Some times when travelling around the sl I meet avatars that are different from the rest...

[examining]

as per the fact that they are very natural in appearance.  Not that beautiful (as per the majority seeks to be, but always look like avatars anyway).  They may be a fat man for instance and also poorly dressed like a worker or even a hobo, no matter, but the quality of the drawing is extremely realistic also they have AO's equally naturally flowing with variety of movents all of them like real life.

Why is that?  Where one can find such an avatar?

P.S.  No way did not occur in my mind that they might be custom avatars made from scratch by the owners.  Which seems very logical after all.  Thought it was a special brand hiding somewhere in the market.  Could not ask as I was ashamed.  How to proceed to one's face and ask, when others do so to me I teleport immediately.  Those avatars are so beautiful and make a clear difference from the others in the croud.  They are photorealistic and more.

P.S. 2 I checked all those links proposed for to find info about how to create and customize avatars, and I found only one example of what I'm talking about and not precisely.  This japanese I think kid avatar (it looks like there are two brothers) but he must be a millionaire as he shows photos of dozens of hundreds of environments and activities which for to purchase and set up he must have spent lots of fortunes.  Not only one.  He did not only customize the avatar but a whole planet around it.  Of course his photos are bursting of life.  Who can be that ambitious.  But the rest of the avatars I saw there, are perfect, are gorgeous skins and atteirs yet they are not the kind I saw.

The ones I saw are like real persons.  In the movies let us say or the closest possible.

[Nalates Urriah]

The best way to find out is to walk up to them and ask, Did you make that avatar? If so, was it from scratch? What skins, animations, AO, etc did you use?

If you really like their avatar, let them know what you like about it and how much.

In SL we have two basic types of avatar; classic and mesh. The classic avatar is the older style that has been around forever. A good shape, skin, and AO can do wonders for the classic avatar.

The 'mesh avatar' is the skeleton of the classic with a new skin layer/mesh. Some of those do make a smoother shaped avatar. But, they too must have a good shape, skin, and AO.

Look through Flickr's Second Life section. See some of the awesome avatars shown in images shown there. See my fav's. You can watch http://iheartsl.com/ and find many of the outfits worn in those pictures described on various fashion blogs. 

https://dollsandemons.wordpress.com/, https://fabfree.wordpress.com/, http://juicybomb.com/, http://strawberrysingh.com/, http://meshbodyaddicts.com/, and loads more...

You'll find descriptions of the skins, clothes, bodies being used. Plus you can ask the bloggers questions. Most of us will answer questions posted in comments.

[Madelaine McMasters]

As you and Nalates have noted, what makes an avatar compelling is more than just a skin or shape. It's also the clothing, the setting, the way they move, and the way they chat. All of that stems from the mind of the person in the chair. Some of those minds have more skill, good taste and time than the rest of us (or at least me). And, it's for that reason that Nalates suggests asking the people who put together the avatars that catch your attention. Don't be afraid to ask, almost everybody likes knowing they've built something that others appreciate and many of them will help if they have the time.