Creating Exposed Muscle

[CombatTheWombat]

This is a skinning tutorial documenting how to create exposed muscle, which means muscle that you can see because the skin has been torn or cut away. This technique is very useful for creating Undead units. Follow the simple step by step instructions and look at the attached thumbnail for a picture reference as to what your work should like like during the various steps.

1. Select the area you wish to turn into muscle.

2. Cover the area with a base color.(You can use any color, but I usually go with a dark red.)

3. Use the burn tool size 3; range shadows; exposure 50% to draw a dark line down the middle(or slightly offset to make it look more natural) of the area, then make other lines coming off of it and extending to the sides of your area. Make sure to add some irregularities in the lines, it will look fake and unnatural if all of the lines are exactly the same.

4. Use the dodge tool size 3; range shadows; exposure 50% to draw highlights above approximately 80-90% of the dark lines, once again don't do it on every single line or it will look weird.

5. Use the burn tool size 15-20; range shadows; exposure 10-15% to go all the way around the edges of the area and make them darker. Be sure to go over several times the areas that should be darker than the others I.E. places where the muscle goes under armor, or under flesh, or under bone.

6. Use the burn tool size 2; range shadows; exposure 60% to make some of the lines stemming from the middle one darker, also make some light burns through the dodged lines to break them up a bit, muscle isn't very shiny in real life.

7. Now use the burn tool on the same settings as the first time we used it to significantly darken the first line we made, the one in the middle of your area. Make sure to go over it several times until it is almost black.

8. Final step: Once again take our burn tool size 15-20; range shadows; exposure 10-15% and go around the edges of the area one last time and darken them up. I cant stress enough that you need to make areas where the muscle goes under something darker than the rest of the muscle, or it will look unnatural. One more thing you could do is take the smudge tool size 5; mode normal; pressure 25% and smudge the middle line a bit like I did. This will slightly lighten it and make it so all the smaller lines going into it come together better and look more natural.

Congratulations, you have created some good looking exposed muscle for your next Undead skinning project.(I like my muscle to look dark, like the color of real blood. But if you want it to be lighter you can simply start over with a lighter base color, or quicker and easier just select the muscle area, press CTRL+U and drag the lightness meter to the right until it reaches your satisfactory level.)

If you found this tutorial useful please give credit and +respect to CombatTheWombat. Have fun!

 

[Kimbo]

This...tutorial is graphically wrong, thats not exposed muscle at all and DODGE and BURN is a NO NO. God..stop using them people.

I suggest you study muscles before making them and this tutorial isnt that well written as its hard to follow an art tutorial when there is a block of text and then the images all in one as separate.

 

[wugiboy]

looks a bit like leatherish effect, but not really

 

[CombatTheWombat]

I have looked at muscles and this looks very much like them, and I read the directions after I wrote them several times to see if they made sense, they do. And how would you suggest to do them? Dodge and Burn are like the two most useful tools in photoshop. Everyone uses them because they do stuff nothing else can do. And since my tutorial blows so hard I suggest someone make a tutorial on this same subject so people(including me since I am apparently doing it so horribly wrong)can learn how to make exposed muscles so they can make better undead units.

All you have to do to follow this is read the step, then scroll down and look at the pic, then read the next step and scroll down and look at the next pic and so on and so forth. Its formatted exactly like the how to make hair tutorial that was accepted with no comments on how hard it is to follow.

 

[Kimbo]

Burn and dodge tools are for the LAZY. They do not offer such great freehand control and manipulation and they fuck up the tone and colours (word taken from the mighty TDR and his crusade to stop people that want to fuck their work with tools they dont know how to use but like and rely on).

stop trying to defend it when you dont know how to use it and actually learn to draw/paint digital rather than manipulate with the tool, I know from experience considering i was a dodge/burn/smudge user and as soon as i dropped it my skills advanced and a developed my own unique style and methods which im still expanding. Im not the only one either, take Denu, nivarna and afronight for example.

Iv giving this same advice to many and to stop them from digging a hole in a rock and iv been directing them to dig a hole in the dirt to actually find what they want in a more professional artistic manner than just what is "easy" and "cool".

Dodge and burn were NOT meant for texturing, rather photo touch ups and in realistic work that PRO artists, used for hair, eyes, metal and graphic effects, however what sets them apart from wannabes and them as professionals is that they DO NOT rely on it and know how to use it PROPERLY.

Also, lightness/sat etc graphs and meters are NOT freehand methods nor texturing, they are graphic manipulation and photo effects, do not encourage people to do things on such works.

Also, you arent using layers at all, its best advice to use layers so you manage the process of your work easier and go back on each layer.

1. Base Colour. (the thing you work on, a solid colour, no shading or such. Outline can be done after or before, but best done on a new layer above the base.
3. Secondary colours+Base shading (VERY IMPORTANT)
4. THEN Detail
5. Highlights
And these should be done in layers depending upon their stage.

and Read this:
http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/showpost.php?p=378473&postcount=15

http://orgs.jmu.edu/strength/images/male_muscle_anatomy_lower_leg.gif THIS is the correct anatomy, not just a line with blood red shit.

Also, undead units do NOT have red muscles/flesh, they are often dead muscles and no blood flow, so no reason at all for it to be red unless fresh.

And No, have the images thumbnailed on separate panels on EACH step as its the logical thing to do.

I know I sound harsh, but it's the truth and im giving you CONSTRUCTIVE criticism to open your eyes.

 

[SuPa-]

Dodge and burn is basically using white and black shading that boosts up the contrast of what you're trying to shade with it, in my opinion

 

[CombatTheWombat]

Ummmm, yes, your talking extremely harsh, I take criticism better if it doesnt sound like people are flaming at me, and Ill read that thing you linked to and probably ask some questions.

EDIT: Ummmm, so what should I use for shading? I thought that was like the whole purpose of dodge and burn. And Im confuse on the whole layer thing you were talking about, could you be a little more specific? If I made a separate layer for the outline of something wouldnt it totally block out anything under it and create too much of a solid line between the main body and the outline? Pls gimme some more specific exacmples so I can get better at this stuff.

 

[ragingspeedhorn]

Dodge and burn is not good for skinning, only for general basic image editing if you want to darken something and so on. Generally for more "good looking stuff" it is a big nono.

 

[Kimbo]

EDIT: Ummmm, so what should I use for shading? I thought that was like the whole purpose of dodge and burn. And Im confuse on the whole layer thing you were talking about, could you be a little more specific? If I made a separate layer for the outline of something wouldnt it totally block out anything under it and create too much of a solid line between the main body and the outline? Pls gimme some more specific exacmples so I can get better at this stuff.

Im very sure I covered shading in the other post I linked to, if not, ill type:
1. You just use a NORMAL brush.
2. Have low opacity and DO NOT shade with black and white, you use this, eg:

Darktone=Dark purple or blue.
Midtone=Red.
Lighttone =pale Orange/yellow.


Darktone=Dark blue.
Midtone=Green.
Lighttone =pale yellow.

3.White is used for highlights which give off the finishing detail in work and makes it stand out.

Layers:
I dont use photoshop, but layers should have already transparent layers (called raster layers in paintshop pro) when you add then. That means the layer above it is, well obviously transparent, so if you draw on that transparent upper layer, the changes you draw on that is all that is seen. Work on layers to preserve other changes you make on other layers etc.

 

[CombatTheWombat]

What program do you use? Well anyways I just found a tutorial from another site about skinning in photoshop, so I will read that.

 

[CombatTheWombat]

Holy shat dude, you were right TY so much! I just started this and havent used the burn or dodge tools at all and I can see a HUGE difference in how the bandages wrapped around his head so far look. You delivered the advice in an odd way but you were right, check this out.

ty a ton +rep to you werewulf.

EDIT: I still love what I learned, but I did a few more layers of bandages and looked at the model with my skin on it and found out the wrap on this model is horible, so I will find somewhere else to apply this new knowledge.

 

[Elfsilver Lord]

The muscle does not look realistic, at all. Muscle is more stringy; with layers of white, pink, and red. Look at steak or any raw red meat to sorta get an idea.


Sadly, I do use burn and dodge a lot; with low pressure and opacity, until I familiarize myself with the program.

 

[Mechanical Man]

Lighten and darken tools are sufficient for highlighting and shading, at least for us noobs.

 

[CombatTheWombat]

ummmmm, elfsilver, did you even read the rest of the thread before posting that?

 

[Elfsilver Lord]

Yeah, but increasing your brightness ruins the skin. It makes it look cheesy.

 

[Hawkwing]

The tutorial is clear, organized, etc, but the result isn't very good and the lack of separated pictures amongst the tutorial is a huge factor. I don't really think it can be fixed, only redone.