Transform a woman in metal.

[silviapasquetto]

Hello to everyone!
I'm pretty desperate so I would like to ask you if someone could help me to solve this issue.
A client asked me if I could make a woman half metal (in detail using the texture of his accessories) and half skin.
I looked for tutorial around: I noticed that the technique of adding texture with displacement map is the more diffuse. I tried a tutorial too, that was posted in the tutorial area here in retouchpro.
I tried a test just to see how this could look like. What I did was create a displacement map using a picture of a body and then putting the file of texture on a layer on the body layer, adding filter -> distortion -> move using the displacent map to the texture, and then simply changing the blending mode to overlay. I tried different blending modes to see what happens....
The result is much more stone than a proper metal shining, and the texture even if I keep the opacity at 100% is pretty light and it looks like more a body painting than metal.
I tried to create a metal texture in photoshop too, just to see how this could like but it's the same problem.... with the technique I tried it looks to much light and you don't have the perception of metal at all.
Does anyone have a specific experience about or any suggestion?
Thanks in advance :-)
Silvia

[skoobey]

Re: Transform a woman in metal.

You need to do a lot of dodging and burning, there is no shortcut, it is a manual labor.

[silviapasquetto]

Re: Transform a woman in metal.

Hey, skoobey,
thanks a lot for your answer. I know... I'm not looking for a shortcurt: I'm looking for a professional method! I'm a patient retoucher! :-)
Do you think the method I tried is the most suitable one, adding then doodge and burn?
Thanks in advance!
Silvia

[skoobey]

Re: Transform a woman in metal.

What displacement map does is that it stretches things to fit bevels and emboss of the object. That may be ok if you're not meeting an edge, but, once your material needs to "wrap around" something like an arm, leg, side of the face, you get into trouble, because what looked like a properly lit texture from the front all of a sudden looks like a sticker, or flat.

That is because in texture, every portion of it is 3d, so once the things are going around something, the dynamic between texture elements shifts (they get bulgy, closer to each other, and the lighting obviously is affecting them from a different angle).

Displacement map might be a way to go on flatter bits, and then when you need to go around something, you will have to paint it in a bit, doesn't have to be much, but it'll give it that realism.

Depending on the complexity, I would either make a 3d model and blend it with an image, or do a combination of displacement map, painting and dodging an burning. Either way Dodge and burn is your friend.

EDIT: YES, ADD THEN PERFECT WITH PAINTING, CLONING, DNB.

[silviapasquetto]

Re: Transform a woman in metal.

Thanks a lot for your explanations.. I got it! I don't know if I can do all the things you mentioned in a such deep way, but, anyway it's always precious for improving skills, contacting people that are much more beyond my limits.. ... I'm commited to learn, so let's try again.
Thanks
Silvia