Forums » RP Discussion » Help making an Armored Female?

I have been trying to find a doll maker/avatar creator that will let me make an armored female, but haven't had much luck. They either don't have armor as an option, don't have a complete set, or is too bulky. I'm not looking for a heavy armor look, but more form fitting light/medium armor look. Basically they have armor, but don't look like they are wearing over 100 pounds of metal.

I'd also settle for a more roguish look as long as it's not blatantly a ninja. Last thing is it needs to look reasonable for medieval times so sci-fi is probably out. Finally if nothing else, I'd settle for just an armor reference as long as it's safe to use.

I have already tried Doll Divine, Azalea's dolls and Rinmaru games.

Honestly, if you just Google "xyz-century armour", it should do the trick. A vast majority of the pictures that come up are from academic textbooks or museum collections, so they're easy to track down the source for (and you won't accidentally be stealing anyone's designs, except for a bunch of old dead guys.)

I find 1300 - late 1500 armour looks the most interesting. Example: Emperor Ferdinand.

So the Google route can be tricky. There is actually a LOT of copyrighted content that gets included in Google search results. It's very possible to accidentally snag something that doesn't have the right kind of usage rights. It's not the kind of thing we have the time and energy to police, but if we get a DMCA from a disgruntled rights owner we will honour it immediately and have a stern conversation with you about being more careful. You can find rights-free content on Google -- here's what you gotta do:

Make your search. Once you hit the SERP (search engine results page) and click on "images" look to the right of the search engine text bar, and just below it for "tools."

A toolbar will pop up. Look for "Usage Rights"



Now click Usage Rights and you can set a filter. The absolute safest is "labeled for reuse" but for your purposes you could also use "labeled for noncommercial reuse."



The thing about academic/historical references is that the rights to them are often owned by the publishing company that produces the textbooks. So you're actually not out of the copyright woods in that circumstance.

As for your question, I highly doubt historical sources are going to be helpful for you. This sort of armor really didn't exist. If you were wearing metal, it was most commonly a coat of chain, and if you could afford a suit of armour you generally went with a full suit. You might be able to find some single breastplate refs. You are extremely unlikely to find any sort of historical reference to leather armour as most historians either ignore or dismiss the entire concept. SO you're looking for a drawn reference.

You might consider looking through armor from video games! Dragon Age Inquisition might be a good place to start.

Well, I can't really help you with your character creator problem, however I CAN recommend certain armors which might fit your bill. Obviously, if you're looking for something that doesn't feature too many intricate parts (intricate in this place meaning multiple, varying in size and shape, pieces.), a good ole hauberk or chainmail piece never hurt anyone. (in fact, they did the opposite. in fact, it did the opposite so well, that chainmail is still being used for things in present day, due to it's knack for being extremely cut resistant.)

Not looking for something made of chain that covers most of your arms and almost your entire upper body? A pixane, or a bishop's mantle might be for you then! Able to protect your girl's shoulders, chest area, and upper back, from cuts and chops, all the while not being as big as a hauberk!

But don't stop there! Chainmail doesn't need to be made into specific armor pieces for it to work, no no no. In fact, if you wanted to, you can even just armor solely your girl's sleeves or pant legs with it, and boom! No more fears of your legs or arms being chopped off!

But hey, let's say chainmail isn't for you? No, maybe you'd want something more like a brigandine! Essentially, a vest, usually made of cloth, canvas, leather etc, which has metal plates riveted to the fabric. (usually riveted to the inside of it.)They can also come with faulds built on to them occasionally to protect your upper legs a bit.

Of course, let's say metal in it's entirety isn't your style? Well good news for you! Ever heard of a gambeson? They are basically defensive jackets or shirts, often worn together with chainmail or plate armor. On their own however, they still offer decent protection, all the while being a bit quieter and weighing a bit less. They are quilted and padded pieces, solely consisting of layered cloth made into different garments and pieces, even cloaks and capes can be quilted in the way a gambeson can to give the same protective effect. Now mind you, gambesons ARE in fact quilted cloth, however, quilted cloth is by far much harder to cut through than normal cloth.

Not interested in these? Have a look at all the other pieces yourself if you want to! There's many more to see, heck, you might even think the bevor-sallet combo might even be your girl's style! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Components_of_medieval_armour

Fabrica de Herois has always been a pretty reliable option if you're looking for something involving not having to draw yourself. You can rotate, move, resize and recolor individual pieces. It take s a little bit of playing to get used to the input, but it's worth a try.

You can find it here.

Thanks everyone as I have managed to find something I can use!

Just in case you want more, there is a site called hero machine. Its quite excessive http://www.heromachine.com/heromachine-2-5-character-portrait-creator/