New World Notes

No-Photoshop Avatar Screenshots in #SLBareFaceChallenge Look More Human Than the Usual Heavily Processed Avatar Images

Pictured: Arnno Planer's #SLBareFaceChallenge

In the #SLBareFaceChallenge, as the hashtag suggests, SLers challenge each other to show the community what their avatars look like in a raw screenshot with no post-processing or other add-ons. Overall results, for the most part are surprising to me: They generally look more vivid and "human" than the usual heavily processed, over-posed pics that tend to clutter the virtual world fashion ecosystem. Instead of adding an extra layer of virtuality through Photoshop, these screen captures rely on SL's "natural" lighting and avatar bone structure/skin texture, and you end up with something closer to real life.

Here's another challenge entry by Effy Leigh:

Cajsa's Flickr Pick: UnaMayLi Turns SL Screenshots Into Surreal Imagery

“Spring Is Near and the Goat Flips Out” is a bucolic picture on UnaMayLi’s photostream. It’s a lovely, romantic picture of a woman enjoying the lovely day and the goats frolicking, perhaps attention-seeking. They can be very social. I love how it looks so much like a watercolor with the desaturated colors. It is beautiful. It is also not representative of UnaMayLi’s far more surreal stream. 

After the break, a surprising and thoughtful call for empathy.

Cajsa's Friday Fashion Blog Pick: Shioru Inshan's Room 304

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

“Little Peonie” is a good introduction to Shioru Inshan’s lovely blog, Room 304. The colors are bold and her pictures are intriguing and artful. There is emotional element to this picture that caught my attention. Her pose is tentative as she contemplates entering this dark room. It just works so well.

• irrISIStible : WANDERLUST LITTLE PEONIE BODYSUIT
• Sintiklia - Hair Zoella - Naturals
• *:..Silvery K..:*RoseChoker(Red)
• *:..Silvery K..:*Rose curse-Bento mesh(Black)
• ANTINATURAL[+] Hospital for Souls / Insanitarium RARE
• the pose shop. Wallflower renamed Jackalope

After the cut, another blog post - one with a great color story.

Cajsa's SL Flickr Pick: Marina Münter Makes Marvelous Metaverse Pics

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Marina Munter’s photostream makes me think of the women Julia Sugarbaker called the “toughest-talking big-shouldered broads that ever lived in this country.” She has a certain mid-century panache and style that seems very Golden Age Hollywood and I love it. Her love of intense color and unusual angles also harkens back to that era. 

After the break, more stylish and strong photos from Marina.

Cajsa's SL Flickr Pick: Avant Garde Style Photographer Paradox Mercury

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

“Spiked” is a great exemplar of Paradox Mercury’s avant-garde photostream. He is a model, stylist, and photographer who brings a high-fashion editorial edge to Flickr. Watch out, Jeffrey Graetsch, you have virtual competition! His work is instantly recognizable with distended and uncomfortable positions, a background the often radiates from the avatar to complement or echo the outfit, and always avant-garde experimental fashion. 

His stream is best viewed in your privacy or with safety settings. But as you can see after the cut, most of the time he expresses that side in technically modest ways. Technically...

Cajsa's Second Life Flickr Pick: Charly Rayne Takes Perfectly Composed Pics

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

“Chasing Butterflies” by Charly Rayne is a lovely picture that is made so much more dramatic and effective by use of a large expanse of whitespace. And yes, it’s orange, but the idea of whitespace is the energy created by emptiness. It is also called negative space, though some distinguish between the two and limit negative space to those empty spaces that create another visual element like the negative space between the E and the X in FedEx creating an arrow. Another term for it is from Japanese, Ma, “this interval which gives shape to the whole,” though Ma is much more all-encompassing. There is the pregnant pause in conversation, the rest in music, it is not just a concept in art, but also in life. 

Charly Rayne plays with space in her work. More examples are after the cut.

Second Life Users Create Black Lives Matter Tribute Photos in Wake of George Floyd’s Death

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

In recent days, free copies of Black Lives Matter shirts and hoodies have been created and made available in Second Life -- direct teleport link here to get them.  

Since then, some SLers have used this apparel to take powerful and artful photos to show their solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Above, Nico Sorbet’s “Can’t Breathe” explicitly connects George Floyd’s death to Eric Garner’s - another unarmed Black man killed for a suspected petty crime. Petty larceny is not a capital crime yet some seem to accept police acting as judge, jury, and executioner for offenses that are less than a speeding ticket. 

Several more after the break:

Real Life Health Worker Creates Stylish Second Life Avatar As Tribute to Colleagues Treating COVID-19 Patients

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Jang Sungyoung’s self-named blog is usually fun and cheeky. But as a healthcare worker in real life, she took the time to create this image to reflect on her occupation. In the description of “Reporting for Duty”, she reveals that people have been rude to her for being a healthcare worker. She does not ask us to call her a hero or glorify her work, but just to remember that healthcare workers are at risk and so are their families:

“While we are busy taking care of our patients, we are away from our families and we are putting our very own health at risk. A simple smile, gratitude and appreciation is all we need. Stay safe everyone!”

• HAIR: I209a by tram
• GLASSES: #STOPCovid-19 Protective Glasses by The Owl at Cyber Fair
• MASK: Japanese Face Mask by Insomnia Angel

Here's another, more lighthearted fashion pic by Jang:

Somber & Beautiful Tribute to Quarantining in Real Life Created in Second Life

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Goodcross’ photo “Quarantine” is a beautiful example of how by taking away an artist can add something magical to a picture. Here the range of colors is limited, but the contrast and intensity is powerful. The interior is all in shadow and forms a frame for the avatar who looks out on New York City. It was fun to see his inspiration and how his picture differs while drawing from the original. 

More great photos below:

Cajsa's Flickr Find: Mr. Godard Makes Second Life Screenshots Look Like Old Real Life Photos

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

After a long absence, Mr. Godard has returned to posting his work on Flickr which is a good thing for all of us. He makes photos that seem so real even though they are taken in Second Life. One of the ways he does that is by adding age, wear, and tear to his pictures. For example, this snap of a motel sign and water town is given an aged look through the use of a light leak overlay that lets us imagine the picture comes from a different era. 

Mr. Godard also enjoys a visual pun. See below.