Typically my schedule is so packed that I don’t have time for custom commissions, but occassionally I will take them on. If you have a project you’d like to work on together, you can always ask me at royaltynowstudios@gmail.com.
I generate some parts of work that is not easily sourced in other ways with AI. For instance, generative AI can assist me with pieces of clothing that I’m unable to find accurate representations of online. I also use tools like FaceApp and Remini to help with hair and skin texture. However, my reconstructions are never wholly generated with AI (or even close!). Each creation takes many hours of research and Photoshop work to create.
Mainly Adobe Photoshop. But like I said above, I use pieces of generative AI images, as well as stock photos, to create photocomposites that ultimately become the finished creations.
When I begin to look into reconstructing the face of a past figure, I analyze a few sources to find what they really looked like – or as close as reasonably possible!
First, I look for death or life masks. By nature, these wax or plaster casts of historical figures offer the best glimpse into their true features.
If there is no death/life mask, I look for life portraits. For many figures, this is actually hard to find. Portraits have to survive the centuries, and many have sadly been lost. Many portraits you see of historical figures are copies of lost originals.
If I can find a life portrait, that’s fantastic. Otherwise, I use a copy of a lost original.
Lastly, I always see if there are contemporary descriptions of the figure to back up the available portraiture.
I begin by finding out what the popular fashions of their times were, and set about trying to find good references for them. Usually fashion history blogs are a great resource for this. I also look into hair or headdresses.
My research focuses not just on portraiture, but on the personality and story of the subjects as well. I make artistic decisions on fashion based on the personality of the subject.
The short answer is no – they are not! Sometimes, I make an artistic decision to depict a woman with her hair down simply so we can get a better sense of what she looked like. However, I always try to include a secondary depiction with the correct historically-accurate headwear on as well.
Yes! You will hear my real voice on all of our YouTube videos, with the exception of a few early ones where you will hear a male narrator – my husband, Andre.
