no explanation for the size; because honestly, 400×500 would have been easier to work with.

Questions? Leave them below.

And, if you have read this far, now’s your chance. If your favorite character hasn’t had their new Character image completed, leave a comment with his/her name below and I will add it to the list. Choose wisely, because you only get one per person.

Bonus, if you can correctly uncover the Clan that has all of its new character images you can request a second character image.