How Graphic Dix Makes Amazing Post-Processed SL Images

You may remember this wholly awesome SL-based image by Graphic Dix, which I avidly blogged about recently. (Turns out it's the cover of the latest Modavia Fashion Directory, with Queen Watanabe posing.) While it is heavily post-processed, it's done so with such artistry, I asked Graphic Dix more about his technique. In real life, he tells me, he's a graphic designer in advertising (no surprise there), an Italian living near Milan (pleasant surprise there.)

So how does Graphic Dix do it? If you create post-processed SL images, you'll want to click "Continue reading", and start taking notes from the master:

"The goal was trying to create a warm image with a Spanish atmosphere, like in a Almodovar's movie; very rich then but simple and couture... Thought Paper Couture's style (the designer of the clothes and jewelry you can see in the photo) would be well suited with that atmosphere. If you take a look at their skins or other creations you will understand what I mean. They are amazing and they don't just try to look realistic, but also create a recognizable style...

"I took that pic working with local lighting (projector lights) in-world using the official SL viewer (lastest version) on a iMac with an ATI graphic card. Then I edited the pic in Photoshop CS5 using a Wacom tablet to add some effects. I had to work on the pic, cropping out the image on the foreground using the path tool, then I had to manually draw shadows and lights (I use SL shadows just to understand how they work on the shapes.)

"I did draw the legs using the same path tool (original legs were weird) and the fur and the cigarette smoke using a Photoshop brush. Then I created the background by superimposing various images. In the end, I added light reflections on the jewelry, beams of light to focus the eyes on the head of the avatar, and a steel bar to get more depth with a third level...

"After all this I did work with several photo filters and adjustment layers to make sure all the colors and things were consistent with each other. I could have been more realistic, trying to create like a real photo image, but in this case, I wanted almost to feel like the brush on a canvas, to get more warmth and atmosphere. For that reason, lights and shadows are not blurred but dry, neat."

Now that you have a clue as to how Mr. Graphic Dix does it, go to his Flickr stream and see the results.

Comments

[Seymore Steamweaver]

So great. As a graphic designer myself this was some great insight to his process. Thanks for pursuing the interview.

[Vanadis Falconer]

Interesting, myself experimenting with a "National Geographic-filter" for GIMP to get the pictures to "stand out". The problem is that not all sims has the same settings. Some of my origin snapshoots is sharper and brighter then others. But I have taken my blog images to a new level.