Should I make a Character Texture Painting Tutorial for the Wiki? (Page 1 of 3)

I'd say a big yes.

Please! This is what I have been doing for the longest. I finally found an understandable tutorial on head modeling for characters. I have been trying to use PROJECT FROM VIEW UV mapping in Blender to get a quick texture. I have a decent workflow now.

Please, I would like a tutorial (especially of its super easy)

Did you UV unwrap?

I am going to dump the images here first then fill the tutorial in with instructions, its geared for those who only have limited blender experience. Note: I might have some of the images out of order on accident, there was a lot of pictures but I will fix them.

Project File to follow along with. https://zester.googlecode.com/files/Project.zip

Step 1
Open the UV/Image Editor

Step 2
Create a new blank texture 2048x2048 and name it "Diffuse"

Step 3
We are going to fill the blank texture with the UV Grid, this is useful in combination with blenders UV tools to look for any stretching with the UV's
Note: Blender has one of the most Advanced UV Editors that exists, if nothing else in Pro VFX work its used for that, ill show you how to use the advance UV editing features in another tutorial.

Step 4
Create a new Material

Step 5
Open the Texture Tab and create a new texture if one doesnt already exist.

Step 6
Choose the "Diffuse texture we just created."

Step 7
Change the mapping from "Generated" to "UV"

Step 8
With your mouse cursor over your modeling view press the "N" key to open up the "Viewport Properties" panel and scroll down to the "Display" tab and change that from "Multitexture" to "GLSL"

Step 9
Note: This is out of order.

Step 10
Create a new "Brush" and ...

Step 11
Open the "HeadAndFaceReference.jpg" image

Step 12
Rename your Bush Image to "FaceReferance"

Step 13
Change to "Texture Paint Mode"

Step 14
If the Texture Paint Mode side Panel isn't already open then open it by pressing the "T" key

Step 15
Turn the "Strength" of your "Brush" all the way up

Step 16
Scroll down to the "Texture" tab and open it if its not already showing, choose the "FaceReferance" image if it isnt already selected and change the "Mode" to "Stencil"

Step 17
When you move your mouse cursor over the viewport you should now see the semi transparent "FaceReferance" image being projected over your model.

Projection Painting Controls

1. Right Mouse Button (RMB) down at the same time and moving your mouse will move the reference image around.

2. SHIFT + Right Mouse Button (RMB) down at the same time while moving your mouse will scale the image Up & Down.

3. CTRL + Right Mouse Button (RMB) down at the same time while moving your mouse will rotate the reference image.

4. SHIFT + Right Mouse Button (RMB) down at the same time and Click/Release Y or X key and moving your mouse will scale the reference image on the Y or X axis only.

Step 18
Our Characters Dimensions and the Dimensions of our reference image will more than likely be different so start small on key areas like the "Mouth" and just start painting.

Step 19
When your "Mouse Cursor" leaves your viewport the "Reference Image" will disappear so you can see your progress more clearly

Step 20
Paint the "Eyes" an then "Nose" next.

Step 21
Its looking good

You will be hard pressed to find really high quality free reference images to use, what I do is look for individual photos of different parts of the body (Face, Chest, Back, Arms, Legs, ...) and then do color correction (Color Balance) and save those setting and apply that to the rest of my reference photo's.

Senshi Stock (Lots of free Reference Poses, mostly female some male)
Note: You need a deviantart account its free to create one.
http://senshistock.deviantart.com/gallery/

kristinkk (Both male and female models)
Note: You need a deviantart account its free to create one.
http://kristinkk.deviantart.com/gallery/

I will post more resources as I find them.

Last edited by zester (2013-10-02 19:08:30)

Hee thanks I appreciate the love Good to be back I enjoy this community.

Oh I have a tip for makehuman .....

The best way to get a lowpoly model out of makehuman without all the extra rigging and others stuff, is like so I do this because the makehuman importer for blender is flaky and never includes the proxy models.

Step 1
Click on "Geometries" then "Proxies"

Step 2
In the right side panel choose the proxy you want to use there is 3 differant levels of detail from "Normal" to "Ultra Low Poly."

Step 3
In the "Toolbar" click on the save file icon, then in the "Left Side Panel" click on "Wavefront Obj" enter a new name for your file and click the export button.

Then paint and rig in your favorite 3d package.

Also if you click on the little "Net" icon in the "Toolbar" you can enable "Wireframe" view to get a better idea what your characters mesh will look like.

Ultra Lowpoly

Normal 16k Poly

Last edited by zester (2013-10-02 19:48:37)

Zester, what version of makehuman do you have? How do I get it? Because my version does not look anything like yours.

I just found it! WOW! I can't believe that ALL THIS TIME I have been using the alpha version. I just downloaded the nightly build and WOW! haha

Thanks zester!

HAHA! This is TOO EASY. Was able to do this in a matter of minutes:

Same model different texture:

Last edited by Tutorial Doctor (2013-10-02 21:14:42)

Okay, finished a full model. I just used a solid color that was sampled from the UV editor (from the face texture) and painted the rest of the body that color.

You're right! haha. That is exactly what I was thinking of. haha.

yikes! haha.

This does make not hate Blender so much now. hehe.

I still have issues with it, but at least I can actually do some stuff with Maratis now (stuff I have been working on)

I am trying to get it hooked up to some bvh files as I type.

That Skyrim screenshot inspired me to speed model some armor, 60 secs. Once again something anyone with basic modeling skills can do.