images

[insaneneko]

The other day I was reading a post by someone on the flist, and I suddenly wondered what they looked like. I thought about the whole subject of the facelessness of the Internet, and realized I don't really assign any kind of physical traits to people except for the most general kind. If I know they are Asian, for the most part I have a vague outline of long black hair (yeah, yeah, I know, not every Asian female has long, or black, hair but I can't help it, that's how my mind works :P). Some people have randomly colorful hair (I'm not sure if it's just some strange association thing on my part or if the person in question mentioned having certain colored hair at one point). But nothing in the way of features. Everyone's just a faceless blob with hair (unless they've posted pics of themselves). And glasses, if they've mentioned having them (and being the unoriginal person that I am, they all have glasses just like mine).

I realized upon more reflection that this faceless blob with hair thing extends to fiction as well. When you read a book, unless it's a Japanese novel with illustrations, you're kind of left to your own devices in terms of an actual image (I try not to let the usually butt ugly cover art on many English language novels influence me)...and I don't form one. Everyone's just a blob in my head, with maybe some distinctive feature that's mentioned in the book standing out (Harry's green eyes, for example). The funny thing is that even though I don't have definite image in my head, when there's a movie or something made from a book I've read, I have definite opinions on "if they fit my image." What image? :P

Do most people create actual pictoral images of characters/people from descriptions and/or impressions? Am I just particularly non-visual?

Comments

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

I'm with you with the blurb with hair.

I usually don't try to create my own visuals when reading a book... even though I'm visual when I read, I'm not, I'm textual ^_~

And yes, I put up pics before. I have glasses and brown-reddish dyed hair... and hazelnut eyes. That's good enough a description in my book.

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

I'm not alone! Yay! ^_^

I vaguely remember you posting a pic or two before. Hm. Curse my terrible memory. *sighs*

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

*lol*

As it was on my birthday, it was easy to find back... here... http://www.livejournal.com/users/mirichan/592328.html#cutid1

The only difference is I'm dying my hair at the moment. Then they were just highlights in my natural hair color.

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, now I remember that picture. That's a great pose. ^_^ So what color is your hair now?

[mirichan.livejournal.com]

Right now? a medium copper-brown. I'm going to the hairdresser Thursday and I'm thinking of making it even more brown and less "reddish"... will see then, I guess :P

[petronia.livejournal.com]

I don't really picture people on the Internet very much (when I do I'm usually completely wrong XD). But when I read books I intentionally build very detailed images in my head, not only of the characters but their clothing, surroundings, landscape, etc. If it's not described (like how Kuwabara Mizuna can have half a dozen books of 'that guy in the trenchcoat' =_=) I make shiz up. Basically I direct my own mental movie. :P

Then again, I'm so visual that when I listen to music I see squiggly wave forms. ^^;

[insaneneko.livejournal.com]

Wow, building such a complete picture must make reading quite an experience. I sometimes wish I could do stuff like that, but I know my mind just isn't wired to do that.