Ok. It's been a long time since I've done any skinning and I wanted to post a pic for some tips/advice/critique...but I forgot how to capture a pic while in character tool. :doh: Help!?
Oh, yeah...it's this costume http://www.statueforum.com/showthread.php?t=131613 (http://www.statueforum.com/showthread.php?t=131613)
print screen usually works.
Yeah, I already tried that. I got nothing.
You tried pressing printscreen and croping the image in paint?
Yeah, print screen won't capture the image.
This might be rather tedious at times, but you could use the "Snipping Tool" (if you have Windows 7) if your prt sc button absolutely won't work.
This was what worked for me, open what ever program you are going to use to paste the screenshot into then do the print screen button and paste into the program you are going to use. I would open word or photoshop then press print screen go to word or photoshop and right click to paste, then crop to the right size. Hope that works for you.
Yeah, that's what it was TAP. Thank you.
(http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l141/helix2112/WM.jpg)
Wonder Man
Costume design: George Perez
Mesh: Challenger by Grenadier
Base Skin: make_basic_TM by Tomato
Keyframes: Stripsey by Renegade
Obviously, this is a WIP. I have not finished the belt, boots, or bracers...and no 3D or highlight effects have been used yet. I guess what I'd love some advice on is how to make the skin look smoother. Basically, all I have done is color somebody Tomato's base skin. Now how do I make the costume look smoother (glossy, waxy, plasticy) without losing muscle definition? Any advice?
If I'm understanding what you're trying to say correctly, there are two main ways to enhance the skin in that fashion. The best way, though admittedly one that's MUCH more tedious, is to add individual highlights to each muscle... it's a big pain in the tush, but if you save the results you never ever have to do it again.
The second way it to adjust the levels for each color... brightness/contrast is the easiest way to do it, but I get better results by combining that and the "Highlight/Midtone/Shadow" tool in Paint Shop Pro... I don't have photoshop to see if it has something similar(I can't imagine that it wouldn't tho), but it's essentially a simpler version of the "levels" tool.
In all honesty, the two work well in combination too. It just depends on which color you're trying to pull off.
(Also, technically that's still C6's base... I just made minor modifications to the original because it's so popular and some things about it nagged me to death)
Tomato-
I'm using Paintshop Pro XIV and have used all of the functions you describe. I've also tried using the softening brush in places to make the transition from highlight to midtone smoother with limited success. I know it seems ridiculous because you can't see such minor imperfections when you're actually using the character in the game, but it still bugs me to see pixelated splotches on the .tga file or when viewing the character in the character tool. I noticed that I don't see those kinds of flaws in your skins...or Courtnall's, or AA's, etc. I guess I'll just have to be more patient and keep monkeying around with the effects.
Looks good from here so far. My opinion though, would be to finish the skin with the effects added, it would make it easier, at least for me, to see what would need to be changed.
I'm almost done with it. I've been hopping back and forth between skinning this Wonder Man and skinning Youngblood's Shaft. I'll post a pic soon.
I would love to see a preview of your Shaft skin, what mesh are you using?
I'm using the vxmale_archer mesh, simply because I like my characters to have hair. The problem I have run into with Shaft is that there are no two sample pictures in which his costume is the same. It, apparently, changed from one issue to the next...so I may be making an amalgam of a few different costumes. right now, I'm trying to the left arm done correctly. Here's what I have so far: (http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l141/helix2112/Shaft.jpg) (http://s95.photobucket.com/user/helix2112/media/Shaft.jpg.html)
Looks good Helix, funny thing is, I'm working on a skope and every reference pic I have for the character is different. I'm having to take quite a few creative liberties with it. But back to Shaft, your white turned out really well, that's something I've always had difficulties with.
Nice Shaft.
I'm reworking Shaft right now. I wasn't happy with him. I'll have a new pic up soon.
The newest version. It's pretty basic, but the mesh doesn't have shoulderpad parts and I REFUSE to draw kneepads on any superhero. One version of his 80 different costume configurations has some shin guards on it, so I may add those just to jazz up his lower half, but I'm not sure yet.
(http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l141/helix2112/Shaftv2.jpg) (http://s95.photobucket.com/user/helix2112/media/Shaftv2.jpg.html)
That looks really nice Helix. Nice attention to detail on the extras.
I kinda like the nice, clean look.
What? You don't like all off the Liefeldian googolplexian nonsense that is normally piled on the character??
Yeah, as DG said, very clean. Nice work!
Thank you guys. You know, though, I try blending the seams between colors with the "soften" tool, but it makes too much of a mess...even when I have the settings low. I thought C6 once said he used the "push" tool, but I can't make that work right either. Any suggestions?
You might try the "blend" tool (or your program's equivalent: Photoshop's symbol is an extended finger [no, not that one]). Set the pressure to something like 50% and "wiggle" back and forth actross the edges of the areas you want to blend. Larger brushes with fuzzy edges work best. You may have to play with the pressure to get the effect you want.
Liefield is not one of my favorite artists.
Quote from: daglob on April 22, 2013, 07:29:14 PM
You might try the "blend" tool (or your program's equivalent: Photoshop's symbol is an extended finger [no, not that one]). Set the pressure to something like 50% and "wiggle" back and forth actross the edges of the areas you want to blend. Larger brushes with fuzzy edges work best. You may have to play with the pressure to get the effect you want.
Liefield is not one of my favorite artists.
Liefield is an artist? Could have fooled me. :thumbdown:
The soften tool is Paintshop Pro's equivalent of the blend tool. I probably just need to play around with the opacity settings on it.
I actually read an article recently about Liefeld's many, many failed attempts to bring big-name writers in to fix Youngblood and make it legit. But there is no saving his ripped off characters and no writer wants his name attached to any Liefeld project. The dude is an unoriginal, talentless hack.
Aaaaanyway...back to the skins I go.
That's a very nice skin Helix.
Thank you Windblown! I'm trying, bro!
Meanwhile...
(http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l141/helix2112/Image2.jpg) (http://s95.photobucket.com/user/helix2112/media/Image2.jpg.html)
Impressive. Nice Job Helix.
What's wrong with this picture?
(http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l141/helix2112/Image11.jpg) (http://s95.photobucket.com/user/helix2112/media/Image11.jpg.html)
Going by your reference pic, I would have to say to let go of the reflection on the yellows, they look flat in the reference pic, and also darken the green. Maybe skope on some wristbands for a better effect.
Cyber- (A) There are no really good reference pics. The wrist bands and leg cuffs are supposed to be metallic. You're right about the yellow on the costume, though. (B) I agree - he needs wrist bands and the weird headpiece thing like Gren's mesh has.
I don't know of any of Gren's meshes that have that type of head piece, but Tommyboy's Wonderman looks like it has it. If you send me what you have, I'll try to add the cuffs and the headpiece for you. But if Gren has a mesh with a headpiece that you prefer, send that to me as well and I'll use that.
Edit: Is it for :ff: or :ffvstr:?
Actually, if you could just switch out the basic mesh on AV_WonderMan_Classic Gren with Tomato's male_basic_TM - that would be perfect. This would be for FF1, and I can convert it to FFvTR later.
Sent.
So, I started over on the skin.
(http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l141/helix2112/WM1.jpg) (http://s95.photobucket.com/user/helix2112/media/WM1.jpg.html)
Due to the size difference in the meshes, I couldn't get Tomato's Male_Basic to work with Gren's Wonderman mesh. I was able to put something together using Tomato's Male_Basic and some of Tommyboy's and Gren's pieces.
(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa49/Cyber_Burn_33/Helix_Wonder_Man_zps48d4aacf.jpg) (http://s199.photobucket.com/user/Cyber_Burn_33/media/Helix_Wonder_Man_zps48d4aacf.jpg.html)
I wonder if the Gren Wonder Man parts would fit on one of Gren's in-between sized meshes...like Captain_Britain_v2. He's a male_cape mesh (without the cape), but he is larger than male_basic.
Oh...haha...I need to refresh my page more often. I see that you already worked Tommy's parts on to Tomato's male_basic. Sweet! I can give that a try.
Sent. It's for :ff:. Also, let me know if you want/need any changes to it.
That's coming along nicely. Newest version is much improved.
Podmark - Thank you! I'm taking this one a lot slower and playing with the effects and settings. I am pleased with the WM logo so far.
hi helix, i have always been a wonder man fan and was wondering if this skin got finished or not. thanx.
Nice shaft Helix ( oh hang on that sounded a bit wrong lol)
Seriously, enjoying your skins and finding the tips from everyone helpful for me as well!
Well done :)
No, I haven't released him yet. I haven't even finished him yet. He kind of got put on the back burner for a while. I'll get back to him and release him soon, though.