Friday, July 6, 2012

Playing in Photoshop

I was playing in Photoshop with effects to spruce up my pics some and came up with this.



New shapes out now: Britt and Jolene




Oceane's Bardot full Makeups











Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Shapes (FAQ)

Q: Do you adjust your shapes to my likings?
A: Sure, send me your wishes in a notecard and I will reply.
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Q: Can I get a Chichi face with a Terry body?
A: Yes. send me your wishes in a notecard and I will reply. 
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Q: I want a totally new shape and it should be named after me. I know exactly what I want: I want to look like Brigitte Bardot.
A: A shape and a skin always work together. So it depends on the skin also what the results will be. Luckily I can provide both. Send me a notecard and will reply.
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Q: I need a shape that fits a mesh dress but I like one of you shapes so much. Can you tweak it for a mesh dress?
A: Yes I can. Send me a notecard and name it after you.
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Q: Can you make a completely new custom shape for me?
A: Yes. Write down the info I need to have. You need to be as thorough as possible because I can't read minds yet although I am trying hard. This means: send me pictures or any examples (urls) you want me to have.
I DO NOT MAKE COPIES OF SHAPES MADE BY OTHER DESIGNERS!!!!
So you cannot ask me to make a shape that 's a look alike made by another designer, because it's not modyfiable and you want to be able to mod it.
My shapes are all mod and copy, no trans. It is possible for you to adjust it yourself also. Which is needed because with mesh and prims you cannot always have the same shape.




Several questions (FAQ)

Q: I would like a make-up combined with a tattoo (picture in this case like a real life tattoo) on a certain spot of my body. Can you do that? 
A: Yes, but keep in mind that I can do this only within SL limitations. Send me a notecard and I will reply. 
You need to be the owner of that tattoo and it can be send to my email adress full perm, on a transparent layer. If I have to cut the image out  from the background (because you saw something online and you def want it) then it takes time to make that. It depends on your request how much time. However: you will have a unique body tattoo! 
I will also ask you to pay me 50% upfront. 
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Q: Why do I have to pay for your group?
A: I am a hard working designer that tries to make your SL life more beautiful. I spend a lot of time in SL but I also have to eat and pay the rent. So it's a choice. My choice is to be in Sl and design, which makes me happy, but I can't do it all for free. Do you wonder why some of your favorite designers choose to quit their business in SL or why they don't have the time to design more? This is why. You need us and we need you, it's as simple as that.
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Q: Why can't I get a refund?
A: All my stuff is non trans and therefore I can't refund you. However if you bought the same product twice within a month then I can. I need your transaction history for that. 
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Q: Can I please be your model?
A: I usually do not hire models. It's much easier for me to be my own model, because coaching someone takes a lot of work and efforts and I don't have the time. Sometimes I make an exception though. Your portfolio needs to be top notch, which means you only work with the best photographers and top brands in SL, bloggers and so on.
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Q: I am a stylist, can you use my services?
A: I am not sure what you mean by that. If it means you ask me 20k to come up with  for a great style then no, sorry, that's a no go. If you love to combine styles together and want to use my skins and makeups, eyes etc  (in other words you need my sponsoring) then I am happy to do so.... if:
- you can show me what you already did on that field
- if I like what I see 
- if you add up to my expectations (which always comes down to network, pictures and a personal click.) 
Show me what you got. Then I will decide. 
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Q: Can I please be your blogger? 
A: I am delighted you want to blog about my products. But if this means you want me to send you free stuff then there are some rules. Now this is tricky stuff here, I don't want to step on toes, but please understand my point of view. Blogging about skins and make-ups requires knowledge of what you are doing and the drive to make fantastic pics. If your pictures are not doing justice to my products then I won't send you my items for free. Unfortunately this happens a lot. I am not keen on effects in pictures,which makes my skins and makeups totally different then how I made them. 
I am not talking about creative work such as model pictures or art work, because every artist is free to create what they want. I would never ever have comment on that, do whatever you want with what you bought from me, I am totally fine with it. However, this is different when it comes to blogging. Free publicity is great but if you make my stuff look horrid then I won't support you on that, because it pains me. And trust me, I have seen that many times, because EVERYBODY blogs. As a writer, editor and journalist in RL I know enough about blogging to understand what is going on and how it works. I worked for female magazines and worked with tons of PR agency's. 
A huge issue for me are the pictures with jagged edges and bad lightings and shades. 
My skins do not need much effects to be honest. I usually crop mine, work on the edges some because SL mesh can make the edges jagged. That' s it basically. Sometimes I soften it a bit but I would never sharpen certain area's or do other different effects to them for a vendor picture to make them look better. Simply because they are already great. If you use a bad windlight effect then yes, the skin doesn' t quite look good. In this case it's really not beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it's about knowledge of what you are doing in Photoshop. I just want to sell what the picture promises, and be honest about it. What you see is what you get with me. Always.
So if you want to be my blogger then please send me a notecard with information, your flickr pages and your blog so I can have a look. I also want to know how it's doing traffic wise and how long you are a blogger. If this all adds up to my expectations I will welcome you with open arms and send you my stuff on a regular basis. 
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Q: Can I please be your photographer?
A: Usually I do my own photography, but sometimes I will ask a photographer to make a special picture. If you are interested then send me your flickr pages and your pricelist. A lot has to do with personal taste of course.
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Q: I want to create shapes with your skins. Can you sponsor me?
A: Sometimes I do. But only if you have a decent shop and already built a name as a shape creator. Which means you are in the business for some time and you are promoting your stuff as passionate as I do mine. You usually make shapes also for other top brands. Please send me a notecard with info and I will get back to you. I have demo's of all skins and makeups and you can use that, of course. If you are going to promote the shape in your shop and marketplace I might sponsor you but only on the conditions I already mentioned and not always. Please do not send me your shape, also not full perm, because I will decline it. And sending me an IM with: "Your shapes stink, I can do much better"  won't impress me at all. 
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Q: I am a designer and want to use your skins, makeups and shapes in my vendor pictures. Can you sponsor me with your products?
A: I sometimes sponsor top brands with some items and only when they are in the business for some time, at least 3 years. Do you use a model fo your pictures then send me a notecard with the name of that model and I will reply. Which doesn't mean this is a yes.
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Q: I have a mall and I would like to offer you a shop for a very good price. Are you interested?
A: Maybe, but I usually decline. Send me a notecard with the info. We'll see.

About Oceane's skins (FAQ)

Q: Is it possible to get a body with different nipples? 
A: Sure. If you want one of my skins combined with another skin, or a change on the body (pubic hair in a certain shape or no blush or a makeup on that skin) then that's possible. Make a notecard with your request and describe it thoroughly.

For instance:
Face: Lauren natural skin
Body: Toni
Tan: Honey
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Q: is it possible to combine one of the natural skins with a makeup that I like, so I don't have it on a seperate layer? 
A: Yes. Make a notecard with your request and describe it thoroughly.
For instance:
Face:  Terry natural skin
Body: Toni
Tan: Latte
Makeup: Lauren soft and sexy or Cat Red tattoo layer full makeup etc.
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Q: Do you sell hairbases or skins with hairbase? And do you have matching eyebrows with that?
A: Yes. Make a notecard for me with your request and describe it thoroughly. For instance:
Face:  Terry natural skin
Tan: Cream
Haircolor: Truth Blood
Brows: Truth Blood
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Q:  I want a Lauren skin in a darker suntan or in a very pale vampire tan.
A: Make a notecard for me with your request and describe it thoroughly. Include pictures with the tan you have in mind from what you found on for example internet. 
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Q: I want a natural skin line with a full makeup line baked on that skin like you did with Terry, Lauren, Jade. 
A: If you made a choice out of the many skins I have with baked makeup then send me a notecard with the names and I will reply on that. 
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Q: What is the difference between a natural skin and the other skins you have? 
A: Back in the days it was only possible to buy skins with a makeup baked on it. This means the makeup is blended in the skin, you can not take it off like with a tattoo layer. A natural skin is a skin without makeup or has only a light blush. 
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Q: Do you take orders for a completely new skin from scratch?
A: That depends. making a skin from scratch takes months. I can do that but I prefer to make a combination of skins I already have. It's really up to you and your wallet.
Make a notecard with your request and describe it thoroughly.
For instance:
Face:  Dark thick brows
Body: (choose from one of the skins I have, there are many options) or add here what your choice is. Some people like to have small nipples, hard nipples, light or dark nipples, soft nipples etc. This is just an example.
Tan: Purple.
Other requests:  

Always make a notecard with your name and send it to me with a thorough description of your request. I will reply to you and let you know how much time it will take and maybe some questions if they come up.
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Q: Can I buy a full perm skin from you or a custom skin that you won't sell to others?
A: You cannot buy a full perm skin from me. Yes you can buy a custom made skin that I won't sell to others. If you want that send me a notecard and I will send you my pricelist.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

About Oceane's makeups...(FAQ)

I often get a lot of questions about my creations. People want me to make a new skin, or a special makeup on a skin or a shape. Almost everything is possible, but some things need to be explained.
So here are a few questions. Feel free to comment.

Q: I want one full makeup on one tattoo layer. Is that possible?
A: Yes. If you are not using Firestorm or the official SL viewer 2.0+ which offer multiple layering up to 5 layers then you probably want your makeup made on one layer.
This is what you need to do: Choose your favorite eyeshadow and lipstick combination in my store and send me the notecard with your request. I add 50L to the regular price of a full makeup which is 250L. 
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Q: I like your lipsticks but some of them don't fit my skin. The lips on my skin are bigger and my lipstick layer doesnt cover that. Can you do something about it? 
A: Most of the time I can. I can change make a lipstick of mine into wider or bigger (or smaller even) so it will fit the lips on a particular skin made by another designer or another skin by me. 
Send me a notecard with a picture (Close headshot), the name of your skin and the designer that made it. This can be a skin made by any skin designer that still sells their skins in SL.If it's one of my own skins just put the name in the notecard. For instance:


Skin: Lauren skin, Oceane Body Design, honey tan
Lipstick you want on that skin: Terry lips into the night.

I will reply on that and tell you how much it will cost. I can't say upfront yet because it depends on how many lipsticks you want and how much time it will take me to tweak the lips.
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Q: Why is it important for you to know the tan? I want to be able to wear my lips on any skin.
A: I need to know the tan because the color of the lips look different on a very pale skin in comparison to a very dark skin and vice versa. Some lip colors just don't look good on dark or pale and need adjustment.
However, the lips I make are perfect cut outs, no mistake about that. It is possible to wear the lips on any skin or tan, it's just that the color might not give a good result. It could look like it's pasted on your skin instead of painted, which would look more natural.
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Q: Can I order a lipstick in another color that is not available in your store?
A: Yes, you can. Make a notecard with your name and add pictures, url's, foto's, any example that shows the color you want. Also important: the color of your skin. 
If you want another eyeshadow or nailpolish, then same answer. Another color is possible, but I have to test it. 
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Q: How do you make make-ups?
A: Well I suppose I can tell you some things, just not all:)
There are many ways to make make-ups and a high quality make-up always takes lots of efforts.
I am a professional photoshop artist, I do it every day for over 12 years, but even for me some makeups require more skills then others. Lips are difficult. That has to do with the mesh and it has to do with shadings and highlights. Place a few pixels wrong and your lips will bleed.
If I work with photo's I make a cut out of the lips, then an alpha layer and brush away what I don' t need. I make sure it fits the template of Chip Midnight or/and Robin Wood. Of course I use one of my own skin templates. Then I start with blending effects, use dodge and burn where needed, draw lines where needed and so on. This is an intense process. I make a selection of the lips and add layers for coloring, balance, levels, curves or whatever is neede. When I am fully satisfied I start testing them one by one to see how it looks on different tans and skins. So yeah... sometimes I work 2 weeks on lips, sometimes even longer because often I need to put it away to look at it the next day with another view. The coloring of the lips is not simply sliding your RGB one from one number to another, it doesn't work that way. Not for me.
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Q: I have seen lipsticks from another designer but I don't like the color. Can you make them for me?
A: No. I do NOT want to copy someone elses work. I am far too vain to do that and way too proud on my own work. Like any other designer I tend to be unique. The only thing I am offering is to adjust a makeup made by me in a different color (or width). I cannot do that for someone elses lipsticks.  
If you like lips of another designer and want those in another color just contact that designer. Please respect my and someone elses work.
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Q: I have an idea for a new fantastic make-up. Can you make that for me?
A: I can make almost anything within SL's limits of course. However, as I explained before, a complete new make-up is time consuming. So it depends on how big your wallet is actually. It works like this for me: Send me a notecard with everything you want me to know about your idea. I will send you my price list. If you agree on what I charge you send me 50% upfront and I start working. 
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Q: But what if I just want to share my idea with you and not have the money to pay you for this custom makeup? 
A: Then you have to wait until I either have time or the urge to make it. If I ever will.