#positive examples

Yvonne - The Last Sun Legionary by Filipe Augusto

It’s always great to see great art not just of warrior women, but of older warrior women who have clearly fought many times, won many victories and are absolute in their confidence any authority.

This piece is particularly inspiring since Filipe happens to be the senior concept artist at FUNCOM ZPX, the creators of the Conan Exilesgame.

So the next time someonerushes to assure youthatthe artists really, really wanted to draw barbarian babe in a leather battle bikini, feel free to point out that they may actually have wanted to draw a granny in plate armor - but someone said no.

- wincenworks

Girl with a pearl Earring and full plate armour by Delsig.art

As a fan of classical artwork, homages to Vermeer and most importantly - great female armor, I really dig this piece.

- wincenworks

Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

This week’s positive example brought to you by the ongoing baby crying from various people who present themselves (dubiously) as the old guard of RPGs with anti-progressive rants. Since it got announced, I don’t think a week has gone past I haven’t seen someone shitting their pants in anger of it.

But, what stands out to me is how every one of these images captures a spirit of fantasy adventure, that focuses on the adventure itself.  Everyone’s attire has a set purpose and is factors in with what they’re doing.  It also gives extra impact to the dance scene promo image.

It’s like these students wear clothing appropriate to the occasion and hence reserve their body hugging silk for fun occasions.

This is why its so ridiculous when we get people ranting at us about how any criticism of as some sort of declaration of ultimate evil - because ultimately they don’t really want comics,video games,tabletop games, movies, etc to be about their respective plots and genres - they want them to first be about protecting their position in the status quo and soothing their insecurities… the rest of it is optional and hence why their explanations are so tedious and predictable.

Because, in case you forgot, many of the early artworks and concepts for Dungeons & Dragons supplements and modules were so absurd they practically beg to be edited into pure comedy gold.

- wincenworks

Unfortunately due to a variety of factors I wasn’t really able to see Dune (2021) until its theatre run was almost over but I have to say I really appreciated both the design of the stillsuits, how those designs are consist across genders of the wearers and the relatively increased presence of female characters compared to the 1984 film of the same name. My wife particularly enjoyed getting to see a mother be a badass.

The suits, while covered with many probably unnecessary details and doodads, still convey their utilitarian purpose of giving you a chance to survive on a harsh desert planet. 

It’s particularly good since anyone familiar with the books knows two things about the meta of the Dune series:

1. Frank Hubert was extremely passionate about the utilitarian nature of stillsuits and looked for literally every opportunity to bring it up in the text.
2. After Frank passed away and his estates took over, the series descended into unmitigated horniness that barely relates to Frank’s work.

So I’m glad they didn’t use the later books as an excuse to let a creepy marketing guy go wild.

- wincenworks

So the first look at The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, specifically this magnificent set of plate armor that has been made for a very badass looking Lady Galadriel has provoked some… eh… I think the professional term is “engagement” ? (Almost all of it positive, but of course there’s a select minority trying their hardest to appear relevant and failing to a comical degree)

Of course, they’re absurd as someone has already pointed out it could be inspired by the historical artwork depicting the armor of Joan of Arc and frankly, if you’re not in love with that blend of practicality and femininity in the fluting, the layering of plate and chainmail, and the adornment to emulate a delicate necklace then I don’t know what to tell you.

This is the best feminine fantasy armor I’ve seen made for film. Ever.

But it’s not just this amazing suit that man-children are shitting their pants over, there’s also the stills of certain characters who belong to certain fantasy races.

Their voices are, by far, outweighed by the people who are super excited to see this level of quality in the fantasy genre and the kind of story that this sort of commitment to quality warrants.

And for the sentient shitbags crying that “when this tanks, they’ll blame bitter white men” - I assure you that nobody will give you a second thought.

You already promised to tank the wildly successful films:

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
  
• Wonder Woman (2017)
• Black Panther (2018)
• The Witcher: Season 1 (2019)

Nobody believes your cadre of bitter little goblins has the power to crash shit, scurry back to your filthy warrens.

- wincenworks

She-Hulk #2 cover by Jen Bartel

While it’s not exactly “lawyer” attire this amazing outfit and amazing sass  definitely showcases how you can depict a woman as powerful and sexy without resorting bikini armor,battle thongs or absurd cleavage.

Especially gotta love the juxtaposition with her “work clothes” in the Marvel window.

Oh and the comic goes on sale in February.

- wincenworks

yanavaseva:

Commission for HobbesPrime on deviantart, in 3 outfits.

Following up on the hilarity of FOX News going war with a candy changing her shoes, I really love this collection of outfits for demonstrating how outfits generally serve a purpose.

Particularly I like the present of the practical clothes with tabard and sword on the left, and the actual proper armour and sword on the right.  Generally speaking the more inconvenient work clothes are, the likely people are to wear them outside of the need for them and alternative versions exist.

This is part of why military uniforms all have situational variants, and you don’t see soldiers turning up to routine parades in full combat wearing full combat armour complete with backpacks, live weapons and live ammunition.

- wincenworks

Julianna Blake, is the primary antagonist of Arkane’s latest video game Deathloop, and it’s hard to say more than that without providing spoilers but I’ll do my best.

As the fierce and furious defender of a bohemian resort for the one percent, Julianna’s default outfit is a pretty solid collection of items one would select if you had to put together a practical outfit from designer clothing.

Her bonus costumes are designer outfits that you can imagine actual rich people wearing to show off without discomfort or hypersexualizing yourself, they’re designs intended to showcase the wearer is someone attractive, wealthy and dignified.

It also particularly makes sense since the game is not one with bullet sponges or heavily armored enemies -  its mostly filled with people doing other stuff who happen to be carrying guns, not showing in paramitlitarygear.

It’s a very nice example of how you can let your material guide your design when you’re not setting commercial horniness as your #1 priority.

- wincenworks