Wow, when was the last time I posted a render?

One of the things that I really like about having digital likenesses of my characters is that I can change them over time. Applying different complexions and make-up involves simply loading up new textures, while experimenting with their shapes requires pushing morph sliders around. Therefore I can make drastic alterations to them without committing to anything permanent.

 

I changed my digital likeness of Jareth recently in a pretty significant way. He used to be stylized and cartoony, but I thought I’d see what he looked like in a more realistic representation. Instead of basing the digital version of him on the digital sculpt I made for my Jareth BJD, this likeness is based on my approximation of David Bowie from about 1975, with a lot of ageing, sagging morphs added, as well as some emaciation and curviness. Check him out.

 

 

I should probably clarify, for all zero of you that care about this sort of thing, that the “pretty significant” changes do not include his current complexion, hair, and clothes. I’m just talking about his level of realism in the digital realm. I have to admit, though, that I really like the effect of the texture, hair, and clothes, both when I imagine him and when I render him digitally, as they provide strong cues to the fact that he’s getting older. I’m a big fan of grey hair, crow’s feet, and laugh lines, otherwise known [to me, at least] as “smile brackets” or guillemets.

The second picture captures something essential about him, I think. You can see him thinking, laughing, observing, about to speak, which is apt, since he’s a quick-witted, smart-mouthed person. There’s a lot going on in his head, so even the fact that his hair is sticking up in a lively manner makes sense. At the same time, his constant activity doesn’t give him a sense of anxiety or self-importance. He obviously has a healthy sense of humor and a great sense of play — in fact, he probably sees a swing set just off screen that he wants to go play on. He would like to modify that statement that you have to grow old, but you don’t have to grow up. He says, “You have to grow old and even grow up, but you don’t have to grow out of learning and playing and taking joy in things.”