sideandface

Sideandface is a term used in visual arts and design to describe the deliberate depiction or analysis of both the side and the face of a subject within a single frame or study. The concept emphasizes dual perspectives—profile and frontal features—within a cohesive composition, often to explore identity, rhythm, or motion. The term combines "side" and "face" as a portmanteau and is used across photography, illustration, and 3D design.

Origins and usage of sideandface trace to traditional portrait conventions such as three-quarter views and to later editorial and multi-angle collage practices. In the 20th century, artists and photographers experimented with combining multiple viewpoints to convey complexity, while contemporary practitioners often employ composite imaging and dual-angle computer-generated imagery to achieve similar effects.

Techniques associated with sideandface include shooting two angles and blending them in post-production, rendering figures with visible side contours alongside a frontal view, and ensuring consistent topology, shading, and lighting across orthographic side and front views in 3D modeling and animation workflows. The approach can also involve structural analysis of how a subject’s features read from different viewpoints, informing design choices in character development or visual storytelling.

Applications span photography, illustration, fashion, editorial design, and game or film character development. Sideandface is used to convey duality, movement, or layered identity, and it continues to be explored as a device for expanding perceptual and narrative possibilities. See also profile view, three-quarter view, and multi-view composition.