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!