The answer? Well, they're both renders, actually. For real.
Dan Roarty is a lead character artist at Tomb Raider developers Crystal Dynamics. Before that, though, he worked on the ill-fated Star Wars 1313, modelling and texturing the game's main character.
As you can see below, his 3D modelling skills are off the charts. That old lady is so good it thinks the uncanny valley is a pothole you step over every day on the way to work.
You can see more of Dan's work at his personal site and CGHub page.
To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in the bottom-right corner.
Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you're in the business and have some concept, environment, promotional or character art you'd like to share, drop us a line!