Painting silk and satin

Until joining SL I only used Photoshop to make simple pictures for my classes. (I am a 1st grade teacher) I know that Photoshop was overkill but, I got it free from my boy friend.

Since joining SL and learning to make clothes, I have learned a lot about PhotoShop’s filters and ability to draw cloth textures. However, I haven’t seen anything on painting a realistic looking silk or sheer satin.

Does anyone have a technique they are willing to share on making silk?

Jen

Silk, satin, and velvet are very difficult to make realistic using only a painted texture. These fabrics change their reflectance depending on how light hits them, which is why they look so interesting in RL. But in SL, the best you can do is to paint in the higlights and shading, and hope it looks OK in most lighting.

One good way to get some insight into this is to pick up a book on portrait painting from your local library or bookstore--the same techniques painters use to paint fabric also work in Photoshop. The key is to think about how light hits the surface, and try to capture that.

I found google to be very helpful in finding photoshop tutorials. "Photoshop silk tutorial" would come up with several techniques. Try all the ones you can find, use the ones that turn out best, and the chances are -- you'll end up creating your own technique. You'll probably also end up with a few techniques to keep in your back pocket for something else down the road. At least that has been my experience so far.

I still consider myself a noob though so what do I know, lol.

Here are some neat sites that I've used to make silks and other fabrics....of course modifications and adjustments for personal preferences are usually needed, but they are nice jumping off points:

http://www.tutorials-photoshop.com/abstracts/fabric-folds2.php

http://www.rnel.net/

Best,
~Ari