Well I figured out the final bit of math I needed to get the shadow SSS looking the way I want it. I needed to "SmoothStep" my gradient. No need to wonder what the heck I'm talking about. I'm almost done with the shaders. Freebie coming soon.

Here's another test render. I need to do something about hair, because the hair realism is not on the same level as the figure. Also, I'm adamant now about using ray-traced shadows and ambient occlusion, and transmapped hair turns a 15 minute render into 15 hours, unless you make the hair cast no shadow and invisible to raytracing.

Anyway, I finally have the sense of "presence" I was looking for in the skin and eyes.

---

Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)