KELLY FOREVER

@ anonymous question asker— Yes. :)

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:45:38 -0700

@ anonymous question asker—

Yes. :)

Hello :) I've only recently started reading your webcomic Kingfisher and I just wanted to say, I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far! I absolutely love the style of the characters, also how each characters personalities are so defined and unique. So in all I just love the comic and your talents just tickle me pink! Thanks and regards~

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:14:24 -0700

Aww that’s so sweet! I’m really glad you’re enjoying the comic. :D

So I haven’t posted in here in forever, mostly because the...

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:52:00 -0700

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...

Wed, 25 May 2011 22:25:51 -0700

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...

Mon, 23 May 2011 15:49:00 -0700

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...

Mon, 23 May 2011 15:42:05 -0700

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,...

Mon, 23 May 2011 01:26:00 -0700

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...

Wed, 18 May 2011 16:55:00 -0700

There are some things we’ll never understand.

-She’s Lost Control (live)

OK one more Ian pic… my digital painting of him…...

Wed, 18 May 2011 10:52:58 -0700

OK one more Ian pic… my digital painting of him… *cry forever*

A tragic anniversary today. :(

Wed, 18 May 2011 09:10:30 -0700

A tragic anniversary today. :(

OMG I just realized…. Average guy vs. Dikdik’s...

Mon, 16 May 2011 14:37:37 -0700

OMG I just realized…. Average guy vs. Dikdik’s Garden… Whoa.

EXPERIMENT FOUR - GETTING CHOOSY/PROFILE & 3/4 VIEW

Mon, 16 May 2011 14:30:05 -0700

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?

EXPERIMENT THREE - Create a face

Sat, 14 May 2011 23:03:05 -0700

Part three to my ever thrilling quest for SOMETHING OR OTHER! Um, that is.. facial averaging and analysis of personal aesthetic of beauty.

My first attempt to overlay the pictures was a bit strange. I simply set every face to ‘overlay’ and ended up with this overexposed image. Hmm… try again.

I also noticed that the ears/hair/collars were turning into goop when overlaid, so I tried masking out all non-face areas except for those within a certain parameter. I set all layers to a lower opacity, and ended up with my first 3d averaged face!

I’ve learned that as you average many faces, the face becomes more babyish and chubby looking. For example in this ‘most beautiful’ set of averaged faces by professionals, they appear to be quite young and soft. I think this is due to ‘softening’ of the features by eliminating all outliers (largest and smallest features,) and an overall expansion of edges by overlays. To mitigate this I began using less faces for more variation.

I tried leaving out certain faces. Here I selected only models with poofy lips. Note in the following examples that the faces are kind of wonky looking, I have bettered my technique since this point.

Models with larger noses

Models with the largest eyes

I began noticing traits in common within the models, seemingly there were ‘types’. - For example, models with the largest eyes tended to have the thinnest lips. The thinnest lips average looked very similar to the largest eyes average. Most models had a dominate feature, with either two medium sized features, or a small and medium sized feature. Thicker lips was paired with medium eyes and noses. Big noses typically were paired with large-ish eyes, but not the largest. Large eyes were rarely paired with thicker lips, etc.

I began experimenting with more arbitrary parameters. Here these are models I’ve deemed to be ‘cutie pies,’ ones who look more youthful and babyish. (The masks are off here, you can see how strange the other edges get without them.)

the models who seemed more mature looking.

Here, all my favorite models. I noticed a feature seemed to dominate - ‘the eye capsule’ as coined by cute overload.

Adjusted, all my favorites minus models with ‘eye capsule.’ (Looks kind of cross eyed and weird.) I tried experimenting with adding color in, my first color average! (A blurred average of all the photos set to ‘color’ mode… so inefficient. I was just starting out.)

The unwritten step in this process is carefully skewing, sizing and rotating pictures to line up the facial features. The only advice I can offer on this front is to line up the eyes (ignoring pupils,) then do whatever it takes to get the mouth into place. I’m less fussy about the noses as they tend to line up on their own, sometimes…

AUGH there’s more!? Yes baby, more than ever before…

EXPERIMENT FOUR COMING UP!

EXPERIMENT TWO - SELF BEAUTY

Wed, 11 May 2011 20:00:06 -0700

This is just a short one.

Here I traced my own face, laid over the bullshit ‘perfect beauty’ mask that plastic surgeons use. (Google this if you are curious, I don’t want to further this crap idea.) I apparently have too large eyes, and a too small mouth. (NOTE: my facial outline is missing in this because I was wearing a hood up and was too lazy to take a new picture.)

My face laid over the average model’s face. Shockingly similar! My eyes a little larger, and my nose a little narrower at the bridge, but we are both ‘imperfect’ in the same ways compared to the ideal beauty mask. This was a closer match than a few controls I did with other random faces.

My face overlaid over my favorite model’s face. Whoa…

What does this say about my personal taste in beauty? Does one really prefer faces that look like their own? Do I really look like a beautiful male model?

Questions for the ages.

EXPERIMENT THREE - COMIN ATCHA…

EXPERIMENT ONE - LINE ART

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:13:20 -0700

My first experiment in facial averaging, as it took place about a year ago.

(IMG above: Further down the road in my experimentation)

About a year ago, I began an experiment to create an ideal face. I am still in the process of this goal, but have had a lot of fun and made interesting discoveries along the way.

THE GOAL - I am an artist who likes to portray beauty. I hoped to gain a greater understanding of my personal aesthetic, and create a helpful guide for myself in creating ‘beautiful’ characters. (Or at least ones that appear beautiful to my taste.)

The beginning-

I have a folder on my computer of thousands of beautiful pictures. When I began this experiment, I looked for frontal pictures of my favorite models, and resized and cropped them so they would match up well. Here is a screenshot of a small handful of them.

I went over each picture, and traced the major features and outline of the head with a red brush, labeling it with the model’s name.

This was the result of turning them all on at once. Eh… not so good.

I resized, rotated, moved and flipped outlines to match them up better…. Getting there.

I made the line work thinner using masks, and lowered the opacity of each face, making it much clearer.

Here they are overlaid over one another, my first averaged face!

another shot- median filter to clarify.

Watch out for experiment two shortly!

To help with this exciting project by my friend Raymond, I will...

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:01:38 -0700

To help with this exciting project by my friend Raymond, I will be posting shortly about an experiment I began a year ago, averaging the faces of my favorite male models. This is a composite of 35+ models from various angles, no one particular person contributing a vast amount to the look. I will be explaining how I did this, and many variations and insights.

I thought I’d start a new series- guys who look like my...

Mon, 09 May 2011 10:30:44 -0700

I thought I’d start a new series- guys who look like my drawings.

Now this doesn’t even look realistic…

My lower lashes feel so bare after looking at these pictures....

Mon, 02 May 2011 00:46:37 -0700

My lower lashes feel so bare after looking at these pictures. They need at least 10,000 more fabulosities. “:(“

teeeearzz!

Mon, 02 May 2011 00:43:55 -0700

teeeearzz!

Love this, guys need to wear corsets more. This reminds me of...

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:01:25 -0700

Love this, guys need to wear corsets more. This reminds me of Egon Schiele