Character Sketches

A while back I mentioned that I was going to use Poser, a 3D figure modeling program, to create pictures of all of the main characters in my novel. I really think that seeing your character's face goes a long way towards visualizing her in your mind. Of course, you have a pre-existing (though likely incomplete) mental picture to begin with, so part of the process is making the photo match your image while still giving you new information. I like to think of it as bringing her out of the shadows.

I tried a number of different possiblities, but none of them really seemed "right." Oddly enough, I accidentally applied a wrong morph to the figure, and all of the sudden it hit me: That's her! I recognized her right away. It was totally shocking. I'm not sure I could duplicate what led to the character, but the beauty of computers is that I don't have to -- I just saved the file. For the curious, I've attached a couple of renders below. The protagonist is a late-teen miner who eventually becomes a revolutionary leader. I think her face is one that shows her as-yet unrealized potential, while still maintaining her natural innocence. I'm pleased!