Texturing

[kit89]

I've started a model of a zombie like character, that is deformed. Its nearly done baring the head which I'm not all too happy with.

However my main problem is texturing the damn thing... I've never been good at using the Gimp for anything more than line drawings(using wacom tablet). So I'm wondering do you have any tips or tutorials you know of that can help me get to grips with texturing models?

If you want I'll post up some images of the character when I get home and change this to a WIP for the character.

[white haired boy]

hi kit89,

i've got exactly the same problem as you, i've been trying to skin a model i'm working on and it's really hard to do. putting colour on isn't too hard, but it's getting the highlights and shadows to look realistic that i really struggle with.

i've just been looking at a page from the blender wiki on radiosity baking http://mediawiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Radiosity_Baking and if i can get it to work it could be really useful. blender works out where light is falling and adds that light to the models texture. so all your shading is worked out for you.

if i can get it to work i'm planning to put a black skin on my model, put it under a semisphere and experiment with a few settings until i can get texture that goes from pure black in the shadows to pure white on the highlights. then i'd make another skin where i just put colour on with no attempt at shading and load both the skins into gimp and combine them into one finished skin.

i tried to do this ages ago, but i was out of my depth. i've got a better understanding of blender now, so i'll give it another go.

white haired boy.

[baconfish]

Probably the best I can do is suggest you practice. I started texturing in GIMP a year or two ago, and it was really weird (not just because it was GIMP, but because I had no clue what I was doing, I would have sucked just as badly with Photoshop). But as I used it more and more I got used to painting textures and my work has improved.

One thing you might like to look at: http://www.lowpolycoop.com/2006/03/polyglog-01-trial-run.html
His (and everyone else at the co-op) texture work always astounds me, and it's cool to get a look at the process (especially since it's explaining what he's doing rather than "use Photoshop filter X, followed by...").

Another thing you might consider is posting your work there. If you're already going to release your source for the purposes of OA, why not the LPC as well? I think everyone uses Creative Commons license there, but I don't think they'll mind if you use GPL instead. Have a look around, anyway

[white haired boy]

ugh, forget radiosity baking. i struggled through a few tutorials of varying usefulness until i got it to work and it wasn't anything special. i think i'll stick to working by hand from now on.

i'm tempted by getting a wacom tablet though. i've got a nice mouse, but it's still hard to draw with and a wacom makes more sense.

w.h.b

[kit89]

Yeah I suggest a wacom, I suggest a graphire if your money concouse.

Thanks for the tutorial link! baconfish really useful