OK, I found this tutorial on how to make skin in PShop and decided I was tired of building skin from scratch everytime. So, I take V3 head map and start layering skin colors, noise layers, highlights, and shadows to get a generic headskin I can lay my faces on and blend in. It's really light so it can be toned and blended with any face I want to create. Just add veins, moles, birthmarks, scars, blemishes and other overlays. What do you all think? Is it good enough to post as freebie once I finish the body texture also? Is everybody already doing this and just not saying or what? I'd really like to know! Thanks!

Well, I'm not sure if I understand you about the V3 head map; you mean you started from a blank template file, or an actual copyrighted existing head map? If you mean that you are starting from an existing map (and your comment about not starting from scratch every time seems to indicate this), even if you got the map from free stuff, there's bound to be a lot of restrictions on what you can and can't do with it - I'd be careful!

Yes, I'm starting completely from scratch using the blank templates. Creating a very light base skin and then for each new model I create I'll simply start with my base skin and add the pecularities of unique skin textures on new layers. This way I don't have to keep paying for skin models or using public domain pictures for skin textures. I just change the skin tone of my base which becomes a new template each time for a new model. Laying patchwork skin on every new model I create is teadious and time consuming. By using a base template I can create more textures with less work and still maintain creative control by combining different skin tones, freckles, moles, elasticity settings, and pore sizes. There should be no copyright issues whether I give them away or sell them, because the textures are mine, created by my hand, using the orignal templates from Daz Victoria. Basically, I'm lazy and don't want to have start every project from scratch! I just thought if anyone liked the idea also or hadn't learned what I have so far and could benefit from the base template I night give back something to this community. If it's not good enough and people don't like it or think it's a stupid idea than fine, I just wanted some feedback on the texture from the people here because I trust their judgement better than mine on these subjects. Sorry, if I didn't clearly state my objective. Thanks for the warning Freejack, and what do think of the texture?

I think it's a fabulous idea. It's about time there was a free texture base to compete with the commercial "merchant resources".

Ok, taht's one that thinks a free base, I mean "texture", is good. But how does it look so far? Do you need a closer shot to see the pores? John Belushi

I think the color looks too pinkish. Your red is maxed out and your green and blue readings are high and too close to one another. Take some color readings on skin tones from actual photos.

Sorry, it was the spotlight I used to highlight the face. Too much pink, I don't do well with subtle shades of pink. I want the skin tone to be pale on this texture since it is going to be my base. Thanks for catching the color. I need to watch my readings better when dealing with skin tones.

sounds like a cool idea to me... Dave

Thanks for totally make it clear, d-larson! I get it now, and I think you have a great starting point. You know, with a free base tex, I might even get my hand in on making my own tex; I think it's a positively great idea. The reason I've always shied away from starting my own is just what you mentioned: I don't want to have to start from scratch, and until I see just how difficult it is, I don't want to invest in one of the tex-making packs available in the RM. I've always kind of kicked around the idea of doing a tattoo texture, since I have a kickass set of designs a friend of mine gave me. You know, I also think that it would be really interesting to see what kind of texture this could be if a group effort were made on it. The logistics of passing the base .psd around from person to person would be annoying, but it would be really cool to see you provide a base texture, and have another person add a layer to it of their modifications, and then pass that file on to another person for another layer of mods; I wonder what the result would be? Interesting in the very least, but I think you could end up with a VERY versatile texture file, with one file being the source for a ton of different textures. Just a thought. Jack

Thanks for the comments and encouragement! the base textures are ready and I've created a bump map for both that gives the skin a little more 3-D looking texture. As soon as figure out how I'll host it, I'll post it! As a freebie. So many have given their time and expertise to me when I had questions I want to give something back to the community! I'll let you know when it's posted. Thanks again.