There isn't some sort of twist at the end or anything, it's as simple as the title suggests. But I'll give some insight just in case.
I've been writing for a long time, whether it be shotty fanfiction that I gave up on. Or Roleplaying with other people. I've always used Face-Claims of the anime variety, since for a long time that's what I was comfortable with using and usually the people I've written with. [Past and Current.] Don't really have an issue with this, since they either use Drawn Face-Claims themselves or are just pretty lenient in terms of what face-claims are used.
But with that being said, for the last little while. I've found Realistic Face Claims pretty appealing, though I know for some it's a deal breaker since it sort of ruins the illusion of the plot being make believe [since it's being played be a realistic FC and not drawn.] Regardless, I've seen a good amount of profiles with RL Face-Claims. So my question is, how would you start something like that? Obviously you have to pick a model, but I feel like there's some other things that are required.
So if you have any advice, that would be lovely.
I've been writing for a long time, whether it be shotty fanfiction that I gave up on. Or Roleplaying with other people. I've always used Face-Claims of the anime variety, since for a long time that's what I was comfortable with using and usually the people I've written with. [Past and Current.] Don't really have an issue with this, since they either use Drawn Face-Claims themselves or are just pretty lenient in terms of what face-claims are used.
But with that being said, for the last little while. I've found Realistic Face Claims pretty appealing, though I know for some it's a deal breaker since it sort of ruins the illusion of the plot being make believe [since it's being played be a realistic FC and not drawn.] Regardless, I've seen a good amount of profiles with RL Face-Claims. So my question is, how would you start something like that? Obviously you have to pick a model, but I feel like there's some other things that are required.
So if you have any advice, that would be lovely.
Hello Phantom Lurker! 
Not sure if there is much 'advice' in all that. The tl;dr summary is to create and write what you are comfortable with. There is really no difference between writing imaginary stories with imaginary characters no matter how they are depicted. It's more of an individual preference
... a bunch of words, opinions, and maybe a little advice ...
I tend to be somewhat the opposite in that I mainly have realistic FC/Depictions of characters. I do have a couple artistic depictions and anime icon characters but they are the exception rather than the rule. Of course, I depict myself as an animated character....
My first note of advice is to give credit to whoever is used as a depiction. This should be done whether the image used is artistic or realistic. Being I see them as a resemblance as opposed to a hard visual keeps me in the OC space since nothing else about the actual depicted person is cast in stone as being a part of the character.
As far as writing.... I don't give the fact that using a realistic FC takes away any of the imaginative qualities of writing RP. I tend to not feel immersed if using anime depictions as it takes away any aspect of 'realism' to me. of course, my forte is Modern World and Modern-Historical roleplaying so this is important.
As for others ruling out roleplaying with characters with realistic depictions because it ruins the illusion of make-believe, well, in my case that rules out me having to bother writing with someone who likely has a hard time separating RL and FL and nothing more is thought about it. If having people not want to write with you because of a realistic depiction is something that bothers you, then you should stick with drawn/anime depictions.
As for creating a realistic character, for me that is simple. I see a type of character in my head as far as personality, status, etc. etc., and then imagine how they will look. I then search for a likeness to what I have in my head and use what I find. I will say of late the use of AI filtering and outright art has taken hold as something I tend to use. I think I have only saw one realistic visual depiction that I thought would make a good character and built out from there.
In summary, it isn't really any different than using drawn/animation depictions. If there is a major difference between the depictions in one's mind and having realistic depictions has one believe that because of this, the character isn't imagined, then I'm not sure using realistic depictions will work because of the separation of what is reality and what is fantasy would seem to me to be vague in that person's mind.
My first note of advice is to give credit to whoever is used as a depiction. This should be done whether the image used is artistic or realistic. Being I see them as a resemblance as opposed to a hard visual keeps me in the OC space since nothing else about the actual depicted person is cast in stone as being a part of the character.
As far as writing.... I don't give the fact that using a realistic FC takes away any of the imaginative qualities of writing RP. I tend to not feel immersed if using anime depictions as it takes away any aspect of 'realism' to me. of course, my forte is Modern World and Modern-Historical roleplaying so this is important.
As for others ruling out roleplaying with characters with realistic depictions because it ruins the illusion of make-believe, well, in my case that rules out me having to bother writing with someone who likely has a hard time separating RL and FL and nothing more is thought about it. If having people not want to write with you because of a realistic depiction is something that bothers you, then you should stick with drawn/anime depictions.
As for creating a realistic character, for me that is simple. I see a type of character in my head as far as personality, status, etc. etc., and then imagine how they will look. I then search for a likeness to what I have in my head and use what I find. I will say of late the use of AI filtering and outright art has taken hold as something I tend to use. I think I have only saw one realistic visual depiction that I thought would make a good character and built out from there.
In summary, it isn't really any different than using drawn/animation depictions. If there is a major difference between the depictions in one's mind and having realistic depictions has one believe that because of this, the character isn't imagined, then I'm not sure using realistic depictions will work because of the separation of what is reality and what is fantasy would seem to me to be vague in that person's mind.
Not sure if there is much 'advice' in all that. The tl;dr summary is to create and write what you are comfortable with. There is really no difference between writing imaginary stories with imaginary characters no matter how they are depicted. It's more of an individual preference
So, first off I feel like you left a lot of info. out. Your profile didn't really give me a good idea of what type of game you're talking about. The type of games I do and the characters I make are likely very different from what you do. It sounds like maybe you're asking about using real people to represent characters in an anime-style game.
At any rate, there is no right or wrong way to represent your character. Each game has its own unique rules and standards. Whether or not using a real person to represent your character is appropriate or not probably depends on the genre and what the moderator and other players are going for.
For me, I have always used real-life celebrities in games I do set in the modern world or for slice-of-life type RPs. It's just basically like thinking of them playing the role of a character in any other movie or television show. Anyway, if you struggle with using real people to represent your characters, there are plenty of free avatar makers where you can make cartoon representations in a variety of styles if you don't draw.
If that didn't answer what you were asking, you might provide some additional context for us.
At any rate, there is no right or wrong way to represent your character. Each game has its own unique rules and standards. Whether or not using a real person to represent your character is appropriate or not probably depends on the genre and what the moderator and other players are going for.
For me, I have always used real-life celebrities in games I do set in the modern world or for slice-of-life type RPs. It's just basically like thinking of them playing the role of a character in any other movie or television show. Anyway, if you struggle with using real people to represent your characters, there are plenty of free avatar makers where you can make cartoon representations in a variety of styles if you don't draw.
If that didn't answer what you were asking, you might provide some additional context for us.
Dawnia wrote:
Hello Phantom Lurker!
Not sure if there is much 'advice' in all that. The tl;dr summary is to create and write what you are comfortable with. There is really no difference between writing imaginary stories with imaginary characters no matter how they are depicted. It's more of an individual preference
... a bunch of words, opinions, and maybe a little advice ...
I tend to be somewhat the opposite in that I mainly have realistic FC/Depictions of characters. I do have a couple artistic depictions and anime icon characters but they are the exception rather than the rule. Of course, I depict myself as an animated character....
My first note of advice is to give credit to whoever is used as a depiction. This should be done whether the image used is artistic or realistic. Being I see them as a resemblance as opposed to a hard visual keeps me in the OC space since nothing else about the actual depicted person is cast in stone as being a part of the character.
As far as writing.... I don't give the fact that using a realistic FC takes away any of the imaginative qualities of writing RP. I tend to not feel immersed if using anime depictions as it takes away any aspect of 'realism' to me. of course, my forte is Modern World and Modern-Historical roleplaying so this is important.
As for others ruling out roleplaying with characters with realistic depictions because it ruins the illusion of make-believe, well, in my case that rules out me having to bother writing with someone who likely has a hard time separating RL and FL and nothing more is thought about it. If having people not want to write with you because of a realistic depiction is something that bothers you, then you should stick with drawn/anime depictions.
As for creating a realistic character, for me that is simple. I see a type of character in my head as far as personality, status, etc. etc., and then imagine how they will look. I then search for a likeness to what I have in my head and use what I find. I will say of late the use of AI filtering and outright art has taken hold as something I tend to use. I think I have only saw one realistic visual depiction that I thought would make a good character and built out from there.
In summary, it isn't really any different than using drawn/animation depictions. If there is a major difference between the depictions in one's mind and having realistic depictions has one believe that because of this, the character isn't imagined, then I'm not sure using realistic depictions will work because of the separation of what is reality and what is fantasy would seem to me to be vague in that person's mind.
My first note of advice is to give credit to whoever is used as a depiction. This should be done whether the image used is artistic or realistic. Being I see them as a resemblance as opposed to a hard visual keeps me in the OC space since nothing else about the actual depicted person is cast in stone as being a part of the character.
As far as writing.... I don't give the fact that using a realistic FC takes away any of the imaginative qualities of writing RP. I tend to not feel immersed if using anime depictions as it takes away any aspect of 'realism' to me. of course, my forte is Modern World and Modern-Historical roleplaying so this is important.
As for others ruling out roleplaying with characters with realistic depictions because it ruins the illusion of make-believe, well, in my case that rules out me having to bother writing with someone who likely has a hard time separating RL and FL and nothing more is thought about it. If having people not want to write with you because of a realistic depiction is something that bothers you, then you should stick with drawn/anime depictions.
As for creating a realistic character, for me that is simple. I see a type of character in my head as far as personality, status, etc. etc., and then imagine how they will look. I then search for a likeness to what I have in my head and use what I find. I will say of late the use of AI filtering and outright art has taken hold as something I tend to use. I think I have only saw one realistic visual depiction that I thought would make a good character and built out from there.
In summary, it isn't really any different than using drawn/animation depictions. If there is a major difference between the depictions in one's mind and having realistic depictions has one believe that because of this, the character isn't imagined, then I'm not sure using realistic depictions will work because of the separation of what is reality and what is fantasy would seem to me to be vague in that person's mind.
Not sure if there is much 'advice' in all that. The tl;dr summary is to create and write what you are comfortable with. There is really no difference between writing imaginary stories with imaginary characters no matter how they are depicted. It's more of an individual preference
All of that makes a lot of sense, honestly I think I was sort of just overthinking and making it more complicated in my head than it really needed to be. I'm still on the fence of using Realistic depictions for my characters, but it's not as an ick anymore.
SO, first and foremost, I commend anyone and everyone that is able to create a badass character - regardless if a realistic face claim is used, or an anime character, or a hand drawn/digitally created image. That being said, where you find some "ick"-ness from using RL face claims, I feel a very similar "ickness" to anime characters as reference images. It's for completely different reasons, I believe, but I've found that roleplaying with anime face-claimed characters make me wickedly uncomfortable. I think it's because the whole anime/manga scene tends to over sexualize these characters while also making them look... too young? I don't know, just not my style, but that's what I've noticed with a lot of animes. Not all of them, just a lot of them... part of the reason I don't care to watch anime.
Aside from that, I also struggle to imagine what's going on in a story if I'm stuck with a cartoon-looking character. Realistic face claims make it so much easier to imagine whatever is going on in the story, and I can remember using RL face claims for as long as I remember (and I've been roleplaying since around '07-'08.) With all that being said, as AgentMilkshake has said... there is no right or wrong way to display your character. If you're more comfortable roleplaying with an anime or illustrated face claim, do that. The right person will come along if they are fine with your style of character creation.
Now, when it comes to character creation with RL face claims... usually I custom tailor my characters to a plot. Sometimes I'll start with a general idea of what they look like and then I'll browse tumblr or simply google images until I find someone that aligns with my vision. Other times, it will be the other way around and I'll just look through a list of celebrities or models on tumblr until I find someone that I find would work well. Dawnia did mention the use of AI... it can be a tricky topic, especially for artists... but I don't think it's a bad idea to use the realistic models so long as you (as with any kind of art that isn't just a celebrity face claim or something) credit where it's coming from. I've found an AI that creates some rather nice realistic images, so long as you know what to use for your inputs. I use it from time to time, with the note that it is AI created.
My favorite thing about using RL face claims is that they can capture a vibe of a character beyond their face.
Some actors talk a lot with their hands. Some have played a role in a movie that has the presence of what you want for your OC. Some have the fashion sense, or the perfect expression, or a way of talking.
It helps me build my character beyond the "face"
Also also, don't think about a face claims like you're choosing exactly what your character looks like. Choose them as a basis, then in your writing, you can play with them like paper dolls.
Change their eye color, hair style, give them glasses, change their clothing. Say they look like this, except also that.
Like all character references, they're just a reference, have fun with it!
Some actors talk a lot with their hands. Some have played a role in a movie that has the presence of what you want for your OC. Some have the fashion sense, or the perfect expression, or a way of talking.
It helps me build my character beyond the "face"
Also also, don't think about a face claims like you're choosing exactly what your character looks like. Choose them as a basis, then in your writing, you can play with them like paper dolls.
Change their eye color, hair style, give them glasses, change their clothing. Say they look like this, except also that.
Like all character references, they're just a reference, have fun with it!
i guess some etiquette and trend tips would be:
use public figures!! actors, models, people who volunteer and are compensated for their public appearance. don't use your neighbor or the tesco cashier. expression models for animators (stock photo) are excellent, accessible et c
so to find faceclaims as in the photo refs themselves, be wary of images on sites like pinterest who uncredit the model and could be stolen from someone's personal Instagram (tho likely, if they are an online model u will easily be able to find their likeness on instagram).
i liked when ppl use more than one model or ref, like a moodboard but with faces, to give my partner/s a menu of options to choose from. lets my imagination keep a comfy roaming border.
i started media consumption through strictly reading, so i tend to lean heavy on descriptive writing that inhabits a realism visual space (as opposed to anime, where the line style and proportions are more standardized and easily tradable for vibe, with the subculture vocab noless)
use public figures!! actors, models, people who volunteer and are compensated for their public appearance. don't use your neighbor or the tesco cashier. expression models for animators (stock photo) are excellent, accessible et c
so to find faceclaims as in the photo refs themselves, be wary of images on sites like pinterest who uncredit the model and could be stolen from someone's personal Instagram (tho likely, if they are an online model u will easily be able to find their likeness on instagram).
i liked when ppl use more than one model or ref, like a moodboard but with faces, to give my partner/s a menu of options to choose from. lets my imagination keep a comfy roaming border.
i started media consumption through strictly reading, so i tend to lean heavy on descriptive writing that inhabits a realism visual space (as opposed to anime, where the line style and proportions are more standardized and easily tradable for vibe, with the subculture vocab noless)
Okay, so I have a love-hate relationship with RL faceclaims.
I use drawn faceclaims I find on Pinterest that have a semi-realistic style, but they're not in the 'anime' style. I've just never found the appeal in using real faces, especially the faces of famous people. I've seen Leonardo DiCaprio thrown around a lot as a faceclaim, and it doesn't feel like I'm roleplaying with Mr. Someone Suchandsuch because all I'm thinking about is their faceclaim, like when you see Anthony Hopkins in anything, you just see him as Hannibal Lecter. I'm all for non-celebrity faceclaims, though. It helps me visualize because I do the little brain-movie thing.
I've had a few instances on a past forum where people would just use a picture of themselves for some spicy RPs, just saying 'use my profile picture'. That icked me a lot, because some people don't want to tell a story, they just want some material if you know what I mean.
That's my opinion, anyway.
I use drawn faceclaims I find on Pinterest that have a semi-realistic style, but they're not in the 'anime' style. I've just never found the appeal in using real faces, especially the faces of famous people. I've seen Leonardo DiCaprio thrown around a lot as a faceclaim, and it doesn't feel like I'm roleplaying with Mr. Someone Suchandsuch because all I'm thinking about is their faceclaim, like when you see Anthony Hopkins in anything, you just see him as Hannibal Lecter. I'm all for non-celebrity faceclaims, though. It helps me visualize because I do the little brain-movie thing.
I've had a few instances on a past forum where people would just use a picture of themselves for some spicy RPs, just saying 'use my profile picture'. That icked me a lot, because some people don't want to tell a story, they just want some material if you know what I mean.
That's my opinion, anyway.
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