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So what do you guys wanna do with Taric? PART II. Pics or it didn't happen!

RiotIronStylus·10/8/2014, 7:52:04 AM·67 votes·133,986 views

Hey guys,

So that other Taric thread is an amazing gold mine (or should I say GEM MINE! AHH? GET IT? Anyways..) of ideas and suggestions. The sentiments and discussions are absolutely fascinating and extremely helpful. I'm always floored by how insightful and thoughtful, you, our players are, and how in depth you go. You have no idea how valuable that insight is.

What I'd like to ask for here is reference. As artists we constantly look at reference imagery for a number of reasons. Sometimes it's to look at anatomy, to make sure we're creating a body correctly. Other times it's for light or color, so we can see how a scheme will serve an illustration. In this case however, I'm looking for design reference.

What does that mean? Armor! Gems! Motifs! Flourishes! Portraits! Anything that could be pointed to and said "Hey, I think Taric could incorporate elements from this!", or, "This image really hits me in the feels, those are the sort of feels I want to feel when I look at Taric."

So while the last thread (which is still going strong, please continue to post in there) there was a lot of visual suggestions, explanations in written format sorta dominated. That's totally fine. Here I'd love to see you throw some images at me!

Thanks!

759 Comments

Delirious Wizard10/8/2014, 8:17:28 AM86 votes

Honestly expecting some incredibly majestic hair. I want his splash art to be reminiscent of Romantic novel covers.

dglgmut10/8/2014, 8:15:15 AM47 votes

Something like Loras Tyrell from Game of Thrones.

But a little more buff and.. gems..

RiotQuquroon10/8/2014, 8:16:37 AM43 votes

Pretend I'm not a Rioter for now (and if you can't, then remember that this is just o p i n i o n s!)!

To me, Taric is a heavily armoured gent, but one that isn't afraid to squeeze as much adornment out of it as possible. Functional and stylish. Iron Stylish? I digress.

I consider the two attached images to deliver well upon this, utilizing shapes and/or color to bring as much design language in as possible. The chunky shapes in the FFXIV image (Paladin) read very strongly to me, but I wouldn't be afraid of the going more towards the Dark Souls 2 direction for his joints and midsection for ease of moment.

Of course, gems are a major factor for Taric. Specifically gems. Right now, he has a crystal motif, which communicates a very wild and raw nature. With the tepid manner of speech that he has right now, Taric feels much more refined to me. To that effect, I feel that faceted gems communicate this much more clearly. In addition, the facets would allow him to dazzle even brighter. Functional, and stylish.

As a final point, I feel that the crystal sword in the bottom right of the FFXIV image is cool to me. The entire weapon being forged of precious stone, using inlaid metals as reinforcement and support? pcool. I'd love to see his hammer and/or shield move in this direction.

http://i.imgur.com/lFxgcB2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/EVlhn8L.jpg

(reminder: o p i n i o n s)

RiotRiot Baconhawk10/8/2014, 10:30:12 PM42 votes

Need. More. Exposed. Pecs.

FANSERVICE FOR EVERYBODY!

ShadowKnight122410/8/2014, 8:36:05 AM41 votes

I will probably make another post about the gems and the armour/hammer/shield, etc. I just wanted to get the male models out of the way.

General look:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cn9Jlk1pxZ0/T8_uV7FUhuI/AAAAAAAAAtA/kDqWlthSzFw/s1600/Nova.jpg

Attractive, charming, gentle. Eyes looking directly at you, but his facial expression is neutral to slightly awed/interested.

Facial structure:

http://bookishtemptations.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/20130422-132045.jpg

Light-coloured eyes (but not blue or green). Gray, amber, light hazel, something that looks good but is understated (pure green and pure blue are too attention-catching, dark brown is too dull).

Symmetrical face with no sharp cheekbones or hard jawlines, clear handsomeness in the harmony of his features. If there's any facial hair, it's similar to Yasuo's, in that it's not a proper beard, but more like a lack of shaving. Taric being Taric, however, the facial hair is still deliberate and does not grow wildly, but instead has specific shape that enhances the natural curve of his jaw/cheeks.

Possible Middle-Eastern influence:

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OBInOV_NFOM/hqdefault.jpg

Slightly thicker lips than Europeans, darker skin tone, thicker eyebrows. Of particular interest is the shade of hazel of the eyes. Understated, but still light enough to be attractive. Also note the deliberateness in facial hair.

http://cs320517.vk.me/v320517711/2c9d/j-oa_m1UkDQ.jpg

Note again the facial hair, the lips, the particular shade of his eyes and skin.

Hair:

Some ideas for hairstyles that might work in a new look:

https://s-media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/9b/da/61/9bda61e2231b3e28904b298814c03b15.jpg

Shorter hair, but straight and kept relatively neat, but still in its natural state. Low risk but perhaps boring choice.

http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/2250137/600full-mario-blanco.jpg

Shorter and curlier hair, loose and wild, appeals to the idea of the wandering knight. Might be difficult to render and clash with the idea of Taric and neatness.

http://cdn1.menstylefashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Long-hair-is-back-for-men2012.feature.jpg

Longer style, straight, but wild. The wildness and windswept-ness may allude to Taric's lack of a true home and wandering nature, but the length and straightness balance out his calm and neat personality.

http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/4794537/600full-douglas-hickmann.jpg

Longer and wavier, but not windswept. Instead, it frames his face. Rather than a straight, lifeless curtain, he has rich, wavy hair, arranged in a way that is not obsessively perfect but not completely wild.

Bodywise:

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f1/4b/31/f14b31eba20762f94ed128a4fb6e7549.jpg

This would be the expected. Not as buff as Braum, but clearly a tanky, strong melee fighter that can hold his own and look good while exerting himself in battle.

-

I think I've made my point in terms of looks, I'll get back to the outfit/gems in another post. Hope this helps!

Purodyuusaa10/8/2014, 8:10:27 AM40 votes

When I think of Taric, I'm thinking of a handsome man who wears a face that's shows obvious hardships. Brad Pitt, Siegfried Schtauffen (Soul Calibur Franchise), the Wizard from Dragon's Crown.

As another player pointed out, Taric is the Gem Knight. Gems are formed under pressure. Taric should show that pressure somewhere, most likely his face since I'm assuming that will still be visible. Taric should show that pressure in the way he carries himself as well, the way he moves, the way he stands, the way he talks. Taric is a warrior, a soldier. He's seen the effects of war and the battlefield and yet he still appreciates the beauty in simple things (gems).

I can imagine Taric taking a moment after surveying a battlefield to appreciate a flower growing against the grey background. There's a maturity in there. He hates war but he knows it's something he has to do. He's a smiling man with a gentle demeanor but the weight of his experiences show clearly against his face.

I'll upload some pics in a second.

http://www.fightersgeneration.com/np6/char/char2/siegfired-sc4early.jpg http://www.bigbadbob113.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Dragons-Crown-Wizard-Profile-Pic.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RXORDs41w84/UikBJK4lk0I/AAAAAAAAJM0/OFsVPEHVoNU/s400/Walter+White.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6b/Rick_Grimes.jpg/225px-Rick_Grimes.jpg http://uk-blog.konami-europe.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/11/Solid_Snake1.jpg

3ZFMDU5WlB10/8/2014, 2:43:30 PM36 votes

Taric comes from the Arabic word "Tariq" for hammer. And his original splash art did not look very white/caucasian.

Take Taric back to his roots! Make him look like Omar Borkan Al Gala AKA "The Man Deported from Saudi Arabia For Being Too Sexy" that was all over the news a while back.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RjfUap9zxX4/UbaJscNcmeI/AAAAAAAAAsE/7Jf0fGUXW_g/s1600/972140_201378486652517_637667643_n.jpg (I can't post pics on these news boards T_T My computer is too old)

King Oberjohn10/8/2014, 8:38:26 AM34 votes

I think that looking to the old good boy Arthas (where I think Taric got his first inspiration) is a good thing; Long hair, armour and hammer:

http://wipeando.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/a5.jpg

The lecture of the character is easy, you know he is tanky, and you know he can help you.

Cecil Harvey from Final Fantasy IV is also a good example of a paladin, even though the Amano version looks very complicated and too much decorated:

http://www.gram.pl/upl/news/20090803154620.jpg

I think that is good to have Taric in the League cause is an archetype not easily (if any) seen in occidental videogames. I dont think he should look girly, i think he is a man who cares about everyone, and his looks.

He goes into battle, but his looks are flawless, which I think is a must in Taric. He does not only go into battle and fight, he also cares about his looks while doing it. That's why I think the long hair is so important: Long hair shows he cares about his looks, he shows more hair care than some ladies of the League. Taric looks should show he invests some time in looking perfect, and shine like a diamond gem.

So about that, Trevor from Castlevania: Mirror of Fate looks like a good reference to me, paladinesque look and long magnificent hair.

http://www.gamers.vg/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mirror.jpg

NikoRujan10/8/2014, 8:40:29 AM28 votes

I expect something like this, with a crystal crust over his armor everytime his W is off cooldown and disappears when he shatters it.

CorrePlatanito10/8/2014, 8:09:37 AM28 votes

Something along the lines of the chinense splashart would be nice, at least for his hammer http://i.ytimg.com/vi/utdhYI-1zK8/maxresdefault.jpg

Caseo10/8/2014, 10:43:51 AM25 votes

http://th07.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2014/181/0/b/fan_art_rework_taric_the_gem_knight_by_akiman-d7onxdy.jpg

I really like the look of the armor and Taric's appearance in this one.

I think the armor is a little underwhelming though; perhaps something with a similar base, but a lot more flourish.

Blueharlequin10/8/2014, 3:20:39 PM16 votes

Something I enjoyed about Taric were his Gem lines. "Opal for harmony." "Ruby for Vigor." "Emerald for insight." Things like that. However the question is can we incorporate that into his kit or his abilities. I'm really suggesting a rework of his kit, it's actually really solid. But I love the idea of his abilities changing color to go with the various gem sayings.

I guess what I'm asking for is more gem interaction. Not just him saying Gem related things but I want there to be better visual aspect. I GOT IT! When he buys items have a line of gem related things be said. So Ruby based quotes when buying health items. Emerald based ones for wards. Opal for some AP based items. Sapphire for mana based items. And some other gem for AD based items just to round it out.

Not sure what but this is something I really like about Taric since I'm a fan of gemstones in life. Granted Taric's a great champion that I need to play more of.

Routa10/8/2014, 7:57:27 AM9 votes

Just look at the bloodstone Taric splash art.

Bryanthelion10/8/2014, 2:13:29 PM4 votes

Wrote a long response. Laptop shut off :(

Taric is gay. The fandom and your insulting skins made him that way. It'd be less insulting if you actually made him gay, instead of implying it and making him do "gay" things.

Taric shouldn't wear heavy armor. He's too elegant for it and his gems soak up all the damage. He should wear noble's clothes and possibly summon magic gem armor. HE COULD EVEN RIDE A GEM.

Maybe his playstyle could be summoning physical gems (sort of like trundle's ice thing) that would radiate health regen/mana regen/armor/ windwall esque/ mini turret. He would play like a defensive azir. He'd place these gems down (armor near him, health regen near adc) and the duo bot would have to think harder about where to position themselves most advantageously. Maybe for his new ult, there would be ley lines that are created that even more benefits (or even detriments!) between them.

I'll post some ideas of what he should look like in the other thread ^_^