Thanks for the comments everyone. Looking at the image now, I really wish I had spent more time postworking the spot where
Posette's right arm meets her shoulder/torso. Also there are some things about
Poser I don't think I'll ever understand--for example on both her hands her fingers are actually
IN the wall but in the end it still appears as a bad pose where the fingers aren't even touching the wall. This happens to me all the time and I don't know what to do about it.
@whazizname, I agree about the skin. After recently looking at various stuff by other artists I noticed that many of the
Poser images I consider highly photorealistic used a much higher value of reflectivity for human skin than I had been using in the past, so I've been experimenting with this lately and haven't found the best value yet.
I made this skin texture a while ago to complement the redheaded Kyoko Hair Mk3 texture I made, and it's intended for a woman who is older and has lots of freckles which tend to get bigger as a person ages (this sub-version has a lot of make-up on, but without the make-up the face successfully looks quite middle-aged). When I've used it in the past it was in scenes with much more subdued lighting, but in this strongly-lit render I too noticed when working on it that it looks like she has a rash or something.
@tda42, I was pleased to read you thought she looks happy. When I study my favorite RL pinup models it's very obvious to me that I like them not because they are pretty (certainly they are that, of course) but because they consistently present interesting and emotive facial expressions no matter what photographer/set/lighting they are working with, and that they seem to want us to know they are a participant in the photo/painting process as opposed to being a prop or scenery element (like a bowl of fruit, etc). I try to capture this spirit of 'talented modelness' with
Posette. Given my general objectives it's hard though to strike a balance between a facial pose that's expressive without being exagerrated/cartoonish, while still being subtle enough to look realistic, and without degenerating to the odd blank 'It's cold in here and I have to go to the bathroom so let's get this over with already' stare sadly seen in zillions of nekkid lady pics.
An interesting question when composing an image like this is whether or not the model should be looking directly into the camera. Generally in pin-up art the model always looks straight at the viewer, while in fine-art photography the model never looks into the camera. I like both styles and base everything I do on elements of both. When dealing specifically with
Posette, it can be a problem if she's looking directly into the camera as the viewer is then more aware that a surreal person is staring at them and is less likey to take in the overall image. On the other hand if she's intently staring at something other than the camera, the viewer might be distracted into wondering what's so interesting off-camera and why the image didn't show it.
