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what are good descriptors for dark skin (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml to c/askchapo@hexbear.net

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I know white authors have a habit of describing dark skin tones with food or beverages and I don't want to do that.

Cocoa, caramel, coffee, etc. I'm not much of a fiction writer but I am running a dnd campaign with POC and don't want to be a stereotype lol

Edit: various soil types is a promising contender added by my partner

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[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Hell yeah let me get a description Character is named Ahura

tall old man with copper-brown skin
very thin (but you can't tell under except for the details in his face and hands because of his dress)
he has large dark-oak brown eyes that carry a sense of wisdom and power
he wears a sky blue achaemenid Persian dress patterned with intricate white swirls like misty clouds, gold bangles, and gold earrings
he is covered head to toe in gold swirling tattoos that move across his leathery skin
his white hair is long and wavy with a central braid that falls down his back while keeping most of his hair loose
his similarly white beard is braided (in the persian style)

Clothing looks like this but no hat or weapon

Thank you so much comrade 😘

[–] GalaxyBrain@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Can you describe the tattoos? Cause that's a drawing on a drawing which merits it's own description. What is the vibe of the overall story as well? The more I know about this guy the better.

Everything you described is shit I reslly like drawing btw. Love drawing eyes, love drawing hair and loce drawing clothing. You are good at describing, I think I could pull together a sketch, but if I know won't he guy is and what he's about and how much of that the players should be aware of at a glance helps. You can DM the rest but the more I know the better. The more detail i can draw from the better.

Based on your current description the vibe im feeling is sort of a thick sketchy outline ala Yoji Shinkawa of metal gear fame where I can leave a bit to the imagination combined with more stylized shading and then a thin washy paint layer. An old school dark fantasy vibe but a bit more surrealized, if im off base lemme know.

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Ahura is a member of a council of archons (people who represent deities and sometimes fully embody them) which rule over the second largest empire of this world. Though he is more respected than the rest of the council by many as he is the eldest he has equal political power to all archons of the council. He permanently resides in the capital of Ahu which is in mourning when the players arrive where they will be greated by Ahura. The city is in mourning because the siege at a major trading/port city which guarded a straight finally broke at the hands of a superweapon created by the rival empire. The players arrive with a group of refugees from the peninsula which is being burned as the army approaches.

The players are all capable warriors and Ahura would have heard of their feats by now and desire their assistance.

Ahura is effectively the wise elder trope but he is also (though the players do not know this) a cynic and crude politician. He became an Archon through his ability to rise through the religious/state bureaucracy because of these traits. He genuinely cares for the people of his empire, even the conquered peoples who have been absorbed into it, but they are ultimately all the tools needed to achieve something I am not fully decided upon (lol).

The swirls of gold are really up to interpretation, i didn't have a solid vision in my head when I wrote that bit but I knew it would be interesting in the imaginations of my players. I'm sort of curious how you would picture them based off how I have described him

[–] GalaxyBrain@hexbear.net 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think i can cook something up. Might take a bit tho. I think i can use some of the same paints ive mixed for my gundam build so that'll help. I need a chunk of time to do some sketching snd its the middle of my work week. Ill hsve something super rough st least ny Monday

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Take your time. I'm flattered that you would do this at all

[–] GalaxyBrain@hexbear.net 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Something I can do a lot quicker is landscapes. Characters are a bit more tricky but concept art for a location is right up my street. Buildings and trees are some of my favorite things to draw.

For this guy I'll probably do both a full body and a face closeup cause that's a face I wanna draw nice and detailed and i seems like a notable feature. Doing full body drawings i'm usually pretty vague with eyes and stuff. I can draw parts of the body really well but when doing the whole thing I end out getting more stylized

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Whatever art you make is appreciated 💕💕

Excited to see it :D

[–] GalaxyBrain@hexbear.net 1 points 1 week ago

Excited to make it. Just figured id advertise that i can bang out location pics real easy