'Cause You're a Sky Full of Stars
Skin Fair 2017 and exclusive interview with Lumiya Rae of Lumae
Body - Maitreya "Lara"
Head - Catwa "Kimberly"
Skin - Lumae "Ella Catwa - T1 Milk / Bare" @ Skin Fair 2017 (runs March 10 - 26)
Hair - MOON. "2 Wicky"
Eyes - A.D.D. Andel "Siren Eyes - Pink"
Ears - Mandala "Fantasy Elf Ears"
Bindi - [The Plastik] "Bolli Bindi [Complex]:// Silvered"
Earrings - [The Plastik] "Hinna Earrings"
Dress - Caverna Obscura "Siren Dress Blue"
Particles - Cole's Corner "Cosmic Consciousness Aura"
Pose - Made by me!
One of Lumae's three offers for the upcoming annual Skin Fair is a bare version of the Catwa exclusive Ella skin. Each of the skins is painted for a different brand of mesh head (Catwa, LeLutka, and GA.EG) and comes in ten tones at L$495 each. Each of the three new skins are painted to perfection!
I also got a chance to sit down and chat with the reclusive Lumiya Rae, creator of the Lumae skin brand. You can read our conversation below!
BranwenAlcyone: First of all, hi and you're adorable!
Lumiya Rae: aww thank you :D you are too!
BranwenAlcyone: I just have a small set of questions,
so feel free to answer (or not answer) as you like!
Lumiya Rae: sure thing :)
BranwenAlcyone: Customers always love having
insight into the mind of the creators they buy from.
What goes on in your head during your painting
process?
Lumiya Rae: That's a good question! When I
decide to create a new face, it can be a very daunting
idea. I usually open up the base texture for whatever
head I will be making something for and then kind of
see what speaks to me. Sometimes I might have been
wearing a particular mesh head for a while and will
take note of some of the features it has, like a
poutier mouth or the shape of the cheekbones.. and
that might inspire me to work more on those particular
areas. A lot of the time, how a skin turns out has no
bearing on where it begins! It can be quite
interesting to see how an idea will suddenly pop up to
change something half way through. It is quite a
flowing process though.. most of the time I just let
the moment take me with it and see what happens!
BranwenAlcyone: It does seem like a lot of
creative processes happen just like that! I know it
can be hard to rush that. How long would you say a
typical skin takes you, from start to finish?
Lumiya Rae: From beginning to getting ready to
upload into SL it can take anywhere from 3 days to a
week or more if it is being particularly uncooperative
lol .. I remember while working on the newest skins
for one head brand I was having a hard time with the
nose and the lips and that one took over 3 weeks to
get it to the point where I was relatively happy with
it. I'm a crazy perfectionist, so if I see even the
smallest detail wrong I will go back again and again
to try to fix it as much as possible.. though
sometimes you just can't and you have to learn to live
with it or go insane lol .. but generally the faces
behave themselves.
Lumiya Rae: The toughest part is when a new
head is released and you have to check the features on
it against your base texture.. then fix things to that
particular brands UV so you get the best fit possible.
That can be the longest part.
BranwenAlcyone: As a long time customer, I'll
say that your perfectionist nature has paid off! Your
newest skins especially have fit each brand of head
perfectly. Speaking of your new skins, you are
releasing three new ones for the annual Skin Fair. Is
that as huge an undertaking as it seems?
Lumiya Rae: Thank you! It really is satisfying
to see the faces I paint come to life on each mesh
head and how they are given their personalities
through the people who wear them! This years Skin Fair
was one of the more intense ones I have been a part
of. Usually at the annual Skin Fair, I release a new
generation of skins which involves new body paintwork,
sometimes new tones and new faces... This year I had
to postpone the 2017 generation of skins due to
unforeseen circumstances, which happened right at the
last minute! Thankfully I did have two faces that I
had released with make up versions last month at two
events.. I was going to save them for the updated
body.. but decided to release those with the idea of
updating the body as soon as possible. Then I made a
brand new face for another head brand that I hadn't
worked with before. That was the biggest challenge for
me as I was quickly running out of time! But pressure
paid off in this instance! The Skin Fair is a huge
deal though... there is no other time you will
get so many skin designers
together and it is amazing for exposure and
introducing your brand to new people. You really want
to be at your best for it. I'm hoping that I could do
that this year even without the new generation to back
me up!
BranwenAlcyone: As exciting as the repainted
body is, it was really great to see a new face for the
GA.EG head. A hallmark of your brand seems to be
accessibility, whether it's through being affordable
or making sure that you have a huge array of different
appliers for customers to choose from. Is that an
intentional part of the Lumae brand, or does it
reflect you more as a person?
Lumiya Rae: I've never been a person who likes
exclusivity .. which is why it was always so hard for
me to transition from including all head appliers to
having to release them individually. I want people to
be able to enjoy their Second Life to the fullest..
and I will always try to give the widest possible
support to the ever growing market of Mesh head brands
and bodies. In many ways, releasing the skins per head
brand has allowed me to release appliers for brands I
probably never would have if I kept them all in one
package.. which makes me happy because I know that
someone somewhere will find it and be thrilled that
their head is supported. I'm a very inclusive person
and I like people to be happy.. so I have always tried
to be as accessible as possible through my work and as
a designer and person in SL.
BranwenAlcyone: Elitism and exclusivity does
run rampant in SecondLife sometimes. It's always
really nice as a customer to be able to find something
you love for a price you can afford. And it does seem
that you've been able to release skins more steadily
now that you aren't trying to make every skin fit
every brand of head!
BranwenAlcyone: After a well-deserved break
after the Skin Fair rush, what's next for you as a
designer?
Lumiya Rae: I have found my love of making
skins has returned with being able to release skins
individually for each head brand as I am able to
concentrate on that particular brands style instead of
having to try to warp each skin to fit each head for a
universal release.. it is much less pressure and as a
result I can release more and so people have more
options which is always good! As for after the Skin
Fair.. I have a couple more events lined up this month
to release things for, but the main focus will go back
to getting the new 2017 body finished and released and
then I am hoping to finish the male skins that I have
been teasing for a long while!
BranwenAlcyone: I know a lot of folks with
male avatars have been waiting for a male Lumae
release! That will make a lot of people very happy. I
myself look forward to snatching up everything you
release!
BranwenAlcyone: Thank you for taking the time
to sit and chat with me for a while about your work!
Lumiya Rae: Thank you for asking me! Its been
lovely to meet you finally and to have a chat :D
BranwenAlcyone: Now I can say that I've
dragged out of of your platform in the sky! :P
Lumiya Rae: Haha yes! It takes a lot to do
that so that is definitely an achievement :p
BranwenAlcyone: Achievement Unlocked: Socialize!
I also got a chance to sit down and chat with the reclusive Lumiya Rae, creator of the Lumae skin brand. You can read our conversation below!
The gorgeous Lumiya Rae (left) and yours truly (right) sitting down for a chat
Lumiya Rae: aww thank you :D you are too!
BranwenAlcyone: I just have a small set of questions,
so feel free to answer (or not answer) as you like!
Lumiya Rae: sure thing :)
BranwenAlcyone: Customers always love having
insight into the mind of the creators they buy from.
What goes on in your head during your painting
process?
Lumiya Rae: That's a good question! When I
decide to create a new face, it can be a very daunting
idea. I usually open up the base texture for whatever
head I will be making something for and then kind of
see what speaks to me. Sometimes I might have been
wearing a particular mesh head for a while and will
take note of some of the features it has, like a
poutier mouth or the shape of the cheekbones.. and
that might inspire me to work more on those particular
areas. A lot of the time, how a skin turns out has no
bearing on where it begins! It can be quite
interesting to see how an idea will suddenly pop up to
change something half way through. It is quite a
flowing process though.. most of the time I just let
the moment take me with it and see what happens!
BranwenAlcyone: It does seem like a lot of
creative processes happen just like that! I know it
can be hard to rush that. How long would you say a
typical skin takes you, from start to finish?
Lumiya Rae: From beginning to getting ready to
upload into SL it can take anywhere from 3 days to a
week or more if it is being particularly uncooperative
lol .. I remember while working on the newest skins
for one head brand I was having a hard time with the
nose and the lips and that one took over 3 weeks to
get it to the point where I was relatively happy with
it. I'm a crazy perfectionist, so if I see even the
smallest detail wrong I will go back again and again
to try to fix it as much as possible.. though
sometimes you just can't and you have to learn to live
with it or go insane lol .. but generally the faces
behave themselves.
Lumiya Rae: The toughest part is when a new
head is released and you have to check the features on
it against your base texture.. then fix things to that
particular brands UV so you get the best fit possible.
That can be the longest part.
Lumiya Rae
BranwenAlcyone: As a long time customer, I'll
say that your perfectionist nature has paid off! Your
newest skins especially have fit each brand of head
perfectly. Speaking of your new skins, you are
releasing three new ones for the annual Skin Fair. Is
that as huge an undertaking as it seems?
Lumiya Rae: Thank you! It really is satisfying
to see the faces I paint come to life on each mesh
head and how they are given their personalities
through the people who wear them! This years Skin Fair
was one of the more intense ones I have been a part
of. Usually at the annual Skin Fair, I release a new
generation of skins which involves new body paintwork,
sometimes new tones and new faces... This year I had
to postpone the 2017 generation of skins due to
unforeseen circumstances, which happened right at the
last minute! Thankfully I did have two faces that I
had released with make up versions last month at two
events.. I was going to save them for the updated
body.. but decided to release those with the idea of
updating the body as soon as possible. Then I made a
brand new face for another head brand that I hadn't
worked with before. That was the biggest challenge for
me as I was quickly running out of time! But pressure
paid off in this instance! The Skin Fair is a huge
deal though... there is no other time you will
get so many skin designers
together and it is amazing for exposure and
introducing your brand to new people. You really want
to be at your best for it. I'm hoping that I could do
that this year even without the new generation to back
me up!
BranwenAlcyone: As exciting as the repainted
body is, it was really great to see a new face for the
GA.EG head. A hallmark of your brand seems to be
accessibility, whether it's through being affordable
or making sure that you have a huge array of different
appliers for customers to choose from. Is that an
intentional part of the Lumae brand, or does it
reflect you more as a person?
Lumiya Rae: I've never been a person who likes
exclusivity .. which is why it was always so hard for
me to transition from including all head appliers to
having to release them individually. I want people to
be able to enjoy their Second Life to the fullest..
and I will always try to give the widest possible
support to the ever growing market of Mesh head brands
and bodies. In many ways, releasing the skins per head
brand has allowed me to release appliers for brands I
probably never would have if I kept them all in one
package.. which makes me happy because I know that
someone somewhere will find it and be thrilled that
their head is supported. I'm a very inclusive person
and I like people to be happy.. so I have always tried
to be as accessible as possible through my work and as
a designer and person in SL.
BranwenAlcyone: Elitism and exclusivity does
run rampant in SecondLife sometimes. It's always
really nice as a customer to be able to find something
you love for a price you can afford. And it does seem
that you've been able to release skins more steadily
now that you aren't trying to make every skin fit
every brand of head!
BranwenAlcyone: After a well-deserved break
after the Skin Fair rush, what's next for you as a
designer?
Lumiya Rae: I have found my love of making
skins has returned with being able to release skins
individually for each head brand as I am able to
concentrate on that particular brands style instead of
having to try to warp each skin to fit each head for a
universal release.. it is much less pressure and as a
result I can release more and so people have more
options which is always good! As for after the Skin
Fair.. I have a couple more events lined up this month
to release things for, but the main focus will go back
to getting the new 2017 body finished and released and
then I am hoping to finish the male skins that I have
been teasing for a long while!
BranwenAlcyone: I know a lot of folks with
male avatars have been waiting for a male Lumae
release! That will make a lot of people very happy. I
myself look forward to snatching up everything you
release!
BranwenAlcyone: Thank you for taking the time
to sit and chat with me for a while about your work!
Lumiya Rae: Thank you for asking me! Its been
lovely to meet you finally and to have a chat :D
BranwenAlcyone: Now I can say that I've
dragged out of of your platform in the sky! :P
Lumiya Rae: Haha yes! It takes a lot to do
that so that is definitely an achievement :p
BranwenAlcyone: Achievement Unlocked: Socialize!
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