Alright, so I got this idea stuck in my head the other day. I wanted to see if I could really nail down that look, you know? The fiery tiefling gal from that big game everyone’s talking about. Seemed like a fun challenge.
Getting Started
First thing, I booted up Elden Ring. Figured its character creator was probably the best shot I had outside of, well, the actual game she’s from. Spent a good chunk of time just gathering reference pics first. Had ’em open on my second monitor, trying to get all the angles.
Jumped into the creator. Man, those things are always a rabbit hole. Started with the basic body type. Needed that strong, athletic build. Pushed the sliders around quite a bit. Getting the muscle definition right without making her look like a total bodybuilder was tricky. She’s strong, yeah, but still has a certain… shape. Took longer than I thought.
The Face… Oh Boy
Then came the face. This was the real mountain to climb.
- Skin Tone: Finding that right shade of red? Not easy. Most reds were too bright or too muddy. Settled on something close enough, figuring lighting in the actual game would change it anyway.
- Horns: Elden Ring doesn’t exactly have a straightforward ‘tiefling horn’ option. Had to get creative. Tried messing with some of the headgear-like sliders, but nothing looked right. Ended up skipping actual horns, which felt like a cop-out, but what can you do? Big limitation there.
- Eyes & Scars: Got the eye color okay, that bright, intense look. The scars were tough. Used the tattoo and scar layers, trying to mimic the pattern across her face and chest. Layered a few different ones. It’s not perfect, kind of smudged looking up close, but gives the idea.
- That Smile: Tried adjusting the mouth sliders forever to get that characteristic grin or smirk she has. Really hard to capture expression in a static creator. Ended up with a fairly neutral look, hoping her vibe would come from the rest.
Tweaking and Finishing Up (Sort Of)
Spent maybe two hours just sliding things back and forth. Nose shape, jawline, cheekbones. Constantly looking back at the reference pics. Got frustrated a few times, almost scrapped it. Kept thinking, “This just ain’t it.” But I pushed through.
The hair was another hurdle. Finding a style that matched her ponytail, with that rough, slightly messy look? Limited options again. Picked the closest one I could find. The color was easier, thankfully.
In the end, does it look exactly like her? Nah, not really. The lack of proper horns is a big one. And the specific facial structure is just hard to replicate perfectly across different game engines and art styles. But, you know what? Standing back, looking at the overall character on the selection screen… you kinda get the feeling. The strong posture, the red skin, the scars, that intense look in the eyes. It’s like her cousin, maybe?
Was it worth it? Yeah, I guess. It was a good way to kill an afternoon. Made me appreciate the work original character designers put in, that’s for sure. It’s one thing to see a character, another thing entirely to try and build them piece by piece. Gave me a new perspective. Now I just gotta actually play the character I spent so long making.
