I'll be participating at this year's Skin/Shape Expo 2009 with my C-Stylez Body Shapes. It's the first Skin Expo that includes Body Shapes, as far as I'm informed and I think it's a wonderful idea. I would like to thank the people who came up with this project and put it together (KMADD and Team).
The Expo layout has been made very simple and minimalistic, which I really like a lot, since people would mainly go to a fair anyway, to see the product itself and not giant colored candies, sweets, or any cutie pie shit (googie googoo bibi boo boo) etc. Like the last hair fair, which was a catasthrope in my opinion (textures and sculpties not rezzing at all; can't get in cuz region is full; can't buy cuz of lag etc.). Also, this would eliminate too many eyesores and views, that will distract you from the product.
Now speaking of body shapes, many residents basically don't give importance or respect to body shape makers, since they mostly would say, "everyone can do it" and "it's just slider work". They only give high importance to skins, but shapes - no. But what everybody, especially new residents need to understand is that, the shape is as important as the skin, since it's the mesh that holds the painting, which is the skin. Like I said, what is the use of having the best skin, if you still look fugly, because your shape doesn't compliment the skin at all?
I understand, that many skin makers also offer the matching body shapes to their skins, but believe me, most do only concentrate on the face and not the body. Now a good shape maker, concentrates on the whole over all appearance of the avatar, including face and body, to present a skin at it's best. That's what we shape makers basically do.
If you read some of my current posts regarding body shapes, including fugly, distorted, unproportional avatar pictures as examples, which is probably the result when someone says - everyone can do it. Well yeah everyone can really adjust and play with the sliders, but achieving a wow result? Nah!
Don't get me wrong, there are of course lots of shape makers also, who are highly convinced, that the shape they make are great, with this as "convinced" being emphasized, cause the outcome is still fugly. Now if the shape is not modifiable, it's your loss. I personally would never buy a shape that is no mod, that's why I sell all my body shapes, copiable and modifiable.
At first I thought of selling them no-mod first, cuz the danger with a modifiable shape is that, anyone can basically just write down the slider numbers, and sell them as their own. But it's a hell lot of work to do that, considering the how many sliders? I also don't want to have unhappy customers, so if they e.g. think the boobs are too small, they can still increase them.
Now speaking of body shapes, many residents basically don't give importance or respect to body shape makers, since they mostly would say, "everyone can do it" and "it's just slider work". They only give high importance to skins, but shapes - no. But what everybody, especially new residents need to understand is that, the shape is as important as the skin, since it's the mesh that holds the painting, which is the skin. Like I said, what is the use of having the best skin, if you still look fugly, because your shape doesn't compliment the skin at all?
I understand, that many skin makers also offer the matching body shapes to their skins, but believe me, most do only concentrate on the face and not the body. Now a good shape maker, concentrates on the whole over all appearance of the avatar, including face and body, to present a skin at it's best. That's what we shape makers basically do.
If you read some of my current posts regarding body shapes, including fugly, distorted, unproportional avatar pictures as examples, which is probably the result when someone says - everyone can do it. Well yeah everyone can really adjust and play with the sliders, but achieving a wow result? Nah!
Don't get me wrong, there are of course lots of shape makers also, who are highly convinced, that the shape they make are great, with this as "convinced" being emphasized, cause the outcome is still fugly. Now if the shape is not modifiable, it's your loss. I personally would never buy a shape that is no mod, that's why I sell all my body shapes, copiable and modifiable.
At first I thought of selling them no-mod first, cuz the danger with a modifiable shape is that, anyone can basically just write down the slider numbers, and sell them as their own. But it's a hell lot of work to do that, considering the how many sliders? I also don't want to have unhappy customers, so if they e.g. think the boobs are too small, they can still increase them.
Now if you start putting all the hours of work into writing down someone else's body shape settings, you will find out, that it would be more worth it for you, to create your own product to sell. Especially if you want to put your own "signature" into your creation.
I noticed for example that every shape, that any random skin maker does, kinda says it's from them, just like skins. Some tend to add more jowls, some tend to narrow the nose bridge more and so on, because every creator has got their own definition of beauty... a matter of taste?
My shapes for example are made especially for real women (especially curvy). And when I mean "real", well they have body fat. My target groups are not girls or teens, who rather favor the barbie or cutie look, or more rather anime or just a super slender type.
I noticed for example that every shape, that any random skin maker does, kinda says it's from them, just like skins. Some tend to add more jowls, some tend to narrow the nose bridge more and so on, because every creator has got their own definition of beauty... a matter of taste?
My shapes for example are made especially for real women (especially curvy). And when I mean "real", well they have body fat. My target groups are not girls or teens, who rather favor the barbie or cutie look, or more rather anime or just a super slender type.
All skins that I use for my available body shapes are either owned by me or my alts. I don't buy skins, only to create shapes, since that would be too expensive and also, it wouldn't be worth the investment in my opinion, especially considering the mindset of many, regarding body shapes (like most residents believe everyone can make a GREAT shape). My main avie alone, owns too many skins already.
I thought of making more shapes with some of my older skins, but unfortunately, they don't work well with the windlight lighting, since lots of shadings are hardly there, so that they almost disappear in pictures, thus making the skins look flat(e.g. Naughty Designs and Celestial Studios).
The skins of those two designers I last mentioned, used to be one of my favorite skins. Celestial Studios "Charm" was the very first high quality skin I wore in SL, during my noob days, and I wore it at least for half a year. Then I switched to Naughty's Zoe, which I also wore for another half year. Pretty bad, they didn't release anything new anymore since years. They would probably be still one of the top skin makers in SL.
Let me say it like this, if a skin doesn't convince me, I won't make a shape using it, since the result wouldn't satisfy me. That is probably one reason, why I don't sell too many shapes. I was even on a skin look-out for the last weeks, trying to find a great skin that would inspire me, and so far there where only 2 I found. Brows, brows, brows... that's all I can say. I'm very critical when it comes to eyebrows. If I would have to choose between 2 skins, the one with the better eyebrows, would of course win. I don't want surprised looking brows, clown shaped or brows that make me look angry or sad.
Speaking of the skins I own. The shapes that I sell are not the same shape that I use for my avies, when using those skins. My own shape is for example not perfect, since my avie is suppose to have some RL features of me. So when I use the skin I wear for example, on a new body shape, that I would sell, I mainly start from scratch, which is --> body parts --> create new shape. This means also, that all my shapes definitely don't originate from an existing shape. They all differ from each other.
A couple of reasons why someone would want to buy a shape:
-To save time. Not everyone has hours and hours of time to spend in SL
-To achieve the exact look of the shown model
-No patience in creating one
-No skills in creating one
-The shape matches their skin perfectly
-They simply got the cash to spend
I especially created 5 new body shapes for the Expo, which will only be available there, during the Expo. 50% of my "Romance" Body Shape proceeds will go to the "Susan G. Komen - The Cure" Charity. I'm also releasing my "Shy" Body Shape as an Expo Freebie, which will only be available there.
I thought of making more shapes with some of my older skins, but unfortunately, they don't work well with the windlight lighting, since lots of shadings are hardly there, so that they almost disappear in pictures, thus making the skins look flat(e.g. Naughty Designs and Celestial Studios).
The skins of those two designers I last mentioned, used to be one of my favorite skins. Celestial Studios "Charm" was the very first high quality skin I wore in SL, during my noob days, and I wore it at least for half a year. Then I switched to Naughty's Zoe, which I also wore for another half year. Pretty bad, they didn't release anything new anymore since years. They would probably be still one of the top skin makers in SL.
Let me say it like this, if a skin doesn't convince me, I won't make a shape using it, since the result wouldn't satisfy me. That is probably one reason, why I don't sell too many shapes. I was even on a skin look-out for the last weeks, trying to find a great skin that would inspire me, and so far there where only 2 I found. Brows, brows, brows... that's all I can say. I'm very critical when it comes to eyebrows. If I would have to choose between 2 skins, the one with the better eyebrows, would of course win. I don't want surprised looking brows, clown shaped or brows that make me look angry or sad.
Speaking of the skins I own. The shapes that I sell are not the same shape that I use for my avies, when using those skins. My own shape is for example not perfect, since my avie is suppose to have some RL features of me. So when I use the skin I wear for example, on a new body shape, that I would sell, I mainly start from scratch, which is --> body parts --> create new shape. This means also, that all my shapes definitely don't originate from an existing shape. They all differ from each other.
A couple of reasons why someone would want to buy a shape:
-To save time. Not everyone has hours and hours of time to spend in SL
-To achieve the exact look of the shown model
-No patience in creating one
-No skills in creating one
-The shape matches their skin perfectly
-They simply got the cash to spend
I especially created 5 new body shapes for the Expo, which will only be available there, during the Expo. 50% of my "Romance" Body Shape proceeds will go to the "Susan G. Komen - The Cure" Charity. I'm also releasing my "Shy" Body Shape as an Expo Freebie, which will only be available there.
It's definitely your chance to compare many available shapes at this years Expo, to see for yourself, what I'm talking about. Go ahead and convince yourself. Lots of demos available there and there's no harm in trying.
Here's a sneak preview of my new Body Shapes:
Here's a sneak preview of my new Body Shapes:
You can teleport straight to my Expo stand if you wish. Just click on my in world profile, it's on my picks. Don't forget, the Expo will start this Saturday, September 26th and will end on October 10th. Hope to see you all there!
Yours
Can'Tell
