How Should I Choose My Avatar to Maintain Image Quality at Small Sizes?

[honestrosewater]

I really like texture and detail in an image, but those are mostly lost when scaled down to 64x64 pixels. No one seems to like my first choice (I don't really like it much anymore), but I can't find a replacement. Here are my options so far:

http://xs41.xs.to/pics/05323/doorknob3.jpg
doorknob - my current one

http://xs41.xs.to/pics/05323/cloud2.jpg
clouds - my only other photo I have now that would work

http://xs41.xs.to/pics/05323/doug.GIF
This is a picture of Frederick Douglass that I have from another project. I love this picture of him - I think he really looks like he, how to say, fought the good fight. I don't know how well it would work, and I can't seem to find a good square frame of it either, though maybe I could take a new one from http://utopia.utexas.edu/project/portraits/f.douglas.jpg .

Other ideas:
I love hands, especially drawings/sketches, especially by Leonardo. (ex. I love http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=13010 , but it wouldn't work.)
I could crop something interesting from a painting (in the public domain). Renaissance, Dutch Masters (Gerard Dou too), Impressionists are my favorites.
I could always go with a rose.
Maybe something from Shakespeare?

 

[wolram]

Just have some thing that is you. and reflects the nice person you are.

 

[Moonbear]

Well, given your username, I just always envisioned a rose of some sort for you. Perhaps one with a just opening bloom (not a tightly closed bud and not a fully opened bloom yet either) with lots of dew drops on it. Maybe a black and white image would emphasize the textural/depth qualities you prefer more than a color image.

Edit:
I just found this image which would be really cool for you (it looked good as a thumbnail image too, so should work as an avatar, though it only looked black and white in the thumbnail). It's a fractal image that looks like a rose.

http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/fractals/collect/1995/ROSE.GIF

And then there's this more unusual image (it's large) that you might be able to crop out just a portion of it if you like it.

http://www.buffaloworks.us/images/Rose%20E%20Flame.jpg

I like the fractal image best, but both of these are something more unique than just a rose.

 

[loseyourname]

http://www.datasync.com/~jecorley/Oil_Paintings/Rose_water.jpg

 

[honestrosewater]

Just have some thing that is you. and reflects the nice person you are.

Well, what can I say to that?

 

[loseyourname]

I googled "nice person" and she came up:

http://www.maztravel.com/chris/images/chrissy.jpg

 

[wolram]

Well, what can I say to that?

I'm working on it

 

[Lisa!]

Put your childhood photo in your avatar.

 

[BobG]

I kind of liked the door knob. Hmmmm... Very thought provoking.

If that's out, then I vote for the second rose Moonbear posted.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I googled "nice person" and she came up:

That's so close to how I've always imagined her.

 

[zoobyshoe]

HRW, what does you username mean? People are thinking "rose", but, of course, that's not the same thing as rosewater. Honest Rosewater. I'm not sure what that's meant to suggest.

As far as the Fredick Douglas, I think it's odd and off when people use members of the opposite sex as their avatars. I think an avatar should be "you" somehow, not who you admire.

The doorknob was a good photo with good composition but I'm not sure it suggested anything in particular to me about anything.

The Da Vinci hands are really nice. You couldn't crop and just use one of them?

 

[loseyourname]

As far as the Fredick Douglas, I think it's odd and off when people use members of the opposite sex as their avatars. I think an avatar should be "you" somehow, not who you admire.

I'll never forget the PMs from guys telling me how hot I was when I had Scarlett Johannson as my avatar.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I'll never forget the PMs from guys telling me how hot I was when I had Scarlett Johannson as my avatar.

Yeah, never mind that lofty rationalization I posted above: I was once outraged when I checked the profile of a person sporting a Katie Holmes avatar who turned out to be quite male.

 

[Echo 6 Sierra]

If I were a young lady I think that having my name associated with a doorknob wouldn't necessarily be the best idea.

 

[honestrosewater]

I explained my name in the etymology thread, wherever it is. I was going to change my name - in real life - to Honest Waking Rosewater. The Honest and Waking you can figure out, Rosewater has a longer story. Anywho, Rose seems to be sticking as a nickname, and I like some of the symbolism in literature, but I think roses more commonly represent something pretty to look at, and that just doesn't sum me up.
I think I most want a picture evoking curiosity. I tried several Leo paintings and drawings, but I either couldn't get a decent frame or his special touch was totally lost after sizing down.
Here are two images of a Dou that I've always liked. I would use the girl reading at the table by candlelight. I think I like the darker version.
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=1462
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=13831
Or
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=1465
I would use the hand over the candle.
I like several of Rembrandt's self-portraits, but I guess the male thing doesn't really work. Maybe a part of these:
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=12802
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=3847
I love her expression and such, but I'm not sure how having part of a portrait would work. And none of the parts I want are square. Whatever, I'll play around with it for a while.

 

[JamesU]

Everyone's going to become a premium member but me...

 

[zoobyshoe]

I love her expression and such, but I'm not sure how having part of a portrait would work. And none of the parts I want are square.

This last Vermeer is the best.

As for none of the parts being "square," you're supposed to take the images to photoshop and crop them as you will.

 

[gravenewworld]

This would be hilarious if you could make it into an avatar somehow.


"Presidential inspection"

 

[Smurf]

What?

I couldn't resist

 

[hypermorphism]

I always thought of a small bottle of rose water that was somehow honest.

 

[Moonbear]

Here are some avatar-sized versions. I prefer Girl with a Pearl Earring just because it shows up best in an avatar. The other ones are nice, but too dark for an avatar I think. But you can decide.

 

[Evo]

Girl with a pearl earring is very nice.

 

[loseyourname]

If you're looking for a portrait artist whose paintings work well as small avatars, you really can't beat Chuck Close:

http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/images/chuck_close.jpg

 

[loseyourname]

With regards to changing your name, did you know that your current name is Hebrew for "ewe?" Such a pretty name, too. Mine is Hebrew and usually transliterated to "man formed from the ground." My middle name is Hebrew for "God is my judge."

So I suppose I could call myself "man formed from the ground and judged by God." What a name.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Here are some avatar-sized versions.

Excellent job, MB.

Yes, the one on the far left is the best, and seems to fit the username very well.

 

[zoobyshoe]

If you're looking for a portrait artist whose paintings work well as small avatars, you really can't beat Chuck Close:

I love Chuck Close.

It's funny you should discover they work well as "small avatars", though. The originals are like, 3x larger than life.

 

[honestrosewater]

Wow, thanks Moonbear.
I lost the serial number to Photoshop and haven't bothered to get a new number, so I can't reinstall it. I'm stuck with the image editor that came with the scanner for now.

zooby,
Okay, say you want the Mona Lisa's smile as you avatar. If your avatar must be square, you either lose the corners of the smile (the best part, IMO) or end up with a huge chunk of nose and/or chin invading the picture and throwing it out of whack. That's what I mean by the parts I want not being square or not being able to get a good frame.

 

[Moonbear]

Wow, thanks Moonbear.
I lost the serial number to Photoshop and haven't bothered to get a new number, so I can't reinstall it. I'm stuck with the image editor that came with the scanner for now.

If you like one of them (even if just temporary until you get Photoshop up and running), I don't know if you can just save it to your computer from the post, but if not, I can either email you the image or upload it to image shack and provide the URL. If you want it emailed, send me a PM.

As for not getting a square avatar, they don't have to be square, as long as the largest side is 64 pixels or less. Or you can fill in the rest of the square with a solid color.

 

[hitssquad]

Here is a smaller version of the center of deaddreamer's homepage.

 

[honestrosewater]

With regards to changing your name, did you know that your current name is Hebrew for "ewe?"

I always saw it as little lamb. I don't know where the little part comes from though. Both of my grandfathers were pastors, and my siblings and I all have Biblical names: Jason, Rachel, Rebecca, and Nicholas. I just noticed a nice coincidence too: Jacob had to wait and work 7 years (and one week) for Rachel - and work still another 7. At least, I think that's what happened; I haven't been to Sunday School in a long time.

Mine is Hebrew and usually transliterated to "man formed from the ground." My middle name is Hebrew for "God is my judge."

So I suppose I could call myself "man formed from the ground and judged by God." What a name.

Hm, is that Adam Daniel?

My middle name is Diane, BTW. I think it's from Diana, the Roman's Artemis. There are two great sites for finding character names:
http://www.behindthename.com/
http://www.kabalarians.com/cfm/surf-by.cfm?Baby=Yes
Eh, it looks like the second one is now requiring subscriptions for something, I don't know. They were my favorite.

 

[hitssquad]

Hm, is that Adam Daniel?

Yes.

. .

 

[honestrosewater]

Sorry, I'm moving very slowly - rough day.

Thanks, hitssquad.

If you like one of them (even if just temporary until you get Photoshop up and running), I don't know if you can just save it to your computer from the post, but if not, I can either email you the image or upload it to image shack and provide the URL. If you want it emailed, send me a PM.

That's very nice, I appreciate the gesture, really. I pretty much have to do it myself - long story short: I'm just quirky. It helps to see some finished ones though.

As for not getting a square avatar, they don't have to be square, as long as the largest side is 64 pixels or less. Or you can fill in the rest of the square with a solid color.

Yeah, I just hate to waste space. I'm not new to image editing, so I should be just fine on my own. It's the decision process that's the biggest problem for me. But it looks like Gw/PE is the winner. Woohoo!

 

[honestrosewater]

And before anyone else (loseyourname) beats me - yes, I saw the movie, I know Scarlett Johansson was LYN's avatar and played Griet, who posed for the painting.

 

[zoobyshoe]

zooby,
Okay, say you want the Mona Lisa's smile as you avatar. If your avatar must be square, you either lose the corners of the smile (the best part, IMO) or end up with a huge chunk of nose and/or chin invading the picture and throwing it out of whack. That's what I mean by the parts I want not being square or not being able to get a good frame.

Actually, no. If you want to focus on the Mona Lisa's smile and you're resricted to a square, you need only make the smile the size you want it to be in that square, and center it there. Let the nose and chin fall where they may, they aren't going to strike the viewer as "invasions" as you predict. People's eyes go to the center of focus, and the brain automatically understands things at the periphery are not important.

I don't know what feature of the Vermeer you want to focus on, but I thought the way Moonbear cropped it made an excellent avatar image.

You can practise cropping any image you can get up on your screen by throwing together an expandable square
Get, like, 4 business envelopes. Tape two of them together at the ends forming a right angle. Do the same with the other two. Then, holding one of these in each hand you can overlap the other ends to make a square window. This can be made smaller or expanded as you need, and you can hold it over any part of the painting on the monitor you want, to see how it would look cropped that way.

 

[quasar987]

Just pick the pokemon or DBZ character that you like best from the list of "proposed" avatars. They're cool. Just don't pick Mr. Popo, he's mine!

 

[hitssquad]

Sorry, I'm moving very slowly - rough day.

Try some vinpocetine.
http://store.yahoo.com/iherb/vinpocetine3.html

 

[loseyourname]

I love Chuck Close.

It's funny you should discover they work well as "small avatars", though. The originals are like, 3x larger than life.

I know. That's why they're so good, even when reduced to small size. The detail is incredible. Seeing one 'in person' just throws you on the floor.

 

[loseyourname]

I always saw it as little lamb. I don't know where the little part comes from though. Both of my grandfathers were pastors, and my siblings and I all have Biblical names: Jason, Rachel, Rebecca, and Nicholas.

My first sister's name is Gaelic (which makes sense, since we are half-Irish). I suppose she's the only one whose name is not biblical at all - her name is Tara. Jessica is originally derived from the Hebrew "Yiskah" (transliterated through the Greek "Ieshka" and Latin "Jesca"), who was a daughter of Haran in Genesis. Danielle is simply the feminized version of Daniel.

Hm, is that Adam Daniel?

Yes. The full name, including surname, would be "man formed from the ground, God is my judge, of the coast." The surname is Spanish.

My middle name is Diane, BTW. I think it's from Diana, the Roman's Artemis.

Diana was later associated with Artemis, probably by Ovid, but was originally the Roman goddess of virginity and hunting.

Interestingly enough, my two old neighbors (who were sisters) were named Cynthia and Diana. Diana was said to have been born on Mt. Cynthus and both names are associated with the moon (Cynthia literally translates to "moon").

There are two great sites for finding character names:
http://www.behindthename.com/
http://www.kabalarians.com/cfm/surf-by.cfm?Baby=Yes
Eh, it looks like the second one is now requiring subscriptions for something, I don't know. They were my favorite.

Thanks. I'm not interested in names so much, but etymology in general fascinates me (in case you couldn't tell by now).

 

[honestrosewater]

Actually, no. If you want to focus on the Mona Lisa's smile and you're resricted to a square, you need only make the smile the size you want it to be in that square, and center it there. Let the nose and chin fall where they may, they aren't going to strike the viewer as "invasions" as you predict. People's eyes go to the center of focus, and the brain automatically understands things at the periphery are not important.

Okay, I let the smile determine the width and centered it:
http://xs41.xs.to/pics/05324/smile.jpg
Sure, I focus on the smile first, but then what? The rest is just 'there', or at least, it seems that way to me. There's nothing pleasing about the image as a whole, unlike, say
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/vermeer/little-street/little-street.jpg
(well, that's not really a fair comparison but it's in the right direction.)

You can practise cropping any image you can get up on your screen ...<snip>... to see how it would look cropped that way.

I've seriously done that before. I was going to make one for the avatars, because the editor I'm using doesn't have a grid or any way to measure anything other than going into resize it. But I didn't feel like measuring it myself.

 

[honestrosewater]

Yes. The full name, including surname, would be "man formed from the ground, God is my judge, of the coast." The surname is Spanish.

I don't know what my last name means. Someone said my mother's name, Rawley, was changed from Raleigh when they came to America. But I don't know whether it's true. They're from Virginia. There's a Rawley Springs in Virginia too, I think.

Diana was later associated with Artemis, probably by Ovid, but was originally the Roman goddess of virginity and hunting.

Interestingly enough, my two old neighbors (who were sisters) were named Cynthia and Diana. Diana was said to have been born on Mt. Cynthus and both names are associated with the moon (Cynthia literally translates to "moon").

I think Diana and Artemis were both moon goddesses. Artemis was also goddess of hunting but fertility instead of virginity, which was Athena. I think - I'm not quite with it now.

etymology in general fascinates me (in case you couldn't tell by now).

Yeah, I noticed.

 

[hitssquad]

the editor I'm using doesn't have a grid or any way to measure anything

Bring out The Gimp. It's free (as in beer).
http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net

http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/gimpwin.png

 

[hitssquad]

I'm not quite with it now.

Try some picamilon.
easycart.net/BeyondACenturyInc./Neurological.html#4090

http://www.easycart.net/BeyondACenturyInc./images/4090.jpg

 

[honestrosewater]

Bring out The Gimp. It's free (as in beer).
http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net

I was just going to search PF for some free editor I remember them talking about - that's the one. One of these days, I'm going to have a problem that you won't be able to solve.

 

[hitssquad]

One of these days, I'm going to have a problem that you won't be able to solve.

No. That is not part of my programming.

 

[honestrosewater]

Try some picamilon.
easycart.net/BeyondACenturyInc./Neurological.html#4090

This time I know what I need: :zzz:

But I'm settling for:

. (I hope that's correct; I know jack about chemistry.)

 

[hitssquad]

This time I know what I need: :zzz:

Aha. Why didn't you say so? Try some Modafinil.
http://smart-drugs.com/ias-Modafinil.htm

I have used Adrafinil, which is related to Modafinil. Adrafinil has the same effects, but is one-third as potent (which makes it 3 times as harmful to the liver since 3 times as much has to be taken). It really works. You don't feel tired or groggy at all. It isn't anything like caffeine and it doesn't make you feel wired.

 

[hitssquad]

Why did you post the molecular diagram for gasoline, Rose?

just kidding[/color][/size]

 

[honestrosewater]

Why did you post the molecular diagram for gasoline, Rose?

just kidding[/color][/size]

We knew you were tricksy.

 

[zoobyshoe]

"Sure, I focus on the smile first, but then what? The rest is just 'there', or at least, it seems that way to me. There's nothing pleasing about the image as a whole..."

I see what you mean. The shadow under her nose is much darker than I recalled and unbalances the composition. The viewer wants the camera pulled up to include her eyes.

I guess if you're going to do a disembodied mouth, you'd have to "airbrush" out all the distractions. I wonder if, in her case, it would then still be recognisable as La Giaconda?

Anyway, I think the Vermeer makes a good avatar.

 

[honestrosewater]

I see what you mean. The shadow under her nose is much darker than I recalled and unbalances the composition. The viewer wants the camera pulled up to include her eyes.

I guess if you're going to do a disembodied mouth, you'd have to "airbrush" out all the distractions. I wonder if, in her case, it would then still be recognisable as La Giaconda?

I've tried mouths before but don't remember ever making them work - even with no restrictions. Everywhere you go - chin, cheek, nose - it's just not a good setup. You don't want just the mouth, but what else do you include? (I don't know.)

I don't recognize her mouth immediately in the image above. I think I would figure it out eventually.