PAINTERLY - a High Res Vanilla Warpaint Retexture

⭐ ⭐⭐ (6,910 endorsements) 📥 745,100 downloads 📌 v1.0 📅 6/23/2015
⚪ Last updated 2015

By gobbldygook · Body, Face, and Hair

⬇ Download Mod Source: Nexus Mods 📅 Updated: 6/23/2015 📅 Created: 6/23/2015
⚠️ Install Order · 4 steps
1🛠️ SKSE — Skyrim Script Extender Download ↗
2🔧 USLEEP — Unofficial Skyrim Legendary Edition Patch Download ↗
3🖥️ SkyUI — SkyUI (MCM framework) Download ↗
4📦 RaceMenu Find it →

Install in this order, then this mod last — most mods fail to load without their framework and dependencies in place.

🔍 Analysis

  • 👍 0.9% endorsement rate
  • 🏆 #21 of 101 Body, Face, and Hair mods in this game by downloads

📋 About This Mod

Inspired by the wonderful Battle Hardened Warpaints, I set out to retexture the vanilla warpaint designs in a similar fashion. And so Painterly was born.

Version 1. 0 retextures the 10 default designs available to guys and girls of all non-beast races, as well as all specific (non-beast) racial designs. This is a 2k, high resolution retexture (2048x2048). I have also included several alternate textures for the default hand print design, on a varying scale of smeariness. Just rename whichever texture you prefer to "maleheadwarpaint_08.dds".

small caveat: RaceMenu's Makeup Texture selection shows several textures that I haven't currently retextured, namely Black Blood tattoos, Forsworn tattoos, and beast stripes/markings. See Future Plans for more details.

The main file replaces the default textures, so the main "Warpaint" slider will show the retextured designs. This also means that you will be able to select and layer designs in RaceMenu by default, with no need for an extra esp. (See images for RaceMenu location/details.) Please leave a comment if you're interested in a non-replacing, RaceMenu .esp version!

IMPORTANT:

This mod relies on SKSE's fix for high-quality tint masks, in order to display them at their full resolution. To enable this, add the following lines to your SKSE.ini file (Data\SKSE\SKSE.ini):

iTintTextureResolution=2048 Installation & Uninstallation If you're using MO or NMM, install and uninstall like any other mod! :)

If you're not using a mod manager, simply extract the contents to your Skyrim folder (Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim).

To uninstall manually, remove the following files: Data\textures\actors\character\character assets\tintmasks\Any filename containing "female" and "warpaint".dds Data\textures\actors\character\character assets\tintmasks\Any filename containing "male" and "warpaint".dds

Future plans
There are several unique racial designs that are only male or only female; however, selecting them through RaceMenu is an imperfect solution because the texture positioning is slightly misaligned. In the future, I plan to convert the unique designs to the opposite gender and release them as a RaceMenu plugin.

Forsworn tattoos are not included in version 1, because they are almost too intricate for the painterly style. However, I might make them a potential update if I'm so inclined/you all want them.

I will not be retexturing the beast race stripes/markings at all, or the Black Blood tattoos.

🤖 AI-enhanced — based on mod data

PAINTERLY is a 2K high-resolution retexture of the vanilla warpaint designs in a painterly style, intended for use with RaceMenu. It's a popular cosmetic mod with over 6,900 endorsements and 745,000 downloads, last updated in 2015.

✨ Key Features

Retextures all vanilla warpaint designs in a painterly style.
2K high-resolution textures for improved visual fidelity.
Recommended to be used with RaceMenu for best results.

📊 Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

  • Huge community trust (6,910 endorsements) — this is a proven cosmetic upgrade.
  • Massive download count (745,100) shows it's a go-to for warpaint overhauls.
  • 2K resolution keeps the vanilla look but with a crisp, artistic twist.

⚠️ Cons

  • Last updated in 2015 — may not be fully compatible with the latest Skyrim Special Edition or Anniversary Edition without patches.
  • Only affects warpaints — if you want body or face texture overhauls, this isn't it.
  • Requires RaceMenu for the intended experience, which adds an extra dependency.
🎯 Is This For You?
For Skyrim players who want to freshen up their character's warpaint without straying from the vanilla designs. Ideal for roleplayers and screenshot enthusiasts who use RaceMenu for detailed character creation. Skip if you're looking for new warpaint patterns or gameplay changes — this is purely a texture upgrade.
📦 Install:Easy· Under 1 minute

💡 Beginner Tips

  • Install with a mod manager like Vortex or Mod Organizer 2 to keep your texture mods organized and easy to remove.
  • If you're on Skyrim Special Edition, check for a compatible version or use a mod that ports Oldrim textures — this mod is from 2015 and may need conversion.
  • Pair with a high-res body and face texture mod to get the full visual benefit — warpaints alone won't fix blurry skin.

📊 Mod Details

Game
Skyrim LE Mods
Author
gobbldygook
Version
1.0
Downloads
745,100
Endorsements
6,910
Category
Body, Face, and Hair
Created
6/23/2015
Updated
6/23/2015

🔧 How to Install Skyrim LE Mods

Download from Nexus.

📖 Full step-by-step install guide for Skyrim LE →

Visit the official mod page for specific installation instructions for this mod.

🎮 Need cheat codes or console commands? Check ur gaming wiki for Skyrim LE commands, item IDs, and more.

Keep browsing — more Skyrim LE mods await

📋 All Skyrim LE Mods 🏆 Top 25 📂 More Body, Face, and Hair 👤 More by gobbldygook 🔎 Similar Mods 🌐 Best Body, Face, and Hair (All Games) ⚠️ Fix Crashes & Errors 💾 Save Files 🔀 Check Compatibility ⚖️ Compare Mods 🆕 New Mods