So I haven’t posted in here in forever, mostly because the only art I’ve been doing is my webcomic. I didn’t want to flood this thing with “HAY GUESS WHAT! I’m still working on my comic!!” but… I just recently finished my 100th page of the Kingfisher, and I’m so happy. This has been the most fulfilling artistic project I’ve ever worked on. I’ve gotten lots of wonderful, unsolicited compliments and feedback from total strangers. I’ve never felt like my art mattered so much until I knew that there were people who had nothing invested in me, who sought out my art and writing and loved it.
Anyhow, this is a collage of some various expressions one character, Jack, had made during the course of 100 comics. I figured out the other day that I’ve spent approximately 1500 hours in the course of 9 months working on this comic. (Slightly more than a full time job.) I pull about 2-3 all nighters a week. I’m so glad I have.
So the link: http://www.borfy.com/Kingfisher/
(Here to read the archive: http://www.borfy.com/Kingfisher/Chapters.html)
I’ve been working on some bonus comics/writing based on a poll I did of my readers, experimenting with incorporating more text into the comic. —and of course everyone wanted it to be sexy, so there you go. :B
Just a follow up to the last post, some subtle variations by changing the weights. (Which models are at higher opacity. The last version all the models are at the same opacity.)
MODEL FACIAL AVERAGING - PROCESS
Here is the process of how an average is built up. I’ve changed the levels on these so you can see them better, but they are much more faded than this in the early stages. Notice how at a certain point, each added model does not do much to contribute to the look of the average.
For the curious, models I used:
1.) Gabriel Gronvik
2.) Shaun Haugh
3.) Douglas Neitzke
4.) Demy Matzen
5.) Max Barreau
6.) James Smith
7.) Jakob Hybholt
I wanted to use some models I hadn’t used in the earlier averages, and do it fast, so the image is more rough looking but surprisingly smooth for the little effort. I avoided masking and only did it on a few of the irises and a couple noses that were too far out of alignment. Three quarter views are the most difficult. I did not change the color of the photos other than some slight level adjustment, the black and white photos make the finished average look rather pale and wan, which is fine by me, tee hee.
EXPERIMENT CONCLUSION
(above: a facial average I made in about 20 minutes just recently.)
TECHNICAL: To me this project was very successful and fun, and I easily developed techniques for creating image averages. The winning combo - low opacity, overlay setting, masking out the parts you don’t want. Other insights: the less pictures you can get away with using, the less vague and fuzzy the images will end up being. Some features dominate others.
AESTHETIC: I thought overall, the average men looked a lot less interesting and compelling than any individual model. I think they were probably more universally beautiful, but lacked the quirkiness that makes for a balanced, attractive person. They end up looking more like advertisement models: inoffensive. I was also surprised how many models have pale eyes, this is not my preference but seems it is the preference for those that choose models. I was also disappointed that almost all the models were Caucasian, and the averages appear very white and fair. Sadly this is representative of the world of the images we look at, perhaps for a future average I will seek out non-white, or at least slightly more exotic models.
PERSONAL: I found that a year later, I did not use these guides much in my art creation, as I usually want to create characters that look a bit more distinctive than these averages. However I think this has really informed my eye, I am much better able to analyze faces and features. It also may have influenced me in ways I did not realize (see earlier comparison with my painting.) Plus I had lots of fun!
Oh I haven’t announced my new rebloggin’ blog, xrayeyes. Mostly a repository for sexy dudes, I thought it would help keep this Tumblr nice and neat. Check it out! The last bit of my experiment is coming up, I forgot I hadn’t finished already, tee hee…
EDIT: OOOOPS. That Douglas Neitzke post before this was meant for xrayeyes… there was a Douglas here, it’s gone now!
There are some things we’ll never understand.
-She’s Lost Control (live)
OK one more Ian pic… my digital painting of him… *cry forever*
A tragic anniversary today. :(
(Source: andyblitz)
OMG I just realized…. Average guy vs. Dikdik’s Garden… Whoa.
EXPERIMENT FOUR - GETTING CHOOSY/PROFILE & 3/4 VIEW
Now I began thinking, what if I were more selective? I tried masking out the features that I liked the best on each model, and ended up with this ‘favorite parts’ average.
Here I started over with color photographs, and tried setting the models I liked the best to a higher opacity, and ended up with this ‘favorite dude.’
-PROFILE
Feeling comfortable with the frontal view, I tried a profile average. I found this to be even more generic looking than the frontal view, but it was still interesting. Seems most profiles don’t vary much, but notice how strange the ears look! Ear placement and size of cranium are one of the biggest variations in the pictures. This was my first all color from the beginning experiment, and I never went back to black and white!
A year later I tried re-jimmying the settings and ended up with a slightly more distinctive lad.
-THREE QUARTER
The natural next step was a three quarter shot. This proved tricky as there is a lot of variation in angle with three quarter shots. I eliminated pictures to a very particular angle, and ended up with a rather lovely image.
Changing the weights
For fun I tried masking out only eyes that were looking to the right
A year later, I tried some different settings.
NEXT UP: The final installment of my facial averaging experiments, including my conclusion.EXPERIMENT FIVE… IT’S… UH… GOING TO BE POSTED SOON?
