Engine Room March 2024 – Part IV

TUNES

Our underworld isn’t filled with fear
Just brass and copper, leather scrap, and rusty gear
You can keep your hip-hop techno-pop-rock schleppin-dub
I’m on my way to a coal-powered underground vintage pub

We’ve got a steampunk revolution
We’re tired of all your so-called evolution
We’ve darted back to 1886
Don’t ask us why; that’s how we get our kicks

[- Abney Park, Steampunk Revolution -]
Clothing

Vest: ERSCH – “Esta Vest” (Maitreya LaraX) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024
Suit: ERSCH – “Eston Suit” (Maitreya LaraX)

Accessories

Mask: CRYPTID – “Covetous” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024
Earrings: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Earring Mads all linked” (LeLUTKA EvoX female/human)
Ear Lobes: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Inazuma Plug” (LeLUTKA EvoX female/human)
Collar: *:…Silvery K..:* – “Steam Bellus Size 1”

Hair & Makeup

Hair: Usagi Society – “Rocket” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Head, Body & Tattoo
Head: LeLUTKA – “EvoX Avalon 3.1”
Eyes: REPULSE – “Post Mortem Eyes (Blind)” (BoM)
Tattoo Head & Ears: BodyArts – “Void”
Body: Maitreya – “LaraX 1.0”
Poses, Props & Tools

Pose: – sc – – “drained” (Bento, hand lightly modified)
Owl: {-Maru Kado-} – “Barn Owl_08”
Plant: Dirty Rat – “Mutant Flytrap” (taken off the furniture set)

Model, Stylist & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Engine Room March 2024 – Part III

TUNES

Skepticism might keep you sane,
but it won’t necessarily keep you alive.

[- Mima Sawsaan, Carnival Row -]

When I was at the Engine Room event today to find my next look for a blog post, I came across that amazing outfit from CHANDRA. When I saw that, I immediately remembered that cool head, which BeSpoke released at the Warehouse Sale this round.
I have no clue why, but I instantly had a “Carnival Row Feeling” – you remember that show on Amazon Prime with Cara Delevingne and Orlando Bloom? When I found a sim called “Tirna-Nog” in Second Life, I just had to go that path for my picture today!

Lately you hear more and more about AI (Artificial Intelligence) used for artwork. I have to admit, I am not yet fully sold about that, if people create pictures only with AI and kinda just put words to get a full picture. Maybe I am too old to be convinced completely, or I do have a weird mind. Iam 46 years old – I guess it was 46 *laughs* – I learned to draw with pencils and colored pencils as a kid and it took me years to learn how to draw myself on a graphic tablet/monitor (… and I am still learning that). Maybe that is the reason why I can not yet allow myself andl my brain to think about art, if everything is just generated by words and no one ever touched it with any kind of pen, pencil, graphic pens or what ever you can hold in your hand to create something. Ok to be fair, a photographer is slightly different, but in the end he caught a situation with his own eye and camera in his hands as well *snickers* I hope you get what I mean 😉

What I found interesting after I forced myself to look more into AI, is that you do not have to create a complete ready made art piece with it, but you can enhance your work with it. That caught my interest. I am always looking for new tips, tricks and twists I can learn and use for my Second Life pictures.
Lately I was kinda depressed with taking pictures in SL. It felt all the same even if I tried to learn new techniques for Photoshop to enhance my pictures as even Second Life has it’s limits – especially with lights and shadows, movement or even sometimes with posing ot what you can get to set up a scenery.
You can add things you miss, you can correct minor issues, you even can enlarge a scenery if you took the wrong size to make the perfect picture… really interesting and as well exciting. If you miss a backdrop or a background you can kinda create parts of that. I tried to make a whole backdrop first as well but the way it does look like, I decided to not do that yet, as it was too far always from the look of a real Second Life environment and I do enjoy that still a lot. So I tried just to fool around with 2 birds – to be precise 2 crows – I wanted to add to my picture. It did take me quite a while, since I just started to play with it. I had to generate one crow like 50 times until I figured out what I had to put in to have it sit, no spread wings and facing the right direction. After a while I realized, that it does even pick up the lights I had put inworld already and since I wanted to change that a little too, I had to start over again after I worked all my lightning and shadows. I did not yet know how to safe the generated birds yet, so I started over new on those again. Then I wanted to darken the background a little bit and… DANG… the generated birds again looked wrong as they pick up parts of the background as well to fit in properly. Ok… deleting the birds again and get everything else right first *chuckles*.

It was the start of a learning process I really want to look into more, even if I do not want to fully work with AI and my avatar only – Second Life is way to pretty for that and so many amazing creators, designers and sim builders did (and do) put a hell lot of work into creating amazing places for us to be there and to create pictures.

Clothing

Outfit: +CHANDRA+ – “Lucca Outfit” (Reborn) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Accessories

Nails: V/. VoluptasVirtualis – “[Esbaa]” (Maitreya, Bento) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Head, Body & Tattoo

Head: BeSpoke – “Nature Spirit” – NEW @ The Warehouse Sale // March 2024
Eyes: REPULSE – “Post Mortem Eyes (Blind)” (BoM)
Body: eBODY – “REBORN v1.69.6”

Poses, Props & Tools

Pose (incl. Lantern & Keys): [piXit] – “Clementine Posepack + Props” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Location

Tirna-Nog

Model, Stylist & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Wicca’s Originals @ UBER // March 2024

Wicca’s Originals @ UBER // March 25th – April 22nd

Item: Elvira Corset & Skirt

Sizes: Maitreya LaraX, Maitreya(Lara+Pertite), Legacy(Classic+Perky), Reborn // mod-copy-no trans

HUD: 10 Colors & Metals

LM: Uber // March/April 2024

Engine Room March 2024 – Part II

 

Clothing

Outfit: *:…Silvery K..:* – “Steam Abysso” (Maitreya LaraX) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Accessories

Piercings & Tattoo (Forehead): BodyArts – “Signum” (unrigged)
Earrings: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Earring Mads all linked” (LeLUTKA EvoX female/human)
Ear Lobes: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Inazuma Plug” (LeLUTKA EvoX female/human)
Piercing (Nose): Wicca’s Originals – “Jadeon Piercing” + “Tegan Piercing Set” (unrigged)
Glasses: Wicca’s Originals – “Nightshade Glasses”

Hair & Makeup

Hair: [Ginko Hair] – “#110 Hair” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024
Makeup: Rubedo – “Steffi 06” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Head, Body & Tattoo
Head: LeLUTKA – “Billie Head 4.0”
Tattoo Head & Ears: BodyArts – “Ornamentum”
Tattoo Face: BodyArts – “Faceband Wicca” (LeL.EvoX BoM, custom made – take a look at the “Vere Flores” or one of her various amazing facebands)
Teeth: [CX] – “Strigoi’s Fangs – Silver Type.1 ( Size E / Wider )”
Body: Maitreya – “LaraX 1.0”
Arm (right): Wicca’s Originals – “Tilcott Arms” (Maitreya LaraX)
Poses, Props & Tools

Backdrop: Paparazzi – “BACKDROP – Steampunk Hall 3”
Pose (+cane & pipe): [piXit] – “Clementine Posepack + Props” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024
Clock: (:ERG:) – “Steampunk Wall Clock vol.1” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024
Backpack: ::Static:: – “Roaming Alchemist Pack {Female} Black” NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Model, Stylist & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Engine Room March 2024 – Part I

TUNES

The tunes are really nice this times and I was listening to it while I was finishing my picture for today. It put me in the right vibe for the steampunk theme *giggles*

Finally Engine Room is back and open for this year the first time. I have to admit it is one of my most favorite events ever as I LOOOOVE Steampunk – I bet you can tell!

As always I put in the credits what is new, the event location and as well the location of the Mainstore of each designer, just in case you would like to take a closer look to their designs. Mostly if I like something I do visit the designers  Mainstore to see what else they might have.

Besides the engine room we have the Skin Fair as well and LeLUTKA released their first 4.0 EvoX heads. The one I am showcasing today is the “Billie 4.0”. I am and i will be a LeLUTKA girl till SL decides to close their doors I guess. I tried so many other heads and some were really nice, but none one ever could make me change from my LeLUTKA ones *hides*

For the 4.0 line they again updated so many things and fixed issues that I didn’t even experience for myself *giggles*, for example we have a second lip layer now and can make our lipstick even more unique, as well as static eyes.  The HUD as well got an update and a new look. The materials were improved, and you got extra slots to safe your look on the Style HUD. To see all the updates (which would be really too many to write them all down) you can read the Update Log that comes with your head.

Clothing

Outfit: Eudora3D – “Iris” (Maitreya) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Accessories

Piercings & Tattoo (Forehead): BodyArts – “Signum” (unrigged)
Earrings: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Earring Mads all linked” (LeLUTKA EvoX female/human)
Ear Lobes: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Inazuma Plug” (LeLUTKA EvoX female/human)
Piercing (Nose): Wicca’s Originals – “Jadeon Piercing” + “Tegan Piercing Set” (unrigged)
Bracelet: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Nyx Bracelet” (Maitreya LaraX)
Nails: V/. VoluptasVirtualis – “[Esbaa]” (Maitreya, Bento) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Hair & Makeup

Hair: no.match – “No Connection”
Eyeshadow: Hexed – “Blacky Eyeshadow – Red” (LeL. EvoX BoM)

Head, Body & Tattoo
Head: LeLUTKA – “Billie Head 4.0” – NEW @ SKIN Fair 2024
Tattoo Head & Ears: BodyArts – “Void”
Tattoo Face: BodyArts – “Faceband Wicca” (LeL.EvoX BoM, custom made – take a look at the “Vere Flores” or one of her various amazing facebands)
Teeth: [CX] – “Strigoi’s Fangs – Silver Type.1 ( Size E / Wider )”
Body: Maitreya – “LaraX 1.0”
Tattoo Body: Nefekalum – “Creation (Full/60%) Black” (BoM + Materials) – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024
Poses, Props & Tools

Pose (+glasses): [piXit] – “Clementine Posepack + Props” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024
Animals: :: ANTAYA :: – “Butterfly lightbulb” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024
Plants: Blue Blood – “Mechanical Flowers” – NEW @ Engine Room // March 2024

Stylist, Model & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Wicca’s Originals @ The Warehouse Sale // March 2024

 

Wicca’s Originals @ The Warehouse Sale // March 23th – April 18th
Item: Dapper Glasses (show/hide Option for spikes and sides)
Sizes: unrigged // unisex // mod/copy/no trans
HUD: 10 Colors / Metals

LM: The Warehouse Sale

Wicca’s Originals @ NEO Japan // March/April 2024

Wicca’s Originals @ NEO Japan // March 23th – April 14th

Item: Friction Implant (left & right version seperate)
Sizes: LeLutka EvoX (Male & Female) + unrigged version // unisex // mod/copy/no trans
HUD: 10 Colors / Metals

LM: NEO Japan

Wicca’s Originals @ Engine Room // March 2024

Wicca’s Originals @ Engine Room // March 20th – April 20th

Item: Bowyer Hat & Glasses
Sizes: unisex/unrigged // mod/copy/no trans
HUD: 10 Colors & Metals

LM: Engine Room // March/April 2024

I’am let you speak if you just let me breathe…

TUNES

I’ve tasted blood and it is sweet
I’ve had the rug pulled beneath my feet
I’ve trusted lies and trusted men
Broke down and put myself back together again
Stared in the mirror and punched it to shatters
Collected the pieces and picked out a dagger
I’ve pinched my skin in between my two fingers
And wished I could cut some parts off with some scissors

“Come on, little lady, give us a smile”
No, I ain’t got nothin’ to smile about
I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for
A moment to say I don’t owe you a goddamn thing

I, I keep a record of the wreckage of my life
I gotta recognize the weapon in my mind
They talk shit, but I love it every time
And I realize

I’m no sweet dream, but I’m a hell of a night
That I’m no sweet dream, but I’m a hell of a night

[- Halsey – Nightmare -]

Today I finally was able to try and learn something new I wanted to do for along time. I am playing with lights now for quite a while, but I sometimes missed a little bit of “dramatic” vibes to some more extreme lightning. So I looked into creating rim lights a bit more since yesterday. It is really exciting and as well unbelievable what you can do with Photoshop – I experience that again and again when I do look into something new I want to do, when I am post processing my pictures. I always try not completely changing my pictures as I do want to showcase the real products. So what I mostly do is playing with shadows, light, lightning and shadows most of the time and do some touch ups on edgy that are wonky. I know some use the new AI programs to work their pictures, but for me that is not what I want to have. I am a SL resident and I still want to showcase what SL has to offer – and it is a lot with all the things you have inworld already.

I snapped the original picture with the neon green lights already so I just did enhance the lights and added them on spots where the inworld lights didn’t appear right.

I used some of the new releases I found at The Warehouse Sale and Kinky.

What I would like to mention since you cannot see it on the picture, the mohawk called “No Prison” from no.match you can wear with or without the spikes. For the amazing “Xatyn Ring Band” accessory you have a show/hide menu where you can hide several parts independently for every finger. Certainly both designs come with color huds to customize it to your liking.

Clothing

Top: Wicca’s Originals – Melia Top”NEW @ FaMESHedX // February 2024

Accessories

Piercings & Tattoo (Forehead): BodyArts – “Signum” (unrigged)
Earrings: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Earring Mads all linked” (LeLUTKA EvoX female/human)
Ear Lobes: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Inazuma Plug” (LeLUTKA EvoX female/human)
Piercing (Nose): Wicca’s Originals – “Jadeon Piercing” + “Tegan Piercing Set” (unrigged)
Piercing Lips 1: LittleFish – “EziliV2” (Lel. EvoX, Avalon)
Piercing Lips 2: LittleFish – “Blair” (Lel. EvoX, Avalon)
Piercing Lips 3: LittleFish – “Jazmina” (Lel. EvoX, Avalon)
Piercing Lips 4: LittleFish – “Wren” (Lel. EvoX, Avalon)
Choker: Kibitz – “Emayra’s Choker” (Maitreya LaraX) – NEW @ The Warehouse Sale // February 2024
Chest: [Cubic Cherry] – “Cupid Mark” (unrigged, BOM) – NEW @ The Warehouse Sale // February 2024
Fingers: .:E.A.Studio:. – “Xatyn Ring Band” (Maitrya LaraX, bento)NEW @ Kinky // February 2024
Nails: L’Emporio – “My Nails” (Maitreya, bento)

Hair & Makeup

Hair: no.match – “No_Prison (A)” – NEW @ The Warehouse Sale // February 2024
Eyeliners: .{PSYCHO:Byts}. – “Seraphine Eyeliners” (LeL. HD Applier)

Head, Body & Tattoo
Head: LeLUTKA – “EvoX Avalon 3.1”
Tattoo Head & Ears: BodyArts – “Void”
Tattoo Face: BodyArts – “Faceband Wicca” (LeL.EvoX BoM, custom made – take a look at the “Vere Flores” or one of her various amazing facebands)
Teeth: [CX] – “Strigoi’s Fangs – Silver Type.1 ( Size E / Wider )”
Body: Maitreya – “LaraX 1.0”
Tattoo Body: .:Vegas:. – “Tattoo Flue ( Medium )” (LeL. EvoX BoM)
Poses, Props & Tools

Pose: So Fun – “Gabriele (mirror)” (bento)

Model, Stylist & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Wicca’ Originals @ Midnight Order // January 2024

Wicca’s Originals @ Midnight Order // January 20th – February 20th

Item: Narvai Boots
Sizes: Maitreya[Lara/LaraX], Reborn, Legacy[F], Legacy[M], Jake, Gianni
HUD: 10 Colors & Metals

Event Location: Midnight Order