So, I saw this image on Facebook, and it was supposedly showing what Queen Nefertiti would have looked like in real life:
Now, I thought this AI generated garbage was just truly terrible on a number of levels; first off, she looks wayyyyyy too modern - her makeup is very “Hollywood glamour”, she looks airbrushed and de-aged, and as far as I’m aware, Ancient Egyptians didn’t have mascara, glitter-based eyeshadows and lip gloss. Secondly, her features are exceptionally whitewashed in every sense - this is pretty standard for AI as racial bias is prevalent in feeding AI algorithms, but I genuinely thought a depiction of such a known individual would not exhibit such euro-centric features. Thirdly, the outfit was massively desaturated and didn’t take pigment loss into consideration, and while I *do* like the look of the neck attire, it's not at all accurate (plus, again, AI confusion on the detailing is evident).
So, this inspired me to alter the image on the left to be more accurate based off the sculpture’s features. I looked into Ancient Egyptian makeup and looked at references for kohl eyeliner and clay-based facial pigment (rouge was used on cheeks, charcoal-based powder/paste was used to darken and elongate eyebrows), and I looked at pre-existing images of Nefertiti, both her mummy and other reconstructions. While doing this, I found photos of a 3D scanned sculpture made by scientists at the University of Bristol and chose to collage the neck jewellery over the painting (and edited the lighting and shadows as best as I could).
Something I see a lot of in facial recreations of mummies is maintaining the elongated and skinny facial features as seen on preserved bodies - however, fat, muscle and cartilage shrink/disappear post mortem, regardless of preservation quality; Queen Nefertiti had art created of her in life, and these pieces are invaluable to developing an accurate portrayal of her, whether stylistic or realistic in nature.
And hey, while I don't think my adjustments are perfect (especially the neck area), I *do* believe it is a huge improvement to the original image I chose to work on top of.
I really liked working on this project for the last few days, and I think I may continue to work on it further to perfect it. But, until then, I hope you enjoy!
Remember, likes don't help artists but reblogs do!
here’s weirder asks
who is/are your comfort character(s)?
lighter or matches?
do you leave the window open at night?
which cryptyd being do you believe in?
what color are your eyes?
why did you do that?
hair-ties or scrunchies?
how many water bottles are in your room right now?
which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?
would you slaughter the rich?
favorite extracurricular activity?
what kind of day is it?
when was the last time you ate?
do you love the smell of earth after it rains?
are you a parent? (all answers qualify)
can you drive?
are you farsighted or nearsighted?
what hair products do you use?
imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails?
do you say soda or pop?
something you’ve kept since childhood?
what type of person are you?
how do you feel about chilly weather?
if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?
perfume/body spray or lotion?
a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?
about how many hours of sleep did you get?
do you wear a mask?
how do you like your shower water?
is there dishes in your room?
what type of music keeps you grounded?
do you have a favorite towel?
the last adventure you’ve been on?
is there a song you know every word to by heart?
what’s your timezone?
how many times have you changed your url?
someone in your life, other than a relative, you’ve known for 10+ years?
a soap bar that smells good?
do you use lip balm?
did you have any snacks today?
how do you take your coffee?
an app you frequently use besides this godforsaken site?
what’s your take on spicy foods?
you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it?
can you remember what happened yesterday?
favorite holiday film?
what was the last message you sent?
when did you first try an alcohol beverage?
can you skip rocks?
can i tag you in random stuff?
I noticed this too, my partner and I went to an American show and we’ve both been huge tøp fans for forever, so ofc we were screaming our lungs out singing to every song, and the people around us kept looking at us like they were annoyed. Someone next to us had been telling us before the show that they were a huge fan and they would love to be up on stage performing with the boys but when the show started they were recording and staring at their phone the entire time, not even mouthing along to the songs or anything, like dude, this is our chance as fans to show the boys that they mean as much to us as we mean to them. So many people have said that twenty one pilots’ music saved them, and concerts are our chance to thank them for saving us. I get so confused when people don’t actually interact with the music at these shows bc this is literally your chance to give back the joy you get from their music
looking at the energy the latam clique brings when it comes to tøp shows, it makes me EMBARRASSED to be an american clikkie. why the hell are our shows so damn boring and dull, i don’t get it?
i was in the pit for my show and absolutely no one around me was jumping/moving or screaming their lungs out, not even mouthing the words, and the people in the stands were no better.
and when i had to get out the pit bc i was abt to pass out and i got an empty seat, the view of the pit from the seats was even more disappointing bc NO ONE WAS MOVING. what is the point of getting into the pit if you’re just gonna stand there ???
yet when you look @ latam crowds, EVERYONE is singing and dancing and moving around, from the pit all the way up into the nosebleeds.
america is so f-ing boring, i don’t even blame the boys for giving the latam clique more love bc the american shows were not it. it’s one of the things on my bucket list to go to a non-american concert so i can experience a REAL show.
I love you Black lesbians. love you Native and Indigenous lesbians. many kisses for my Hispanic and Latino lesbians. lots of love for every Asian lesbian out there. i love every lesbian poc you're all amazing and deserve to be acknowledged this lesbian week of visibility<3
happy autism awareness day to all the girls who had “ friends” growing up who were actually bullying them . to the girls who always sat alone in the grass and wondered why nobody wanted to talk . to the girls who spoke to animals like they were listening . to the girls who created a little world in their room . to the girls who always felt ashamed for how deeply they love things and how passionately they enjoyed media . to the girls who covered their ears when they were overwhelmed by everything . to the girls who carrying a special thing around to feel safe . to the girls who never understood what they did wrong to feel so lonely . to the girls who were diagnosed later in life because they weren’t little boys who liked trains. you are so special and beautiful and you’re not worse for it, you love deeply and that is so wonderful please never try to push that down . I LOVE YOU !!!!!
lesbians love and support our trans sisters 💖💖
Just come to my ask box and tell me stuff about yourself. Your pets. Your favorite music. What you had for breakfast this morning. Literally anything you want, I love making new friends
“He’s so adorable, he’s like a Webtoon drawing come to life” -my gf
find this video and others like it here