I think he used normalmapping in the preview spinny.

no, let me show you.

step 1:


step 2:


step 3:


one part isn't reflective
but if you put several of those parts together on different layers you will get something like this.



Before:


After:


and thats what makes it cool for texturing.

I don't know exactly how it works yet, still experimenting xD

So...it adds a faint shadow and dulls some of the tones? Interesting........

It does look a bit nicer though. With minimal effort, too, I hope

It looks weird..

Lol so your not using it for its function at all really then? commendable if an odd use.

I ran an old head through it traditionally although its not the greatest bumping tool so your probably better off with your way of using it lol.

Haha probably not :P I'm an amateur when it comes to this point.
Looks cool.

JC, the only difference that I can see is that the lighter teal parts are lighter and in the eyes it's lighter a bit.

Yup your right its pretty weak. Bumps are basically like adding a realtime emboss; that adds a highlight and shadow based on the grayscale height of the image that changes depending on the light source.
Filters only really work brilliantly for making panels or indents, stuff that needs a more organic zdepth needs to be baked on from a 3d source.

Like I baked these as a test not so long ago, although they are also baked onto the diffuse as Tb doesn't really support full normals. but you can see the principle between filtering and baking. And what effects you can get from either.

let's duel. Let's make a fifth uke/tori. Any color not already used is good and anything else like style should be good. Use your own style but make sure it still looks like it could belong to the tori/uke series. resolution 256x256. and since it's knight thememed month let's make it knightish too. capiche? any takers? Oh, and hey jc.

Buwaaahhh.... Lol doth thyne eyes deceive me?! good to see you about again man.