Avatars Re-imagined as Real-Life People

AI Graphic Artist's Comments:

Following the examples of avatars Wayanoru Megadon and Culnan (Resident), I have been looking at ways of making the avatar pictures we see in Second Life profiles look more lifelike. The process is to use an existing avatar pic, or take one, then mount it on an unlisted website (for privacy). Once the pic is on a webpage, you can right click on it and select an option that allows you to copy the image's location. This is then entered into an AI service like Midjourney using the img2img prompt followed by the url for the jpg to be used.

An extensive list of prompts about the avatars original appearance is then added, as well as any instructions about lighting and backgrounds. When the AI generates the first set of images (usually 4 of them) you check them out to see if any of the instructions, called prompts, need to be modified to get a better image, usually one that is more consistent with the avatar's original appearance.

Once a usable image is available, you have the AI program upscale it to provide more detail and higher resolution.

AI photos often have errors in them - after all, the job of the AI is to produce images by looking both at pictures and modifying the graphics with word commands - something that is a rather complex operation.

If you get a good image, but there are errors in it - like eyes that have different colours, sizes or light reflection points, hands that have too many fingers, etc. - , it is then time to go to a program like Photoshop where you can use tools like cloning and softening to correct problem areas. Finally, the image is usually given more definition by sharpening it, adding more brighness and contrast, or using other tools to make it look as lifelike as possible.

In the gallery below, the source image is shown first and the more lifelike AI version or versions are shown after them.

- Rob Fossett