Need help with AO and UV Maps in Gimp

[Thelindra]

So I've watched the tutorials and read the blogs and posts, but for some reason my mesh isn't looking the way I want it. I've read some articles stating to set the AO or Shadow to Overlay while others say set the texture to Overlay. When I put it on the mesh in SL, it looks horrible though. The shadow map is distorting the color and look of the pattern. What exactly should I do? 

[Sassy Romano]

Pictures of the result would help.  Sometimes overlay works, sometimes multiply works, you do what works basically but without seeing any examples it's hard to help.

[MIstahMoose]

Ive never heard of setting a shadow map to overlay because that would blend the whites and blacks on top of everything. I always use multiply which only combines the shades of the darks To essentially adding shadows to your design.

[Thelindra]

Thank you for the help. I tried the AO/Shadow in Multiple and it looks ten times better!

[Shrouded Blackheart]

Yeh even in Photoshop i use the "Multiply" blend mode, plus you can always turn up the opacity and adjust contrasts and such if you don't like how it looks.