To create skins, you will need to learn to use layers in Photoshop or in The Gimp software.
There are many ways to create skins, each creator have its own technique. Most designers use a skin template with layers and UV. This tutorial has been made to help you to get started creating skins. This tutorial will give you some basic techniques for creating colored skins.
For this tutorial, we will use Photoshop but you can also use The Gimp or any other application that support elements and layers in the template, the technique will be more or less the same. The program you will use must be able to support alpha channel and must also be able to save your skin as TGA.

What you need to create a skin:

• 3 templates (face, top and bottom)
• Creativeness so you won't have the same skin like everybody has

The skin of the green fairy

Let's start with the head

Download, extract (unzip) then open the template (face-skin-color-UV01) that will be used for the head.

You can download this template on the downloads page.

Once you've opened the template, you should open the Layers window.

Here are the folders that you will find in the template:

(To make the folders that you won't need hidden, click on the eye to make them disappear.)

• Base (hidden)
• Base Avatars-3d (visible)
• tattoo-base Avatars-3d (hidden)
• Makeup maquillage (hidden)
• eyebrows - sourcils (hidden)
• special (hidden)
• Work folder - dossier de travail (visible)
• UV (visible)

The folder in which you will work is called "Work folder - dossier de travail".
In this folder you will see a file named "Calque de travail", click on it and work mainly on this file.

Choose a green color, darker than the background

eg #546824 and a brush of type blur, size 35.


Place dots everywhere (but not too much) on the surface of the skin. You should use the UV layer so you don't draw off the face. You should check how it renders by unchecking the "eye" next to the white UV.

Here's the face with the dark green dots without the white UV:

Make the white UV visible again and go back to your work layer, choose a slightly brown color, for example #7B6027 then choose a smaller brush like blur of size 17.
Then place your dots with the help of the UV again.

Here's the face with the brown dots without the white UV.

Make the white UV visible again and go back to your work layer, choose a color, bright orange for example (#F4C869) then choose a start or heart shaped brush.

Then set your stars or your heart with the help of the UV so you don't draw off the face.

Here's how it will render once you removed the white UV.

Go back in the Layers and Channels window and make visible the folder called "Special". In that folder make visible only the item named "cils noirs" ("black lashes").

Then make the folder called "eyebrows - sourcils" visible and choose the eyebrows that you want to use by making them visible and uncheck the eyebrows that you do not want to use.

Make the folder Makeup - Maquillage visible and choose by checking or unchecking the eye next to each layer, the specific makeup that you want to keep or not.

Remember to also make visible the folder called "BASE" or the tongue and teeth won't be visible.

This is how it renders when makeup is applied:

When you've finished creating your skin, save your skin as TGA, for example, Facefee.tga.

Then import it into Second Life: File, Upload, Image (L$ 10).

When you've uploaded your TGA texture into Second Life, get your skin ready: go into your Inventory and then right-click the Body Parts folder, click on New Body Parts and then on New Skin. You would have created a default skin without color or makeup. Rename this skin as you wish.

Double-click on the skin for the wear it.

Open the Appearance mode by right-clicking on your avatar.

In then Appearance window you can now create your skin. In the Skin tab, you can set your texture in the Head Tattoos box.

The first part of your skin is already complete: the head.

To keep on creating the skin of your avatar, download these ttemplates:

upper-skin-color-UV01 for the upper and lower-skin-color-UV01 for the lower skin.

You can download these templates on download page.

Uncheck the folder that you will not use, ie the folder called Tatoo-base Avatars-3d and then repeat the same process for the top and bottom of the skin as you did for the face, put your dots and your stars in the "Work Layer" that is located in the work folder.

Before saving your TGAs, uncheck the UV, then upload your two textures to Second Life, you will set the "Upper" part on the "Upper Tattoo" and the "Lower" part on the "Lower Tattoo".

Here is the complete skin of the green fairy.

If you've been careful not to get off the sides using the UV, your skin will be perfect and flawless.

You can ask all your questions directly on the forum.