How we did it

First here are the technical requirements set up by the people of Baldur's Gate which you have to follow.

The measurements for player portraits are 38X60 pixels for the smaller portraits (8-bit color runs faster but it can be up to 24 bit color), and 110X170 pixels for the larger portraits. To use a custom portrait, place it in the Portraits directory (in the install directory for the game) and add an S to the end of the small portrait name and an L to the end of the large portrait - otherwise the two names must be identical. The names must be 1-7 letters long, maximum - so the filename with the S or L added to the end is no longer than 8 total characters. The portrait files must be in BMP format.

For example:
XXXXXXXS.bmp for small (38x60, 8-bit)
XXXXXXXL.bmp for large (110x170, 24-bit)

Our characters were mainly made out of pictures or video images, which were altered with Paint Shop Pro. The most important factor is to have a clear picture and a little bit of imagination. When you alter a picture, there are some things you should take into perspective.

Eyes on photographs and such are usually not very clear; lighten the eye white and dot the iris. Soften the eyes afterwards.
Bright spots on the head should be removed. Copy a dark spot near the light spot and paste it on the spot. Soften or Blur possible edges.
After you have finished your portrait, lessen the Saturation percentage a bit, this often creates better a color composition. It is very simple and it pays off once you finished your custom portrait.

If you do'nt want to make your own custom portrait maybe we can help you. If you have a clear and large enough picture (minimal 220X340 pixels) you may send it to us and we might give it a try to morph the picture.

Whatever you do, good luck and have fun
SkyTake

The Guestbook

Custom Portrait

Want your own portrait?
Send in a picture and we convert it into a portrait!

New Sounds

What kind of new sounds would you like to see in the Gallery. Tell us your request.

Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II : Shadows of Amn and Icewind Dale are � BioWare, and distributed by Interplay and WotC/ TSR. Any original content is � SkyTake 2000.