I've started to make a list that runs from my favorite portraits to my least favorite, since given a fixed score isn't my thing. Some portraits work for me, while others don't. I've tried to explain with each as clearly as possible why, or why not, and sometimes what could be improved in my opinion. If I'm being overly and brutally honest, please say so.
1. Graelyn
Excellently picked facial expression. It is one of those rare expression that conveys a sense of duality without feeling unnatural. Both stern and compassionate. Both understanding and judging. Nice balanced trio of steely grey with the outfit, eyes and skullcap. Position of the shot with the head looking slightly down and away provides an feeling of being judged and being beneath the person. By using a slight brown as a warm contrast color in the background adds a bit of warmth to the portrait. Excellent lighting! It brings out the frowns and pockmarks giving automatic bonus points for 'character', as well as adding 'shine' to one of the eyes, making the portrait feel more natural. Could go on and on about other things that make it good (placement of portrait in box), but will stop here, I think its obvious for most.
2. Istvaan
Another example of good positioning of portrait within the box. Left eye has all the focus, it looks at the camera, and is almost at one thirds of the width, which is excellent. Well chosen background, with the blue start competing nicely with they eyes, making you go flick your eye back and forth between the two focal points, giving the portrait a sense of unease. The downturn of head and stern disapproving expression combined with the excellent lighting, which hides half of the face in shadow enhances the feeling of creepiness and unease. If you cut off the bottom 20-30% or so you see the composition gets even better. Grey no-nonsense clothes complement the no nonsense expression. The face is not particularly interesting, but because the other elements are well-chosen it works in its entirety.
3. Ghost Hunter
Very good use of colors. Enough contrast with the bright skin and dark hair, a nice range of matching greens represented, with both lip and eye color reappearing in the well chosen background. Also good choice in combination of tattoo and zipper, they keep each other in balance. Lighting works well to soften the face. Only issue with it that I have is that the expression doesn't look natural. Lips, eye, tilt of head, the fact that you are looking straight at the camera but seem to gaze just beyond it.
4. Saede Riordan
Good work with the lighting, well chosen background enhances the focus on the face, colors are nicely centered around one theme, eyes are excellent: their color contrasts nicely with the rest of the portrait, giving good intensity. Expression looks natural, posture, lips and gaze match.
5. Kalaratiri
I like the second portrait a lot more than the first. En profile portraits can certainly work, but the first one is too perfect, and thereby getting a bit dull, the second, by being slightly off center, works. In the second portrait the blue tattoos nicely contrast with the red hair, while the background also add lines that draws the viewer to the face and eyes. Much better use of the rule of thirds especially due to the choice of background. For the first portrait the background is too plain, and the eyes are too high on to do that. Even small details like the shoulders angled backwards on the second portrait help to create space and draw your vision to the right places.
6. Veikitamo
Nicely picked 'cool' grey color theme. Lighting, background, hairstyle, pose and gaze all suggest business and reason over emotion. Head upwards slightly and looking into the distance to suggest possibilities and positive outlook. Good contract provided by overdone lipstick, which enhances the other elements.
7. Vaun
Very in your face approach. Very plain face, very plain background that neither enhances nor detracts from the image. However, this image isn't as drab as one would imagine because of the combination of slight cross-eyes which don't match (but nearly so) the facial expression of the mouth. That give Vaun the edge that would still make you take notice even though the rest seems rather plain at first.
8. Lyn Farel
Another portrait that I classify in the average range. Nothing particularly bad, nothing particularly good. Could use some improvement in almost all categories, lighting, color choices, background, portrait position, expression, direction of gaze. Isn't conveying any particular strong emotion, either good or bad.
9. Norin Ellis
Another one in the not good, not bad range. I personally don't like the large sunglasses, because they hide a lot of expression. This portrait works much better small than it does enlarged. Hair, posture, facial expression, all radiate a sense of normality and averageness. Like you're one of the extra's that get's killed on the first away mission.
10. Silas Vitalia
Not bad, not good. Placement of portrait should be either more to the left, or more to the right, now its just not right. Background is a bit too boring, it doesn't help enhance the rest of the portrait. Pose, hair and outfit are well chosen, but giving her just white eyes detracts from the gazing into upwards and into the distance feeling. Also cut-off at the breasts is just a little odd. Lipstick doesn't match, not enough contrast and not enough in common with any other color theme. Has potential but needs a little bit more work.
11. Kent
Portrait is well placed, but lighting seems odd and just too much bluish light and bluish theme. Needs a bit of contrast to stand out. Emanciated look is well done, but doesn't get enough support from other elements. Gaze is too little of anything. Not looking straight at the camera, but not looking clearly away from it too. It is better to make a clear choice, or you look sort of noncommital and insecure, which can be fine if that is your intention, but the expression doesn't matches it. The way the dark background curls around the head sort of integrates the two, while a good background should make you stand out, and not flow into each other.
12. Desiderya
Gaze is odd, doesn't look natural, especially in combination with the facial expression and pose. The emotional message is unclear and muddy. If she would real I would classify the character as having some mental disorder. Background and outfit color are too close to provide good contract, but just too far off to provide good coherence. Neck shadow is oddly disturbing. Slight tattoos add nothing but make the portrait even muddier.
13. Laerise
Face is slightly too far to the left of the portrait, cut off at an unnatural position. Expression is unnatural. This doesn't look like disgust, or anger, but an odd mix of both. However, bonus points for the expression, odd as it is, at least being memorable . Amarr background is chosen for obvious reasons, but doesn't do anything for the portrait. Lighting too far from above, I think other angles would fit her better. Lip color looks good, the clothes are barely visible and high forehead in combination with high hair maybe a bit too dominant. Idea has potentional but work on the expression first I think and take it from there.
14. GoGo Yubari
Lighting oddly placed, focus of lightning is between two standard focal points (eyes and breasts) which is weird, no face visible due to unnatural pose and sunglasses, stereotypical combination of slender female with oversized breasts with pose suggesting that breasts should be the focal point of the portrait. Little attention to color, background not bad, but also not good.
15. Nmaro Makari
This portrait seems designed to show off the nice costume. And that it does. All too well. The squinty eyes are way too strongly accentuated by the horizontal lines above and below the eyes and the horizontal bands of hair, making the face very angular and expressionless and non-noticable. Posture and mouth suggest someone trying to look tough, but the job with they eyes (no intense gaze) offsets that idea. Most of the character seems to be in the clothes.
16. Aelisha Montenagre
That left eye looks absolutely horrible. With the tattoo there to draw even more attention to it, and the shadowy arm in background drawing your eye even more to it, it just looks unnatural and weird. The other eye looks weird milky just because of the contracts. Outfit, hair etc. is just drab dark gray and black, lighting does little to liven it up. Pose uninteresting, pinched mouth with slight smile that doesn't match rest of face is off-putting.
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Topic: Character Portrait Rating (Read 155387 times)