Tips and Tricks

[scrivenly]

Alrighty, so I tried and failed to keep this from getting to long, so I'm going to do this in parts (just two, unless I remember something else lmao), and I'll have the second part for you later this week. whee

So this first part is going to be about backgrounds as I'm sure you're aware that no one ever wins Runway without a background. But one of the things I don't think a lot of people realize is just how many of the backgrounds layer with one another, which sometimes adds more depth or a cool lighting effect. They won't work with every background so there's some trial and error involved.

But here's an example with one of my own avatars:

This one is using one of the Daughter of Fury recolors with one of the Moon Phase items (and Creeper for the birds):



Then here it is with one of the Catharsis Lucem recolors:



And then with Asphalt Jungle added:



And finally with Blithe Dystopian Hero:



And that's a fairly tame difference compared to how these same effects might look against another background since Daughter of Fury already adds in a bit of its own dusty effect as opposed to some backgrounds that are just flat behind the avatar.

Lighting effects:

Asphalt Jungle
Samurai Soul and recolors -- these actually have two different lighting effects since they have day and night backgrounds, and the night versions have slightly different color overlays depending on the recolor.
Bug Wanderer and Night Bug Wanderer
The second background from Evertree Embrace
Quick Witted Sidekick and recolors
War Game's third background
Catharsis Lucem and recolors -- these add in a little rocky area (color varies) that can sometimes be hidden foreground stuff.
Curious Mr. Poe and recolors -- adds in a whole room with the lighting, and it can be layered with other lighting effects.
Undersea Diver and recolors
Labyrinth Lurker and Autumnal Labyrinth Lurker
Candlelight Embrace

Overlay/softening/etc. effects:

Tale of Clarion and Legend of Clarion -- two different options in these as well.
Shoujo Memories and recolors all have a filter (shade varying on recolor) that softens the avatar. It will remove any lighting effects, though, and sometimes foregrounds.
Dishonest Shepherd and recolors
Adamant Vault and recolors

Dust and Mist:

War Game's first and second backgrounds
Venator's Vigil and recolors
Dystopian Hero and recolors
Zealous Launcher and recolors
Daughter of Fury and recolors

Foreground:

Elfenmar and recolors
Fallen Emperor and recolors
Several of the Moga backgrounds -- these also tend to layer well with the lighting backgrounds
Wandering Lobo and Sunny Wandering Lobo
Adored Persephone and recolors
Wisteria Grove -- this is hard to use with other backgrounds bc it needs a background that's on a higher layer but there are a few -- the two I use are Case of Pietro (beach background) and Life Melodic and recolors.
Lovebirds and recolors
Antique Weapon and recolors
Kogarashi
Pomiandi and recolors
Owlpothecary and recolors
Seductive Night and Sweet Seductive Night -- also adds in a bit of lighting and can layer with other lighting effects.
Woodland Harvest and Autumn Woodland Harvest
Shy Gardener and recolors

I'm gonna end the listing here, but evolving item backgrounds can be very useful. You'll find most of the evolving items under the tag "premiumei."

I'm also willing to lend items if you ever need one for an entry. Everything I've listed here I own at least one recolor of, and I'm always happy to help out a fellow Runway participant. 3nodding

[scrivenly]

So next topic . . . FACES!! (There will probably end up being more topics after this one depending on my general motivation and what I think of.)

In general you'll find that more detailed faces will win out over just a pair of eyes and a mouth. This isn't always true since certain themes tend to favor exaggerated expressions, often from the Manner items (which are always useful to have -- whether to use the exaggerated comedic expressions or for layering purposes). But yeah, for the most part, it's definitely useful to know which items will lend a bit of detail to your avatars face.

Noses: Pick Your Nose, A Little Bit Nosey, Chance is Nosey, Royal Commander and recolors, Dapper Don, Latter Day Caesar

Blush: Slash Blush, Eleven Eleven, Ragged Chill and recolors (some colors more useful for certain fantasy skins) -- a lot of eyes have blush/shading attached to them, and I'll list a few of my favorites in a separate section!

Makeup: SDPlus #074 Cafe Miam, Masquerade (add on "premiumei" when searching to narrow results), Masquerade Ball, Ittan and Momo series (blush and lips, but mouths generally layer over the lips)

Freckles: Freckles, Dark Freckles, Thursday Race's nose (I think there are other colors of this), Camomild and recolors (eyes), Spring Garden and recolors (mouth),

Mouths: Heart of an Alleycat, items tagged "alleycat" and "lips," all the Talker mouths (tagged "talker" ), Adorkable Bea, Heart of a Schoolboy, Hollywood Lips (work on their own, but I also like to layer them under the alleycat lips)

Eyes: Cherished Gaze, Corrupt Gaze, Vera's Gaze, The Stare Down (not too much in the way of shading, but good for expressiveness), Alleycat's Allure and recolors, Stoic Princess Eyes, Secret Character series (layers with other eyes)

Skins: Wasteland Recon and recolors (Wasteland Infiltration and Wasteland Scout are close matches to skintones A and C respectively), Frozen Warlord and recolors (Frozen Warlord closely matches skintone C )

Other: Transgenic Soldier (adds cheekbone-like shadowing), Midnight Waffle Run and recolors (adds shadowed bags under the eyes), Case of Pietro (has a poses for bruises and scars), Bold Brows, Brow Basics (comes in various colors)

And just to give you an idea of what all this layering can look like, a few pictures!


Wasteland Infiltration skin, Camomild eyes, SDPlus #566 Idol Alleycat lips


Thursday Race nose


Midnight Egg Run


Hollywood Lips (pink)


Masquerade Ball (Raspberry Eyeshadow)


Bold Brows


Cafe Miam Doll


Secret Character M (Framed Eyes)