Help with skin texture?

[CybrGfx]

The proportions look really wonky on the cheeks, the nose, the mouth, the lips...

Your basic values are very harsh and high contrast.
Would you mind posting the ref. pic?
It might not be you, it might be the photo you are using...

The skin texture looks like suede, not skin. But the eye can't stay focused on the skin texture, the too soft edges and bad values overpower the eye.

Also, from a very basic compositional standpoint, what is the purpose of the weird cut off of the face? You have far too much negative space on the left, which is okay, if you are designing a book cover, or magazine spread, to allow for text. As an image, it's bad. You have a vertical bisection of your canvas with the hair, and all that empty space is unbalanced (on top of all your other issues...)

~C

[CommanderNibbles]

Cyber - Thanks for the critique. I don't mind hearing about whats wrong with it, but i'm posting because i would like some tips or techniques on how to make it better. I know it's definitely not a finished product and thats why im posting in WIP... Any specific tools or links to tutorials is what im after. I want to learn how professionals create various skin types. Please keep in mind that I am truly an amateur... This is one of the first faces (or anything for that matter) i've ever drawn in photoshop.

As for the compositon, this is a duplicate of an image from a magazine spread. I dont care to much about the image itself right now....just was interested in the creation of skin texture on the side, thus the title of my post...

[CybrGfx]

The thing is, that there is no one way to get skin texture, because it is so dependent upon SO MANY variables. Lighting, flooring, walls, camera angle, etc.

That is why the rest of the image is important. Not so much for overall aesthetics (although they, too, ARE an important consideration), but to give you guidelines on how to detail the skin texture. Elsewise, you could take a canvas, divide it into 10, 20, 100 squares, and spend your entire day doing nothing but rendering various skin texture.

As for tutorials, again, it depends on your composition, and what effect you are stiving for.
It's ludicrous to be attempting high realism on a skin texture, when you the face is so distorted it looks like a caricature. You want tutorials, do a Web Search. Skin texture tutorials run the gamut from "plastic smoothing" to "old, wrinkley, and gnarled." There is no one or two techniques that will cover all situations. Your suede skin is as good as any if this it your skill level for portraits, just place it over a solid skin tone, at a reduced opacity, so it will look slightly less "textured."

I need not keep in mind that you are an "amateur." We ALL were amateurs once. The way you improve is by learning. You learn by being told things. I told you quite simply that your contrast values will make it hard to paint a decent skin, and that because you did not take your time to carefully draw the face to match your reference, you have enough bad anatomy issues that, combined with the bad values, make skin texture the very least of your concerns at this stage of the game...

You ALSO stated at the end of your post that Any feedback on the drawing itself is welcome too.Spare us any arguments or excuses. The feedback I gave you is far more important to your technical skills at this stage, than worrying about painting skin texture.

~C

[wo0lF]

http://chrisscalf.deviantart.com
He make pictures foto-real. Ask him if he can give you any advice:)
He had a lot of problems with skin textures in beging too but now he is master.

[CommanderNibbles]

Thanks! very heplful!

[slowgolde]

Hey,

I remember a great tutorial/guide on skin tones at www.furiae.com (http://www.furiae.com) , I'm pretty sure it's still up there. It's mainly a few thoughts on colour, but I think once you get those dialled you'll find the texture is less important. I can understand why you started in black & white, but you might find it easier after looking at the guide. Overlaying pore/skin textures is always difficult as it's so easy to make it look flat/uniform and cg like. I'd concentrate on looking at how the skin reacts to light and colour- after that you might find even the most boring of scatter brushes will give you the realism you desire, just with a suggestion of pores/makeup/scars etc.

Good luck! :)

Oh, and get a cheap graphics tablet (with pressure sensitivity)- it'll make your life alot easier!

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