If I use 2 32 bit .tga files for the skins, skin 2 has alpha, it seems to work, only, my models are grey regardless of what colors I use??????

update:
I have determined my models are grey because they are displaying the alpha channel as the skin. I have tried switching around the skins, putting alpha skin as skin 1 , etc.. only to see a black model??????????
right now skin 1 is just a blue .tga saved in 32 bit.
skin 2 has a pattern, and its grayscale "copy of itself" in alpha, and saved as a 32 bit .tga.
Can anybody see what I am doing wrong?