I have some photo of people (close ups on the detail sections of the head and body) but I have problems making skin textures with them. I always come out with blotchy looking skin with patches where you can visibly tell thre are lines. I know about using the stamp feature in Photoshop but most peopels heads aren't one color throughout and I usually end up with a skin file that just has the tone all wrong. Is there anything I'm doing wrong or could be doing better? Also is there anything that could help me (a pluging or brushes or something?

Opps! Sorry, I thought you said "sin" textures.
I KNOW how to do THOSE. (sorry, I couldn't resist it) ;=]

But, "skin" textures?
Those are very difficult to do well because of the multitude of colors involved.

Start with a photograph of a face and look at all the colors involved. Sometimes, you can do a "cut'n paste" on a section by section basis.

"Skin textures" ???
I don't know how to do those. <--- very well, that is!

cheers, (anyway)
dr geep
;=]

Yeah that's the part I suck at. Looks like I get to keep witht he ones I already have. Seems like It woudl be easier to just paint them.

P.S. Try using the "smear" function in the areas where the "patches" are joined. ;=]

eh, tried that then it looks like the makeup of that section of the face is just smeared.

You need to do the smear function at the pixel level in order to avoid the "smeared" look. ;=].

ahh, never tried that. We'll see.

...and some really small area, carefully alligned rubber-stamping. It's definitely an art and doesn't come easily. Practice with lots of different sized soft edge brushes. You'll get it eventually.

I'd be happy if I could just get the cheeks and forhead to be constant.

Fracture, Look at PhotoShop 7. There is a new feature called "patch" which clones texture, but not color. You can use it to heal photographs (get rid of blemishes, wrinkles, scars). This should also work for original skin textures created for our models. The current issue of either MacAddict or MacWorld has an article showing step by step how to do it. There are other new features as well, which makes this a compelling upgrade. Carolly

another Photoshop technique is to cut/paste from a VERY similar area. When you're working with skin, - it would also take very small pieces of the skin, but a bit larger than what you want. Move the copy to "patch" over the area you want to fix. it will look pretty crappy at this point :) Adjust the transparency level down on the copied layer if you feel more comfortable with that. Make sure that's your "working level". Hit the eraser, - and choose a SOFT brush that will fit the size of the edge area that you will be working with. Set the brush transparency down, - I use about 50%. Then carefully erase around the edges of the little patch that you have copied, - till you see that it will fit the pattern that is underneath. This is a "fine print" work, use the undo if you erase too much, adjust the brush size as you go. and use a lot of patience ;) Good luck Britt

Thanks alot guys.

I often create textures in greyscale and then colorize last to ensure even tones.