Tutorial: Easy Skin Tone [Archive] - EQ2 Forum Archive @ EQ2Wire

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Seagoat

10-11-2007, 12:26 AM

Easy Skin Tone====================================This tutorial will walk you through the basic steps needed to even out the skin tone in your character screenshots. It assumes you have a working knowledge of your graphics program of choice.I wrote this tutorial using Paint Shop Pro 9, but it can be easily adapted to other programs; the tools I used are very basic.====================================1. Select your image<a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/popup-full.php?file=/reference/images/hairshine01a.jpg" target="_blank"></a>Crop out the excess background areas in your chosen image.This is the shot I'll be using:<img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin01.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="602" height="404" />====================================2. Get everything else out of the way!I've cleaned up my character image, retouched the <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=378760" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">eyes</a>, added highlights to the <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=379671" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hair</a>, and used the Smudge tool to soften the most noticeable skin imperfections. As you can see, even now, the skin tone is far from perfect!<img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin02.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="602" height="404" />====================================3. Create a new layerI created one new layer on top of my image and named it "Skin." I set the blend mode on this layer to "Color," but once you've finished your brushing, you may find that "Hue" works better; it depends on your image!<img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin03.png" border="0" alt="Layers Palette" width="288" height="34" />====================================4. Pick your skin colorI selected one of the lightest skin tones in my screenshot...<img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin04.jpg" border="0" alt="Picked Color" width="199" height="168" />...Then lightened it a bit more to get the color I need (increasing the saturation is sometimes also a good idea):<img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin05.jpg" border="0" alt="Adjusted Color" width="176" height="168" />====================================5. Set up your AirbrushSelect your Airbrush tool from your Tools palette (in the Paint Brush menu, "B"). These are the settings I'll be using for :<a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/popup-full.php?file=/reference/images/skin06.png" target="_blank"></a><img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin06.png" border="0" alt="" width="765" height="37" /> ====================================6. Paint away!With the "Skin" layer active and using the airbrush settings above, brush over all of your character's exposed skin. It doesn't have to be precise (the blend mode helps hide most overbrushing) or uniform; as an example, here is what my layer looked like when I finished with it:<a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/popup-full.php?file=/reference/images/skin07.jpg" target="_blank"></a><img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin07.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="602" height="404" /> ====================================7. Finishing upAs I mentioned before, you can adjust the blend mode and/or transparency of the "Skin" layer to suit your image. If necessary, use your Eraser ("X") or Magic Wand to get rid of any overbrushing that you notice.<a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/popup-full.php?file=/reference/images/skin08.jpg" target="_blank"></a><img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin08.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="602" height="404" /> ====================================8. All done!Before and after:<a rel="nofollow" href="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/popup-full.php?file=/reference/images/skin09.jpg" target="_blank"></a><img src="http://eq2.lunaclick.net/reference/images/skin09.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="598" height="400" /> ====================================Show & Tell!Post your creations here so I can see how you used my tutorial! <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY:)" width="15" height="15" />

Ama

10-11-2007, 10:47 AM

Not badI'm a bit cheap and don't use airbrush techniques. Instead I take the easy route using combo layers to pull off more dynamic effects. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn, but i'll deffinately give your tutorial a whirl to see what I can make.

HelixStalwa

10-11-2007, 02:46 PM

I's a Ratonga - yus want I's to shave? I's thought not.

Seagoat

10-11-2007, 03:09 PM

<cite>Amana wrote:</cite><blockquote>Not badI'm a bit cheap and don't use airbrush techniques. Instead I take the easy route using combo layers to pull off more dynamic effects. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn, but i'll deffinately give your tutorial a whirl to see what I can make. </blockquote>Thanks. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />I usually don't airbrush either, but the paint brush can be a bit unpredictable for work like this that may require a consistently even layer of color. (Unless you tell the paint brush to only use one continuous stroke; the airbrush just behaves that way by default.)The secret in this technique is really in the color you choose to use and the blend mode/transparency of the skin color layer. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

Hazelle

10-13-2007, 08:09 AM

Seagoat, your tutorials are fantastic and full of great suggestions!!Here is what I've been doodling with.... I would have posted this sooner, but since I was practicing on Ronja's image, I didn't want to post this before posting her Halloween sig. <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />The before and after...<img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p15/A_Kyure/EQ2/Ronjabeforeafter.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="250" border="0" />Just playing some more the techniques<img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p15/A_Kyure/EQ2/Ronja51.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" border="0" />

SapphireSnip

10-13-2007, 02:58 PM

I love the makeup you added <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> It looks very Ronja-ish <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

Hazelle

10-13-2007, 05:40 PM

Thanks... I wonder if she's peeked over here yet and saw what I've done, lol.Seagoat... I think I'm addicted to layers now... With this one, I am practicing with the hair and skin tone. Sorry Sapphy, Nozomi is a nice subject to practice on. I wanted to see what wavy hair would look like and I've added an eye-shadow layer as well. Oh, and I put her in a fuzzy sweater because, well- I was doodling. <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> <img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p15/A_Kyure/EQ2/Nozomi6.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="350" border="0" />

Sapphirius

10-13-2007, 05:42 PM

Go to town, hun. In fact, here's the link to my <a href="http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c348/Sapphirius/Random%20Screenshots/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">random screenshots</a>. You're more than welcome to pull up any you see and practice on them as well.

shirka

10-14-2007, 08:18 AM

WOA! I NEVER go to a beauty salon. Ronja NEVER had make-up. please define "Ronja-ish" <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />She looks like she is going to a ball. please tell me.... WHERE IS THAT PRINCE!!! I want a prince to go with that make-up! Don't make me kiss a frog pleeeeaasse!!!

Hazelle

10-14-2007, 10:31 AM

Will a Knight do? <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> <img src="http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p15/A_Kyure/EQ2/Ronja53.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="350" border="0" />Ack! I would never place her with a frog...<img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/385970365b8ed7503b4294502a458efa.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /> lol... While I was practicing with colors/shades I thought some make-up would look appropriate.

Seagoat

10-14-2007, 11:09 AM

<cite>Hazelle@Oasis wrote:</cite><blockquote>Seagoat... I think I'm addicted to layers now...</blockquote>Layers are extremely intimidating at first -- at least, I know they were to me! -- but once you see how much they help and how much flexibility they offer you in your design, you'll never go back. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />I rarely make a graphic now that has less than a dozen layers. Whether it's shadows, cutouts, copies of originals (so I can "start over" with a layer if I have to), color washes, different bits of text, or whatever, they definitely make my life easier now that I'm not afraid to use them.