d’I get the naming convention right? Eh, seems to be how everyone else is doing it…
Hello all, first time competing in an HCM Challenge (or any CGSociety challenge, for that matter). I see many people are doing pieces based off classic Western sculptures, Renaissance, Baroque, etc. Can’t blame everyone, it was certainly my first thought for the challenge as well. I was turned instead to more Eastern art as a basis for this challenge. Speciffically I have chosen a statue of the bodhisattva Guan Yin (the male variety) from the Liao Dynasty of North-Eastern China. Of the Guan Yins that I could find, I like this one because of its more natural and relaxed sitting posture, the more natural feel of the proportions and body shapes, the nice details and draping of his clothes, and its one that is less busted up than others.
Incidentally, I am neither Asian, nor Buddhist, so I guess it doesn’t have much of a personal attachment to me, but I think it’ll turn out to be a nice self-portrait all the same. If I can, I would like to not model my face 100% accurate to my real face, but rather morph it a little to have the same kind of style that the original artist had while keeping it still looking like ‘me’.
I am open to all comments, criticisms, questions and sarcasms 
Oh, and the little golden version of the statue to the right on the compilation picture is a replica statuette that I found on Amazon that I am finding convenient as I can now get side and rear-shots of the statue which I could not get with the original.