noob questions, sorry

[JulieWhite]

Hey,
I wanted to know what changes the face of your avatar, is it the shape or the skin? And when you buy a shape, is it something I could have done myself with just adjusting the original shape with the tools they give you to begine with(or is it something completely original they made up)? And does the appearances of the face make a differents on what avatar I picked to begine with?
I really don't like my avatar's face, there are these lines around the mouth I can't stand, and I can't get ride of them no mater how much adjusting I do.
I've heard its possible to get someone to make a shape and skins to look the way you want them to (with paying them of course). I have a picture and description of what I want. How do I find a person who does that? Who is also good at it too, of course.

~Julie White

[Syo Emerald]

The main influence on the face has of course the shape, but the skin can make a face look different too, because it adds a lot details. In my opinion its pretty much a waste of money to buy a shape, there is no magic used besides playing with the given silders.

What you describe sounds more like you get an effect which is caused by the default lightning SL has. Different environment and windlight settings will make those lines disappear.

[Theresa Tennyson]

1) All avatar shapes are technically identical and based on the shape from "Create a Shape," including all the default avatars and all commercial shapes. There are a number of flaws in the shape due to the fact that it's ten-year-old technology that was intended for low-end computers and internet connections (and wasn't done all that well on top of that.)

Some people are selling "mesh" avatars, which are based on newer technology and are smoother and higher resolution but they can't be modified by the end user and require special clothing made for them. There are also now some "hybrid" avatars with a mesh head worn on the default body but the face isn't modifiable.

 

2) The lines by your avatar's nose and mouth are caused by the default lighting, which is high and contrasty, bouncing off flaws in the shape in that area. They're only really noticeable close-up. As Syo said, it's possible to modify the lighting to make it look flattering. BTW, this same thing happens in RL photography. Every "beautiful" closeup face shot you've ever seen was taken with carefully controlled lighitng. If  you took a closeup of someone's face when they were standing on the lawn on a sunny day you'd see lots of strange shadows and flaws too.

 

3) Shapes and skins work together to create a look. Personally I like to start with a skin and adjust the shape to compensate for minor differences around the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. that different skinmakers have - it's far easier to adjust a shape than it is to adjust a skin. Ironically, though, most shapes sold by skin makers look wretched in anything but a posed super-close-up because they were made to show off the face of the skin in advertisements and look odd at different camera angles.

[Perrie Juran]

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Theresa Tennyson wrote:

 

 BTW, this same thing happens in RL photography. Every "beautiful" closeup face shot you've ever seen was taken with carefully controlled lighitng. If  you took a closeup of someone's face when they were standing on the lawn on a sunny day you'd see lots of strange shadows and flaws too.

 

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Which is why you'll see professional photographers sometimes use a flash even outdoors in bright sunlight.

[Ansariel Hiller]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

Which is why you'll see professional photographers sometimes use a flash even outdoors in bright sunlight.

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And people wearing multiple ugly facelights simultaneously in SL...

[Ariel Vuissent]

1) It's both shape AND skin that change the face of the avatar. The shape gives you the basic outline and general shape of the face and it's features; the skin gives you the fine details. Generally, I notice that a lot of people have a general shape that they like, find a skin that they LOVE, then make minor tweaks to the shape to suit the skin, since, as someone else said, modifying a shape is much, much, much easier than modifying a skin. (In fact, most skins are no-mod, anyway, while any good shape should be mod.)

2) Yes, you can easily make a shape rather than buy one if you just have a bit of patience. All shape creators use the same basic system to create shapes, and you have access to that system as well - it's the edit appearance system. Choose Edit Appearance, Edit Shape, and play around with the sliders. Personally, I don't quite have the patience to start from scratch, so I usually buy a shape with a face I really like, then edit the body to suit my tastes. The body is easier to modify than the face, because there are fewer options. I won't buy a shape that is no-mod.

However, there are mesh avatars now that use different tools. There are also deformers to stretch or "crush" the avatar shape, but that gets a bit complicated for a basic answer! Suffice it to say, for the sort of shape you're likely talking about, you can easily make it yourself.

3) No. The starter avatar you pick makes absolutely no difference to your ability to change and modify it. You can even switch genders if you like! The starter avatars are just there to give you a base to start; I look nothing like my original starter avi, face or otherwise.

4) The weird lines are because of the default lighting. Choose a brighter windlight setting (I use Nam's Optimal Skin 2) and they'll go away. However, this only affects you; others will see you according to their own light settings. If you want everyone to see your face without shadows, you'll have to use something like a facelight, which I do NOT recommend. It's makes you look kind of like a walking flashlight.

5) First, I'd play with making your own shape. Second, I'd shop around for skins. (You can reverse the order if you want.) You might find something that's similar to what you want that already exists, which will probably be much less expensive than custom work! If, however, your needs are specific enough that you can't find anything you like, try posting over in the "Wanted" section.

 

[Sidnella Riler]

If you are new, maybe buy a skin that comes with shape, and then you have a base to modify the shape which is easier

[Prodigy Shamen]

you have to bare in mind aswell that nearly all the display pictures of skins and shapes you see in shops and on marketplace have probably been taken by people who are good at photography in secodnlife and have probably been altered in some way in programme like photoshop to get rid of any imperfections you get in secondlife normally, so the skin/shape you see displayed is never gonna look quite like the the one you buy .

[Sephina Frostbite]

  To simply put it shape is the shape of the body and skin is the color. 

[Suspiria Finucane]

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JulieWhite wrote:

Hey,

I wanted to know what changes the face of your avatar, is it the shape or the skin? And when you buy a shape, is it something I could have done myself with just adjusting the original shape with the tools they give you to begine with(or is it something completely original they made up)? And does the appearances of the face make a differents on what avatar I picked to begine with?

I really don't like my avatar's face, there are these lines around the mouth I can't stand, and I can't get ride of them no mater how much adjusting I do.

 

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Interestingly enough, though sometimes overlooked, the way you set your eyebrows also affects the face from my experience. I've never purchased a shape but I did grow so tired of trying to match a skin that I learned how to make skins myself. If you have the patience for it, creation is more individually satisfying.

Lines and under shadowing has always been a problem as many have agreed. An understated (very low settings) face light works wonders although I know some people don't like them. (looking like a light bulb, yea, I don't like those either.)  If your computer is powerful enough to use the shadows feature, it does a decent job of masking the deficiencies.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bobbie Faulds]

You shape and skin work together to create your avi look. Think of the shape as the muscle and bones. The skin adds the detail. A shape has to be balanced to look right; not just the face but the body itself, not an easy task and takes practice. Pumping up the muscle mass on the avi will not make you look like you have muscles, just make you look like you have fat arms. The skin will add the details and can make a huge difference. That's why you ALWAYS try the demo skin with your shape or the demo shape with your chosen skin.

 

I make shapes and use a variety of skins for making them and for the pictures for them. When I do a custom shape, I always find out what skin the person is going to use and get that demo so I can work with it and the shape. I don't do skins yet, that's coming though.

 

With patience, you can tweak your shape to suit yourself, but keep in mind the balance, including the head size to the rest of the body. You don't want to look like the ice cream cone with a cherry on top.