Okay so I came across this cool picture and I really wanted to edit myself into it haha. Here's the pic: http://lci.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341cbf9a53ef01156f794a85970c-350wi

Maybe this http://mistressofdesign.wordpress.com/2 ... -the-gimp/
but you will have to scroll almost to the end to see why i think useful

or search for "displacement map" tutorial

Anyway replicate something as that is quite a work

Hi Brooke , I have had a play trying to reproduce something similar, but it is not easy. I have looked at the references that PhotoComix PC recommended. As PC said it is not easy, and it is not just the displacement filter. Original elements of the image shine through (colour wise), Also the displacement of text seems to be effected by carefully (hand drawn) pre-shading to make the lettering follow the skin contours (normal displacement filters will not follow the contours such as is shown on the fingers). In other words I do not think that this is a simple plug-in application but rather a detailed study of the subject matter and careful planning to make the "skinning" look so natural.
However it has caught my interest and I will spend some more time on this and perhaps I can come up with a tut to do something similar.
NB this photo I have on my computer somewhere else in a power point presentation with other weird photomanips but I cant find it for now.

Here is what i did...
make a full text layer..duplicate it.
render your arm and body two separate layers.delete the rest of the image.
alpha to select your arm...select text layer-select/invert- delete.
alpha to select your body...select text layer-select/invert- delete.
now open G'MIC on the arm text layer...fool with the fisheye settings ...do this with both text layers
here is what i got...close maybe some lighting or shadows to complete the effect.

Mine doesn't look much like the original mapping but putting it in anyway.