(Picture by LovelyMiwako7399 Menna)
After using it now for a while I would like to give it a special showcase finally 😉 – My first custom-made skin – “Wicca”!
Some of you might remember my make over in August 2012 where Wicca got a total new look (http://wiccamerlin.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/wiccas-wardrobe-new-born-wicca-a-total-makeover/).
(Picture by Pam Astonia)
The post was about getting a new look and the desire of a new shape that gives Wicca a bit more character and a bit more of herself. The new shape made a huge difference and change in my SL life but still I was no totally satisfied, as I never found a skin that really expressed what I wanted, no skin that I tried, gave Wicca that last ‘nail on the head’ look. While I was searching for another skin to try, Malicia Python, owner and designer of Silken Moon ran into my IM. I was wearing her “Rookie” skin for nearly a year, before that total change of myself and she made me a lot of custom makeups for. She was kinda sad that I took of her “Rookie” skin and she asked me what the reasons were. I told her about, that I looked for something that gives Wicca more character, more of herself. Malicia as well was working on a new concept and new skins that time and so we talked more and more about what I would like for Wicca. She made me look more into what I really wanted, as I could not really find words for what I was looking for. Wicca always had the huge eyes, her big nose and smaller lips as her features. She made me google, wich ethic group this facial features has. I looked trough a lot of pictures, websites and magazines until I found out, that the Scandinavians are the closest to what I wanted for Wicca. I gave Malicia some links of Scandinavian top models that I really liked.
That was the starting shot for my first custom-made skin. Malicia put a lot of her knowledge and creativity into the skin what again changed it a bit. We talked a lot on Skype and Malicia more and more became so much more that a skin designer to me. A friendship started growing that should go further that Second Life… but that was way later 😉
(Picture by LovelyMiwako7399 Menna)
The more we talked the more we discovered that we think alike in many things. We got each other known better and better, what as well helped for the custom “Wicca”skin. Malicia asked me a lot about every face detail. The start was the eyes and I was totally thrilled as I got the first prototype of the eye section. I never saw such detailed, filigree and realistic eyes on a skin… I never liked the photo realistic skins for SL and Malicia painted all by herself on Photoshop for it. As well Malicia always puts a lot of character in her skins as well with not making a total symmetric face. The left side always is a little wee bit different from the right and that gives the whole face a life.
Then we talked about the skintone.I did not wanna have the typical yellow touch that you find on many skins and for the Scandinavian look it had to be something special. She gave me a color palette, to choose a basic tone from that she can start working on. For sure I liked something in between… and not one of the pre-made ones and Mal started working this tone over the whole skin. With my new idea of the basic body shape that’s more square sized and has nearly no waist, Malicia came on the idea to give the skin itself a bit more shading of muscles and details. That came right in the direction I thought of, since those smooth, glossy and straight barbie bellies were so not my cup of tea 😉 Wicca was never super skinny but as well she had not too much curves as well so I liked the idea of a stronger and more muscle but still female looking character. As well she put a lot of time on the backside with the spine and the shoulders to make them match the look of the front side.
(Picture by Leah McCullough)
For me the private bits were never super important, as I usually do not show them anyways but even those look so… yummy… *grins* and Wicca got a real cute, sexy round ass 😉
The next huge part was the lips. The shape I got from Jesika Contepomi, I tweaked around again and again – I guess as a model you keep doing this as you always try to grow – and the result did not allow me to wear most of the skins on the grid as the lips moved to a very special spot. All the usual skins I tried had destroyed, blurred and weird upper lips. so what to do.. again change my shape… no… I basically liked it how it was. So Malicia kinda painted my lips on my shape and avatar.. she pulled them up and down changed the shape until they were perfect.
Then we came to the eyebrows… I always liked the natural, realistic eyebrows, where you can see the single hairs, way more than the powdered, thin, small ones. Malicia made a dream come true with my new eyebrows and if you take a real close look they are again not the same for the left and right side.
(Picture by Natzuka Miliandrovic)
After month of work, in December 2012,I got my very own skin… the “Wicca” skin. For me it was like Christmas, Easter and Birthday to the same time. When Malicia sent me the first “Essential Wicca” folder, I was crying when I tried it on. Not even in my dreams I had thought about this result. Every little detail – the birthmark, the freckles, the lips the eyes… – simply everything was there!
The first time of my whole SL life I felt being Wicca… Wicca how I always desired her to be.
I could not stop looking at her face and her body… I guess I never looked at a naked avatar for so long before I started her dressing up :p .
From that moment on the idea of this post was growing, but I wanted to have some very special pictures for it. That took some time because more people were involved and we had all a different time schedule. I did not wanna rush it at all, because the whole story was way too important for me and that was why it took a while for the whole post to happen 🙂
I wanted to have different photographers that show their view of the new “Wicca”. I was really happy that I was able to have people, I respect, adore and feel a special connection to for this pictures. So I created different looks and styles for each of them.
(Picture by LovelyMiwako7399 Menna)
Pam Astonia made the first face shot of the new Wicca. Malicia wanted a special advertise for her custom skins at the Silken Moon Mainstore and she asked me about a few good photographers for close-ups. I adore Pam‘s work since I started modeling in Sl and I was more than happy as Malicia told me that Pam would be the photographer for the advertise ppicture in her store. The result was the second picture of this post.
After that I got asked from Misha Flanagan, who reopened her agency, if I could be the cover model for the new and first NK Magazine. She asked me if I know a photographer I would love to work with and wanted a “Reborn” theme… perfect as well for my “New Born” post. I suggested LovelyMiwako7399 Menna as the photographer I would like to work with for this special cause. I liked the image so much that I used it as the opener for this post :).
The third picture was made of Lovely again and it shows her view and how she sees Wicca. We had a very nice conversation during we did the shoot and I would like to quote her a little and share part of the conversation 😉
[11:04] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: thing with you is
[11:04] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: you are a whole
[11:04] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: Is like trying to grab air and bottle it.
[11:04] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: Air changes
[11:04] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: it moves
[11:04] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: it can be a caress and at the same time it can be violent and angry.
[11:04] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: you are a mixture of air and water.
[11:05] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: you carve your way through problems.
[11:05] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: and you open roads for yourself
[11:05] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: and you can be as sweet as you can be violent and rough.
[11:05] Wicca Merlin: *immediately grabs you and pulls you in a super tight hug
[11:05] LovelyMiwako7399 Menna: Is very hard to capture you
Number 4 was made by Leah McCullough. I adore her picture work for a long time and the last months she became a real close friend as well. Leah for me always was someone, that I adored for her pictures. The clean and realistic look of her pictures and her classy style and look always was something I looked up to. I was very happy as Leah started her own HAUTE Magazine, where I am allowed to contribute a few of my weird any crazy ideas 😉
Last but not least picture number 5 was made by Natzuka Miliandrovic. I follow Nat‘s flickr stream for a long time and we had the pleasure to work together for different magazines in the past. Nat gives all of her pictures a very special look that became her trademark. I cannot really say what it is, but I would be able to tell fast if a picture is from her or not 🙂 Nat became a very close friend to me too over the last month. We talked a lot on Skype and in SL and we discovered that we think alike in many things.
For the 6th picture I again approached Lovely. Usually I never be on pictures fully naked. Maybe it is my german background… I do not know what it is but nude pics usually for quickly get a bad taste. In germany we have the weird fact, that always if the glory of a prominent person fades, they undress for the Playboy or other magazines. With that in the back of my head I declined many photo shoots, that required to be naked without any lights or covers that hide the private bits, as I always was scared of an unwanted ‘outcome’ when you have to give all power to a photographer and have no power anymore on what the result will be.
But my new skin was made so incredible on the body as well that the desire was growing more and more for a nude picture that shows always and nothing to the same time. I went to Lovely‘s IM and explained her what I would like to try. She knows me very well and she knows exactly about my feeling about nudity for my avatar. I trust Lovely so much that I was sure if she takes the challenge on this idea of mine, it will be a mega amazing picture and I would not regret that I did it 😉 . The outcome of our little project you can see on the picture right above 🙂
I would like to thank Leah McCullough, Natzuka Miliandrovic, LovelyMiwako7399 Menna and Pam Astonia for their amazing, stunning and incredible work, that made this post to happen and as well for their friendship!!!
The most huge thank you that I can imagine… and I have no even words for how grateful I am… goes to Malicia Python. She made a huge dream come true with creating me a special custom “Wicca” skin that only was made for me alone. I never even dreamed about to have a skin customized to my avatar, to Wicca and unique on the whole SL grid since it never will be sold to anyone. Malicia and me got a very special friendship, that was growing even more during the development of the “Wicca” skin and it was a huge honor to meet this wonderful Lady on the 24th of December 2012 in RL.
Thank you Malicia, for what you are to me and for the wonderful and true friendship! And for sure for that incredible super amazing skin!!!
(Picture by me 😉 )
