How to Give Realistic Skin to Dinosaurs and Reptile Heads

I love to make pepakura models.

I also love dinosaurs, so I found a 3d model of a t-rex head. But, instead of having the outside white and painting it later, I took the challenge too do it in the computer. The program I will be using is MeshLab, but you can use any program that allows you to color your models. You can get MeshLab for free at http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ Side Note: since I'm an american I will be using color not colour

Step 1: Painting Your Base Color

First, find your base color. You should pick a color that is lighter than the color that you would want. After that, cover the whole model with that color.

Step 2: Adding Tone to the Skin.

Look at the picture of the hand, is has so many different shades in a small area of the body. This is what we will try to do when giving our model skin. Now, find the a dark shade of the base color you used in the previous step, and paint the points in your model that will be the darkest. Next, find a shade somewhat lighter than your darkest color, put a ring around the points you colored before and turn down the harness and transparency to add variations in the shade before the one you just painted by dotting it. Repeat until you cover the whole head.

Step 3: Eyes, Mouth, and Nose

1. Eyes- Pick a fleshy color for the outside of the eye then color the ring, then add a black slit, and fill the oval in with any color you want.
2. Nose- Use the same color as the ring around the eye and color inside the nostril.
3. Mouth- On the side of the mouth on my model has flaps that move when the mouth is open and closed, find a whiter shade than what you used for the ring around the eye or the nostril. Next, color the inside of the mouth with a slightly darker shade of the color use around the eyes and nostrils.

Step 4: In Closing

I set out here to make a t-rex head with skin tone that looks realistic, and I believe I accomplished that. I'm satisfied with the finished product and I hope you take this instructable and make something great.

Thanks for Viewing,

np_grum88

Comments

[MsSweetSatisfaction]

Awesome information, and the end result looks really great! Thanks for sharing, and welcome to instructables!

[np_grum88]

thank you