More Awesome Than You!

I really wasn't sure where to put this one so if it is in the wrong place, please forgive my dumb ass!

I've been TRYING unsuccessfully to create sims that look like people I know, celebs, etc. using the photo skinning method.  I have used the tutorial that is located at Anna's Reich (Oepu), and 2 different ones posted at MTS2.  I have printed them out and followed each one step by step and I still can not do this.  I haven't figured out WHY I am having such a problem because when it comes to photo manipulation (for lack of a better term) in Photoshop, I can do almost anything.  Anything but this.

Last night I worked with the first tutorial I mentioned for 2 hours.  My goal was producing Queen Latifah.  What I ended up with was an attractive African American woman but it was NOT her.  I tried doing my daughter, my step-daughter and my daughter's favorite actress Amanda Bines.  Nothing.

So what I am asking in my ignorance is, to anyone who does this and is good at it, what tutorial did you use when you started, if any, and what tips do you have?  This can't be as hard as it seems.  Can it?

Photoskinning is more of an artistry / textures skill than a Simmerizing / Sim hacking skill. Sims how-to guides won't help much with learning how to texture a 3d object, I'm afraid. If you aren't already adept at using Painter or Photoshop techniques and pixel-painting and layers, you have a lot of practice ahead.

Also, there's a current thread on the drawbacks of photoskinned Sims (titled something like "My BodyShop is Borked, HALP!!). Breeding Sims with photoskinned features causes a lot of problems. Only photoskin if you are certain your Sim won't breed. Otherwise, learn to use sliders in BodyShop to make Sims that look like celebs.

Are you thinking of this one (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,10806.0.html) with the quadbrowed baby?

Another alternative is to use the photoskinning method to make a full face makeup, and combine that with the usual feature-tweaking until it looks right. Makeup isn't hereditary, so spawn would still be normal.

I would recommend a bit more patience - 2 hours is NOTHING. Also don't expect your first few tries to be successful. Plus, there are faces that just cannot be simified due to the fact that sim faces are axis-symmetric, most human faces (especially the really interesting ones) are not. Just look at the celebs who had been photo skinned successfully - it's mostly people with very regular faces.

Two hours is NOTHING!?  Oh dear Lord...

Photoshop is the easy part.  Or so I THOUGHT.  I've only worked with layers to do glitter graphics in the past.  Never really tried the 3D thing until now.  My hubby says I have no depth preception so maybe that is it!  ;)

I bought that program you can use to make sims but guess what?  It sucks.  I can't even remember the name of it off the top of my head other than the word GOLD is in it.


So what you suggest it to just tweak the sim in Bodyshop until it looks like who I want it to.  That is going to be harder than using Photoshop! lol  I'll try that then.  I am guessing that is how the people over at MTS2 do it then, right?  They ask for photos of you facing forward and not smiling, a profile and a 3/4 view.  I guess if I accidently did my step-daughter I can do other people too.

I think...

Thanks for all of the pointers everyone!  I really do appreciate it! ;D

Never, ever pay for any items nor programs for the Sims that aren't made by EA. They don't have the right to charge for them, and nine times out of ten they are crap compared to what's out there for free.

I'm not sure if this is usable for Sims, but I just stumbled™ across this tutorial: http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/tutorials/photoshop/noesis_photoshop/index.html