I think it's only at character creation. The portrait doesn't stay with you through the game. I don't remember it doing so, anyway.

I didn't think so and I appreciate you taking the time to answer such a silly curiosity. I've always played it with the premade until I recently found a complete listing of all the stuff you can "book learn" throughout the game and realized I could have much smoother sailing if I made my own character from scratch and used those other points for other skills.

Do you remember original full name of Fo1? It's "Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game". Pictures for pre-made characters were for better "imagination" of such character. When you create your own then you imagine them in your way. That's why custom characters didn't have pictures. IMHO...

I actually avoided Fallout until I joined here because of it's price elsewhere and just not having a friendly forum for help to turn to, like GOG. TBS is so alien to me (was so alien, I'm getting better) so I don't think without GOG I ever would have played it. Point being, no I didn't remember the original title but it makes sense.