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Description

I considered putting this image in my next Image Pack ... But I wanted to talk about it.

So first off, to give credit where it's due, this was inspired by an image created by my friend and frequent collaborator . E0's original image caught my eye for a number of reasons. Obviously the pose of the captured heroine is quite provocative. But what really got me was the angle of her head and the expression on her face--or more accurately, the lack thereof.

You don't see many images of the characters in this sort of position, with their head tilted back to look into the camera. While it's not an unusual position (in terms of her body or situation) for the hapless heroine to find herself in (not in our genre), it is an unusual camera angle. My default instinct would probably have been to capture the image from well above, the camera aiming down toward Duster lying on the bed, while she looks up but forward at her captors. But instead, besides the unusual camera angle and head pose, she's not looking at her captors, at least not the ones visible in the image. As in E0's original, she's looking out of the frame into the camera--into the eyes of the viewer, essentially. As a result, her gaze pulls you into the scene--not just as a viewer, but as a participant.

And just as in E0's original, her expression is neutral. Surprisingly so, given the situation she's in. Granted, I added a ball-gag (as well as the spreader bar), but even so, I kept her expression mostly neutral, just like that of the character in the image that inspired this one. This is unusual for me; I get a lot of compliments on my characters' emotional expressions. I take my time not just with facial expressions, but also with overall body language (especially hands) to convey the character's emotional state. And I've said on more than one occasion that this is the main thing I find lacking in "AI"-generated art: any sort of emotional expression that provides you with context clues regarding the character and/or the story surrounding the image. (Are we really surprised that computers suck at human emotion? But I digress...)

Here, bound as she is (even more than the heroine in the original), Duster's opportunity for expression is limited. The ball gag further restricts mouth expression--not just verbally. But just as in the original, her neutral expression draws you in further, picking up where her direct eye contact leaves off. Is she silently pleading for help? Is she angry? Resigned? Afraid? Maybe all of those things. Maybe none of them. But most importantly, you as the viewer can decide what emotional state she's experiencing. And from that, you can further imagine the story surrounding this image on both sides: what happened before this? What will happen afterwards? You might say it's obvious, but the neutrality of Duster's expression gives you freedom to impose your own before-and-after story on the scene.

So once again I'm aiming for the image to provide a spark to your own imagination. As I said above, usually I rely on facial expression and body language to help do that--but this time, less is more in that regard.

Thoughts? Comments? Share them below!

Description

I considered putting this image in my next Image Pack ... But I wanted to talk about it.

So first off, to give credit where it's due, this was inspired by an image created by my friend and frequent collaborator . E0's original image caught my eye for a number of reasons. Obviously the pose of the captured heroine is quite provocative. But what really got me was the angle of her head and the expression on her face--or more accurately, the lack thereof.

You don't see many images of the characters in this sort of position, with their head tilted back to look into the camera. While it's not an unusual position (in terms of her body or situation) for the hapless heroine to find herself in (not in our genre), it is an unusual camera angle. My default instinct would probably have been to capture the image from well above, the camera aiming down toward Duster lying on the bed, while she looks up but forward at her captors. But instead, besides the unusual camera angle and head pose, she's not looking at her captors, at least not the ones visible in the image. As in E0's original, she's looking out of the frame into the camera--into the eyes of the viewer, essentially. As a result, her gaze pulls you into the scene--not just as a viewer, but as a participant.

And just as in E0's original, her expression is neutral. Surprisingly so, given the situation she's in. Granted, I added a ball-gag (as well as the spreader bar), but even so, I kept her expression mostly neutral, just like that of the character in the image that inspired this one. This is unusual for me; I get a lot of compliments on my characters' emotional expressions. I take my time not just with facial expressions, but also with overall body language (especially hands) to convey the character's emotional state. And I've said on more than one occasion that this is the main thing I find lacking in "AI"-generated art: any sort of emotional expression that provides you with context clues regarding the character and/or the story surrounding the image. (Are we really surprised that computers suck at human emotion? But I digress...)

Here, bound as she is (even more than the heroine in the original), Duster's opportunity for expression is limited. The ball gag further restricts mouth expression--not just verbally. But just as in the original, her neutral expression draws you in further, picking up where her direct eye contact leaves off. Is she silently pleading for help? Is she angry? Resigned? Afraid? Maybe all of those things. Maybe none of them. But most importantly, you as the viewer can decide what emotional state she's experiencing. And from that, you can further imagine the story surrounding this image on both sides: what happened before this? What will happen afterwards? You might say it's obvious, but the neutrality of Duster's expression gives you freedom to impose your own before-and-after story on the scene.

So once again I'm aiming for the image to provide a spark to your own imagination. As I said above, usually I rely on facial expression and body language to help do that--but this time, less is more in that regard.

Thoughts? Comments? Share them below!