CUSTOM PERSONAL SETS

Here is a list of sets that I personally "built" from from other set items and individual items.

I'm using them together either because most of the other better looking items are too expensive or too hard to get, or the original version of the set does not look at good as it could look.

Items: Aspect Mask of Fulimant Rage - rare mask Strange Grand Claive of the Unshamed - common sword Seven-Sealed the Fur Bracer - common bracer Twelve Tusks the Cape of Boars - common cape

This is a set I recently settled for after trying to mess around with a combination of High Plains bracer and Cuffs + Defender of the Ivory Towers for a more barbaric-looking Juggernaut.

The colors on all the items fit Juggernaut's default color scheme which is orange.
Personally I feel that the Claive of the Unshamed looks nearly as good as a Fireborn Odachi due to it's glow, the extra details with the rings on the blade only makes it more appealing.

I'm not a big fan of putting helmets on most of my heroes but seeing as Juggernaut has a mask by default, the Rage mask does not pose much of an issue, it gives the hero an overall serious aspect which fits well with his overall level of annoyance: invulnerability, magic immunity, %based aoe heal.

Items: Rulling Sword - rare sword Helm of the Flameguard - uncommon helm Cape of the Flameguard - uncommon cape Dressed Pauldron of the Flameguard - uncommon sect pauldron Skirt of the Flameguard - rare sect skirt

The Flameguard set is probably the most decent looking one out of the bunch for Sven, the default blade looks pretty bad though, so I decided to replace it with Rulling Sword which looks damn great, some others prefer Demigod instead though, but I fell this one is more in theme and looks much more badass :D.

The other good looking set for Sven would be Commander of the Flameguard set but honestly, it's basically the same set with a color tint, a new helm which makes me think of Pantheon from LoL and a bracer.
You can only get it by trading it for keys or getting a lucky drop in-game, too much trouble to go through just to get such a similar set imo :P.

Items: Beast-Jaw Bludgeoner - common makeshift weapon Excavator's Decorated Treasure - rare bone helm Cerebral Support - common armor Skeletal Catch - uncommon finished lunch

The Paleogeneous Punisher Set is not a bad idea by default, but the default weapon looks pretty bad so I decided to replace it with the Beast-Jaw one simply because it has more detail and still maintains the boney theme.

The helmet is a no-brainer really, the default does not look bad but the rare version looks better, it's also one of those items you can't buy in shop, so it increases the value of your inventory by default.

Items: Qaldin Assasin's Slicer - uncommon mancatcher Master Assasin Mask - uncommon mask Hardened Hunter's Armor - uncommon armor Guard of the Crimson Cut-throat - uncommon shield Hardened Hunter's Bracer - uncommon bracer Qaldin Assasin's Glaive - uncommon shuriken Master Assasin's Grim cutter - common sword

The whole point of getting different items for a hero like Gondar is, imo, to make him as least noticeable as possible, that's why I like to keep items that are as minimal as possible that can camouflage in the environment in a messy teambattle for example, making him harder to lock down than usual. Sure the effects are close to non-existent but they are there nonetheless.

The reason I prefer the Hardened Hunter Armor over others is because this one actually gives him armor for his elbows and also gives him gloves.

The Grim Cutter is another example of a great looking common item simply because of the small banner hanging from it.

Items: Sword of the Seventy-Seven Seas - uncommon sword Royal Admiral's Bycorne - common hat Weavecrester - common back Lucky Tooth Necklage - common necklace Gloves of the Admirable Admiral - common gloves

The Admirable Admiral sets looks to damn gay to be taken seriously, the only items I could use from it was the gloves.

This blade actually looks sharp unlike the other one and his default hand-held telescope looks more important than a Ceremonial Rapier.

Items: Bonehunter Slicer/Off-hand - uncommon blade Hlotl-Tusk Headdress of the Seeker - common headdress Bonehunter Tuskguard - common guard Bonehunter Belt - common belt Bonehunter Spineguard - uncommon armor Hlotl-Feather Gloves - common gloves

Just like the Gondar set, this one also contains a ******ed amount of items but it adds so much detail to the hero that it's worth it in the end.

The default Bonehunter helm makes him look too different for my taste so I decided to go with with the helm from the other set, which nicely complements his boney structure.

The Hlotl-Feather Gloves also have a lot more detail than the Bonehunter ones, so I swapped them.

Items: Warhammer of Renewed Faith - uncommon hammer Armor of Thunderwrath's Calling - rare armour Armlet of Renewed Faith - common armlet Cape of Thunderwrath's Calling - rare cape Circlet of the Purist Champion - uncommon circlet

Thunderwrath's Calling set is probably the most high quality one available atm for Omniknight, but as I said before I dislike putting helmets on the heads of my heroes, unless they have a default one, because that would just ruin the detail/personality of the hero.

The Thunderwrath weapon is ridiculously huge so I swapped it for this nicely detailed warhammer.

I used to keep a cloak on his head before I acquired the Thunderwrath armor pieces, but now it wouldn't make much sense seeing as his cape already has a cloak.

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I will add a few more sets I'm working on after I'm done.
I won't bother talking about the full sets that I'm using for other heroes (axe,dk) because that's not the focus of this blog entry.
Don't hesitate to share your opinion !!

Frostivus and Polycount Contest Winner – Best Overall

Ah yes, it is that time of the year. A time to buy the courier, a time to let that other guy have the last hit, a time to be grateful if you happen to be a frost Lich or Crystal Maiden.

Introducing Frostivus.

Frostivus is our Holidays event, enjoy it responsibly with a nice cup of Greevil Eggnog.

And the winner of the Polycount Contest is… *drum roll*

Most of you have already guessed but it’s time to make it official: Danidem and Hunter’s Rider of the Storm set for Disruptor wins the distinction of Best Overall Polycount Contest entry!

The winning sets will ship in next week’s Frostivus update. The winners will receive a share of sales, special versions of their items, and a custom trophy-ward to show off their accomplishment in game.

A collection of seven items created by Danidem and Hunter.

In the times of the Oglodi a well trained Stormcrafter knew he was never really in control of the storm but merely a vector for its power.  

Through Stormthrasher, Disruptor wields the ancient power of the Stormrider.  Stormriders laugh in the face of order and through force of will bend storms to do their bidding.  Clad in the armor of his ancestors and riding a scaled storm beast, Disruptor is a true Rider of the Storm.

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No one will be shocked to discover that Danidem & Hunter’s set “Rider of the Storm” is our team’s pick for the best entry in the Dota 2 Polycount Contest. The mount, Rampant the Scaled Hunter, is a wicked alternative to the default with both runed beak and feathers drawing attention and creating a sleek sense of direction. Disruptor himself looks battleready and grim. The beard design and eye-patch make the portrait stand apart and both also read well at game-distance. Technical execution is at the professional level.

Perhaps the only adjustment we would make is to tone down the feathers behind the saddle, but they hardly interfere with readability and this is a minor observation.

Polycount Discussion Thread

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Polycount Contest Winners – Day 3

Day three of the Polycount Contest winners announcements begins. We won’t spend a lot of time on introductions as we know you want to get back to maniacally murdering trees with the newly introduced hero Timbersaw.

That guy is clearly compensating for something.

Now on to our distinguished winners! Coming in as winner number seven we have…

A collection of seven items created by Bisho Bola. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

He that burns and is not consumed now walks the battlefied, shielded by the ancient promise of the Eleven Curses. Eleven Eyes, eleven seals, eleven curses. All to insure victory in even the worst of battles.

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Doom Bringer picked up several great entries during the contest. Jeremy Klein’s Impending Transgressions and Jacque Choi’s Apocalyptic Raiments are examples of two sets with potential to go all the way. Ultimately we chose Bisho Bola’s Eleven Curses as one of the top entries to emerge from the contest.

THAT SWORD…that sword is pure metal. If King Diamond were battling Satan for the throne of hell this would be the sword he’d use to do the deed. The blade is anchored with interesting detail that reads well in game, from the weighted disc embedded at the end to the wicked hooks that lead into the hilt. Bisho Bola uses darker tones to break up the armor which pushes the design away from Doom’s default appearance. Small details picked out in red help unify the set, like the back of Doom’s helm and the armored tail tip. Doom’s belt buckle bulges a bit giving him the appearance of having a bit of a gut. We aren’t sure if this is intentional, but we like the way it adds an extra touch of heft to this massive hero. The set has a lot of detail that reads well at a distance. The horn tips and eye sigils on the helm and shoulders glow and stand out at night adding additional interest.

There are a few adjustments we might make to this set, but they’re really minor. The transition from bright to dark is abrupt in a couple of places along the wings. We might also tone down the detail at the hips to make the shoulders pop out a bit more. We’d also adjust the light location in the portrait so the horns don’t cast so heavy a shadow over Doom’s face. We may also tone the fire particles down a bit on the blade so the sword’s detail is more visible. Overall, this is an impressive and fun entry.

Polycount Discussion Thread

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Our eighth winner…

A collection of five items created by Willypup. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

The early shadow priests of the Dezun Order were said to have woven their vestments in utter darkness, for only in the total absence of light could they properly channel the essence of the Nothl Realm into the fabrics. It was believed that once complete, the enchantment would grow stronger as the garment aged. The oldest regalia are therefore not only prized for their hallowed creators, but for the heightened Nothl power they bestow upon the wearer.

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Willypup’s Ancestral Trappings for Dazzle is one of our favorite entries in the contest. Here is a set that pushes Dazzle in a direction that expands the hero’s story and maintains his readability at a glance. Contrast is used to great effect in the the bone-white skullcap, the white stripes in the feather cloak, and the bone dream catcher. What’s really impressive are the number of small details that pop at a distance. The feathers hanging from the headdress and delicate wiring of the dream catcher are two examples. Our only suggestion for this set would be to add a bit more of Dazzle’s pink flesh-tone to the right arm and maybe a touch of emissive glow to the business end of the staff. A fantastic entry we want to see the lanes right away.

Polycount Discussion Thread

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And the contest’s ninth winner…

A collection of four items created by kremrhi. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

In the final years of the Sordid Era, after thirteen seasons of drought, shamanic ways fell into disrepute, with all itinerant mages blamed for failing crops and disease. In order to continue his travels, Rhasta was forced to adopt a new appearance. While still offering many of the same services, during the end of this Era he disclaimed all knowledge of shamanism and professed only the knowledge that any vagabond might acquire along the road, and practice (in a strictly nonprofessional sense) for a few coins. Thus he survived into the next era, when many another was separated from their hide and stretched out along the roads as a warning to the next shaman who might happen along.

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Kremrhi’s Mysterious Vagabond was one of our top picks when considering which set could win the whole thing. This set exudes character and thoughtful design. The banner poles and back-scroll (perhaps advertising the vagrant’s services), the hat covered in script-blessings, the jug, the small hip fan…each detail is a piece of a puzzle telling a new Shadow Shaman story with exacting attention to detail. Kremrhi has even maintained the vertical framing of the Shadow Shaman’s face with functional leather slips to keep the hat in place. It goes without saying the set is well executed from a technical perspective. Our only suggestion would be to brighten ever slightly the parchment color on the scrolls and banners.

Polycount Discussion Thread

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The tenth winner…

A collection of five items created by Honey Badger. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

Long ago exiled from the valleys of Knollen, Sniper has travelled to many lands, fought in many battles, and learned much along the way. From these adventure, he’s garnered mementos of his travels, collecting armor and weapons as he strives to fulfill the prophecy of his youth, in the hope of one day rejoining the keen folk of his ancestral village.

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Our tenth winner might be an unrecognized underdog. Honey Badger’s Gear of the Tally-Ho Hunterwas submitted earlier in the contest and didn’t receive as much attention in community voting as a result. When we looked at this set in game it became clear that it looks as good or better than the default Sniper. The set engages on all dimensions without going over the top. The execution is top notch. Small details make the set from the medals and scope that enhance the portrait to the regal looking cape, distinguished mustache, and arm-strapped dagger. Sniper, in contrast to Naga, has taken to his exile with exuberance and a sense of adventure. This is a set we love more and more every time we see it in game.

Polycount Discussion Thread

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Remember to check back tomorrow for the Grand Winner!

Polycount Contest Winners – Day 2

Today’s winners may all come with a certain degree of controversy. Here are three standout sets that have beaten very close competition to clench victory.

Our fourth winner…

A collection of five items created by Anuxi. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

It is little known of Crystal Maiden, that in her long study of the Frozen Arts, she once greatly displeased her Ice Wizard master and to restore herself to his graces and prove worthy of his instruction, she passed a year dwelling in the climes of slush where the Blueheart Glacier spends itself at the edge of the Boiling Sea. Here, where snow had never fallen, Rylai spent months in deep meditation, mastering her powers, before waking one afternoon with a single frigid word upon her lips: “Snowdrop!” For a moment, the steam that filled the air turned to ice, and the warm precipitation became a softly falling snow. When she returned to her old teacher, she found him waiting with a smile, fully aware of the magic she had wrought, as he presented her this outfit to show her worth and mastery.

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Belle of the North Star (created in part by the TF2 polycount winner Chemical Alia along with her cohorts Dry and jCool) was the hands-down winner of the community’s affection and votes. 5129 ratings with less than 1% downvotes. An impressive run for a professionally executed set, bold in its re-envisioning of Crystal Maiden as a confident and wealthy princess. There is a lot to like about the entry from the ornate but extremely readable cloak to the intricate portrait presentation. We know Belle is a fan favorite and one we expect to find its way into the game soon.

So it may be with a certain note of controversy that we announce the selection of Anuxi’s Snowdropas our favored winner (pushing Belle from the winners circle due to our decision to focus on a broad set of heroes). Anuxi has crafted something really special. We love the way Crystal Maiden’s cape has been reinterpreted as a pair of fluffy tassels, changing the shape of the hero and really pushing on her design while maintaining readability (the tassels outline the cape’s profile and profiles are a critical component to at-a-glance recognition). The portrait is awesome, with the fluffy hood contrasting a wayward lock of hair. Here is a truly beautiful and mysterious ice witch, one eye and mouth occluded. Snowdrop is a perfect example of redefining a hero without changing her identity and doing so with an ‘our artists wish they made this’ level of execution.

Polycount Discussion Thread

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Our fifth winner…

A collection of five items created by ENODMI. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

No Slithereen may fail. Though Slithice swam victorious at the battle of Crey, a single jeweled chalice was taken. The punishment for the lost bauble: banishment. So she wandered the deeps, bitterly searching for the chalice, and where once dwelt honor and humility now crept the tendrils of cruelty and malice. If she was to be exiled, then so be it. She shed the lighter tones of her ancestral armor, instead taking up darker armaments, and all who looked upon her felt the indomitable will of the exiled siren.

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Our selection of ENODMI’s Naga Siren “Exile” may come as a surprise. After all, Anuxi won hearts with two brilliantly presented sets for Naga the Slithereen Knight and Empress of the Deeps and PsEuDo’s Tempest entry captured our attention with bold use of color. (We should point out that we have no restriction on any one contributor winning multiple times with multiple entries.)

Exile is an example of an entry that defies expectation. ENODMI has chosen to work with two colors that are not prominent in Naga’s palette: dark green and blood orange. Despite the challenges this poses, the set excels when viewed in game, under motion. Good decisions can be found throughout. The wide, crimson tipped helm enhances Naga’s undulating fish-like motion. The colors add contrast and pick out the armor against Naga’s skin tones. A dark belt separates Naga’s upper and lower torso, but the armor pieces don’t occlude her chest creating a bright vertical line that helps preserve readability. The swords are heavy and grim, far more evil looking than the delicate blades we normally attribute to the Naga Siren. At the same time, not so heavy as to be unbelievable or silly. The blood orange edges of the armor and light edges of the blades help cut the character from the scene’s background. Here is a dark set that looks as good on Dire ground as on Radiant – a detail many contributors overlook. Naga’s story is not a happy one and the Exile set captures the darkness in this character’s heart.

Polycount Discussion Thread

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And the contest’s sixth winner…

A collection of five items created by Tickwomp[RamRod]. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

Since escaping bondage in kingdom of Slom, Beastmaster has always drawn strength from the natural world around him. When other heroes turn to steel or magic, Beastmasters turns to more ancient implements: feathers, leathers, bones and fur. With these primitive tools, he’s proven his worth against even the most well-armed knight.

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Beastmaster received a couple of high quality entries that we want to comment on. One standout was the ‘Fierce Warrior‘ set from T_Vidotto. Both of the critters impressed us, but ultimately we felt the set didn’t try to press on Beastmaster’s identity as a hero. Another worth noting is peppi’s ‘Curse of the Cryptid’s‘ set. The execution on peppi’s entry is extremely professional, but some choices made us feel the bold design was inconsistently applied (such as the cleavers). 

Red Talon, by comparison, is an entry to take on all comers. The vibrant red hood is sharp, with great execution both in color and in the modeling. Hoods are hard to get right. Modeling the way cloth frames the face without occluding expression or making it so wide it looks unnatural takes attention to detail. Tickwomp has nailed it. Another nice touch are the three feathers that adorn the back of the hero. These add contrast and interest and also enhance the downward directional pattern established by the hero’s ponytail and shoulder strap. The attention to detail and thoughtfulness in this set makes it stand above competing entries from other heroes.

Polycount Discussion Thread

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Remember to check back tomorrow for four more winners!

Polycount Contest Winners – Day 1

The Dota 2 Polycount Contest began on October 8th and officially ended this past Monday December 3rd. Over that two month period the Polycount modeling community submitted more than 1,000 entries to the Dota 2 Workshop. We aren’t exaggerating when we say that the sheer magnitude of high quality submissions has blown us away and that judging entries has been difficult because so many sets could have been winners. We have no doubt that a very large number (if not a large majority) of the sets contributed in the course of the contest will eventually be incorporated into the game. If your favorite entry didn’t win, don’t despair. There are enough great items here that we will see entries ship for the foreseeable future.

Incorporating feedback into a design is an important part of game development that a contest can’t easily capture. Many of the contest submissions demonstrate this challenge with items that are 95% of the way to excellence, but need a few rounds of adjustments to be true winners. Some common flaws we discovered while judging were:

• An overabundance of detail in small areas. In Dota, patches of small detail can look good in the profile view of a hero, but tend to become hard to read during the normal course of the game. Where and how to use detail, what color values, levels of contrast to apply on that detail are critical considerations when creating items for Dota.

• Not taking advantage of value gradients that could enhance a hero’s readability. If the brightness and tone of the colors at a hero’s feet are as intense as those at the head, the character can become difficult for the eye to break apart at a glance. More on this in our Dota 2 art guide.

• Some sets are extremely well executed and quite beautiful, but at the same time don’t push on the character design enough. This is always in a delicate balance. Items should be recognizable as unique and enhance the hero’s identity without being so radical as to shift the lore into too alien a territory.

Winners and losers can’t be judged by the Workshop presentation alone. Many of these flaws only became apparent when we examined the items closely in game, under real game lighting and motion. As a result, some of our picks may surprise you. When relevant we will describe the tough decisions we faced.

Moving forward, we want to create an open discussion with the community about the techniques that enhance items to top tier status. To the extent that we can help teach, we will. To the extent that we can improve our tools to make it easier to iterate, we will. Initially this may manifest as blog posts from the art team, but longer term we expect to see Workshop features aimed at making iteration easier and technical feedback more visible to the community.

We will announce 3 winners today, 3 Wednesday, 4 Thursday, with the grand winner being unveiled on Friday. Trying to rank the top ten sets in order isn’t our goal. They do not all succeed or fail in the same way. All winners will be available for purchase or as drops in next week’s update.

Our selection of winners, then, is about capturing the contest entries that we feel represent the highest quality on all possible dimensions. In order to recognize the broadest range of set designs, we chose to not select two winners for the same hero. This doesn’t mean these other sets won’t be sold in the Dota store or appear as drops in future updates. Expect to see more sets ship in January.

Let’s get on to the first set of winners.

A collection of three items created by Ze Blu Spy. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

On the trail of a curious cipher which might decrypt an ancient codex of the Hidden Temple, Lanaya stumbled upon a cache of hidden garments in an arboretum sacred to the Three Shades. Three garments, wrapped in the petals of an enormous nightshade, on which were inscribed the names of those ethereal Shades that lent their attributes to each piece: madness, terror and death. Most would consider these poor qualities in their attire. But for Templar Assassin, donning the Deadly Nightshade is an accelerant to wisdom.

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Our first winner is a solid entry in every way. The modeling execution is excellent. Detail is used to add appealing flavor to the portrait. The design pushes Templar Assassin in a distinct direction that maintains her identity while telling a new story. The hero is readable at a glance, with large areas of color and contrast providing a sense of shape to the character.

This set was in close contention with the Shadow of the Thief-Scholar by Plant which we love and intend to ship. Ultimately we felt the Deadly Nightshade set took more risks that paid off.

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Our second winner…

A collection of five items created by Squid. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

Trinkets and tall tales are just a few of the ways a drifter can make a living out in Riftshadow, but there’s a lot more in the waste if you know how to look, and where. You’ll want a guide and someone who knows their way in a fight; that should let you scratch the surface and take in some history. Getting rich from the ruins though, that’s another matter. If you want to learn Riftshadow’s darkest secrets, you better tip well and know how to keep your mouth shut.

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There’s very little criticism we can level against this set. Squid has captured Meepo’s personality and exaggerated it without going over the top. Here is a well farmed Meepo, spending his gold on the fanciest gear Riftshadow has to offer. The execution is top tier, with excellent work on the modeling, texturing, color choices, and use of detail. This is a very detailed set that reads clean in game at normal game distance. For us, the set was a contender for the grand prize winner. Great job, Squid.

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And today’s last winner…

A collection of five items created by Farfarer. Dota 2 Polycount Contest Finalist.

In hushed tones, legends have long been whispered of the near-mythical stormcrows.

Enormous, powerful and reclusive, these strange, scarce birds range across the highest peaks of the Prefect mountains, hidden from the world by a constant bank of dark cloud. Their rare sighting are ill omens, said to portend storms soon to follow.

Legends also tell of those who have dared try to harness the power of these creatures for themselves. For the only way to return after stealing one of their eggs – a potent source of power – is to wrestle control of a stormcrow and ride it down to the ground, miles below.

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Stormcrow’s Spirit by Farfarer excels in design and execution. Here is a completely new identity and story for the Witch Doctor thoughtfully captured in every detail. We’re particularly fond of the giant crow egg in sling and the wicked crow-bone divination staff. If we had any suggestion for the set it would be to enhance the contrast among the feathers on the back, but this is a minor observation. We may also make an adjustment to the lighting and camera angle in the portrait to draw more attention to the wicked mask (something workshop contributors currently can’t do, but hopefully will be able to do soon).

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Remember to check back tomorrow for another set of winners!