Facial Skin Layered Mapping

 

Part 3.6b – Mapping The Face: Creating a Base from scratch

Before You Begin

Read the Actor Character Profile in the Character Control document and open and review any reference images in the model’s Reference folder.  Open up the work file, SkinFrontSectionWork001.psd in Photoshop.

Introduction

You will need reference images of some person – perhaps the actor or actress listed in the character’s Control document under ‘Role Model’ (search the Internet for pictures) or, a photographic of someone.  You’ll use this as a guide through out the development process for wrinkles, blemishes and also to lift colors from.

 

  1. Hide all the layers except the Gride2, Mask and Backing layers. 
  2. Unlock the Gride 2 layer and reduce the opacity to about 35% so you can just barely see it. 
  3. Now select the Bump layer set and unhide this.  
  4. Create a new layer and name it Softness Base.
  5. I also like to arrange the reference images off to one side so I can get to them quickly.  I make them as small as I can make them and still see what they are so they take up less room then use the rest of the screen to maximize the work file (Figure 3.6b.1).

 

 

Figure 3.6b.1

 

  1. First we will create a couple of softness maps.  To start, well mix up a rather standard random softness brew so we have a pattern we can reuse.  Open a new image 256x256/RGB mode and fill it with black.  So you can see the subtle changes we’ll be making, maximize this layer then zoom to fill the screen by double clicking on the hand tool. 
  2. Then add a new layer, fill it with white, make the opacity 90% and set the blend mode to Dissolve. 
  3. Select the Background (or last layer… the back one) and hit <Shift><Ctl>n to create a new layer below the dissolve layer.
  4. Select the dissolve layer and hit <Ctl>e to merge it with the new layer below it.  We did this so that we could edit the dissolve layer. 
  5. Now select Filter->Gaussian Blur and set the radius to about 2.5.  You should wind up with something like Figure 3.6b.1.  This is a temporary work file so we will not bother with naming layers too much but for sanity’s sake lets rename this layer to ‘dissolve’.  At this point you should have this layer and below it a layer (or background) which is filled with black.

 

 

Figure 3.6b.1.

 

  1. Next change the blend mode of the dissolve layer to Overlay with an opacity of 40%.
  2. Select the bottom layer currently filled with black and fill it with 50% gray (to do this, select 50% Gray from the swatch panel then with the bottom layer selected hit <Alt><Backspace>).  
  3. Select the dissolve layer and add Noise with an Amount of 6% and Uniform Distribution.   The change will be subtle but important.
  4. Next, to the dissolve layer apply the Pixelate->Pointillize filter with a cell size of 3.
  5. Now the good old Brush Strokes->Splatter filter, Spray Radius=9, Smoothness=2.
  6. Now duplicate the dissolve layer (you should still have blend=Overlay and Opacity=40%).  You should not have something like Figure 3.6b.2.

 

 

Figure 3.6b.2

 

 

  1. Almost there… now flatten the image (<alt>l, f), convert to gray scale (<shift><ctl>u) and do Adjust Levels and set the Output Levels to 0, 215.
  2. To make it a tillable image do Filter->Other->Offset and set this to 20/20.  This slides the image over in the frame so that you can see how the edges of the image will blend together. 
  3. Using the rubber stamp set to brush #9, opacity=90, Flow=100 and Aligned checked, get rid of any lines or areas that show at the seam.  Use sparingly – only enough to get rid of any seams. 
  4. Move the seams back by doing Offset -20/-20.  Your final image should look something like Figure 3.6b.3.

 

 

Figure 3.6b.3

 

  1. Now save this file to your wip folder as SoftnessBase.psd then, do ‘save as’ and save again to SoftnessBase.tga.
  2. Now use the tga image to define a pattern.   Do <ctl>a to select all of the image then do Edit->Define Patten. 
  3. Now hold your right hand over your head, make a fist and, in a loud voice say “YES!”.
  4. We might as well use our new pattern now… switch to the SkinFrontSectionWork001.psd image.  Make sure that the Softness Base layer is still selected.  Select the Paint Bucket and in the tool options specify Fill=Pattern, normal, Opacity=100%.  Click any where in the image and the layer will fill with the skin patter you just created.  Hide the Grid2 and Mask layers and zoom in to make sure that the tile seams do not show.  You should have something like Figure 3.6b.4.

 

 

Figure 3.6b.4

 

  1. Save your work image and close out the temporary images you used to make the pattern.

 

Go to Part 3.6c – Finishing the Wrinkle Base