How to make a BOM tattoo for SL Avatars

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating BOM tattoos for your Second Life avatar. Using free templates, you will learn how to design and save tattoos that you can apply to your avatar. Follow these steps to start creating your unique tattoos easily.

Step 1: Set Up Your Workspace

• Create a folder on your computer named "Tattoos."
• Download the free templates from the provided link (1024 x 1024 resolution) and unzip the files to your folder.

Step 2: Prepare Your Base

• Open your preferred image editing software.
• Import the skin color template and the torso template into your workspace.
• Set the torso template's opacity to 60% to make it easier to work with by following these steps:
  • Locate the opacity setting in your software.
  • Adjust it to 60%.

Step 3: Create Your Tattoo Design

• Choose an image you want to use for your tattoo and drag it into your workspace.
• Convert the image to black and white:
  • Use the hue/saturation adjustment tool.
  • Set saturation to 0 to remove color.
• If there are unwanted borders around the image, use the cutting tool to remove them.
• Create a new layer for your tattoo design:
  • Cut the tattoo image and paste it into a new layer.

Step 4: Scale and Position Your Tattoo

• Adjust the opacity of the tattoo layer to 33% to see its placement better.
• Use the scale tool to resize the tattoo:
  • Ensure to unlock the aspect ratio to stretch the image as needed.
  • Position the tattoo appropriately on the torso.
• Bring the opacity back to 100% for final adjustments.

Step 5: Sharpen and Adjust Levels

• Apply sharpening filters to enhance the clarity of your tattoo.
• Check the white level using the levels tool:
  • Adjust the white point to ensure it is pure white for the alpha layer.

Step 6: Finalize Tattoo Layout

• Cut the tattoo again to remove any extra pixels around the edges.
• Create a new layer and paste the tattoo design again.
• Delete the original layer to keep only the tattoo layer.
• Repeat similar steps for additional images on the back and arm:
  • Ensure to adjust sizes and use sharpening techniques for each.

Step 7: Save Your Tattoo

• Once satisfied with your design, merge all visible layers.
• Export your finished tattoo:
  • Go to File > Export.
  • Name your file (e.g., "Test Tattoo for Video").
  • Choose PNG or TGA format for best quality.
• Set the opacity if you want a softer look (e.g., 70% for a medium tattoo) before saving.

Conclusion

You have now created a tattoo for your Second Life avatar! Review the steps to ensure everything is correctly aligned and saved. Next, you can explore how to import your tattoo into Second Life and apply it to your avatar. Enjoy designing your unique tattoos!