Making Unique Pinups in Poser

I create pinup art that is out of the ordinary and unique. I do it by avoiding generic swimsuit and lingerie shots. I try to think about the actual character that I'm using for the image. I make my own characters instead of using characters that anyone can download.

Anyone can open up poser, load victoria, apply a purchased pose and character, and hit the render button. I make my own characters and my own textures to go with them. All it takes is time and a desire to make something different.

Instead of using a character you downloaded, try making your own. Load up your model and fiddle with the morph dials until you get a look you like. Try to make something that isn't just another babe. Turn up the eye tilt morphs and make an alien, or give her a jutting brow and make a Cro-Magnon babe. Do all your dial spinning with nothing but a solid color on the model. Think about what the skin will look like while you are spinning dials to get the shape right. Take your time, don't rush through it. This is supposed to be art, not just a production job. When you get the shape right, then you're ready for texturing.

Don't just plug in someone else's vision of what skin should look like, imagine it for yourself. Make your own skin textures for your creation if you can. Avoid shadows and shiny spots on your textures, that's what a 3D engine is for. If you're going to keep the highlights and shadows on your texture, you may as well just make 2D composite images. The purpose of a 3D application like poser is to simulate a virtual photography studio. You wouldn't paint highlights and shadows on a supermodel and then shoot with a flash would you? I thought not. You let the flash and studio lights determine where and how shadows and highlights will appear. Make a skin texture that fits the character you designed. An alien probably wouldn't have the same skin as a tanned supermodel, neither would a Cro-Magnon.

Now that you have a character to shoot pictures of, you need to think about posing and lighting. If you're using a unique character, then almost any pinup style pose and/or clothing will create a truly unique image. Try putting your alien babe on a beach with a polka-dot bikini. When did you last see that?

If you don't have the patience or inclination to create your own characters or textures, creating unique pinups can be a bit more challenging. With a generic supermodel type of character, you have to use setting, lights, and posing more. Imagine a supermodel shot at night in a cemetary for instance.

You can either create a unique character or put a generic beauty in a unique situation. You can also put a unique character in a unique situation. However, you should have something about your image that is relatively normal for a pin-up. Even with a unique character, swimsuits and lingerie are staples of pin-up art. You could always make it a swimsuit made out of metal or some other material though. Pinups often look like candid camera shots, or are definatley posed looking. For inspiration take a look at some older pinup art from the 40's onward. Imagine what you could do differently to make it stand out. Maybe instead of a model blow drying her hair, you could use the same pose and have her using a blowtorch to shine her horns.

I get my ideas and inspiration from all around me. I watch and read a lot of horror and fantasy and I collect pinup art of all types. I might see a pose that would lend itself well to reinterpretation or read about a character that I'd like to attempt to re-create. Think about your favorite monster, what would it look like if it were real? What would it look like if it were also a sexy woman? With patience and time, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Make your own characters and textures, create out of the ordinary scenes for your models, and you'll be well on your way to making unique pinups. Avoid using everything "out of the box", always customize it. Learn all you can about the material room and lighting, and you'll be creating awe-inspiring art.