Facial Skin Layered Mapping

 

Part  3.6d Building the Color Base

Before You Begin

Have your work file (SkinFrontSectionWork001.psd) and your reference files open in Photoshop.  In your work file have only the Color layer set and the Backing (black layer below the Color Layer Set) visible.   Have your model open in A:M and hide all but the Front Section group.  Have the modeling window open.

Introduction

Everyone’s skin is a different color.  I can not give you exact RGB values for your model but I can give you hopefully enough so that you can get the exact color you want.  The way I do it is create 4 layers with different skin tones and toy with the opacity of each until I’m happy.  There is actually a 5th layer that comes into play: the Backing layer.  Be advised that at this stage of the game the color is going to look like it was spray painted on your model.  You just look beyond this as much as you can and try to get the color where you want it.  You’re going to tweak it later anyway but you need a best guess starting point.   We can’t really do more with the color map until we finish the bump maps.

 

  1. Create a new layer in the Color layer set and name it Skin Base Bright and fill it with RBG 252, 169, 130.  The Backing layer will come into play with all of this (as it may with other map types which is why it is outside of the Layer sets) so make sure that there is nothing between the Skin Base Bright layer and the Backing layer which can block the interplay. 
  2. Create a new layer above the Skin Base Bright and name it Skin Base Dim and fill it with RBG 227, 186, 171.
  3. Create a new layer above the Skin Base Dim and name it Skin Base Gray and fill it with RBG 208, 175, 164.
  4. Create a new layer above the Skin Base Gray and name it Skin Base Pale and fill it with solid white.
  5. Okay… the crazy theory here is that you can get the skin color you want (even if it is Indian, Oriental or Afro-American) by adjusting the opacity of these 4 layers.  If it is not obvious here’s what each layer will add as you increase (or decrease the opacity:

a)     The Backing layer will darken the skin tone when the opacity of all the other layers is decreased.

b)     The ‘Bright’ layer will add brightness (doh!)

c)      The ‘Dim’ layer will dim the brightness

d)     The ‘Gray’ layer will add a gray tint for older skin

e)     And the ‘Pale’ layer will make the skin more pale.

      Pretty tough stuff LOL.

  1. Hide all but the Skin Base Bright and look at your reference images… and start adjusting bringing each layer above it into play and adjusting the opacity as you go.  You need to pick a section of the image that is not being discolored by light shadow or lip or eye areas – usually somewhere on the cheek is good.  When you decide on an opacity percentage for a layer, before leaving that layer, add the percentage to the end of the layer’s name.  If when you are done, the resulting color needs to be darker, you must decrease the opacity of each layer (that’s above 0%), ideally by the same percentage.  In reality I decrease the bottom layer then just start playing again.  In other words this is in your hands.  If you can not get what you want add more layers: duplicate the bright layer or add a layer filled with 50% gray.  There are no rules here except to get the closest color and to retain control over that color for future tweaks.
  2. I have two reference images that show the skin color pretty well (the others have sharp contrasts in lighting which is good for seeing wrinkles and blemishes but not color).  One shows my reference character with bright healthy skin the other will rather pale skin.  Figure 3.6d.1 shows these two images.  My character will play a detective who probably sees too little sun so the paler image would probably work best but… to heck with that – I like the healthier one!  But I’ll do both to demonstrate adjusting these 4 base layers.

 

 

Figure 3.6d.1

 

  1. After playing around Figures 3.6d.2 and3.6d.3 show the result and settings for the paler image and, Figures 3.6d.4 and 3.6d.5 show the settings and result for the healthier reference.

 

 

Figures 3.6d.2

 

 

Figures 3.6d.3

 

 

Figures 3.6d.4

 

 

Figures 3.6d.5

 

  1. Once you think you’ve got the color right save out a color map to the Maps/Head folder and call it SkinFrontSectionColorMap.tga (to do this you make sure only the layers you want to show are visible, duplicate the image, flatten the image the save).  In A:M import the image you’ve just saved and then open the model’s Decal section.  Rename the Decal we’ve been working with to SkinFrontSection (we will not move it into the Head folder until we’re done with it).  Now expand the Decal Image section and the first or top Image within and change the image to the SkinFrontSectionColor map, change the Image Type to color and the percentage to 100%.
  2. Make the second image the tmptestwrinkles.tga map (do add image if you do not have a second image), make the Type = Bump and the percentage 150% (or if you decided on a different percentage use that).  AM’s PWS should look something like Figure 3.6d.5.1.

 

 

Figure 3.6d.5.1

 

  1. Render the image out and compare it to your reference image.  Mine (Figure 3.6d.6) may need to be darkened a little but it’s good enough for now.

 

 

Figure 3.6d.6

 

12. Now that we have the base established, save and then save to a new version (SkinFrontSectionWork002.psd).

 

By now you maybe wondering why we didn’t just use the eyedropper tool on the reference image.  Several reasons: the real skin tone in the image is a mix of many different colors with varying diffuse and spectral values.  What color will you pick?  How will you control it later when we add the diffuse aspects from the bump maps? 

 

Go to Part 4.1 – The Bump Maps: Finishing the Wrinkle Map