Skinning: How it's done and stuff for fun!

Using this screen shot:


I then green'ed out the entire cyberoid head to get a clear poly mapping:


Then I laid the two images ontop of each other. The best way I found is to use the area selection tool and select more of the image than necessary, then reduce with magic wand set in non contiguous mode:


Next, knowing what it looks like, I just saved it as is and laid it on my cyberoid so I can stretch the polys until everything looked right:


Not exactly as pretty as the original, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Now all you need to do is put whatever image you would like in the teal space and it's good to go. (Just used one of my favorite s4 images as a test)



Tada. Now you don't have to go hunting for these damn things at the bazaar.

To demonstrate the techniques for this one, I will be turning a normal Canonballer into a Golden Canonballer.
My biggest tip is to go spray paint something. You will have a better understanding on how this works. (My experience comes from painting Modded Nerf Guns. I can post pics if anyone asks!)


First thing is first, you cannot paint without knowing what kind of pallet to use. A true artist can pick one color, then know all the shades he or she needs or will know what colors will compliment each other sorta like how lavender will look good against cream for shading hair.



Well, I am not that guy, so let's pull up a cosmic break part that is supposed to be gold. I sell all of my parts for UC so let's use the new scarf.


That was a pretty good screenshot because it shows all the colors the scarf has to offer. You can record your pallet on photoshop's actual pallet tool, but I like to make large blobs of color like a painter.



Now for the first part, let's make the base coat the lightest color all over and let's also make the darks and lights match the gold's pallet. I find it easier to paint from light to dark but some people are better at starting dark and highlighting to light. Note that on a lot of tank tread bots, you cannot edit their treads.


Now for the FUN part. (If you have to go anywhere in the next hour, do not continue your paint job until you can set aside like a day.) You have to add your shading. Set to the darkest color in the gold pallet.


Then select the gradient tool, use radial shading.


Use the method mentioned in the cyberoid head tutorial to get your polygons and then proceed to shade from the outside in on EVERY segment of the bot.... EVERY segment. Don't forget to highlight the middle of each plate.


Use the magic wand tool on non contiguous to select the black parts so you can cut away the excess shading
Gaussian Blur the Base coat to make the lines blend together. I tend to use .3 pixels.


Let's see how the body looks so far


Not too bad! Let's repeat this process all over the bot and see how it looks....


God, that was painful. But hey! A Cannon Baller GOLD. Not a bad trade off. You can also use this technique with black to get the effect you see on White Glint in the title bar of this thread.

I am doing this one first before I do a write up for HD skin... skins because I usually start on the eyes for my moe.
First you want to decide what size you want the eyes for the emotion you want to go for.


For this one, let's just go with a plain content face. First, draw your outline.


Define your shape a little more, use the white of the eye to help define it.
Figure out where you want the irises and smooth out your eye as you go.
Draw your line for the eye lid.


Now here's the part that everyone's going to do differently, the coloring and shading of the irises. My favorite style is what I call orb styling. Cue the cutest thing ever, Reki from Hidan no Aria.



I call it orb styling because it just looks like one big shiny orb. To do it this way, let's revisit our favorite tool - the round gradient. Do a solid color for your iris, then gradient in a dark spot.


THEN gradiant again with your color.


Add highlights for your irises and shading for your eye itself.


Let's complete the face and see how it looks.



If you would prefer a pupil and dark to light shading, do this instead. Dot the center of your pupil.


Radiate out from the pupil.


Shade the top portion of the iris.


Shade your eye, add highlights.


Here's difference between the two eye types, in case my pictures were rescaled really bad.


Here's a bonus for reading this guide the whole way through - RAPE FACE!

Do not attempt this one until you have tried the other tutorials above.

First, flatten your body part's skin and pick the lightest color your skin tone will be.


Obtain your UV's.


Make a layer over top and just Airbrush. ._. My biggest tip is to shade lines where the calf and shin would meet and shade around the underside of the knee depending on your bot. Aila's a lanky, not very toned 14 year old so just spamming shading works. Select the flat lower layer to get rid of the excess "paint."


Apply to the bot and check results.

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額当て - Hitai-ate (Naruto Headbands for your bot! Proper titlebar coming soon.)
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