Confused on how to get a certain look

[Candy Tangerine]

Hi, 

Ok, I'm thoroughly confused.  If I see a certain face that I just love from a Flickr post or someone in person, how do I get a similar look on my avi?  Is it their shape that creates their face or is it the skin that they are wearing?  Thanks.

[Nalates Urriah]

It is a combination of things.

Classic heads work differently than mesh heads. So, you need to say which you are curious about. I'll go with mesh heads.

With classic and mesh you may only be able to make a specific look with a specific head.

A mesh head is designed to have a default look. This is why there are so many heads. With its HUD and the SL shape sliders you can tweak that look. There are limits as to how much you can tweak. Often too much tweaking distorts the face shape or skin.

The skin does make a difference and it can be significant.

What you see on flicker may have been enhanced in Photoshop or other programs. See image below...

I used FaceApp to make this smile. The Sl image is on the left. I have tried various ways to get the avatar to smile like this in SL. After some significant effort I have decided it just isn't possible. That great smile is the work of a third-party app. So, if you saw that smiling image and were looking for that face... it does not exist.

To get to a specific look quickly... take a picture, post it here, and see if some one can point to a head that will let you get close.

There is also a free app 'What is she wearing...' It will give the list of all of an avatars attachments. You'll find out which head and hair the avatar is wearing. Then you can go try out the demo.

 

 

[Rowan Amore]

For me it's all in the shape.  These are both the same skin and head.  The one on the left is in store ad.  The right one is my edit of my shape to create my own look.  Two.people can have the exact same head and skin yet look vastly different.  Mine would also look different if it were a lighter shade.

[Laurel Aurelia]

In my opinion, its the skin, the shape, the specific head/body combo and sometimes  environmental factors like lighting (mostly for pictures). Depending on the person, they may or may not be willing to share their specific details. If there is a look you like, you could try describing it to us or if you have any pictures handy, post those and we can try to give you some suggestions.

[MirandaBowers]

50 minutes ago, Nalates Urriah said:

I used FaceApp to make this smile.

Thank you for sharing this tip! I have been wondering about it for the longest time how people were able to achieve such nice smiles.

[Skell Dagger]

It's a combination of head, skin, shape, and personal shape tweaks. The shading on a skin, in particular, can make the exact same shape and head combination look entirely different. See below: same shape and head, different skins -

Look in particular at the shading around the bridge of the nose, the eyes, and the sides of the face. The 'Tyson' skin looks about 20 to 30 years younger than the 'Sean' skin.

[Marianne Little]

Added details like eyebrows, makeup and freckles also matter. A browless skin is like a canvas. That gives the wearer a look that is almost impossible to copy, unless you get a list of what the person is wearing, and an identical shape.

[Candy Tangerine]

Ok, thank you everyone very much.  All your input has helped me a lot in understanding what all goes into a avi's look.  

[Horus Salubrius]

To echo Rowan's post - these are the same head on different bodies with different shapes, brows, but with the same skin.  Play around with all the slider & demo skins, brows, etc. until you start to get what you're happy with.  And save, save, save in outfits !   

[Nalates Urriah]

On 10/7/2020 at 6:47 PM, MirandaBowers said:

Thank you for sharing this tip! I have been wondering about it for the longest time how people were able to achieve such nice smiles.

There are some heads that can make a big smile. For GA.EG heads and a number of others you need the app.

The app is a bit  of a pain on a PC. You must use an Android emulator, like Blue Stacks, to run it on a PC. The file open and save and location between the emulator and PC is a bit tedious. But, it saves having to move the files between the PC and my phone which I found MORE tedious.

[Dementia Obviate]

I think hairstyle also plays a part. Once I tweaked the head shape to how I wanted it, I 've never changed the shape and rarely my skin, but it can look quite different depending on the hair I choose. Sometimes it looks rounder, sometimes more angular.

[Jaide Beck]

On 10/7/2020 at 8:27 PM, Candy Tangerine said:

Hi, 

Ok, I'm thoroughly confused.  If I see a certain face that I just love from a Flickr post or someone in person, how do I get a similar look on my avi?  Is it their shape that creates their face or is it the skin that they are wearing?  Thanks.

I'd say it's a combination of the head/skin/shape. You can ask them where they got the head and skin and then try to make a shape like it unless they'll tell you where they got the shape, unless they made it, but if they have it on MP, then you're home free. I honestly think you should go for what you like. I mean so many looks grab my attention, then ten minutes later I see something better. 😆  Just my thought.  

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

On 10/7/2020 at 8:56 PM, Nalates Urriah said:

It is a combination of things.

Classic heads work differently than mesh heads. So, you need to say which you are curious about. I'll go with mesh heads.

With classic and mesh you may only be able to make a specific look with a specific head.

A mesh head is designed to have a default look. This is why there are so many heads. With its HUD and the SL shape sliders you can tweak that look. There are limits as to how much you can tweak. Often too much tweaking distorts the face shape or skin.

The skin does make a difference and it can be significant.

What you see on flicker may have been enhanced in Photoshop or other programs. See image below...

I used FaceApp to make this smile. The Sl image is on the left. I have tried various ways to get the avatar to smile like this in SL. After some significant effort I have decided it just isn't possible. That great smile is the work of a third-party app. So, if you saw that smiling image and were looking for that face... it does not exist.

To get to a specific look quickly... take a picture, post it here, and see if some one can point to a head that will let you get close.

There is also a free app 'What is she wearing...' It will give the list of all of an avatars attachments. You'll find out which head and hair the avatar is wearing. Then you can go try out the demo.

 

 

I just want to bring it to your attention I see your nipples!!!