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Creating Silhouettes

Author:	Ilenora	Printable Version
Step 1:	Create the image
Step 2:	Making it black
Step 3:	Render the scene
Step 4:	Making the Silhouette
Step 5:	Finishing Touches

Tools Needed

* Rendering program that can save transperant PNG or TIFF

* Photoshop

Introduction
A silhouette is the outline of a figure, usually a black shape of someone such as the shadow. If you want to render a black silhouette, it has to be on a lighter background. But not anymore! This tutorial will show you how to create smooth, black silhouettes on a black background but still have the form clearly visible. Created by Ilenora.

Step 1 - Create the image

First, open up Poser or a similar rendering program.

Create your scene as you would for any other image, using figures, clothes, hair ect. You only don't need to worry about textures or lights, as you're going to create a silhouette. Make sure you have everything as you want it - the poses, morphs, and camera angles.

Step 2 - Making it black

Now, go to the Materials room (or the Surface's tab if you're using DAZ|Studio).

Change all settings to black. Make sure if you have any transmaps on the hair or other such things that you don't take it off. If you don't have the transmaps on it will end up as a blocky silhouette.

Don't worry if you can't see the figures anymore - they're all still there ^_^

Step 3 - Render the scene

Before you render, make sure the background and the figures are completely BLACK.

Now render your scene. Make sure you save it as a PNG or TIFF, otherwise it won't work. It needs to have a transparent background.

Step 4 - Making the Silhouette

Now open Photoshop. Open up your newly saved image. It should show up as a nice, black silhouette on a transparent background. Great job, but now comes the fun part :)

Name the layer "Figure". Now make a new layer by clicking Shft+Ctrl+N, clicking the little icon in the layers pallet that looks like a piece of paper with a fold in the corner, or by going up to the "Layers" menu and clicking Layer...

Place the layer under your Figure layer. Now fill that layer completely with black. You end up with black again. Nice, isn't it? ;)

Make sure you have the Figure layer selected. Now click the little "F" in the layers pallet. Select "Outer Glow" from the drop-down list. POP! Suddenly you can see your figure's outline! Neat, huh? You have a nifty glow around your Silhouette.

Play with the setting until you have something you like. The picture shows what I used.

Step 5 - Finishing Touches

Now crop off what you don't want, and maybe add a few things to the background for the finishing touches.

You now have a beautiful Silhouette!

I hope you found this tutorial helpful :) If you have any questions, feel free to email me: FaeryNisbet@dodo.com.au

Made by Ilenora :)