Traditional portraiture aims to produce a life-like representation of an individual’s unique facial features, but there are a number of perceptual factors that may affect how an artist sees and depicts a sitter’s facial shapes. The anatomical accuracy of a portrait is predominantly ascertained subjectively, and not through quantitative methods. To see if it was possible to apply the methods of analysis more typically used to study variation in biological forms, the authors produced 30 portrait drawings based on 30 pose photographs, and analysed how the portrait drawings differed from the photographs using three different measures: visual assessment, anthropometric measures, and geometric morphometric analysis. Of the three methods, geometric morphometric analysis was found to be the far better technique to account for patterns of depiction common to one artist, and our study indicates this method may have broad research applicability to the face as it is variously represented across a range of visual media.
This paper describes two approaches to the facial approximation of three individuals from the Wairau Bar burial site (New Zealand). Two individuals were approximated working in direct reference to the remains and incorporated manual drafting. The third individual, 'Aunty' (the respectful title given by the iwi Rangitane elders) was approximated from CT scans and using computer graphics. The computer graphic approach enabled a greater level of precision in the application of the research and recommendations that inform a facial approximation, and facilitated collaboration with appropriate expertise. The computer-graphic approach, however, also resulted in a more photographic facial appearance, which can imply a greater level of knowledge about hard/soft tissue relationships than is currently available.
A forensic facial approximation is typically undertaken to generate further leads to identity of the deceased, and over the past ten years there has been a considerable increase in the number of verified relationships concerning the skull and likely facial appearance. This paper describes the evidence and methods used to approximate the face and facial features of a young woman whose remains were found in the Belanglo State Forest (New South Wales, Australia) in August 2010. A review of methodologically analogous forensic facial approximations (i.e. involving some degree of manual manipulation to achieve the results), and published in international academic journals since 2000, indicates that it is common for methodological description to be minimal. Furthermore, what information is provided clearly shows a surprisingly enduring preference for applying 'legacy' skull-soft tissue relationships, despite most of these recommendations having been proven invalid.
Research into witness identification images typically occurs within the laboratory and involves subjective likeness and recognizability judgments. This study analyzed whether actual witness identification images systematically alter the facial shapes of the suspects described. The shape analysis tool, geometric morphometrics, was applied to 46 homologous facial landmarks displayed on 50 witness identification images and their corresponding arrest photographs, using principal component analysis and multivariate regressions. The results indicate that compared with arrest photographs, witness identification images systematically depict suspects with lowered and medially located eyebrows (p = <0.000001). This was found to occur independently of the Police Artist, and did not occur with composites produced under laboratory conditions. There are several possible explanations for this finding, including any, or all, of the following: The suspect was frowning at the time of the incident, the witness had negative feelings toward the suspect, this is an effect of unfamiliar face processing, the suspect displayed fear at the time of their arrest photograph.
This artist-led research project involved 10 visual artists producing 10 ambient portraits and a portrait average of a locally familiar Sitter, and 10 ambient portraits and a portrait average of a less locally familiar Sitter. All were then assessed for likeness by more than 150 members of the general public attending an exhibition during Australia’s 2018 National Science Week. The results of this study are that portrait averages can be highly shape accurate and tend to be seen as a good likeness by all viewers. However, the portrait average is not necessarily the best likeness. Extending and validating our previous findings regarding the relationship of likeness, familiarity, and shape accuracy (as measured using geometric morphometrics) in portraiture, unfamiliar viewers favouring shape accurate depictions of a Sitter attained statistical significance. Familiar viewers, however, although also tending to view shape accurate depictions a good to very good likeness, were shown to have a stronger preference for portraits that exaggerate a Sitter’s facial distinctiveness, including an exaggeration of their head pose, providing such exaggerations are in approximate proportional agreement.
An artist-led exploration of portrait accuracy and likeness involved 12 Artists producing 12 portraits referencing a life-size 3D print of the same Sitter. The works were assessed during a public exhibition, and the resulting likeness assessments were compared to portrait accuracy as measured using geometric morphometrics (statistical shape analysis). Our results are that, independently of the assessors' prior familiarity with the Sitter's face, the likeness judgements tended to be higher for less morphologically accurate portraits. The two highest rated were the portrait that most exaggerated the Sitter's distinctive features, and a portrait that was a more accurate (but not the most accurate) depiction. In keeping with research showing photograph likeness assessments involve recognition, we found familiar assessors rated the two highest ranked portraits even higher than those with some or no familiarity. In contrast, those lacking prior familiarity with the Sitter's face showed greater favour for the portrait with the highest morphological accuracy, and therefore most likely engaged in face-matching with the exhibited 3D print. Furthermore, our research indicates that abstraction in portraiture may not enhance likeness, and we found that when our 12 highly diverse portraits were statistically averaged, this resulted in a portrait that is more morphologically accurate than any of the individual artworks comprising the average.
Hayes, S. (2015). Faces in the museum: revising the methods of facial reconstructions. Museum Management and Curatorship, Online First Faces in the museum: revising the methods of facial reconstructions AbstractMuseum displays of faces derived from skeletal remains -typically referred to as facial reconstructions -are extraordinarily popular, and frequently function as iconic representations of a much broader engagement with collections from a particular people, time and place. Their actual ability to meaningfully represent either an individual or a museum collection is questionable, as facial reconstructions created for display and published within academic journals show an enduring preference for applying invalidated methods. Since 2002 there has been an increase in verified skull-soft tissue relationships, and these, together with research findings from related academic fields, can be incorporated within an evidence-based estimation of facial appearance. By illustration, a face given to an individual from the Museo de la Plata collection is critically revised to show how validated relationships result in a different face, and furthermore a face that is more closely aligned to what constitutes knowledge and display within the contemporary museum. AbstractMuseum displays of faces derived from skeletal remains -typically referred to as facial reconstructions -are extraordinarily popular, and frequently function as iconic representations of a much broader engagement with collections from a particular people, time and place. Their actual ability to meaningfully represent either an individual or a museum collection is questionable, as facial reconstructions created for display and published within academic journals show an enduring preference for applying invalidated methods. Since 2002 there has been an increase in verified skull-soft tissue relationships, and these, together with research findings from related academic fields, can be incorporated within an evidence-based estimation of facial appearance. By illustration, a face given to an individual from the Museo de la Plata collection is critically revised to show how validated relationships result in a different face, and furthermore a face that is more closely aligned to what constitutes knowledge and display within the contemporary museum.
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