Avatar; Portrait Shot Or An Image. Why ?

Hiya Janine,

I have always used a portrait - painting or photograph of myself. As my face changes with age, I change my avatar.

I'm not too keen on pictures of myself...which is why my face is behind the camera. I'd like to use one of my images but it doesn't seem as personable.

Portrait always, if you want people to take you and you work serious don't post a picture of a pig or a sailing boat................

Janine, next winter we should swap homes. I could go for some dreary, wintry days. :-)

I like your new avatar, which has a cheery, positive vibe.

I prefer to use something representing the work, instead of representing me. I'm too prone to radical change! ;-)

I never change my avatar as it also serves as my logo. Well, that's not entirely true . . . about six years ago, I changed it from blue to red. It's all over the real world, too -- people often tell me they spotted it online or in the real world.

Which is exactly the point. Eventually, they'll remember my name, too! :-)

Promotion of my artwork more than my face.

Harold, I might need to use your avatar soon as my face is changing with age.

Michael, the question is why..........

I've never changed mine simply because I don't see the need to. People become accustomed to seeing your avatar more than your name it seems. So I wouldn't change it too often. Unless you're Mike Savaad and you just add to it for every holiday :)

Also, I think it's best to show your face instead of your work. I think it's a little more appealing to someone who may want to buy your work to see who it is they're working with.

I changed mine yesterday to an abstract self portrait. It's pretty wild which might be intriguing enough for a possible buyer to wonder, what the heck? Then click to see what I have cooked up!

I started out with a more candid shot that showed me in my natural habitat. Based on what I've seen others do...and suggestions from successful artists, I decided to shoot a more professional looking self portrait for my avatar.

I liked the candid, but the more professional looking portrait definitely adds some appeal to my portfolio.

I started with a portrait. As I was searching to find artists in my local area in hopes of finding a nearby mentor, someone to team up with at events, or simply a kindred spirit, I quickly realized the process went a lot faster when their avatar showed a bit of what they do. So many of the portrait pictures lead to inactive or low activity users, I started automatically skipping them. Because I would love it if other artists sought me out for the reasons I listed, I decided to show a bit of what I do as my avatar.

I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it. Putting up a portrait is far more personal and may be more desirable to the public. I wouldn't mind knowing the psychology of online buyers on the issue.

I was never great at paying attention...

I chose the portrait because I think people respond better when they know someone "alive" made this piece or that. I think actually seeing the person makes it's easier to connect to said person and in turn connect to their art.

i use my artwork because when i used a picture of myself i got to many proposals... some are printable many are not... =>))

well i chose mine because i wanted that old time look



was the original before the avatar and thought it would be funny to use it.


later on i decided that while i attract attention because of it, i would change it every so often reflecting the month we are in. and so far i think it has brought in sales - but it might be a coincidence.

i try to keep each of the images about the same though because it's confusing when it changes too much. i usually don't remember names, and my avatar is my brand, i put it on all pages. and now that i'm changing it, i'm doing the same thing. since becoming a bunny i seemed to have gathered like 12 friends in facebook. weird. though 2 were duds (they steal pictures).

the avatar should be several things:

1. eye catching
2. professional looking (like it shouldn't be blurry)
3. a symbol of what you do or are about (like if you paint, a painting is ok, but i still think a face is better).
4. something people can follow you around on. they see you here, they might see you in twitter, they know your the same person because of your image.


---Mike Savad

I think of it like Magritte's "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" (This is not a pipe.)

A picture of a person is not a person. So much of what you see online is smoke and mirrors anyway, I'm no more inclined to view you in a positive (or more serious) light, based on a photograph.

Your work -- and your words -- will have a much greater impact on what I think of you as an artist . . . and person.

Ceci n'est pas une artiste. ;-)

I can see that once you have an image like Wendy's- stick with it. She's a shining Star.

& I do like the 'Togs with the camera shot - clearly shows what they do, & not just one image that may or may not be some one's interest .

I personally like to see some one's face. Not too stiff & professional, but something warm that shows character. I then feel more comfortable knowing who I am speaking/ dealing with.

Isn't it funny how when a picture changes - the perception does too ?
We won't name names - but some one's Sunday portrait ( Lol ) seemed to change the voice and whole demeanor to me.


Antonin's is kooky - & his work is playful & whimsical.

Always me, .....and since so many have camers in their hands, I decided to have a brush in mine...My other thread R Allen Swezey I have my neighbor's child in my lap to show how much of a Santa Claus I am..

And by the way, Sydne, when I saw your new avatar, my first reaction was, "What! Another Sydne!!!"

Edit:

And Mike,

I remember very well your original avatar, and My! Oh! My! how you have evolved.

Aw shucks, Janine. Thanks. :-)

what happened was i, last month i was the lucky charms guy, and well, i found a pot of gold, there was a wish attached, and for whatever reason - i'm a bunny. well a victorian bunny, they had those curly mustaches, often wore tigerskin toga's and lifted heavy weights that were spherical.

i think i have another 4 lined up for the up coming things. then eventually i'll blend those into works.


---Mike Savad

I originally had an avatar with my Nikon camera in front of my face. Mike Savad and others very kindly - and correctly - pointed out it wasn't distinctive at all.

My current avatar represents "Up Close With Mother Nature," which is the name of my AW Photo Art collection and also my internet domain name - http://UpCloseWithMotherNature.com . (It forwards to my AW site.) I'm still amazed the pelican in the photo let me get that close to it, so I think I''ll keep this avatar for a while. :))

Susan
Edit: My domain name link apparently isn't working in this thread...Beth, why is that?, but it definitely works in browsers!

Professional but personal... A portrait has more of a personal connection to the viewer. A portrait is one of the few times the client has an idea of who they're dealing with rather than what. That part is conveyed in the work they put out.

An avatar, generally being a very small representation has limited dimensions for details. Therefore a portrait allows a closer view and more details than other image formats (generally). Usually something simple and direct will be easier to remember than something complicated. My first priority with an "icon" or avatar is for the person viewing it to remember it. If you can connect that to the style or type of work you do, all the better but what about the artist who doesn't cater to any one style? A portrait is the best choice.

All that being said, I personally believe some artist put too much stock into the importance of the avatar. There's only so much you can convey in such a small representation of the artist. To me, it's just a small identifier so we can tell one artist from another just as I can tell the difference of coins in my pocket. At that level I'm not trying to ascertain the kind of artist one is, but only after I see the work I can connect it to this identification of who did the work. Yes, I believe it should be memorable, (just common sense), but there's more than one way to accomplish that.

As many advertisement experts will tell you, sometimes the more absurd or ridiculous something is, the easier you will remember it. It's also a technique people use to recall something... (Your name is Art... I want to remember your name... I think of you with paint on your clothes holding a frame around your face... the "icon" of a framed face is already deeply etched into my brain as representing ARTwork, thus the connection/link is made.

Once you get beyond avatars and into larger representations of who you are, such as an ad, book, poster, magazine cover, etc., there will be more room in the image to represent not just you, but the type of work you specialize in.

Mike, for an Ole timer you're showing your youth.


I''m not too thrilled with mine. It's too personal to me, & I feel exposed. I preferred the one where I was not looking at the camera. Blurry, yes. Good.
It's a few years old by now - so yes, it lies. But I figure I am doing everyone a favor that way - Do you really want to see Old Sea Hag ? Lol.

I don't have any pictures of me in the last few years without Grandchildren sitting on my lap - & PB & J or Jelly beans smeared all over me. Ahhh... these are the good ole days : )


I did notice that my views jumped with the smile, most of my colours are bright & cheery - so it works.

& yes , Michael. I too like the idea that you are to be recognized as a person. Artists are people - they create original art ,& not factory assembly work.
Sydne, that is quite a change for you. It is eye catching - I'll have to look.

Mike, when I first joined FAA and saw your sepia avatar, I thought you were using a photo of someone's great-great grandfather. :))

I always have an image up of myself whether it be a photo or a painting did, it is always me. I try not to change it too often but I tend to get bored easily. I just changed it yesterday to my newest self portrait which describes me in more than one way. It's the best of both worlds, it's my work and a picture of me. I do like my customers to have a face to put to the name, and to know who they are buying from.

Yea, but how do know that the portrait is the person? Janine for all I know you are an 86 year old black man... ;O)

Mine is me, but as I was 55 years ago. (who can guess who I as supposed to be?) As others have mentioned it "might" be more important to "be different" from all the others.

I change mine from time to time. Mostly I use a photo of me working on my art. This one is a grouping of me working on stretching my miniature canvases.

Janine,

As you can see, I've used a shot of George Clooney for my avatar, just hope he doesn't get to see it.........

Rich

I am. & for an 86 year old black man - I look goood.

It is an interesting point, as Artists we create art. Which is really an optical illusion.
I never know when the portrait is off the person - or their work. Or both of course.
I hate getting attached to the idea of an image - & then I am wrong.

Again, Wendy is correct. A person is so much more than a one dimensional image.
Their words, & their ideas should speak volumes for them.

p.s. Bob, I always play Tonto , & I had the horse to match.

i honestly never liked the ones with kids or babies. i think stuff like that is better suited for facebook. if you want to show a certain level, i think buyers would feel uncomfortable working with a kid, especially if they wanted to contact you about a deal.



if that little green box works for you (it never seems to any more), the thing on the table. the upper picture is me (in case anyone is wondering, i don't part my hair that way, or have a mustache). and the lower one is my great grandfather taken probably at the same age when i did mine, maybe younger. he was born in 1888. i found that picture when i was scanning in all my grandmother's images. sorting them by year. i have images that date back for quite some time.


---Mike Savad

@Bob lol, that is an interesting point.

I get confused when people use an avatar that is of there work and is a person but of the opposite sex since I am so bad with names sometimes. When you talk to people online you get a general sense of who they are, and the avatar plays into that, once you realize it is not of them it changes their whole persona. I agree with Janine that the same thing can happen when they change the avatar too.

I have to say the age thing is blows my mind too, Janine I would have never thought you would be old enough to have grand kids. That blows my mind!! Just shows that avatars to leave an impression!!

Susan, if you add a link in an edit, it doesn't work...

I'm a bunny, like Mike

everyone has to be a bunny like mike....


---Mike Savad

I always laugh when a new Avatar pops up with the duck lips expression & ample cleavage.

& BAMN !

in less than 2 minutes it gets 4,237 views.

Yeah, Shana, I decided it probably is a good time to ditch the Rocker chic look. Lol.
Something about silver studs & bifocals just clashes.

I hate having my picture taken and I prefer not to show my face. However, I think many buyers would like to see who they are buying from and it seems more professional so I broke down and found a picture of myself to use.

I prefer to keep the image the same so people can easily recognize me in the discussions. Some people seem to recognize you easier by picture rather than by name so I tend to want to leave it alone.

Hello Jannie, as you and everyone here at FAA I had my eyeball as my avitar on every gallery. With advice from fellow members I did make the change and removed all my avaitars from my gallery and included a vivid photo of color to represent the gallery. By doing this it received alot of attention, and as much as I have been in the public eye locally, I like the idea my avaitar is my business card, eyeseecolors its an attention grabber. Most of my personal photos I have taken of myself with timmer I just have not found the right one yet. I have a few I have considered and will be getting around to experiment with them....thanks for a very interesting thread, and a little while ago I posted my very first blog, (The Day In A Life Of An Oranutang Ape) I hope you and everyone enjoys it...I posted it on the blog list here on FAA! Cheers, Michael Hoard (note my back yard is of the entire city view of the city of new orleans, louisiana I will find it and post on your previous thread, what is in your backyard?)

When I first joined this site (back in the day) I was known as the "X" man.
It was my avatar that prompted that expression. It was my signature as a "Universal" X and a dot in the middle which was actually my self portrait done under a microscope in scratchboard.

After using that a number of years I wanted something to reflect my other media choices besides scratchboard since I belong to other art sites.

This current avatar is a combined medium. I did a new self portrait in scratchboard which still represents me and my favorite medium. My hand is included this time which represents my sculpture work and it is set in a foreground of Sci-Fi digital medium which represents my other digital photography works.

I have very few pictures of myself, my nephew tock this picture while we were out in an arboretum, but it will be changed as I hate pictures of myself, but I feel customers / clients do like to see a face of some kind.

I am actually a small black cat.
;)

I don't really care for showing off my face...so I will use a pet or art.

I don't like pictures of myself so I put a photo taken at an event of the subject of the portrait autographing said portrait for a charity auction.

@ Janine, yeah, I can see how that would clash! lol

My avatar is of me ... I personally prefer putting a face to my work to give my fans and followers a face and personality behind the work.......some say that isn't necessary or can be a deterrent but I disagree. As an artist we are our business ..... Being relatable and having my fans feel as if they know me makes it easier to interact. After all they are buying a piece of me.
I change it once in awhile....I recently chose this one because I have a less serious expression....its a bit more approachable and friendly.....*chuckles to myself* (especially after the tattoo thread......)

I started with a photo of myself when I first joined FAA but recently switched to the "happy" squirrel avatar. I just got tired of looking at my own face on my homepage!

@Janine... nope I am not the Lone Ranger.

Shana,

Do you know, that I posted a work of yours this morning on a thread I started, about using apostrophes in tags...your beautiful piece ,"Winter Orchard" came up as the only image for the tag "Winter's fury"...I thought that that was a wonderful tag..But I had no idea that it was yours, because you changed your avatar.

I choose portrait because I want people to because I want people to associate me as a person to the work that I do.

I like the portrait.

And I wasn't upset when I took that pic...

:)

Hmm, just the one you see in my avatar. I have one of me holding a 5lb. 5oz LMB (Large Mouth Bass) somewhere, but I don't think that goes well with trying to sell images, unless I was selling fishing stuff, which I'm not. In all honesty, I wish it was warm enough to go fishing instead of sitting here on this computer. :)

I chose mine because it's the photo of me I like the best in a circumstance in which I have spent a good deal of my time. And because it's the musical part of my life instead of the photographic part which, I think, shows some broader interests than just photography.

It's interesting that only members that use their own names have commented here.

@Roger, two Sydne's....lol! And a very interesting observation as to who has commented to this thread.....

@Janine does my voice sound different since I changed my avatar? I think it is a little higher, more sopranoish maybe?

My choice of avatar should be obvious! Hummingbirds are a favorite subject for me...

I'm not using my name Roger....just my business name

Well it IS my name....legally...ish.... but not all my name and not the name I was given at birth,,, well... the first one is, sort of... as a second name

LOL

My sales increased when I went with this avatar (a lot more for me that is) and I like it. :)

@Roger, that is too funny!! Cool to know my tags work, funny that mine was the only one under that tag!! I am very happy with this avatar so I don't think I will be changing it again any time soon so hopefully that won't happen again lol

Edit, though I will say that I think my new avatar looks a lot better on my profile than it does in the forum because of the size...

Oh, who needs a Clooney when us ladies have our very own Rich Franco .

Well...for me this is not a full time gig and I have time am planning on slowly building a brand. So I used a logo I developed. It's on my face book and twitter accounts as well as my business cards. It is simple and in my opinion recognizable. My personal face book all have me but this is a buisness. I went with the name photographic arts (since everything starts with photos) and design studio (since I do some interesting framing as well as digital art from photography and even a small amount of graphic design). It also gives me flexibility to add other facets as I evolve and am given the chance to spend more time on my art which right now isn't enough. In my day job I and a full time music teacher as well as a freelance musician. People know me by my face and I felt this is a separate entity from what I do there. People from that area do know this work but I felt it should be separate...also, my logo is a mini piece of my work...and yes it started as a photo as well!

I do feel that consistency for me is important as I sometimes get confused in the forums because avatars change. If someone is coming back to see your (or my) work...I think it's important to know its you or your brand.

Anyway...that's just my two cents.

Interesting discussion...I don't know if there really is a right or wrong answer.

Matt

Janine,

Don't tell George! He's probably got my image on his site! It's really amazing, what a little movie make-up can do.........

Rich

Janine: "I always laugh when a new Avatar pops up with the duck lips expression & ample cleavage.

& BAMN !

in less than 2 minutes it gets 4,237 views."

I really need better duck lips, bigger cleavage or a combination...Wait a minute!

portrait,I figure if I am going to pass myself off as a photographer I better be able to do a self portrait

A head shot is always mo betta.

Dan Turner
Dan Turner Fine Art
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online
To Enjoy Dan Turner's Pinterest Boards, Click Here

I use a portrait on my artist FAA profile. However, I've recently opened an FAA gallery account and use an interior shot of our gallery... till we get signage in place. I'll probably then use a store front shot for the gallery avatar. It almost critical in keeping me straight on which account I'm using.

So, Dan........
Speaking of..... How does Sunday Dan work for you ?




Michael, please, please....... No cleavage ! That's a Plumbers Brand, not a photographers. Unless of course you are developing a new line of candid shots.

"How does Sunday Dan work for you ?"

Fine :-) When I ran my ad agency I dressed like that every day. When I went back to freelancing I only suited up for client meetings. Then I moved to Sedona and the suit only comes out when there's a wedding to go to. So now I'm really casual most of the time.

People from online visit and I sort of want them to recognize me when they get here. They *want* me in that hat!

Dan Turner
Dan Turner Fine Art
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online
To Enjoy Dan Turner's Pinterest Boards, Click Here

Sydne, you voice now has a Harmonious melody of crystals dancing on the wind.

Good point there Camille !

& Ed, oh, sorry hon. We all get that love for money message.

Mary Ellen, I did stumble upon that new gallery - very nice !

Sunday Dan has a completely different voice & demeanor.
The whole tone changes.

This Dan - Cargo man Dan. This Dan does what it takes to get the shot.

An untapped market for sure...I'd be the "butt" of everyone's jokes, however.

I'm thinking of putting my face in but I am waiting for the right shot. I definitely do not want to change it again. I think that people get used to your avatar and watch for it.

I do get confused when there is a change. As if the name & the image are one piece.
As visual as I am - change the part in your hair & I won't recognise you - but I'll notice your 3rd cousin in another state while I am on vacation. Go figure.

I have used both, but I think that a picture of one's face lets customers see who they are dealing with. I'm like Harold except with the change in age I become younger! LOL

PS Janine your picture is a breath of fresh air. No need to change it, you're very pretty.

I really didn't want a portrait of me on there, so went with the logo in the hope people will remember it.
Still get some strange emails though from people who seem to join FFA, upload no images, then email and ask to be "friends"! I am happy to hide behind my pencil dog image.

One day I will get a shot I am happy with.... But for now....This is me.

I'm a lousy photographer because I have trouble holding still... and I can't get far enough away from myself to get a decent pic. But for some reason when I hand the camera to someone else, I get even worse shots...LOL

By the way Janine...Your smile is amazing!!

Put it on auto, keep the camera on a table (or tripod) and click a few shots. Select the best, and crop it to the required size. You will be surprised at the result Dan.

This is the internet where men are kids, women are men and kids are FBI agents. I think logo is the best option, but after looking through the FAA profiles decided to go with portrait of me holga camera and cyanotype effect applied.

Settled for portrait at the moment even though it may scare clients off, lol.. it gives a more personal touch so clients know who they are dealing with, although i may need to photoshop out the radiator in the background of my pic..:)

so now i'm curious, does my demeanor change from being strict when i'm pure sepia - to something else when i'm a wasically wabbit?


---Mike Savad

Roger, 03/26, 5:57 PM- "It's interesting that only members that use their own names have commented here."
There must be a reason they have to hide their true identity. Witness protection, priesthood, America's most wanted, you name it.

@ Mike, a wittle bit, yes. lol

Shana - Lol. Purrrfect.

Yeah Mike - I'd say it softens the blow a bit & takes the edge off.
I personally have never had an issue with your cut & dry delivery, but I could see how the young 'uns would


Thank you for your kind & generous compliments. I think we all have days where we could use a friendly smile, even if it's our own.
It reminds me to keep my chin up, & not sweat the small stuff.
I worry that people would see me out and about and say; Liar ! You don't look as good (young) as your picture !
But then I laugh & think Noooo, because they'll never recognize me ! Lol
( It is creepy having your picture on the Internet. I'd prefer to have a Zorro mask on.)

I switched my picture for a bit because it was more of an accurate assessment of the situation. But you can't see the details in a tiny one inch box.

I remember when I worked in Real Estate,quite a few of the women would do the " Boudoir" portrait shots for their business cards. All fur & feathered Boas.
I would think ; Seriously ladies, what are we selling here ?

Geez, after tagging so much - I am having a problem to remember to keep a space between the words.

Joe...Do they make a tripod for the iPhone?...LOL

Re: Truthfulness in one's Avatar.

If that be the case, maybe I should change to this:

I just changed mine to my logo from a portrait...I decided it doesn't matter what I look like. Besides, it may have even scared people away ! :D

@ Roger, lol
@ Janine on the subject of Mike, I find him rather refreshing, but it is quite interesting to sit back and watch others get all wound up by the things he says!! lol BTW, I love your new avatar!!!

I like a face on avatar, but sometimes an arty avatar suits a particular person.

I love Mikes and am going to make me one old looking thing - but I'm not a smiley type like you, Janine - never have been, but I love yours :)

Ok, someone please tell me Janine's avatar is very reddish or I'm in monitor hell again with this cintiq. :(((

yeah, she's a bit red, like someone dipped her in strawberry syrup.


---Mike Savad

she sat too close to the sun.


---Mike Savad

Portrait for me -- but I'll change it up from time to time (hopefully, always looking like myself). Janine, I like your avatars and your warm, happy smile, and you always look like you (!!), so there's no confusion when you change it. I tend to recognize the picture before the name. What I don't like to see are the "provocative" avatars, you know ... the ones with obvious cleavage or something sleazy that look like they belong on a social networking site, not an artist site. Just my two cents.

Thanks, Mike. Yes, like a wee sunburn. Ahhhh, the monitor is not lying.

LOL Patricia, I was thinking of going nude. Hmmmm.....*joking*

you can pose naked, since we can only see your face.


---Mike Savad

Hi Janine -- I see you have changed your avatar from one pretty smiling lady to another pretty smiling lady. Smiles do project a positive attitude.

I'm almost smiling in my avatar -- but too much smiling seems to reflect a silly non-serious attitude. I thought about changing my avatar to my alien face on the left in this image with my brother, but it seemed too silly. BTW -- your latest avatar is a little pink in the face but fine with me.

William Blake was a polymath who lived a humble life. He surrounded himself with self created art, poetry, and philosophy.
Ancient of Days:

Now that you say it, it does kind of look red, still cute though!!

Lol. it's true ! I am a "strawberry head..... " Aaagh.
Crap. Lol. I could only imagine what it is that Mike could do with that. I wonder if he stays up @ nights & PS' all of us to his hearts content.

I'll have to check it out - it was the end of summer & I was sunbaked Indian red..
but strawberry pink - Oh no. Heavens forbid. Pink never looks good on me. I'm yellow skinned.

going to find my snarky one now.

Ha ha - that's my " I'm not laughing with you, I'm laughing at you " face.

Duane - Aaaagh . that is too funny.


It's true. It's hard for me to take things serious. Because when I do - I am intense.
Nobody can talk to me or get in my way when I am on a mission.

Beautiful H Drew.


Thank you all so much for your shots & comments. It's a lot of fun. I do enjoy seeing you, & all your lovely work.
I don't always get the chance to respond to each reply, but more often than not it is because I am enjoying your Galleries.

@ Roger -- I love that photo. Earthbound angel . . .

I like to see the face of the person I'm interacting with. A painting is ok as long as it's good. lol. I have heard not to change it too much because people tend to remember you by your face. We are all visual people on this site after all. I've been thinking that I should change mine too since the one I have is two years old. I, at the very least, need to crop it so that my bra strap isn't showing! lol . yah, been meaning to do that for a while. If and when I do change it, I want it too look similar so that I'm recognized at least.

Janine, I LOVE your new avatar! And it's very similar to the other one so there's no confusion. I like the smile :)

I like to see faces on the Avatars...seems more personal, however I also like the idea of a painting or logo. My previous Avatar was black and white and was online for about 2 years in total. I recently changed it to an updated colour photograph...which I then updated on all the sites I belong to for uniformity. I do this so that it hopefully won't cause as much confusion as having a different Avatar or each site.

Thanks Kathy, Mike S. made fun of me, & I had to change "Strawberry head ". lol


It's all just a social experiment. Life, that is.
How we see ourselves, & how people perceive us to be. What passes,what thrives, what fails.
Peer pressure helps to maintain our place in the pack. Become a leader, a follower, or be ostracized


So I've been thinking....... Cleavage, it gets views. & people love pictures of cats.

Maybe a Nude cat with ample cleavage.

it looked like a clown hit her with a deep red pie.

kind of a creepy cat, you might attract more cats... and no one needs that.


---Mike Savad

Cleavage is always good. Great idea!

I use a portrait of my son Kai

I used an example of my photography for ages but now use a photo I took when I brought my first SLR camera (aged 20 or 21... can't remember now) I've not changed much except I got fatter! no wrinkles yet either (I'm 41 now!)

I also hate photos of myself and taking self portraits (other people take rubbish pictures of me because they aren't professional photographers etc) - I was also too 'shy' to show anything online so a pic of me was a definite no no... but I'm getting over it slowly... even if it is a really old photo!!

'They' (who?!) say it's more personal and friendly to show a face... but maybe it depends on the face and it's friendliness lol ;-P

I changed mine because you and Angelina told me too..I was fine being an eggplant...

Kai is beautiful Haider.

Lenny, never mind a Strawberry - I'd have to post an Apple or a Pear right now. Winter does make one a bit chubby.


& Robert - you look so distinguished & worldly now, like you're sipping Cappucino in Rome. Eggplants are for Parmesan.


Mmmm.... food.......

Mike - Leah could pull it off. It would just look too weird in watercolors. Still would get the views though.

Why Thank you Janine, That was taken while waiting to meet lawrence in some artsy town on the lower east coast of Florida ...

I take a horrible picture and now since chemo even worse, so avatar!

Mine is an oil painted self-portrait, best of both worlds!

Phillip- you are so right .

Tony - I think of Houdini when I see that - very powerful.

Beverly - aww...wishing you peace during your healing.

Cynthia - that is the perfect answer. Shana has a great one too. I'd paint myself as a horse.

Maybe, I should go digital



or how others see me:



or as I see myself:

at the moment it will have to remain image - can't get a decent shot of this mug to put up - not satisfied with any I've worked on in the last day or two. Need a giant camera to hide my face.

@Cynthia, I saw yours in my self portrait contest that I am hosting, I like it a lot!!
@ Janine, Thank you ;) I'm glad you like it. It is my favorite painting right now, I had a blast making it and still have a blast looking at it!! I see you changed yours back again, I like this one you have up a lot too!! Have you ever painted a picture of yourself?

If anybody is interested in joining the self portrait contest feel free!! http://fineartamerica.com/contests/who-are-you.html?tab=overview

Since I hate my picture being taken...I found this dude online somewhere...that looks just like me... and went with it ;c)

-Peter

EGGPLANT - I did not recognize you - i miss the aubergine!

Oh I guess I will go change my avatar - it's half my face looking (i think) shrewd, but it's not warm and fuzzy or even particularly appealing - tho i like it ...

back in a mo'

I'm back - I see it's already changed - I hope the big smile makes everybody feel warm and loved or I'll go and put my shades back on.

All these DAZZLING TEETH.!!!....I wish I had a few

That is Lovely Ginny ! My you gussied up pretty quick. Keep it.

Roger , you look good as God.

& Peter, you look like the man on the inside of the back cover of a dust jacket..

Shana , I think every picture I paint is a portrait of me - Inside out. Like Phillip said.

I definitely agree with you there Janine, same here. All my artwork speaks to who I am in someway, it is all a part of me.

Thanks Janine - I used to use my cat cricketnoel as avatar - my accounts on redbubble and zazzle are named after her but, when I was rummaging around for something to use as an icon when I set up my FAA account, I ran across the shot of my nose with the glasses and I thought it was just quirky enough to represent me. However now that I got contacts instead of glasses and am getting my teeth straightened (GO Invisalign! - which I am wearing in this shot), my smile is bigger than it has ever been, so I guess i will show it off for a while. I'll definitely keep it if it brings with it an uptick in view counts!

Roger - i'd lend you some if they weren't attached.

It changes the perception of your personality. This person is vivacious.

@ Ginny -- Holy wow! What a dramatic transformation!

From your other avatar, I thought of you as a sort of hip, Sylvia Plath character (hopefully, without the suicidal tendencies). Suddenly, you're more 'Contemporary Nora Roberts', with an entirely different voice. The complete change in tone (in my head) is fascinating!

I like this game -- who's next?! :-)

Didn't the pitch in her voice go up Wendy ? & she speaks much faster now. With a Lilt.
Even her colors are brighter in her paintings now. It is so weird how we perceive things.
That is the whole point of Branding. It's a package deal.

"Branding. It's a package deal."

Oh, that's very clever!

Yes, to all your observations . . . except the lilt. I'm not hearing the lilt, but I do hear easy laughter. :-)

SHANA, thank you :)

If you check out my houzz page, http://www.houzz.com/pro/rdsabstractdesign, you can see what I looked like about 14 years ago. Much older, no glasses any more and the beard - well, lets say it's not that color.

Roy i can see you in a french beret, jauntily tilted of course.

wendy, janine - oh go on, you two - i love it!

i did like my old picture because it made me look broody and mysterious (imho) but this one is more recent, taken at a luncheon this past december. i never used to like pictures of myself and avoided cameras - until i learned that all i had to do was bare my teeth and everyone thinks i am smiling - it's that simple!

Also in this picture i felt really glamorous, wearing a $245 handpainted silk top and black velvet pants with a luscious drape, in a little fashion show, traditional with my ladies club holiday luncheon. this is the first time i was one of the models, and i loved this outfit so much. for modeling, each lady is given a 20% discount off anything in the sponsoring store but, unfortunately, 80 percent of $245 is still way too much, and i would be afraid to wear handpainted silk anywhere ever.

You're very welcome Cynthia!!!

Did you click on Cynthia's picture ? I did late last night.

A painting of herself, painting her own portrait. Now how clever is that I ask you ?
A perfect advertisement.

Ginny, that's password protected. what is it -" Fabulous" ?


Roy, you just become about 30 - 40 yrs younger .You keep saying old man, & I believed you. Pictured a rocking chair on a rickety porch.



Did you see ? Marcio put up a new avatar - it looks great .

Since everything is about Me....I have plenty of images of my puss.

So, for those reluctant to expose their own visage, and to make a few bucks, I'm now offering:...The."RENT AN AVATAR " service.

Lol. I'd want to be " The Warrior Princess"

Ginny - not on a good day. I have a love hate relationship with hats. I don't like to wear them, but I own three or four - no beret's however. A wide brim panama for when I go walking in the sun, a short brim for when I'm feeling younger than I am, and a couple of driving hats that I like the look of (even on me) but one is 'uncomfortable'. Now, you could see me with a glass of good wine or a stein of good European ale or beer. It is a terrible thing to live in the land of "bud light" and "Sutter Home" and there are nothing but 'chain' restaurants

My avatar stares at people, subtly but inexorably conveying the message 'Your money or your life'.





(It hasn't done me much good so far.)

Johnny I can see you; in a tweed jacket with a pipe in your hand, & a glass of Scotch.
Crook of the head, challenging the viewer to decipher your pensive thoughts.

You mean I look like Basil Rathbone!? And there was me thinking I was more of a Sean Connery too. Ach weel..

;)

I liked my particular shot in b/w and thought it was a good one for promoting my image.

Yes I did Janine, I actually saw it before she posted it to this thread because she added it to my contest and I like to blow up the really creative ones to see them better. I like how it keeps going shes painting a picture of her painting a picture of her painting a picture, cool concept!!

I just changed mine today to something more colorful and painterly hoping it would attract more attention

Susan - that looks lovely ! You are your own piece of work .

J Allen - good choice. subtle smile, glint in the eye -says you know a thing or two.


Wendy - Oh, I just love when I am quoted. Lol

"& Peter, you look like the man on the inside of the back cover of a dust jacket.."

lol Janine! I know I'm old... but that's the first time someone described me as dusty ;c)

-Peter

I went with the photo of a barn because I see the profile image more like a business card then anything else. Most of us don't have our face on business cards, although I've seen a few like that over the years.

Susan - now that's MY kind of hat!

Heck... I change my avatar like some people change their hat. Usually depends on my mood. I have lots of highs and lots of lows emotionally.

I like many other choose a self portrait, I want my clients to be able to associate a face with both my name and my work. Way back when I had started my photography business I gave my business the name "Elegant Memories Photography" I later after having already established the name read a great article on naming your photography business. It spoke about using your own name ie; Regina Williams Photography so that people get to know the name of the person behind the work and not the business name. Another great point was doing a google search for the business name and DARN so many business with the same name! Wish I had read the article before establishing the name! Janine love your avatar!

Susan Savad! I adore your avatar! Beautiful!

With the exception of FAA, every place I need to have an avatar, I usually go with a picture of Steve McQueen. Using that here would raise more questions than answers.

Oh Peter, lol. you just stop that. I know you have a front cover, expect to see you as an Author too. Soon.

Joshua House - Perfect for you, concise & clear.

Regina, lovely new portrait of you . can't forget those eyes.

Michael - I believe I have seen a Mcqueen here.


Glenn - Do you notice a change your views/sales depending on the mood of the picture ?

Dear Janine, Everyone is different, and prompted for different reasons to depict themselves the way they do. I'm supposed to look directly at my life, and take responsibility for every decision I make, so I want my avatar to indicate my resolve, but that doesn't hold true for the person standing beside me. Everyone has a path, and a point they want to make. It's varied but not random to the individual.

@Janine - try "not4sale" it is a private folder that i set up to stash images i want to hide from public view, that are not necessarily part of my portfolio inventory.

Kelley Lee, that is a very good point.
& I guess the one that I was getting to. We all have preferences, & make choices - but do we even know why ?

Are we cognisant of what we are doing, & what we don't do.
Our galleries, & our avatars reveal much more about ourselves than we think they do.
Is yours saying what you want it to say......

Inadvertently this has turned into a critique or approval of avatars. I did not want to do that, so I do apologise.

I simply wanted to know why we choose what we choose.

Hello Janine, Well I finally have exposed myself to the entire FAA community, its been a pleasure meeting everyone! And more exciting news coming very soon!

Last October, I was exposed to the see.me artist group in New York, and received word tonight they have created a new webpage for me.......
I have been exposed to the world!!




http://hoardphotoimages.see.me/?newProfile=1

Michael! That's a thousand times better than the one you had. Maybe two thousand. Welcome!

Dan Turner
Dan Turner Fine Art
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online
To Enjoy Dan Turner's Pinterest Boards, Click Here

Thank you Dan, Wow!!!! It is one of my favorites,

Thank you Janine,,,,,,,I sure hope it works for me!!!!

Michael, stop exposing yourself - it is against the forum rules.

& Congrats. to you - That is incredibly exciting & it looks absoloutely wonderful.
This is your year to shine..

Great new pic - I like to see the person.

Welcome Micheal...A Real Person!!!!!

Hey Roger, yes finally a real person,.....

Who is next?

" Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid "
Basil King. Love that quote.

Michael IS a real person after all.

and Dan T - your Easter best is a better image of you also.

@Janine, that is an excellent quote,,,,,I like that alot, and Dan thank you!

Ok, I uploaded an image of me - it says the small image will be here - but instead it's the "square" image - of my torso - gotta love that you cannot move the square up to my face. LOL

@Roy yes I am of the human species, why is your head chopped off?

"and Dan T - your Easter best is a better image of you also."

Okay, I've changed over to Sunday Dan for this discussion. Should I keep this beyond Sunday? Is it credible? Is it helping or hurting or just different?

Roy, I like the portrait. Just crop so your head's in the avatar!

Dan Turner
Dan Turner Fine Art
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online
To Enjoy Dan Turner's Pinterest Boards, Click Here

ideally dan i can take you more seriously in the suit, then when you just got off that skateboard in that other version. and ideally if your customers know you in a suit here, and they come when you didn't ask them to come, it makes it easier to identify you - because the two images are like a world apart.


---Mike Savad

Thanks for the input, Mike. Skateboard Dan may be going on vacation for awhile!

Dan Turner
Dan Turner Fine Art
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online
To Enjoy Dan Turner's Pinterest Boards, Click Here

Dan T - the head is the "bad" part. This image is only like 3" tall to start - It was taken a "couple" of years back and was saved as a 72 kb jpg. it's hard to crop that more and have anything but pixels. I changed it anyway - his wouldn't print on the head of a pin.

Lol. Now that's funny. Mike is talking about who he can take seriously......

You have to go see the post I left for Roy on my thread, ......Jannie Roy exposed himself to me....opps.....my avatar when I looked at Roy's swirl got me dizzzy!

Roy's comment to Michael........It must be nice to be "exposed" - kinda like "coming out of the closet" - probably not.






@ Roy, here in New Orleans quite a few of the historic homes and plantations did not have closets, they used Armoirie's as I do.....the Grand Victorian I had renovated years ago here the entire house had no closets. And on a personal note I prefer revolving doors....lol great photo Roy.

Mirror, Mirror on the thread, whos got more hair on their head.....


or just handsome, smamson

Janine i posted in the thread a couple times but did not answer your question what and why. i have always been self conscious and camera shy - at least until recently. for a long time i used my cat as avatar because she is warm and fuzzy, very high in the awww factor. me, not so much. however retirement seems to agree with me, and i started breaking out of my shell, making new friends, and smiling more.

When i first signed up on fas, i used an anonymous avatar - definitely me, but basically a nose with dark glasses on top. i thought it was artsy and mysterious, but i can definitely see how it would come across as aloof and cold. I probably would not have changed it but for your starting this thread and asking the question. Reading what others have to say, and evaluating my own reaction to avatars that are less or more personal than others, i was finally convinced that, whether it gets me more views/sales or not, i prefer to put out a more welcoming vibe now - no more hiding my light.

so thank you for starting this. i feel like i have come out of a closet.

and - who knew the eggplant and the reptile eye were masking two such handsome lads!
and, roy, i think you look great! seriously, hair can be so over rated.

I use whatever I wish to. I am the artist after all. Go rebel me!

Good morning all !

You're welcome Ginny, you & everyone else that got brave and courageous. This has been fun, & revealing, so to speak.

Many of us have a tendency to be shy or self conscious.
As Artists we put our heart & souls into our work - & that is what we want people to look at. Not us.
It is interesting though, when we get brave & courageous and "face" the world, good things happen.
Chicken or egg, it is the end results that matter.

I am not necessarily advocating that a personal portrait shot is an absolute, only that you have split seconds to show the world who you are & intrigue them to look further.
If you choose a piece of your work, or a design logo for your avatar - make sure that it is saying what you want it to say.

Have a wonderful sunny day everyone !

Good morning Janine,

Since so many have decided to change their avatar to a straight on photo of the face, I've decided to go along with this movement.

Janine Riley -- Changing the face(s) of Fine Art America, one avatar at a time! ;-)

I originally used a head shot of my character, The Toonicorn, as my avatar, but some people here said it looked too childish. So I copped an image from my art piece "Epitaph". It's like the CBS eye, but less creepy.

i like now ....

JL - like Wendy's your avatar is an icon and represents your work. if the essence of my style could be captured so well in one small square image, i would gladly use it, but i have no style, no single media, no one thing that people would recognize as my work. since i realize now that i cannot sell my body of work as a cohesive unit, i must sell myself and, as Janine says, make sure my avatar puts out the right message. As much as I liked hiding behind my dark and broody previous picture, i always knew it was not especially inviting, and i hate to think of how many people passed on by without a second glance. I am very happy with my new choice and, since it is a relatively recent picture, will let it represent me indefinitely. This is not a cold and aloof image that says (as my former one did) "I don't care if you look at my stuff or not." If I say so myself, this avatar is infectiously friendly, and might almost reach out and grab someone and say right in their face, "HI! - I'm happy to see you - come in and look around a bit ... no, no, I insist - right this way, please."

Good Morning everyone, Happy Saturday! Hummmm @ Ginny, are you speaking of my reptile eye, lol....I like your new image as well, @Janine sure has started a movement......

@ JL,,,,,that is purrrrrrr fect.....@ Wendy, she sure has changed the faces of FAA....

yes michael it was your reptilian eye of which i spoke ... it was eye catching to be sure (NPI - i just made that up, for no pun intended) but i still cannot get over the dramatic change in how i relate to the new picture - it makes you look warm and charming whereas the eye was wary and secretive. now i am noticing how much more i am drawn to the full-face images and how engaging they are as opposed to either abstract images or shots from the side, hidden behind a camera, or similarly pulling away from the viewer instead of reaching out to encourage interaction.

on Redbubble i used to change my avatar fairly often and tended to favor dramatic or broody images. one of them was so depressing, a fellow RB'er in north carolina with whom i had developed a camaraderie, became alarmed for my mental state and messaged me to inquire if i was ok. i had never realized before that the face i present to the world at large has an impact, sends a message, and that people actually care. I never liked what I looked like and never thought it was important what other people thought.

it has taken me the better part of seven decades to realize that feelings of insecurity and inferiority are a reverse form of egotism - i had to address myself sternly and say we are all in this together so just get over yourself and care more about people other than what they think of you or what you look like. everyone is beautiful, as soon as they give up obsessing about their own flaws - at least that's my opinion.

Hello Ginny, it is amazing your comments you speak of, sorta like when you are on a phone you create this image of the person by its voice.....but with photography you see the images the individual has taken and without the visual of the photographer him or herself, there is that mystque factor.....My photo is one of the best taken of me and will suites me just fine......my friends say I look like Jaques Cousteau, and I do but I will not post that photo.....enjoyed your comments........Everyone have a great Easter Sunday however you may reflect on the day, alone or with families.....Cheers, Michael

My face because I want people to see the person behind the art.

Michael H, your face is very friendly and inviting and I believe people are more likely to click on it than on the eye. In fact, I impulsively clicked on it the other day, not looking closely enough to know anything about who you were. Yet, I clicked.

Edit: I just realized that my image is a little dark. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

@ Elizabeth, and a brilliant artist you are....I enjoy viewing your gallery, just I have done so viewing others........Cheers, Michael

Janinie, this has been one of the best general discussion pages thus far, it has sparked a very important point for being successful or not here on FAA or anywhere else. Hummmm lets see who is next in line, could it be Tiny, or Mike Savard....I can not wait....lol

Greetings Lennore, I apprecaite your comment eyes wide open.........A photographer friend Suzzane took the photo of me years back when I was 50, my birthday cake was a moon pie,,,,,,with one candle....lol.....thanks again for the comment.....Cheers, Michael

@ Lennore, Its perfect just the way it is.....

I really don't have a good portrait that also reflects my own style, so I went with my hat.

@ John, what does the hat read, ......

Have you ever woke up and looked at yourself in the mirror in the morning, this image was my face for Mardi Gras, I held a square glass container (fish bowl) up to the mirror and how many of us felt like that after a night out.....;lol

I used to use my artwork, then realized I was better looking than I had thought. :)

But honestly...I think it's good that the potential buyer can put a face to the artist.

Cheers!

What a way to start & enjoy my day,
You gotta love that Wendy J St Christopher. Is she the best - or what.


I see you all had a great time while I was out enjoying this glorious day. Hopefully I did get a few great shots.

Projection, that is the theme. What we put forth is reflected right back upon us.

Fineartamerica's Finest.

Oh, Ginny - " a reverse form of egotism". Very good, very good. It is still being self centered with a refusal to accept blame or responsibility. It is thinking of self's comfort over others as a priority.

& our art is our gift , our thoughts should be " How do I want the other person to feel...."

If we are secure in what we have delivered , we never have to question whether our art is good enough.

I use an image of my chop for avatar, but I have a photo of myself is on the cover of private collection galley. If anyone is interest enough in my art would able to see my photo. Surely, love to see friendly face when I visit other artist's website. It gives inviting feel to visitors. Until I have better photo of myself, I am keeping this chop(it's my name in Korean and a gift from my nephew) as a my avatar.
You all have nice smile. Here is mine :-).

Have a wonderful and happy Easter everyone!

i dress this way because it will be the first of april,
all fools day is the day to dress this way
now i will make my way to another thread.


---Mike Savad

I can not wait to see the threads tomorrow, lol!

Ok, I busted out laughing over that one , very nice Mike.


Thank you Kyong, & welcome aboard.


A wonderful holiday to all.

(shhh.... I'm not really here, being it's a holiday & family time and all that .)

Hello Janine, OH MY GAWD!!!!!! EXCITING NEWS JUST NOW, my avatar has been featured on the home page of the group the M O U S E, my avatar which I created created to use when I joined FAA is now a Featured Photo! Imagine that....

Now where do I go to post my real photo, can someone direct me to that group as well, lol!!!!!

See what happened when you released it Michael - Congrats.on your feature !




Ok Folks - How many Jelly Bellies today ?

Love the avatar Mike, very creative!!!

@Janine, too many!!! lol

You see, didn't you mention somthing to the affect, alot of good could happen....thanks for the comment Jannie,

Shana, I no longer use that Avatar do not need it......I revealed my true self....thanks to Janine....

Dont forget the chocolate rabbits, yummmy.....

Oh hello, Shanna you where referring about my new Avatar the new look, the real me, thanks

Oh, I'm sorry Mike H, I was talking to Mike S lol. But I love your new avatar too!! It is nice to see the real you, the man behind the eye!! lol

yeah i tried to rhyme in each thread, but i gave it up, it was too much of a pain. i'll be like this only for a day or so before i go back to plain old fashioned mike.


---Mike Savad

oooh.... I think I mixed too many jellies..................


Michael , you have been on an amazing roll since your surgery. Sometimes we all need a little adversity to appreciate what we are capable of.
You were holding on to your eye too tightly as it was symbolic to you ( in appreciation of course ).Time to let it go, and not see that affliction as marking you.

@michael - i like the image you have now, rather than that eye - mostly because whenever i saw it, i thought about Scorpius from Farscape

https://www.google.com/search?q=farscape+scorpius&num=100&hl=en&safe=off&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=duJYUZ_GEarl4APTxIDAAg&ved=0CGcQsAQ&biw=1914&bih=925

and that was the only thing i had in my mind.

---Mike Savad

@Mike S. Frist thing congrats on all your recent sales, beautiful work! Second, I looked at the link of Scorpius and that is way too wicked....thanks for the generous comments...Michael

@Jannie, thank you also for the generous comments, its been an exciting discussion thread....

@Thank you Shanna for the comment.......

As a newbie, I just had this debate in my head. I am one of those people who can't stand pictures of myself. I really wanted to use artwork for the avatar, but I do think it helps to show the person behind the art. Finally, I found a picture taken 5 years ago that I could stand.

Hi Sherri - Welcome aboard ! I just took a quick peek at your gallery & look what I found - It looks just like you. Check out the colors & the shapes, that could be your artistic self portrait

Ok here it is the real offical avatar! This is a self portrait taken three years ago, its the Jaques Cousteau look,,,,,,,

heh heh, you're right. You do have the looks of someone already rich & famous.
& with that warm, pleasant smile - you were giving us Lizard eye ? (as Mike S. calls it. Eye never hated it.)

Hello Janine, that photo was befor my eye surgery, I do still wear glasses evern though I do not need them, I just like seeing close up when looking at the c lap top screen......it was not lizard eye it was toxic fish eye....lol, the eye was my hand painted face for mardi gras......I used the eye...(eyeseecolors) michael hoard.........I am still waiting for my first sale of the day....lol.....maybe just maybe this avatar will change things......

Mike has a good sense of humor.....

you keep changing faces on us, keep this up and you'll beat beth's record.

---Mike Savad

@Mike, that is just too too funny!

Here is the real avatar, ........april fool!!

@Janinie, see what you started, lol!!!!!!

i think the record is 19 times in one day.

that colors thing - kind of like blueman camouflage.


---Mike Savad

@Mike, it was toxic fish because of the oil spill in the gulf of mexico, that was my Mardi Gras face! As a matter of fact that is too funny, blue man camouflage.....

@Mike is that allowed 19 times in one day, no way......well I was chaning mine,,,,,the server could not keep up and everytime I went to see the FAA artist page my photo would not show up but finally the server caught up.....

beth is a moderator, so i guess it comes with some perks. it think she does it to throw us off course. in mid stream she kept changing it. it might not have been 19, but it seemed more than the average person does. like for me, i only have about 7-8 costume changes. 3 more that hasn't been posted yet, and i still have to make another two. there are also the hidden mikes that i've been putting in many of my pieces, and those versions don't usually become avatar mike, except for the clown.


---Mike Savad

I used a portrait because I would like people to know what the person looks behind the artwork looks like!

I've used a mug shot for years this is the first time as of this past month, I went with artwork for a profile pic.

Elizabeth is everywhere she was just in the Chat Room, she is everywhere!

Elizabeth is everywhere she was just in the Chat Room, she is everywhere!

Elizabeth is everywhere she was just in the Chat Room, she is everywhere!

there seems to be an echo in here.


---Mike Savad

echo

echo

As for mine JD...since I am huuuge fan of the movie and JD in general I thought it would be cool to use vintage poster as an avatar...it was temporary thing but become permanent and now it's like kind of a "tribute mark" or something...sometimes it's funny when people address me "sir" LOL well I'm a girl but I can't force myself to replace JD for Mo LOL

@Mo, that is as cool as they come your avatar, I like it and I am sure it brings you sales......classic...

@Mike S....news update! someone from Italy kept inviting me to the chat room, well I finally gave in and went and guess who was in a lenghtly converstation in the chat room, without mentioning any names......and chatting away with the person who created the general discussion page yesterday about posting your update to your blog....well how odd the blog, that blog from yesterday is no longer to be found.......

@Richard your avatar is quite colorful....nice its an atention grabber.....

there was a blog from yesterday? i'm in the dark again, and i'm seeing everything in 3's now, maybe my hat is on too tight...


---Mike Savad

Thx Michael :) probably another dumb not native speaker question...Mike why You're seeing in 3D?

Rur roh, we are going to be the next bugs & glitches thread. Lol


Glad to see everyone is still having fun : ) fun : ) fun : )


I have noticed quite a few avatars this week. What I should have said originally was " & please send money".


Next project. How to get the boys to play nice ? fuhghettabout it.

Mo T are you anything like James Dean?

edit, oh you're a girl ..opps!

@Jannie, that is just too too too funny I belt out laughting here at the coffee shops and had everyone laughting with me......lol

yes I have noticed new avatars also, I don't know about everyone else I will never use that fish eye ever again.....lol

Can you just image I caught Elizabeth in the Chat room chatting away,,,,,,,


@Jannie, go figure this out...t.he woman who invited me to chat with her in the chat room was from Italy, well it turns out that I go back to my FAA page and she has favorited the photo I posted in yoiur thread what is in your backyard....and the best thing about it the photo isn't for sale not in any groups and she F/V, I thanked her of course....but the thing is that photo is just a snap shot from my cell phone looking out at downtown......just my luck that photo will be my first sale here on FAA lol

Yeah Robert :D being a girl makes this hard LOL

i have to be seeing in 3D, because if it were 2D i'd be in a video game.


---Mike Savad

Serendipity Michael. " One thing leads to another ....."




don't you just love.....When you are out in public, like in a coffee shop. & you read a message, & it makes you laugh.... while you are drinking coffee.

Cafe Mocha Latte Grande - Everywhere !





Rich - that avatar does really pop out at you !

@ Jannine, here in New Orleans we drink


Cafe Au Lait......french dark roast coffee and chicory.....

@Mike S. I left you a great complimnet on another general discussion page....its the tread which reads what would you look like viewing another persons artwork,,,,,I think that is it...

ok, thanks for the compliment, though in general i usually don't go for them... not my thing.


---Mike Savad

@Mike, its a genuine compliment,,,,,,,,

@Bob, now I know who you are the Lone Ranger!

ok here's a question - how does an avatar represent you if you use a fictitious face even one of the opposite gender.
granted you may be showing off your talent, and it is doubtful anybody would mistake one for the dead celebrity (or
God) which your avatar resembles, but it is one thing to use an object or an abstract to front your page with but,
i think, another thing entirely to show yourself as a person that is not you - not being critical here, just curious.

i personally use my real face- but with some modifications. mostly an avatar is a way to identify who you are and to relate back to you. beyond that i don't see point of the other ones.


---Mike Savad

To all; What is your opinion on mine? Love to see others' friendly face when I visit other artist, but isn't my avatar unique enough to replace of my face?

Kyong, since you asked, I would much prefer your beautiful face, which is filled with life and happiness, than the current red block with gray lines.

Dan Turner
Dan Turner Fine Art
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online
To Enjoy Dan Turner's Pinterest Boards, Click Here

I had ten days of company and am late to this thread.

Like so many here, I prefer to match a face with a name. I don't have any problems adjusting to the new avatars if I recognize the names. Mine is nothing special. I changed it when Mike S. started a thread asking people to post their self portraits in early January. So I took a photograph of myself looking in an oval mirror. Then I digitally altered it as a pencil sketch. I will most likely change it again.

Ms. Burke,

I completely agree with Dan T.

faces are easier to identify with than a colored box. even a painted version of a face would be better because it would advertise what you do.

---Mike Savad

@ Dan - Thank you for taking time to answer my request and online marketing info.
@Janice, Roger, Mike- thank you all for your input. I'll take your word for it and change my avatar with my face. :-)

Okay, I have gone for showing what I do and having me in it.

Best of both worlds :)

Janinie, faManufactured Objects: Weekly Promotion and Artist of the Week: April 1stMessage:The Artist of the Week has been selected.

To be eligible for Artist of the Week for the week starting April 8th requires
your participaton in this week's promotion thread, plus you have an opportunity
to promote your work and members' work ... plus group camaraderie!

This week's promotion thread:

http://fineartamerica.com/groups/manufactured-objects--1-per-day.html?showmessage=true&messageid=1139620

Thank you for all the great photography and artwork you submit to the group and for all your involvement.


patricia

Group Name: Manufactured Objects - 1 Per Day
Group URL: http://fineartamerica.com/groups/manufactured-objects--1-per-day.htmlntastic news I have to share it with everyone, I thank you so much for this thread. I am a member of the group Manufactured Objects and was selected photographer of the week, I am just in awe over this news!

Yeay Beth ! Great choice , & loving the hair.

Kyong, could it be said any lovelier than Dan T said ? No.
I did like your red avatar box ( which I think I recall you saying your nephew made for you) . Red is eye catching, but for those of use who have no comprehension of any Asian language - we wouldn't know it is your name.


Ginny, good question. " How does that represent your work ? " It is not imperative of course, but if you are going to use an image - you've got a split second to show your style.

Hi Janice, glad your back. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your visit.


Congrats. to Michael H ! Artist of the week. Way to go Michael Hoard.

I was just going to say Michael must be sleeping, it's quiet in here. Lol.

Thank you so much Janinie for such an inspiring discussion thread, I truly appreciate it! Cheers, Michael Hoard

I have been going at it for hours now all the congrats, the V, F, its just unbelievable, cheers, Michael Hoard

Kyong, you are beautiful. I like seeing your avatar Michael, I agree with everyone who stated they prefer seeing your entire face and not the lizard eye. :)

Thanks, Janine.

Originally, I used a merry little picture of myself as my avatar. I was fond of it, as it was one of the few pictures of myself I actually liked. However, it had been taken by someone else and didn’t represent anything about my work. I later decided my avatar should be a sample of my art. I still wanted it to be “Me” but a picture of me created by me. And so I began using the self-portrait which is my current avatar.

It seems counterproductive to change one’s avatar frequently or whimsically as it undermines potential recognition by others for the following reason. The ability to recognize faces forms the basis for most of our social interactions, and facial recognition is aided by habituation, the development of memory representation of a repeatedly encountered visual stimulus. In cyberspace, our “face” is the avatar we choose to represent our identity. It would seem, then, that the choice of an avatar is more significant than one might realize since, essentially, you are your avatar.

Previously used my portrait, because I like people to know who is behind the drawings..Now I use something that is emotionally important to me..Something that represented my childhood and youth, and something many people commited a decade of their lives to - and something we all are proud of. My latest work, yet to be uploaded, made me remember that time..So for now, my avatar tells a story, and sends a message.

@Janine- :-) You are right about Dan and he's nice enough to share his ebook with other artist to help themselves. Such nice people are here in FAA and I'm glad that I joined faa and this thread.
@Janice - Thank you!
@ Michael- Congrats for being an Aritst of the Week!

hey Janine,

I'm new here, but I have always used a head shot that was animated with my art behind me,... ALWAYS has attracted Attention. I don't think FAA allows animated .gifs! Anyways, I believe a candid shot is more personal than ones work ((not that there's anything wrong with an art avatar))

@Kyong, thank you so much for the generous congrats, its trully a honor to have been given such a prestigious honor from the group owner Manufactured Objects! Cheers, Michael Hoard

@ Victor, just a note, welcome to FAA and I am sure Janine will also welcome you, she is off and about somewhere here on FAA, I had the privledge of viiewing your gallery and very creative and brilliant work! I have not stopped now for hours thanking everyone not just here but at the site Manufactured Objects! Best of nothing but success here at FAA, cheers, Michael Hoard

@Victor, being a chef locally since 97, your Salad Bar original oil, is one of the most ingenious piece of creativity! Good luck! Michael

I think Michael is doing a wonderful job at being Assistant thead production manager.
Welcome aboard everyone.


Dale, I have always admired your profile shot. It could only be better if it was reflecting in one of your puddles ! Love those puddle reflections.


Mo T, I''m so used to seeing your avatar that I know it's you. But I would loooove to see a piece of your work. Quite charming.

I prefer an image of someone's work over a profile shot. An image is far more likely to get me to visit someone's work than their face is.

I prefer work also.

I get click thru's for art avatars but not so much for my face..... which says all it needs to about my face thanks very much.


art from now on and changes also.

Hello Janinie, I am still awake, I am still typing I feel as if I am now married for life to FAA lol, your thread has been one of the most inspirational thread I have come across, your power of suggestion, guidence is nothing but Bravo, Bravo, Bravo, and thank you for sharring this life altering experience by taking part in your general discussion thread, and I also want to thank Sean for creating this wonderful FAA site, and many thanks to Beth also, respectfully Michael Hoard

@Elizabeth, a special thanks for the dedicated work you do as general discussion manger here at FAA, I like your new Avatar also, the old one looked like you were eating a sandwich, here in New Orleans we call them Po-Boy made with Frech Bread they are the best and so are you, respectfully, Michael Hoard

Hello Charlene, your avatar is very inviting and pleasant to view.....cheers Michael Hoard

@Ginny, its very nice to see such a beautiful smile and plivledge to be among an accomplished artist as yourself and everyone else here on FAA, thanks for putting a smile on my face....respectfully and cheers, Michael Hoard

Food... did I hear someone say food ? Is Michael serving up Po' boys ? That is right, you are a Chef. I knew there was a reason that I liked you.......


Beth - I just had an idea ! I love your ships...... what about......... a self portrait for you........ as the Mermaid on the front of an old Sailing ship !!
" Oh, Fabulous ".

Hello Janine, you would never believe looking at me I eat constanly at work. I rarely prepare food at the house only when I enterain friends. I have to laugh outloud.. my previous room mate when he arrived to tour the suite back in November he went to the ice box and screamed my God, you are a chef and no food, hey, I eat at work all day, a nice cold beer or glass of wine and with my view of the city skyline who needs to be in the kitchen. The living room and kitchen is one great room with my view of my back yard, the city of New Orleans skyline.......I do prepare a mean, mean, Cbicken Alfredo, with garlic and heavy cream! When I was chef for the main dining hall at the unverrsity I maintained a high volume pasta station, the entire dining room would yell Alfredooooooooooo! I have been cooking since 97 and time to concentrate on my passion, photography here at FAA! From a chef's outlook I am cooking up potenial sales..... Chow, Michael

I can't remember, let's see what appears when I click 'Submit' :)

I have used both; currently it is me but sometimes I regard it as a promotional slot for my work. I can't decide which I prefer so this has been an interesting thread!

" Chow, Michael ". Lol. Love it. A good pun to start my day.
My husband is the cook in the family, & he knows that I will follow him to the ends of the earth if he leaves me a trail of bread crumbs. The chicken Marsala won me over.
If I have to cook for myself, it is yogurt, a slice of Pizza or California Maki. A fresh pot of coffee will always do.

Not particularly advocating faces over images - but I will point out one thing ; Size matters.

Your Avatar is a 1" square. Can I see it ? As a person who wears glasses ( & all the ones who should, but don't ) I much prefer a close up image that I can identify immediatly.
A close up of a face, not an 1/8" of a person off in the distance doing what, I can't tell.
For an icon/sample of your work - bold colors, simple lines. Black & white works great. It just needs to be simple & clear.

It is so difficult to be objective over your own work/portrait. & in one form or another many of us will tend to hide or diminish ourselves
Describe your Avatar to yourself in 5 words - does that describe your work ? It needs to.

If you are new here, please ask if you'd like to know what our opinions are.

FIN & Bav are looking lovely in their new shots.

p.s. My Internet service is going in & out as the wind blows. Please continue to carry on & entertain yourselves, I am not ignoring you

@Michael Hoard, thanks man. Boy do I have some interesting stories about my "Salad Bar" oil painting. And especially to a Chef - one in particular is that I actually picked out and purchased most of my models for the creation, holding them as I painted. After getting left hand cramps from holding a potato still for 3-4 hours, I finally got Mr. Potato's details the way I was wanting them. ... I went to wash-up after cleaning my brushes. Was then called in to eat dinner. Lo and behold, we were having steak with a baked potato and salad. ... .. . My model tasted great, BUT I was pretty mad at my wife, none the less. I mean, I l@@ked long and hard for the right model at Whole Foods, or was it Publix?,... Anyways, I even found one that still had the right amount of soil attached to the eyes!! Shoot, it's even hard to find one with eyes, unless you're at a farmer's Market. ~ Victor

Janine, this one is just for YOU as you were its inspiration.
Although not for sale, should YOU want to own it, as I'm sure you will, special arrangements can be made :)

Oh Dale, that is just Gorgeous ! What it says about the thoughts & reflections of one's life & mind..... You should sell that !
If it feels too personal, just blur/shade your self a bit more. I think any woman can relate to that image. Either way, I do hope it inspires you to think along the lines of the blended images. I'm flattered for your appreciation - but it is all you !


Victor - Don't you just hate it when the family eats your props ? Lol. Oh, well. You can never be mad for too long at the one who feeds you. Especially Steak & bake.
Good thing you weren't painting Ice cream.


Let's remember to give some credit where credit is due; It was Mike Savad who encouraged Michael Hoard to change Lizard face. & the crowd applauds.....
While a wonderfully creative piece of work & design, it just wasn't working as his message to the world as to WHO/what he was.

Beth - are you Mermaid metamorphasing ? ( I always wanted to be a Mermaid when I grew up. )
Ginny - My spell check is not working. Forgive me for what I do......

To sum up a Commercial Art Ed.(so very long ago) this is what I learned ; Give 'em what they want. & do it quick.

Hello Janine, Thank you for setting the record staight, how exactly correct, how can a lizzard eye identify the actual photographer!....

Just changed mine to an actual photograph. This was taken in October 2012 at my granddaughter's christening.

Hey Janice ! Good to see you . Lovely portrait shot. This is so much better - you're here now - the other one now seems like you were fading away.
Great job .

It always surprises me how many artist and photographers hate have there photo taken, I'm one of them :), unfortunatly I saw it as a necessary evil for an avatar as it does personalize and give an incite into who you are to the public.
Janine I like your newish avatar ... warm and cheeky

Hello Janice that sure is a very nice Avatar, the one and only you.....nice smile by the way......

Thanks Janine and Michael.

Good Morning ! & the sun is shining today .


Thank you Carl, I do very much enjoy that picture. My husband is right beside me goofing it up, & my daughter took it (a budding photographer). Several years ago now, I remember that day, we were having a great time. So it feels very supportive to me.

Your Avatar is great because it is the best of both worlds. An image of you, in your artistic style which I very much enjoy. Red is always catchy.

Here's a question for the day to shake things up. Tell us something about you that we wouldn't be able to tell from your avatar.
I am a 12 yr. old tomboy.

Mo T is a girl. Not really J.D.

My Spellcheck disappeared again. Oh brother - I have to tough it out on my own.

Rephotographing today yesterday's rejects.

Carry on .

@You are welcome Janice and oh by the way you look like a famous actress! Cheers, Michael Hoard

Michael, dare I ask who that famous actress could be?

Janine, I was also a tomboy and loved to climb trees. I was also voted shyest in my senior class. That changed quickly once I had children and opened up. Except for lipstick, I don't wear makeup. I also cut my own hair...wash, dry and fluff.

My avatar is a crop of a group photo with my sister and brother. It was taken by my sister-in-law on October 14, 2012. We were at a restaurant for a luncheon to celebrate my granddaughter's christening.

@Janice, well I have yet to remember her name, but then after seeing your great photo of your sister, there was and is a very similar likeness of the singer Karen Carpenter, your sister and then you remind me of an English Actress and unfortunetly I can not remember her name, and how odd is this your brother favors the famous weatherman on the today show....Scott Willis looks just like him.....anyway its a great avatar......All my friend here in New Orleans think I resemble Jaques Cousteau, and when I had a dark beard they thought I looked like Robin Williams,,,,,,figure that one out.....

Michael....yup, I can see the Jacques Cousteau reference. With the hat on, moreso. My sister has been told she resembles actress Juliet Binoche. Both very pretty. I don't know Scott Willis. Do you mean Willard Scott? If so, Joe doesn't look like him. My sister is 4 1/2 years younger than I am. My brother, 14 1/2 years younger.

Well looks like I am in good company, I was also a tom boy!!

As I said I really avoid/hate having my photo taken, my wife snuck up on me when I was concentrating on creating on the pc. I just saw her in the corner of my eye but didn't get my hand up quick enough to hide my face. She is a devil women who has decided to make it her mission in life to photograph me sneakly when ever she can, she has a great laugh about it :)

Well then, let's all go fishing !
& when we're done, we can all go climb trees or build a tree fort.





Lol. Carl, I noticed that. Wasn't going to say anything.......

@Janice, there I go thinking too too fast.....Willard Scott

Well Janine, I know of a perfect place to go fishing and have the perfect tree house to sleep in after!!

Michael, happens all the time with all of us. :)

I'm up for a sleepover in a treehouse. Yours looks magical, Shana.

One of my childhood friends had a treehouse. He lived two houses over from me. We would run back and forth between his treehouse to my yard. Those were fun times. We carved our initials in the back of my mother's shed. He was my first kiss. My good luck was Mom never went out back. Your painting and words jogged my memory of simplier times and a good friend who later died in Vietnam at the age of 21.

I feel like I'm in Mayberry. :)

Awe Janice, thank you!! I'm glad my painting helped you connect to those special memories!! Sorry to here that your childhood love passed away, so hard to lose someone that is a part of who you are like that. I think we all miss those simpler times of being a kid. I try to hold on to my inner child as much as possible, and I think it shows in my work. The original painting of "The Sleep Over" actually has parts that glow in the dark!! I had a blast painting it!!

Shana, couldn't be more perfect.


Very sad to lose a childhood friend,way too young.

Everyone have a great weekend, Cheers, Michael

Hi Janine, I chose a painting of a tree for my avatar because it was simple, and effective I think. I didn't have to think too much about it.
Growing up I wasn't the most cooperative at picture taking time, which didn't make my mother happy and caused a few arguments.

Michael, I worked in a restaurant too, right after high school. Although I was a cook I wouldn't say I was a chef. I worked there I would say between two and
three years, having started as a busboy. I didn't mind the work. You can get used to the restaurant business, but I found you can put in many hours easily.

Shorty after that I worked for the Yellow Pages, doing ad layouts by hand, well before computers. It was tedious work. I also worked for a local advertising/PR firm.
In school, high school more so, I mostly drew in my notebook when I should have been taking notes.

@Janice, I am sorry to hear about your child-hood friend dying in the war. Thanks for sharring that with all of us....

Thank you, Michael. :)

Happy Spring Everyone! I return back to work after a couple of weeks off. Its been very relaxing and thought if winter still has you in his grip. this will cheer you up.

Statistically this makes no sense but I've sold a couple lately after changing my avatar to a non-portrait.

I HAVE TO SAY that changing my avatar has had absolutely no effect on my sales - still zero for the year - but
my visitor stats ( average views per public image ) are gradually nudging upward, which I don't mind. ALSO for
those who were kind enough to commen nicelyt on my new avatar - which, since it is fairly recent (Dec '12),
should be good for quite a while - i wanted to share my newest Facebook avatar just to show that it ain't
always all about the glammer for me - sometimes i kin just chill.

right now i'm Cinco de Miko, later on i'll be something else. it's hard to say if an avatar makes any kind of difference. it think just being recognized - or having someone curious enough to want to click and see, then it makes a difference. like when i change costume,i tend to get more facebook friends.


---Mike Savad

Janine,

As you can tell, I'm still using George Clooney's image, until he finds out,,,,,,

Rich

A Ha ha ha .......... you guys are too funny - I needed the laugh today.

" My, what BIG eyes you have.......Ginny."

Cincio de Mikko - let's celebrate everyone. Margerita's on the house.

& Rich... you spoil us ladies so.

Congrats. on your new sales Edward !

I chose mine because I've learned somewhere that people like to see real faces to get that warm fuzzy feeling. I am as un-photogenic as they get, and mostly I look like a troll in pictures. (Really, I don't look like a troll in real life--I promise.) I hate having my picture taken. My daughter is a gifted photographer, and she took this one. It doesn't look like a troll, so I use it everywhere.

We use a photo of the two of us. That way visitors can see who it is that created, captured, or imagined what it is they are looking at in our galleries. But I must say, my Facebook avatar (profile pic) is a digital self portrait of myself. :)

Is it only because I'm a grumpy old coot, that I get "Willies" (ain't as bad as the "Heebie Jeebies") with all the cameras aimed at me on many of the current avatars?

Welcome aboard Casey & Sherry. I admit, I really do prefer getting to look in a person's eye.


Speaking of Roger & his Baby blues......... or is it his " coots " that they are after......

Janine,

I think a nice smiling "avatar" like yours, might inspire a buyer to, well, buy your stuff. When they see mine, they would like to help me make it across the street!

Seriously, a pleasent looking avatar probably plays less than 5% in a buyers decison and in many cases, off of FAA. the buyer might not ever see your avatar, before purchase. But I wouldn't keep me from having some fun with it either, right Mikie!

Rich

the avatar isn't a deciding factor - it's to get noticed in a sea of faces. like you might be more likely to click on a face you like, or your curious because of the avatar and so forth.

i was in facebook for about a year, i used my boring normal face and attracted practically no one. since changing to mustachio mike, and later dressing up, in a span of about 2 months i gained like a 100 friends. i have no idea where they came from, but the coincidence is pretty interesting if it wasn't that.


---Mike Savad

Lol. Rich - I couldn't help myself !

i'm glad the title was there.


---Mike Savad

Janine,

That's my old and dearly departed cat, "George Clooney"! It's amazing how much that cat looks like him......

Rich

i keep changing mine but no effect.

i wonder how old mike is?

changing it won't get you sales. it only helps you get noticed. advertising brings people in. but people curious who you are, head shots work the best (at least that's what i notice). plus it's on all my sites, so there is some consistency. i'm a 145 years old.


---Mike Savad

you look very young mike

I'm thinking I should update mine or else post a follow-up image; that hat's weathered a bit since. (I need to figure out how to protect the brim when I wash my hats.)

technically i'll be 40 at the end of june.

to wash a hat, they have i think a hat mold that keeps the brim from losing shape. though it's usually cardboard inside, so you might want to hand wash it. or clean it with photosho.

mostly you want an image that people can spot you out of a crowd really fast and still make you look professional. i've seen so many bad pictures as avatars - blurry, facebook like, doofus syndrome (where they think they look funny, but just look stupid), and vacation or family snap shots where they are cut. the soft ones belong to painters more than typically, it's bad when your a photographer, and your picture of yourself looks bad. it's a reflection of your work. but the work is what is selling, your face just leads the way. if your small in the avatar, or the image just looks dark you will blend in. i always tell people - think about a book jacket, it should look nice, but you don't have to look fancy or formal.


---Mike Savad

I was recently posed the question whether I am a man or woman, OMG! Granted, I use my initial K as my first name. (My choice.) My present avatar is the third one posted of my image.
I am like so many others that HATE having my picture taken, and it is what it is.

So, does anyone think that I am a man or a woman? Geez...

Mike - just a few short weeks - before yo'ure a grown up.

John, I'd like to see a new avatar for you.

& K - your avatar is a beautiful shot of you.


Rich - handsome just runs in your family.