Hi,

Thanks for submitting for the character portrait project. I went through your ArtStation portfolio and your range really caught my attention -- the way you move between sci-fi, high fantasy, gothic horror, and creature design while staying technically strong across all of them is not a common thing.

The piece that stood out most for what I'm trying to do was the gothic portrait -- the pale figure with the black gown and the small crown of blue flowers. What worked for me in that one (based on how it was described to me -- I'm blind and rely on descriptions) is the emotional restraint. The melancholy reads as internal rather than performed, which is exactly the register this project needs. Most of the Faultlines cast lives in that kind of controlled, contained emotional space, and the hardest thing for any portrait artist on this project will be resisting the urge to push expression bigger than the character actually wears it.

A few questions before we go further, because the brief asks for a specific register and I want to make sure the fit is right before we start on a first portrait:

1.

Contemporary-realism register. Your public portfolio is fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. This project is contemporary literary fiction -- no fantasy costuming, no dramatic lighting, no stylized proportions. Do you have contemporary-realism portrait work that isn't on your public portfolio? If yes, I'd love to see it. If no, that's fine, but I'd want to talk about how you'd approach the shift.

2.

Disability representation. Several of the main cast are disabled -- wheelchair users, chronically ill, neurodivergent, blind. Most of the portraits will need to render assistive devices (wheelchairs especially) with the same specificity and care as the character's face. A wheelchair user looking at a print of one of these characters should see themselves represented, not decorated. Have you done work that involves rendering disability, mobility aids, or assistive technology before? Either answer is fine; I just need to know where we're starting from.

3.

Describing your work. I noted in the brief that I'm blind, which means your ability to describe your choices in plain language matters a lot. Walking me through what you're seeing -- posture, tension, micro-expression, how the light is falling -- is how I give feedback and confirm direction. How comfortable are you with that kind of narration as part of the process?

If those three land well, I'd like to move forward with a first portrait -- the brief mentions starting with one or two characters to confirm fit, and you'd be a candidate for that first slot. The $300 flat rate stands, full commercial rights as specified in the listing, and I'd send you a full character bio plus any visual references I have once we're ready to start.

Let me know what you think.

Best,

Chloe