Create Easy to use Hairtextures
Ok, let’s make some “Easy to use Hairtextures”!
Easy to use? Read the post: Texture those Hair-Prims to get a glimpse of why this kind of hairtextures is easy to work with.
The goal of this tutorial is to make two hairtextures: One ordinary and one with an Alpha channel to create transparent fringed ends.
There are surely many, many ways to make hairtextures - but this is one way that works for me. Also, the settings and steps in this tutorial are just my basic steps. Use your fantasy and your own settings, and you’ll create your own style! 
For this tutorial I’m using Photoshop CS, but I’m sure you can make it work with older or newer versions, PS Elements and other graphic programs, like Paint Shop Pro, Gimp etc.
BUT! Your program must have functions for layers, transparency and Alpha channels - and you have to be able to save your files as TARGA (TGA) files.
OK! Let’s start!
1. Create a feeling of hair
In the first part I’m going to create the “hairlooking” layer using a basic - rather ugly - colour. I’m going to use copys of that layer later to create the REAL haircolour. So never mind the colour at this point! OK?
Create a new file. Select: File/New from the top menu bar and create a new file size
3000 x 3000 pixels. (Big, huh? We’re gonna crop it later!)
I named the file: Hairtexture.
Change the foreground-colour to this brown colour: R:126 G:80 B:28 (#7E501C).
Switch foreground-colour and change this one to a pink-beige colour: R:247 G:215 B:158 (#F7D79E).
Now select the Gradient Fill Tool.
We’re not going to use the dafault settings!
Have a look at the the picture: Use the fourth gradient from the left. Mode: Normal / Opacity: 100%.
Gradient-fill the layer from the middle to the top.
Now your file should something look like this.
Select Filter/Noise/Add Noise from the top menu bar.
Settings: 100%/Gaussian/Monochromatic.
Select Filter/Blur/Motion Blur from the top menu bar.
Settings: 90º/20 pixels.
Now some colour adjustment. This will make the colours in this layer warmer, witch will work better later when you create the actual haircolour based on this one.
Select Image/Adjustments/Color Balance from the top menu bar.
Settings: +100/-100/-100.
This will turn your texture VERY red.
Select Image/Adjustments/Hue&Saturation from the top menu bar.
Settings: +30/-60/0.
This will turn your texture back to a brown colour - but with a warmer shade.
Something like this!
A ‘feeling of hair’!!
2. Resize the image by Cropping
At this point you have to decide what size your hairtexture should be. Hairtextures shouldn’t be too high in resolution. In my humble opinion 256 x 256 pixels works best. It’s quite enough visually and doesn’t take ages to load… And that’s the size that will work best for this tutorial.
Ok! So we’re going to crop the texture-file. NOO! Not resize the whole image: CROP!
Select Image/Canvas size from the top menu bar.
Make sure the anchor square is the middle one and crop the canvas to: 256 x 256 pixels.
When a pop-up asks you if you wanna clip the canvas click: Proceed!
Now you have a hairtexture-file that is 256 x 256 pixels to work with.
Looks something like this!
I named this layer: Hair.
3. Alpha Channel
Of course you want some of your hair prims to have fringed transparent ends (that’s what you would want to use on most Flexi Prims!). That’s why we now will create an Alpha Channel!
Make a copy of the layer ‘Hair’. Make sure that the layer ‘Hair copy’ is selected.
First lets roughen up the ends of the texture - to make it more look like ‘hairtips’.
Select the Lasso Tool.
Draw a ‘hairtip-selection’ at the bottom of the layer (don’t forget to end where you started to close the selection).
Hit the key ‘Del’ to clear the texture from that selection. It will look something like this.
Then hit Ctrl+D to make the selection go away.
Now let’s make the tips look a little more like hair..
Select the Smudge Tool.
I used these settings:
Brush: Spatter 27px / Mode: Normal / Strength: 50% (’Use All Layers’ and ‘Finger Painting’ unchecked).
Work your way up and down of the hairtips to make them smoother. How smooth depends on what works best with the hairstyle you are making. Like this?
Let’s make sure the bottom of the layer still is transparent. Use Rectangular Marquee Tool and make a selection like this. Press Del to clear the selection.
Now for the Alpha Channel. Right-click on the picture of the ‘Hair copy’ layer in the Layers palette.
Select ‘Select Layer Transparency’ from the popup menu. Selection now looks like this.
Select the Channels palette (next to the Layers palette). Click the ‘Save selection as channel’ button at the bottom. This will create a new channel called ‘Alpha 1′.
Before you leave this palette it should look like this!
Go back to the Layers palette. Hit Ctrl+D to make the selection go away.
Back in the layers palette you can actually DELITE the layer with the fringed ends if you want (drag it to the trashcan).
Why? That is because it’s the Alpha channel that create those transparent parts not the fringed layer itself!
4. Create your haircolour
Now it’s time to create the actual haircolour.
I usually use Image/Adjustments/Color Balance and Image/Adjustments/Hue&Saturation to create my colours.
But Image/Adjustments/Curves and Image/Adjustments/Brightness&Contrast is also an option.
To get that perfect colourbalance you might have to play around with the settings and adjust them over and over… Trial and error! Also take copys along the way! It’s a smart move because if you do something wrong and want to start over you dont have to go back to the very beginning…
IMPORTANT! Create a copy of the layer ‘Hair’. Make sure that the layer ‘Hair copy’ is selected.
Let’s change the colour! I’m going for a very light Blonde - and this is how I made that.
Select Image/Adjustments/ColorBalance
Settings: +40/-17/-50.
Select Image/Adjustments/Hue&Saturation
Settings: -16/+2/+19.
Again select Image/Adjustments/ColorBalance
Settings: 0/0/-40.
Again select Image/Adjustments/Hue&Saturation
Settings: +13/0/+19.
And this is what the blonde hair-layer will look like!
I named this layer: BLONDE.
5. Create Highlights
I like to have some options when it comes to highlights! That’s why I will start by making an overlay-layer. I can use that layer for my actual highlights later or as a grid when I create the real ones.
Select Layer/New/Layer…
Set the ‘mode’ to ‘Overlay’ and select ‘Fill with Overlay-neutral color (50% gray)’
I named this layer ‘Highlights’.
A new grey layer is created, but the gray colour won’t show or effect the layers underneath.
Now make sure the ‘Highlights’ layer is selected and the ‘BLONDE’ layer is visable.
For the highlights I’m gonna use the Dodge Tool with a soft Brush size: 45px and the sttings: Highlights/100%.
Draw two highlight lines across the canvas. Something like this?
You might prefer to place your highlights differently or make them thicker or thinner. That’s up to taste and the look and settings of your hair-prims!
NOTE! If you don’t have the option to create a layer with a “neutral 50% gray” colour you can create an ordinary gray layer and use the settings: Overlay and 50% Opacity. Then draw your lines with a white brush instead. That will work in almost the same way.
Now make a copy of the layer ‘BLONDE’.
I named mine ‘BLONDE BG’ and placed it under the layer ‘BLONDE’ by dragging it there.
Make sure the ‘BLONDE’ layer is active.
Draw two highlight lines on the ‘BLONDE’ layer - using the ‘Dodge Tool’ with the same settings as before.
Looks something like this.
OK! Now we’re done! The next thing is to save the textures.
6. Save your Hairtextures
We are going to save two textures: One ordinary and one with fringed, transparent ends.
But before you save your hairtextures you should deside what look you want. I’m gonna show three options you can play with. It all depends on the colour of your texture and what look you prefer.
1. You can save the texture with the ‘Highlights’ layer visable on top of the highlights on the ‘BLONDE’ layer.
It should look like this when saving.
2. You can save the texture with the ‘Highlights’ layer visable without the highlights on the layer ‘BLONDE’.
It should look like this when saving.
(You will have to create a copy of the BG layer to use as a background).
3. You can save the texture without the ‘Highlights’ layer visable.
It should look like this when saving.
And that’s what I’m going for this time!
When you’re saving with an Alpha Channel you should save it together with a background layer with similar colours (to avoid ugly white edges).
Click ‘Eye’ to make sure both the ‘BLONDE’ and the ‘BLONDE BG’ layers are visible (’BLONDE’ at the top, selected).
Select: File/Save As from the top menu bar. I named my texture: ‘Blonde Alpha’. Choose to save it as a Targa-file (*.TGA;*.VDA;*.ICT;*.VST). Click ‘Save’.
When the ‘Targa Options’ popup appears, select: ‘32 bits/pixel’ (’Compress RLE’ unchecked). Click ‘OK’ to create the Targa-file with an Alpha Channel.
You wont actually see the fringed hairtips until you upload the texture to SL! But they are there! That is because it’s the Alpha channel that create those transparent parts when the file is saved, not the visable layer itself.
Now for the next texture! Select: File/Save As from the top menu bar. I named this texture: ‘Blonde’. Choose to save it as a Targa-file (*.TGA;*.VDA;*.ICT;*.VST). Click ‘Save’.
At the ‘Targa Options’ popup, select: ‘24 bits/pixel’ (’Compress RLE’ unchecked). Click ‘OK’ to create the Targa-file (without Alpha channel).
Finally!
Now you have the hairtexture tga-files: Blonde and Blonde Alpha - both saved in size 265 x 265 pixels. And the psd-file: Hairtexture (you have to save that one too) - witch is great for creating new textures in other colours!
To upload the textures to Second Life: Select File/Upload (in the SL Client for 10L$ each) - and start working on your hair
This is what my hairtexture ‘Blonde’ looks like on a hairstyle in Second Life:
Tjingeling!
Updated: March 2008
da best. Keep it going! Thank you