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Artist and Elder Scrolls Online fan Kerebear captures the beauty of Tamriel and its people through her in-game screenshot portraits. Listen to her break down her journey and creative process to snagging that perfect pic!
Hello, Kerebear! Thank you for joining us today to talk about you and your art. First off, could you tell us about your ESO Journey?
My initial induction into the Elder Scrolls franchise first started with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I discovered ESO during 2018, and I decided to give it a try because I wanted to engage further with passionate fans such as myself! Now, it has become my most played game! I spend most my time in game doing quests, dungeons, and conducting roleplay.
Tell us, how long have you been putting together these portraits? How did you get started?
I started developing portraits last year, and the more I created, the more I slowly began to discover how to work with the different camera angles and how to better frame the characters in-game. While I was working on my earliest portraits, I saw fellow ESO screenshot artists on Twitter using “reshades” to achieve various aesthetics, and I decided I would implement this technique into my work.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been able to learn various different tricks to best help me hone my craft.
An Argonian practicing alchemy
Sounds like you’ve been improving with each portrait you create. Can you describe the process of putting your art together?
I won’t sugarcoat it; this artform does take a lot of trial and error to achieve the exact shot you had in mind before setting out. It starts with selecting a setting to serve as the background of your portrait; preferably a location that helps complement the subject.
Next, I’ll select an emote to serve as the pose for the portrait. Keep in mind: one of the most important aspects of taking an aesthetically pleasing photograph is lighting, and that still applies for in-game screenshots! Lighting really can make all the difference, so be sure to keep this mind while framing everything together. Usually, I utilize a Free Camera addon to best center the character in the frame I am visualizing.
Then, I always take a multitude of screenshots, capturing various character expressions and body angles. Even the slightest change in detail can drastically affect the outcome of what reaction this portrait elicits.
Once I’ve wrapped, it's time to begin looking through the folder of screenshots and selecting the perfect one!
A flustered Khajiit
Where do you go to find inspiration?
It depends. Sometimes, when a new emote gets released, I’ll try to decide which one of my characters best fits its aesthetic. For example: if it’s a fun or silly emote, I typically turn to my cheerful Bosmer as the model for the screenshots.
Other times, I just happen across a scenic environment, and I decide to use it as the background for a shot of whichever of my characters best fits.
The Crow Witch
High Isle, ESO’s latest Chapter, has recently released. Has this unique setting inspired your work?
Oh, most certainly! High Isle is gorgeous and has an abundance of beautiful landscape settings. My favorites are the gorgeous flower fields and open vistas.
This Chapter has caused my imagination to run wild with a plethora of ideas for new portraits!
Sunflowers of High Isle
You’ve created so many fantastic pieces, but we want to know if there is any specific portrait you’ve created you’re especially proud of?
I would say the screenshot I am most proud of is my “Pink Knight” screenshot.
This shot took a several tries to get perfect. I was using the Flower Petals memento, and I had to make sure the petals didn’t cover up my model’s face. It remains one of my favorites portraits because of how colorful it came out as well as how much I love whole theme of the piece!
The Pink Knight
What makes a great in-game portrait? Do you have any tips for your fellow players?
Here are two key tips: lighting and patience! As mentioned before, the lighting of a screenshot can make all the difference to whether a screenshot is successful or not. It’s always best to have your character face the direction of the sun in game. It serves as natural light and will help create a clearer shot of your model. Arguably the best times to get that perfect screenshot are around “magic hours”: during the in-game sunrise and sunset.
Being patient while taking a screenshot is also critical. Maybe the lighting or weather might not be what you were picturing, or perhaps another player might be running around in the background, disrupting your shot. Remain patient and wait for the perfect moment to snag a great screenshot. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait!
Behold … sweetroll!
Thank you for speaking with us today! Before we go, tell us: where can readers go to find to you and your work?
I primarily use Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram to post my artwork. My social media handle is “MissKerebear” though I prefer if people just call me Kerebear!
We’d like to thank Kerebear again for dropping by to share her awesome portraits and creative processes! We hope this insight and her amazing screenshots will inspire you to go out and capture your own masterpieces!
If you know an ESO content creator who you believe deserves to be celebrated and shared with the rest of the #ESOFam, please share them with us via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
