tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783946470360579823.post97544598743166851..comments2023-08-25T07:35:37.687-05:00Comments on Frank's Rotating Lighted Blog of Considerable Mass: Worth a Thousand WordsFrank Tuttlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12616081180280318863noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783946470360579823.post-37766029530443563162016-07-21T19:47:27.216-05:002016-07-21T19:47:27.216-05:00Just send me the pix! I'll use it for the cov...Just send me the pix! I'll use it for the cover! You're likely to get a small one anyway. The big ones all know their way around your camera!!!Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783946470360579823.post-28721254240350280402016-07-20T11:10:00.832-05:002016-07-20T11:10:00.832-05:00Dragons are of course real, but they *loathe* bein...Dragons are of course real, but they *loathe* being photographed. That fact, combined with the inherent tastiness of photographers, makes actual photos rare. I have a trail camera hidden out in the woods; when I do get a good dragon photo, I'll share it here.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02890095265379662463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783946470360579823.post-54223832203587319212016-07-20T09:33:51.372-05:002016-07-20T09:33:51.372-05:00I don't think I've ever seen one that was ...I don't think I've ever seen one that was that good. I figured with ebooks that the one I used wouldn't be obvious (only one person actually was able to put their finger on it) but it bothered a lot of people. THey'd write in that they hated her dress, but didn't know why. Or "she looks funny" Or "Why is she so stiff?" Things like that. What's really odd to me is that I have seen painting that totally NAIL the photo look. Completely indistinguishable from a photo! <br /><br />Along those lines, I've never been happy with the dragonkin on Dragonkin. It's a rendered dragon and is obvious to me. I've been told that since dragons aren't real (WHAT????? That cannot be true!) Anyway, I"ve been told the dragonkin looks real enough. But I'd rather have a real graphic artist draw one. Because then it would be real. :)Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783946470360579823.post-4421664140214637582016-07-18T20:43:14.695-05:002016-07-18T20:43:14.695-05:00Thanks for the comment, Maria! I think the term co...Thanks for the comment, Maria! I think the term concerning rendered characters and negative reactions to them is called 'the uncanny valley' effect. It occurs when something looks *almost*, but not quite, human. That is blamed for the poor reviews of the animated movie 'The Polar Express,' which featured a CGI Tom Hanks that failed to charm. I'm not sure I;d try a rendered book cover either -- although I have seen recent renders that I swear I couldn't distinguish from actual photographs. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02890095265379662463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783946470360579823.post-16825037386056641132016-07-18T17:01:24.668-05:002016-07-18T17:01:24.668-05:00What I can't figure out is why the rendering n...What I can't figure out is why the rendering never looks as real as when an artist paints or does a graphic image (using various painting techniques). The eyes are always flat and there is something that is missing that a real artist usually manages to capture. For the first cover for Dragons of Wendal, I used a rendered Drissa. Everyone hated that cover. They didn't know why and most often picked on the dress. A pro finally told me - "She's rendered. The human eye knows it at some level and is creeped out by the lack of realness, the robotic way the character holds herself, the lack of life." As soon as I replaced the rendered figure, the book sold much better. Here's the original: http://www.bearmountainbooks.com/home/cover-reveal-dragons-of-wendal/ and the one that seems to work: https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Wendal-Maria-Schneider-ebook/dp/B008ECZULA?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&tag=bearm-20 I thought the first looked real enough, but the audience never liked that figure. Weirdly, no one ever complained that the dragon doesn't look real... :>)Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.com