syndi Pearl Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Recently I went to Skin Fair in search of a Lelutka EvoX shape for a specific head. I found many but only one had a demo. In my experience, appearance depends on the head, the shape, the skin, the eyes (particularly color), the brows, and the hair. And lighting. Consequently, a demo seems necessary. Do you ever buy a shape without doing a demo? Are you planning on using a style card to duplicate what you see in the ad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Amore Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I've never purchased a shape. I usually begin with the shape included with the skin made for a specific head. I purchase the skin because I like how it looks and the vendor pic is usually using the shape included. Then, I work from there to get a unique look. So, a demo is unnecessary for me. Having said that, I also don't buy anything without demoing first, regardless. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayashe Ninetails Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 (edited) To be honest, I've never bought a shape. I have tried some demos in the past, and for some reason, everything is just wrong. I know the bodies are usually exaggerated for demo purposes, but even the heads and faces seem wrong. Even included default shapes that come with heads and skins are often so...wrong. For those, it's mostly in the hands, body thickness, and arm length. But maybe it's just me. I'm super picky. I always prefer to make my own shapes. But to answer your question - no, I'd never buy a shape without a demo unless it's fully mod and I'm prepared to redo just about everything. And why do that when I can just make one from scratch? Edit: Forgot the style card question - definitely no. I'd never want to replicate someone else's look. Edited March 20, 2022 by Ayashe Ninetails Forgot stuffs 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephine Carissa Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Hi Syndi, My rule of thumb is i "Might" take a chance if it was say under $100 Lindens ? If you really like it alot and its really expensive you could try to contact the creator and ask them if you could get a demo to try.....i have found that almost all creators are very generous with their time and want their customers to be happy, ( its worth a try ) Best Regards, Josephine 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orwar Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I'd lie if I claimed that I never bought a shape, but I've never used a shape for longer than it took me to gloss over the values in order to replicate and improve on an element of a shape that I enjoyed. But no, I wouldn't advise purchasing a shape which you can't demo - as you said, there are so many elements that makes up the final appearance of an avatar, so seeing how the shape looks with your own skin, eyebrows, hair, etc, is much too important. No demo, no sale. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ina Fairport Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I don't buy shapes. The demo's I tried were all ugly and very wrong, so wrong that your ava looks disabled or just silly... I make my own shape and sometimes use the shape provided with a head and edit the body to my liking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie Misfit Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 40 minutes ago, syndi Pearl said: Recently I went to Skin Fair in search of a Lelutka EvoX shape for a specific head. I found many but only one had a demo. In my experience, appearance depends on the head, the shape, the skin, the eyes (particularly color), the brows, and the hair. And lighting. Consequently, a demo seems necessary. Do you ever buy a shape without doing a demo? Are you planning on using a style card to duplicate what you see in the ad? Yes, because I change my look a lot, I have purchased shapes / style cards without trying a demo first. Some have been great, others haven't looked like the picture even when I followed the style card exactly. There are a handful of shape makers who do this whole shape / style card thing really well, others are not worth the lindens. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
So Whimsy Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Strangely enough yes and I pray for it to have a stylecard without outdated products on it. Though I have found my main look now after almost 15 years so it's unlikely I'll change from that again 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orwar Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 11 minutes ago, So Whimsy said: Though I have found my main look now after almost 15 years so it's unlikely I'll change from that again In 15 years, people may think you look like we now think people from 15 years ago looked! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
So Whimsy Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 3 minutes ago, Orwar said: In 15 years, people may think you look like we now think people from 15 years ago looked! You're right, I'd probably look horribly outdated then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceka Cianci Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I don't buy squat without a demo.. If it got a timer on it, the countdown is on them and not me.. Because I like to try a bunch of things with all kinds of demos to see if whatever it is will work with my other stuff.. So they a lot of times run out of time by not giving me enough time.. hehehehe 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollymews Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 1 minute ago, Ceka Cianci said: If it got a timer on it i don't see any benefit for the creator in timed demoes. When set parcel to no-script then can wear the demo forever 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orwar Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 2 minutes ago, Ceka Cianci said: If it got a timer on it, the countdown is on them and not me.. I don't know how many times I've wandered around a store, picking up demos of stuff I want to try on, come home, get nekkid, put on the first demo - get a 5 minute demo warning, and immediately trash all of the demos from that store. You give me 5 minutes to try something on? That's cute, I give you 1 shot at not turning me off from considering purchasing from your store for the foreseeable future! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charalyne Blackwood Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 (edited) I've never purchased a shape, and rarely used the included shape with a head/body purchase. I've always returned to making a shape from scratch. While the included shape is often perfect for the head/body, I'll eventually encounter an unintended twin. In the group of friends/family I have in SL I see a few pairs of unintentional twins here and there... Edited March 20, 2022 by Charalyne Blackwood 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceka Cianci Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 If I see a shape that has a feature that interests me, I may buy it to see how they got there.. But for the most part have always made my own and share some that I make.. There are a couple that I don't share, but that is nostalgia that I can't let of of just yet.. hehehe If they have a feature that interested me in their shape and there is no demo to see what it really looks like in world.. It's a no go no matter how interesting the feature. I'll either figure my own way there or see it somewhere else.. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lysistrata Szapira Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 While I was browsing Skin Fair, I tried some shapes that came with a skin I liked in the advert. I looked like some freak of nature! I bought the skin anyway because I had my own shape for that particular head that looked a lot better than the one provided by the skin creator. I honestly don't understand how it is that when I use the same head, same skin, and same shape as the style card recommends, and I wind up with duck lips and bulging/bug eyes. It never fails! So no, I don't buy shapes ever. I'm good at making my own. When shapes come free with a skin, I'll try them, but I generally toss them. If I get free shapes on a hunt or as gifts, again I'll try them, but if they suck, they're tossed. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charalyne Blackwood Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 15 minutes ago, Lysistrata Szapira said: While I was browsing Skin Fair, I tried some shapes that came with a skin I liked in the advert. I looked like some freak of nature! I bought the skin anyway because I had my own shape for that particular head that looked a lot better than the one provided by the skin creator. I honestly don't understand how it is that when I use the same head, same skin, and same shape as the style card recommends, and I wind up with duck lips and bulging/bug eyes. It never fails! So no, I don't buy shapes ever. I'm good at making my own. When shapes come free with a skin, I'll try them, but I generally toss them. If I get free shapes on a hunt or as gifts, again I'll try them, but if they suck, they're tossed. Demo shapes always have a major distortion, often the hands, that keep one from wearing it. Unless your avatar has baseball mitt hands anyway... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blush Bravin Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 The only shapes I've purchased have come as a bonus with either mesh body parts or skins. I've given a few of those shapes a try, just for grins, and I've NEVER found one I'd use or even leave the privacy of my empty parcel while wearing. I'm also a retired art teacher, so making my own shapes is quite easy for me. I completely understand the need for well made shapes being available for purchase in SL. However, if I need to purchase anything for my body, it better darn sure have a demo, or I'm just walking away. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayashe Ninetails Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 54 minutes ago, Charalyne Blackwood said: I've never purchased a shape, and rarely used the included shape with a head/body purchase. I've always returned to making a shape from scratch. While the included shape is often perfect for the head/body, I'll eventually encounter an unintended twin. In the group of friends/family I have in SL I see a few pairs of unintentional twins here and there... This is exaaaactly why I spend so much time tweaking my face and prefer some heads over others. Some are almost impossible to escape twin syndrome with - just given how the sliders react. Some are more limited than others. My rule for buying heads - get one of the least popular ones in the bunch and customize a shape until it's sufficiently different from the ad, leaving no slider untouched. I wore Catwa Jade for a long time before I started collecting the freebies. Shame they didn't update that older line to HD Pro - I'd still rock that thing if it had the newer HUD! I'm not even going to talk about how freaking adorable Lel Ford is, either. Don't anybody go buying him, now. 😂 I'm kidding - he's actually super customizable. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hauntingly Boo Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I usually try to make my own shapes but in the event i need some extra help and buy a shape I would always demo first, you can modify but i would say its best to always try before you buy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase01 Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 A demo would be almost an absolute must. Vendor ads in general can be very misleading and seeing a demo gives pieces of mind. If a vendor chooses not to offer a demo, then I can only assume they don’t believe their work is of good quality. The appearance of a shape can change rather drastically based on the skin that is paired with it. So, if you have a demo, you can at least test it with skins you’re thinking of using with it. Without that, it’ll be a shot in the dark. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze Helix Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 I rarely bother to demo shapes before buying. Mainly because they don't have demos but also because it's not that big a deal. I'm comfortable with shape making so if there is something I don't like I'll be able to fix it. When I buy shapes it's almost always cheap promos from the 10-60L sales. Once in awhile I'll pay 99L. Probably the most I've spent was 200L. Even though I can make my own, when I wear a shape from someone else the proportions are usually pretty different than what I'd start with. Style card does matter to me, I haven't tried to replicate a particular look but I have bought some shapes just because I wanted to know where an item or two was from. I know other ways to get that info, but if the shape is cheap I might pay just to have it instantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setsuki Takeda Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 The only shapes I have bought were pregnancy ones, which are now useless since I switched to an EvoX head and wearing a Catwa shape makes me look like Big Bird on meth, I generally start with the shape that came with a head or skin and then modify it until I like how it looks on me. Right now I'm wearing a skin that the style card showed on a male (LeLUTKA Eon) head/body, but it looks *really* good on LeLUTKA Ceylon with my own shape that was based off an anime-looking "Japanese" avatar I bought on a whim since it was just 300 L$ and then never touched again until I found that the shape from it was actually really nice with only minor adjustments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalypsoJewel Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 I've bought a shape once, and seeing as that creator deemed it then appropriate to try and send me a "gift shape" that had a script wanting access to my Lindens, I will never buy one again. Nor will I recommend that shape maker(and I see them a lot more at events now). I understand why demos don't always exist for shapes, but it is frustrating when you just want to see if it looks any good on your current skin and such. Especially given some of those skins to give the shape it's look don't come in the shade you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PixelBerry Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 I have never bought a shape personally since I find most are going for the same look that I personally do not like, I've always preferred thinner lips and more realistic proportions and a neck that doesn't break like a twig, I find it better to do things the hard way and learn and adapt, getting better at fiddling with shapes is better for your wallet and your creativity, obviously you wont be great right away, but you will learn over time. But If I was to buy a shape, I would def prefer having the option to demo them otherwise I wouldn't buy them, there are scammers and then there are shapes that simply looks better in certain windlights, and looks better with just a specific skin etc. For me it's just better to have more control, by making a shape of your own and tweak and fiddle with it whenever I feel like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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