Hey all,

I know months ago I promised I wouldn't stop skinning even though I was taking a step back from the game. Well, the good news is I'm playing the game a lot sooner than I thought I'd be able to! Bad news is, it's been what? Five months since my last WIP?

I love my P-40 btw, but now with the new mods, she seems antiquated. I'll still finish her, but now I actually have a request from my online Airgroup to work on their skins. Basically make them "all the same blue." Basically, because our skins came from so many different places, our different planes don't match. That and we have "flights" basically a red and blue flight for the fighters, and a green, white, and yellow flight for our bombers. The colors could be better.

So, after all they've done for me, getting me playing again, fixing my computer, the list goes on and on... they asked if I could "match the blues" and let's just say I'm going to do a wee bit more than just that.

also, any pics of use can be found on my pinterest board, "IL-2 Skin Studies" http://www.pinterest.com/tanukidomo/il-2-skin-studies/

anyway, here's my WIP of my SBD-3 Dauntless - Early War!
I'm wondering especially about the insignia - if it's rotated the right way, if it's in the right spot, and its size. I've seen references online of multiple different sizes and such. I even saw two different sizes on each wing?

these have zero weathering, and not a lot going on. I want to check the color, and the insignias basically.


topsides and wings:


another angle for the wings and topside:


undersides:


side:


rudder:

-yeah, I know this needs work. I cleaned up sections based on the real thing... and it isn't modeled that way. Plus I messed up on the location of the bottom inside corner - easy fix. Now I'm debating what to do though about those two "mounting points" as I think of them.

here's one of the pics I was using as a reference:

and another - caution, it's HUGE


-yeah... I've got my work cut out for me, but it'll be a blast. I have as I like to call them:
"Early War" - with red dot in center of star, stripes on rudder
"Two-tone" - the blue-grey two tones of 1942-43
"3 Color" - the three color camo
"Late War" - solid deep blue
camouflages to do for each plane... and yeah, we like a bunch:

TBDs
SBDs
TBM/Fs
SB2Cs
F4Fs
F4Us
F6Fs

I'll use this thread for all of them. Hopefully at the end, with everyone's help, I'll have some epic (and matching ) aircraft, take a sweet picture with them all in the air maybe if I can.

and the best news? My old P-40 thread - helped me make sure I got it all working right this time lol no weird SNAFUs!

and for S's & G's lol

because
getting that "underside" picture... and at only 800 feet above deck, I didn't wipe out! lol

They're looking really good, Grumpy. Great job.

thanks bud!

they're coming along. It's funny, I really need to keep things in perspective. I was just going over things, and was upset at how un-even my rivet lines were:

like here:
on her "quarter panel"

and then I see this picture:

and realize it's better that way lol

Hey SloppyJoe!

been meaning to ask you. The color I'm using, as you know is period correct ANA code for the blue grey on top of these early warbirds. However, it looks incredibly darker than what I've seen in pictures of the real thing in museums. Now, I know they sometimes get it wrong. lol

but let me know what you think, since you're the one weathering them and all

thanks buddy!

here's some shots of the F4F3 I'm working on now, to help show you what I'm talking about, and a real bird as a comparison





vs



either that, or now looking at her belly. The same skin as the F4F4 rivets and such too, and I'm doing the 3color paint scheme as well. I'm wondering if the belly is ANA601 -nonspec insignia white, instead of the equivalent in ANA code to M-495. Oops, that'll change the look too. I'll double check that ASAP.

and everyone else, please feel free to chime in as well. The lines, rivets, and shading/highlights are all at 100% instead of down, so I can see the lines and rivets well and make sure they're looking good. For example, I forgot the highlight lines on her nose in some spots lol oops.

an update on my F4F3 Wildcats. For the most part, they're done! :shock:

and now going to be waiting for SloppyJoe to weather them :lol:
-just remember bud, they're NAVY not Marines, so they don't have dirt, but they can have plenty of surface rust lol :lol:









...and I think I'm missing some lol, honestly I'm too tired right now to care lol
I'll see y'all in the morning after I get some rest!

Looking good, Grump!

I specially like the one with red cowl rings and vertical stabilizer tip.

ok...

I'm awake now :thumbsup: had some coffee, btw half-pint is doing much better.

yeah I'm feeling like this now:
http://youtu.be/LvG_M_fAkXU
with the song playing in my head

hopefully by the time I'm done, Kenny Loggins will take over lol

ok, so to start with, let me present to you the birds, with proper introductions:

Red Flight - Early War, with large insignia


Red Flight - Early War, with the dots and stripes painted out


Red Flight - "2-tone" 1942-1943


Blue Flight - Early War, with large insignia


Blue Flight - Early War, with red dot and stripes painted out


Blue Flight - "2-tone" 1942-1943


and on that note,

I put the "flight paint" on the cowling because I see that so much in references. (BTW, the SBD with the yellow looks SICK!!)
now, putting the colors on the prop hub can be a problem - for example, the SBD-3, and F4s don't have a prop hub. It's just steel, at least in real life, and I can now say for certain the F4-f3 in-game doesn't have one either... so where does the color go?

and there is color on the top of the tail! I promise!


that's Blue Flight, and again, the blue is hard to make out. But it's there, and is on about the first eight inches at least on the tail. Same with Red Flight, it's just hard to make out with the tail stripes... so here's a "2-tone" again, for emphasis -


as for weathering. It won't be anything too crazy, it'll just be "salt-caked." I remember my big boat, she was a 378WHEC. Being white, we could see all the surface rust easily, and it was impossible to completely get rid of. The boat, after about two weeks out would also develop a certain "coating" of salt too, just from the spray. And I think my buddy SloppyJoe will be able to replicate that.

here's a picture of what we're trying to accomplish, and what I'd like to shoot for SJ. I'm sure you'll recognize the picture

basically get them to no longer look like they're fresh from the Grumman factory delivered to the boat.
-and it's pictures like this that concern me. I talked with a friend that is a huge photography genius. He was saying how Kodak of the era, being super expensive and EPIC for the era, was also high exposure with sharp contrast - basically a "HEY LOOK IT's IN COLOR!" kind of selling gimmick. But still, my planes don't look like that at all, not even close. And I pride myself on my color theory and work - it served me well working on hotrods.

so:
Did the F4-F3 ever see the "3-tone" era? I don't think so, but I could be wrong. I'm basing that off of assumptions and deployment dates of the USMC, not the Navy. I know Guadalcanal quite well, and I don't remember F4-F3s even by that point, and that's pre "3-tone."


which brings up the next part, where I could really use everyone's help here:

anyone know if the F4F4 is the same "skin" just with different lines? Basically, here's why:
1) God would that save time - these Wildcats, ain't technically done. I need to go through my research and figure out where their markings go for "step" and such - I'd rather do that only once.
2) I accidentally already made a 3-tone :sad5: :grin: I couldn't help it, and it looks gorgeous.
3) if I can figure this out, then all the planes will be so much easier - they all have slight differences in model, but if I can have one template at least for all... yeah. That'd be sweet. For example, check out the TBM vs TBF Avengers :cool: it's just on their cowling and radiator that makes a difference. Same with the SBD-3 vs SBD-5 in-game.

so, realistically I'll be spending today doing that. I'm honestly surprised how much time I put into these, probably about 6 hours of work already. mind you, I'm loving every minute of it.
...and that's just it. I can't do half-assed work when I know I can do better.

thanks guys for your encouragement! And yeah, I'm really a fan of the Red Flight too. Although, I really like Blue Flight with the early dot and stripes. Really "patriotic" in its look.

OK... I need some help lol

all I'm trying to do in GIMP2.8 is copy layers from one void image to another file I have.

Basically, I'm getting the rivets and lines of the F4F4 and putting them in my already made F4F3 template. That way, all the detail stuff is already done.

the problem is, I can't get it to align, and no matter what help I've looked up, it's not working lol

I've tried multiple ways:
"open as layers" - an obvious choice
"edit -> copy" - open up template - "edit -> paste"
"magic wand" - "copy" - "paste"

every time, it lines up, just a little bit off. No big deal, except I can't seem for the life of me to get it to move! For some reason, all that's moving is the damn background lol.

I have a funny feeling this is another SNAFU brought to you by me I can almost guarantee it. I'll keep looking around and see if I'm missing anything... but if anyone here can give me a hand, I'd love the assist.

You should talk to Jarink, he uses Gimp.