This is Pablo, one of the subjects for my work. The Hobbitt bought this for me as a birthday present when I was studying art, and it proved invaluable at helping to understand the anatomy that makes up the face and head.

This not a real skull (beware of folks who have those lying around), but a very good replica, purchased at a store in Manhattan that specializes in that sort of thing.

I've used Pablo as a test subject for a lot of things -- new cameras, lighting gear, techniques, etc. He always holds still, and never asks for a coffee break. He's also an effective prop at Halloween, where he nestles in the bowl of candy being proffered to the neighborhood children. ("Is that a real skull, mister?" "Yes, the skull is real, but I'm not." "Cool...")

Here, Pablo poses for his portrait on a new flatbed scanner. I've used scanners for this sort of thing ever since I got my first one about 15 years ago. It takes a little practice to get the lighting, focus, and background right, but the results can be better than you would get with a regular camera.

To add a little something to this image, I used a plug-in that can give items in an image a metallic finish. It doesn't work with every image, but for this one it was perfect.