How to Make Skins for The Sims
Part 1: Deciding What Skin You Want to Make

Lovely leopard bed by the Well-Dressed Sim. Ash tray by the 8th Deadly Sim. Computer by Maxis. Desk by ? Floors by ? Walls by ? Rugs by ? Japanese lantern by ? Chair by ? Bookshelf table by ? Science fiction bookshelf by ? Windows by ? The Artemis Project logo is a registered trademark of The Lunar Resources Company. The Playboy Bunny is a registered trademark of Playboy Enterprises Incorporated.

"Welcome to my room!" says Carla. "As you can see, I am a woman of eclectic tastes. I enjoy collecting things that are quite rare in Luna City, especially memorabilia from the middle of the twentieth century. It was a time of conflict and adventure, a time when people rediscovered themselves.

"Space flight was barely in its infancy back then, but people had dreams! People rediscovered their sexuality back then, but like space flight, now that they had found it, they weren't sure what to do with it. It was either an icon for conflict, or something to be enjoyed.

"I want to make a new skin for The Sims that reflects my passion for that time period, and that's what this series of web pages is all about. I'm sure there are many different techniques for making skins, but I'll take you on a step-by-step tour of how I like to do it.

"When you set out to make a new skin for The Sims, it can be lots of fun to just tinker with things and see what comes up as you go, but you do need to have an idea of what you're going to make before you start making it. You might find pictures in magazines or catalogs to be an inspiration.

"For this little essay, I want to use a very unexpected source for my inspiration. Nope, I don't mean the picture of the Playboy Bunny on my wall. That's a photo of Karen Christy, signed! Besides being a bunny she was the Playmate of the Month for December 1971. We might get to her later, but I have something even better in mind.

"When my great aunt Marlene came to visit last month, she brought me some gifts from Earth. It was just a collection of little things that she thought I would like, and she was right! I especially enjoy a deck of playing cards that she found wrapped in waxed paper at the bottom of a trunk in her attic.

"My multi-great grandfather bought these cards at the Biba store in London more than 130 years ago. Each card features a painting of a pretty girl in the cheesecake style of two decades earlier, and I love 'em!

"Here's one of my favorites. Look at this beautiful matador. You can tell she's a woman of the world; adventurous, self-confident, comfortable with her great looks and proud of her figure. She's nice, but a gal like her gets what she wants and doesn't put up with a lot of nonsense; she's got a real 'can do' outlook. In other words, she reminds me of Caddy.

"I really want her in my game! So here's how I'll do it. It all starts with finding the right mesh for her body."