This picture belongs to Lunnagirl, she did an amazing job on it, one of my favorites
I decided to take a little time and show case a few members of the EQ2 community. Specifically those who volunteer their talents in some way shape or form, be it as professionals or as a hobby. My first (eye stopping) encounter was from this forum post on EQ2players. Who would have ever guessed there was such amazing work being done by artists. I sent an email to “Lunnagirl” and asked if she wouldn’t mind answering a few questions. So without further hesitation:
1. How long have you been playing EQ2:
I started playing EQ2 about two weeks after the game released.
2. Have you played any other MMO’s and if so what were they:
I played EQ Live for years on the Bristlebane server.
I played City of Heroes until EQ2 came out.
Recently I’ve picked up World of Warcraft which in truth has given me an entirely new and refreshed appreciation for Everquest2.
3. How long have you been adding your own artistic touch to the world of Eq2
From the beginning. I draw everyday and it’s only natural for me to take something I interact with often (erm… dare I say daily?) and do something creative with it.
4. How long does each piece take you to complete (approx)?
It varies from piece to piece. The first ones I did really didn’t take that long. Three to four hours maybe. Some of the later portraits have taken 8 – 10 hours. I got bored with just improving the look of a character in a simple pose. I wanted to challenge myself so I started trying to create a scene, and have the character doing something related to his or her profession in the game.
5. Would you ever consider doing something like (graphic wise) this as a paid job? Or is it just a hobby of yours?
I’m a professional graphic designer, so I do earn a living by doing this sort of thing. The fan art is more of a hobby though.
6. I imagine all works are original pieces (from screen shots and the like), what programs do you work with to finish the product?
When I take on a portrait project I make an appointment with the player and take the screenshots myself. Once I have some good shots I begin to edit them using Adobe PhotoShop.
7. Any advice for people who are interested in getting into turning EQ2 screen shots into artwork?
Take high quality screenshots. It will make the work you do easier from the start.
8. Have you ever had anyone hate the work you’ve done?
Yes. I’ve done portraits over again because the recipient didn’t care for it. I’ve also done work that the recipient loved and I can’t stand. You just try to learn from it and apply those lessons to future projects. It’s the projects I do for myself – that belong to me, if you will – that I hold close and personal. Those are the ones that I tend to get defensive over.
9. How do you find the forum community at EQ2players, supportive of your posts? Lots of interest in your work?
Over all everyone has been very supportive. I really couldn’t ask for anything more. I think artists in general enjoy the positive feedback and encouragement of others. We share something personal and always hope that folks will enjoy our work.
I’ve had quite a lot of interest in my work, many requests from across the servers. I’d love to say I’ve been able to do something for all of them but that’s not the case. There just isn’t enough time and I do enjoy playing the game after all.
10. Do you have a site where people could browse through more of your work?
You can see some of my non EQ related work @ http://lunnagirl.deviantart.com/  There is some nudity involved so Deviant Art requires you to have an account to see mature content. There is only one screenshot manip there, all the others are digitally drawn with a tablet in photoshop.
Be sure to browse through the forums and get to know people. There’s some amazing and incredibly talented men and women wandering the lands of Norrath. If you’ve met someone that you think should have the spot light shone on them for something they add to the EverQuest community, please feel free to email me with details.