Gascan's Paint Kitchen

[=IRFC=Gascan]

I started on some personal skins a while back, and have been working on them sporadically. I finally finished the SE5a skins for Kotori and I. The colors are red and blue to distinguish between Kotori and I. There is a large letter on the top wing and bottom wing for the pilot name. The wheels have a radiation symbol, and there is a dolphin fish on the side. The tail number is F728 and G729. Kotori and I both serve on submarines, and the fish represents the Submarine Warfare qualification, while the number is for the ships we served on (USS Florida SSGN 728 and USS Georgia SSGN 729).

Here are a few pictures, links to download the skins will be up tomorrow.

 

[keeno]

Beautiful!

[=IRFC=Gascan]

All right, here is the link to the test skins. I still want to add a bit of weathering effects to the color on the struts and tweak the font, so right now the files are all listed as "a test Gascan" so they can easily be deleted once I finish the final version. Big thanks to Oliver88 who shared his work on the RNAS10 skins, which saved countless hours trying to make my own version of such a distinctive pattern.

 

 

Here's the Bristol and SE5. The Trident on the Bristol is a symbol of striking power, and I added a little message for any gunners wiling to ride along with me. I also swapped the color on the radiation symbol from blue-and-yellow to black-and-yellow, which looks a bit better.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Already getting feedback. The yellow on the wheels is a bit eye-catching, drawing the eye a bit more than it probably should. Accordingly, here's a test with white instead. Does this work a bit better? I'll come back to the yellow when I start on Central planes.

Also, does anyone have any advice on how to add some weathering or texture? The color on the struts looks a bit flat and plasticky to me, and I want to break it up a tad bit.

Edited December 11, 2020 by gascan
Central planes.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

All right, I did another pass on the SE5a, Bristol, and Camel. Mostly just minor tweaks, nothing too significant. I also made a first attempt at the SPAD. I have two initial versions for Kotori and I. One has most of the cowling colored, with eye marks. It was somewhat inspired by Stephen Bigelow's SPAD 7, with the colored area expanded a bit so it should be more visible from the cockpit. The other one as a colored ring around the nose with a scalloped bar on the leading edge of the wing. I really like the look of the scalloping, and I think it will help identify which pilot is which in any videos recorded from the cockpit. That way I won't need to paint the struts like I have with the other planes so far. I may use both the full cowl and eyes from Bigelow and the leading edge. I also have the head rest (or razorback, or whatever you want to call it) colored as well, though that may just mark where to shoot for any aggressive Central pilots. Fish emblem and lettering have not been applied yet.

All files, including the tweaked planes and the new SPADs can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vve0dBvMLRbmbTxEntWIXtFcDOWt6jYD/view?usp=sharing

 

 

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Took out some of the skins for a test run on the FlugPark, looking to see how I like flying with them. The SPAD still needs some work, but I think the other ones are pretty much done. I need to figure out something to do with the roundels on the wings, since the red color of the leading edge overlaps them and makes it harder to see. Overall, coloring the leading edge on top and bottom makes it very easy to tell the difference between Kotori and I, so that's locked in. Now I need to decide if I want to paint the full cowling like Kotori tried, or stick with just a ring like I used, then add a serial number and a fish emblem.

[Beebop]

On 12/10/2020 at 9:25 PM, gascan said:

Also, does anyone have any advice on how to add some weathering or texture?

Often I'll use a closeup of a fern, leaves, a slab of marble, swampy ground, Google "psychedelic images" and choose something 'watery', anything that is random with saturation variations.

Depending on the effect I'm looking for I'll de-saturate the image or recolor it to match the basic paint color and apply it over the top paint layer, or above insignia/stencil layers if I want them variegated as well.  I've even put it over the mechanicals layer to give landing gear, flaps and other internals some variation.  Then lower the opacity to the point you can barely see it and you'll get some interesting reflections.  If there's an area that it doesn't look right on I'll erase that area, maybe putting a different 'filter' over it.

Just a few thoughts.

 

I like what you are doing with these planes.  ?  Keep up the good work!

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Great advice there Beebop. So far I've tried using some of the different brush shapes in Photoshop, and it just isn't quite working out how I'd hoped. I'll give it a shot!

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Well, I flew a bit more on Thursday night, this time focusing on the Camel and SE5. In the middle of a fight, it seems a bit easier to spot shapes/letters on the top/bottom of the wing or stripes on the tail than a colored nose. Although the Camel skin doesn't have anything on the wing, I'm still pretty satisfied with it. I think I may try and straighten out the colored stipes on the struts. It just looks a bit odd, especially next to the stripes on the cowling. I think the SE5 could use similar work, and there's a strange bit where the skin doesn't quite wrap correctly around the strut.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Does anyone know why this bit doesn't line up with the template? It shows up on every single custom skin, so I'm pretty sure it's an issue with the template. I can't see it from the cockpit, and if anyone else is close enough to notice it, there are probably other concerns. However, I'm wondering if I should try to fix it on my skins while I'm finalizing everything?

[HotWaffle]

There are a lot of little errors like this on many of the templates. The albatros has the same issue on its fuselage. Its up to you to decide if its worth fixing or not. In general I always fix inaccuracies like that on my skins and model airplanes because I've got ridiculous OCD for things like that.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

2 hours ago, J5_HotWaffle said:

There are a lot of little errors like this on many of the templates. The albatros has the same issue on its fuselage. Its up to you to decide if its worth fixing or not. In general I always fix inaccuracies like that on my skins and model airplanes because I've got ridiculous OCD for things like that.

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for that more often. I'm still working on the camo for the spad, so I'll fix it before publishing.

 

The Bristol, Camel, and SE5 are finished. You can find them here, although ultimately I'd like to get added to the unofficial skin bundle. I've been flying with them for the past couple weeks and been making small tweaks to make sure I like them. For the Bristols, I darkened up the red and blue highlights just a tiny bit. On the SE5a, I put some white to highlight the colors on the fuselage and straightened out the bands on the struts. Fixing the misaligned bits on the struts took probably two or three hours to get right! And for the Camel, I simply straightened out the bands on the struts. They were really bothering me when looking at screenshots of the two of us flying together, since the bands on the struts were at a different angle than the bands on the engine cowling.

I still have some work for the SPAD, but it should be done tomorrow. Like I said, I'm working on a custom camo scheme, and I may tweak the roundels so the American colors stand out against the red on Kotori's wing.

[No.23_Gaylion]

On 1/1/2021 at 2:45 PM, gascan said:

Does anyone know why this bit doesn't line up with the template? It shows up on every single custom skin, so I'm pretty sure it's an issue with the template. I can't see it from the cockpit, and if anyone else is close enough to notice it, there are probably other concerns. However, I'm wondering if I should try to fix it on my skins while I'm finalizing everything?

 

@US93_Larner

[No.23_Triggers]

@gascan IIRC those parts weren't 3D-modelled on the RoF SPAD, and some of the RoF template textures have been reused for the FC template, so I'm guessing that the old '2D' textures from RoF have snuck their way into the FC template. I'd say you could safely get rid of them! 

Edited January 6, 2021 by US93_Larner

[=IRFC=Gascan]

I adjusted the shadows/holes to line up with the 3d modeled part, and they disappeared underneath it. I agree, it's probably safe to get rid of them, and I'm going to look and see if there are any other similar structures (possibly under the upper wing or near the tail).

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Here's a link for my current set, SE5a, Sopwith Camel, both Bristols, and now the SPAD.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L-uP6b46cZO2-1HQWHfQSKZLCpKrYEwI/view?usp=sharing

 

I just finished making a custom non-historical camo scheme for the SPAD and applied the red and blue markings I had earlier to differentiate between Kotori and I. Apparently most camo schemes for the SPAD are applied at the factory, so there are a couple patterns that they tend to follow. Mine is unique, but inspired by the historical paints, so it should fit right in with more historical planes. I haven't quite mastered the weathering effects I've seen on some of the other skins (brush marks, exhaust and oil stains, etc), so we'll just say my plane is factory-fresh because I never seem to live long enough to really weather it much anyway. It still has the red or blue markings from earlier. The nose is inspired by Cpl Stephen Bigelow's SPAD 7, and the scallops on the wing are to make it easier to identify which pilot is flying when editing videos. The serial number on the tail and the dolphin fish on the side are of personal significance (that's why it's called a personal skin).

Edited February 16, 2021 by gascan
Add link

[RNAS10_Oliver]

10 hours ago, gascan said:

Here's a link for my current set, SE5a, Sopwith Camel, both Bristols, and now the SPAD.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16MonF32wi9mwyLLKkJ1LldF8Xs_NH_s0/view?usp=sharing

 

I just finished making a custom non-historical camo scheme for the SPAD and applied the red and blue markings I had earlier to differentiate between Kotori and I. Apparently most camo schemes for the SPAD are applied at the factory, so there are a couple patterns that they tend to follow. Mine is unique, but inspired by the historical paints, so it should fit right in with more historical planes. I haven't quite mastered the weathering effects I've seen on some of the other skins (brush marks, exhaust and oil stains, etc), so we'll just say my plane is factory-fresh because I never seem to live long enough to really weather it much anyway. It still has the red or blue markings from earlier. The nose is inspired by Cpl Stephen Bigelow's SPAD 7, and the scallops on the wing are to make it easier to identify which pilot is flying when editing videos. The serial number on the tail and the dolphin fish on the side are of personal significance (that's why it's called a personal skin).

 

Just downloaded them but discovered that the link provided here was for some skins for Friday Night Flights and not your personal skins. Looks like the link you posted in the bundle thread are though.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

9 hours ago, Oliver88 said:

 

Just downloaded them but discovered that the link provided here was for some skins for Friday Night Flights and not your personal skins. Looks like the link you posted in the bundle thread are though.

Fixed. Thanks for catching that!

[Tomi_099]

Very nice ... keep it up! 

[Klipper]

Great job! I will be installing some of these, when I learn more about FC.

Edited February 19, 2021 by ClipperKlipper

[=IRFC=Gascan]

I used my skins to make some skins for use on Friday Night Flights by Combat Box. I only have skins for Entente planes, since that's all I made. The Camel, SE5 and Bristol are all available in Red, Blue, Black, and Gold, while the SPAD is available in Blue or Red. I haven't made anything for Central yet, nor for the Dolphin. Soon. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16n44HY_zagSi9id6JDQLnKJmlp3X8NT3/view?usp=sharing

 

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Since the Dolphin is going to participate in the Spring offensive, I figured it was time to finish up my Entente skin collection. I roughed this out in a couple hours, but there are still a few key things that it needs. You can see the blue coloration for me, it will be red for Kotori. I have the wing stripe, trident, and letter on the opposite side from my Bristol. The fuselage uses the template's roundel, followed by a large letter, my dolphin emblem, and a serial number. The struts have a splash of color on them to make it easier to identify the pilot in my videos when I look down to the side. I still need to add the trifoil to the wheels, and I may add some color to either the vertical stabilizer or the elevator. Another key feature I want to include is some eyes and jaws. Attached are a couple screenshots looking at the eyes from J99 and at the eyes and jaws of Oliver88's historical RNAS skin. The eyes on my Spad are a particular point of pride for me, so I want to get the Dolphin right as well. It really needs to put the fear of King Neptune in my enemies before I turn them into matchsticks. The only problem is while I can easily do colors and basic shapes, more complex drawings are beyond me.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Dolphin complete! Big thanks to @Raptorattacker and @Oliver88 for their help with this skin.

As usual it has red with a K for Kotori and Blue with a G for me. Also present are the Dolphin Fish and Trident emblem. Serial number is D626 and W626 (named for the MTS Daniel Webster). Kotori's motto is Old Funny-Fins, and mine is The Fightin' Fish. The jaws on the front were made by Raptorattacker. I had to add a black outline to Kotori's skin to make it show up against the red base layer. The angry eyes are big and very visible from both the front and the side. Hopefully my foes will feel the fury of a fighting dolphin-fish!

Edited April 12, 2021 by gascan

[Beebop]

If Chennault had been around this early on, this would have been what his squadron flew.  "Les Tigres Volants".  ??️

[=IRFC=Gascan]

I've been working on the Fokker D7 and D7F skins for Kotori and I. The basic scheme is made, but I've been having two problems that I need to overcome before I can consider the skins complete. Kotori uses red, and I use blue to help stand out. The nose of the plane is colored for the pilot, as is the struts  to make it easier to identify the pilot when recording video. The tail has alternating stripe of white and color, either straight for the D7F or angled for the vanilla D7. I added a colored band on the top wing, as well as a large letter G or K for the pilot (although I may change the font if I can find a good gothic-looking font). I then put the fish emblem from my USN Submarine Warfare device underneath the cockpit on the fuselage and a trifoil on the wheel to finish things off. I was fortunate enough to get a layer for the lozenge pattern made by J5_Adam, which is much more colorful than the default pattern.

 

Unfortunately, I am having trouble getting the colors on the lozenge to pop out as vividly as they do on the J5 skins that use this lozenge. I suspect its a combination of weathering (the default weathering seems really heavy to me) and alpha layer. I'm using Photoshop Elements with a very old plugin to save as a dds file, and I don't know how to access the alpha layer in that program. I tried removing the weathering or adjusting its opacity, but then it just looks flat and plastic-y. I'd like to sort out the weathering and make that beautiful lozenge really stand out, but I don't know if its possible in Photoshop Elements. I'd also like to remove the upper cowling on the D7F, but the colors are more important to me than the cowling.

 

After I get this sorted out, I've got some ideas for a Pfalz D.XII and D.III, followed by the Halberstadts and a D.VIII.

 

Ok, screenshots. Here's a view of Kotori's D7F from the front, showing off the paint on the nose, struts, the trifoil on the wheel, and the fish:

 

For comparison, here's J5_Gamecock's D7F with the same view. Notice the vivid lozenge, the level of weathering, and the open engine cowling:

 

 

Here is a view of my D7F from behind. This shows off the letter and stripe on the wing, the fish under the cockpit, and the colored stripes on the tail.

 

This is Kotori's vanilla D7 with the same viewing angle. You can see the angled stripes on the tail rather than straight for the D7F, as well as see the red Kotori uses instead of the blue I prefer.

 

And for comparison, this is J5_Gamecock's vanilla D7. As before, you can see how much more vivid the lozenge pattern is, as well as the better weathering. Kotori said "I always seem to have a factory-fresh fighter since I never live long enough for my plane to get much weathering."

 

J5_Adam made lozenge schemes from the Fokker, Albatros, and OAW factories, so here's some examples of those. I really like the OAW scheme! The light blue on the ribs is gorgeous! If possible, I'd love to have the OAW on the D7F and either the Fokker or the Albatros for the vanilla D7.

Fokker:

Albatros:

OAW:

 

[PaulTheSalty]

11 hours ago, gascan said:

Unfortunately, I am having trouble getting the colors on the lozenge to pop out as vividly as they do on the J5 skins that use this lozenge. I suspect its a combination of weathering (the default weathering seems really heavy to me) and alpha layer. I'm using Photoshop Elements with a very old plugin to save as a dds file, and I don't know how to access the alpha layer in that program. I tried removing the weathering or adjusting its opacity, but then it just looks flat and plastic-y. I'd like to sort out the weathering and make that beautiful lozenge really stand out, but I don't know if its possible in Photoshop Elements. I'd also like to remove the upper cowling on the D7F, but the colors are more important to me than the cowling.

I’ve been using GIMP, so I can’t offer you any advice on adjusting alphas/weathering on PE. If you are unable to find a solution I’d be more than happy to adjust the weathering however you’d like.

 

As far as the pretty patterns J5_Adam put together, you could see if he has a template he’d be willing to share (forgive me if it’s already floating around, I haven’t started skinning Central machines yet).

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Haven't had time to work on skins. I was intending to swap over to GIMP instead of Photoshop Elements, but my boat went out to sea. I'm in Guam right now with only a day of liberty to catch up on all the goings on before we're back out again. When I get back I'll give it another go and try to finish up the set for Kotori and I.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q0acFtAGKLRwZH5qCurfzj5NVW3FHWJ8/view?usp=sharing

 

Here is a link to take a look at the current state of my Fokker D7 and D7F skins. I am almost happy with them, so I think I can start testing them out on the flugpark over the next week or so. I still want to try and swap out for the OAW lozenge scheme on my plane, although Kotori seems happy with the Fokker lozenge. I also want to take a closer look at the weathering, but I'm not sure if I know enough about how to properly do weathering and color adjustment. Any help would be appreciated @J5_HotWaffle  @J5_Rumey @J5_Adam

[=IRFC=Gascan]

The Fokker D7 and D7F have been finished for a while now. They use the lozenge scheme by J5_Adam with some personal markings added on top. Specifically, the usual dolphin fish and red or blue trifoil on the wheels, colored nose, struts, a chevron on the top wing, and a colored tail. The D7F has angled stripes on the tail while the vanilla D7 has straight stripes. If you get close enough to see the difference, you can now tell the difference!

 

Kotori's vanilla D7 with straight tail feathers:

Kotori's D7F with the angled tail feathers:

Gascan's vanilla D7 with blue colors instead of red:

Gasccan's D7F:

 

I also just completed work on the Airco DH-4, since I commonly use it for recons and bombing missions on the Entente side. At time of writing, it has been uploaded to HSD and is awaiting curation, hopefully in time for people to get it for Sunday at the Flugpark. It follows the same cues as Bristol 2-seater. Colored ring around the nose and the cowling around the exhaust pipes, more color on the struts, the trifoil on the wheels, and some color on the tail. There is also a serial number based on Kotori and my current ships, and the usual dolphin fish. The pilots name is posted with a trident, and the gunner has "welcome aboard" on the aft deck. The letters G and K are added in-game, since I already used that before making these skins. That way the uncultured peasants who haven't downloaded the skin can still tell who's flying.

 

Next project will be the big bombers, starting with the Handley Page. I'll continue to use the in-game letters to put a big G and K, since anyone can see that with or without the skins. The engines will have a ring on the front similar to the DH-4, although I'm also thinking of putting something on the back cone of the engine nacelle. I like putting "welcome aboard" for the back gunner, but will have to take a close look to see how it works for the different weapons mods. The front gunner/bomb layer will have the dolphin fish emblem, but this will get some special treatment. I have a few photos showing emblems centered on the very front of the gun position with wings or antlers wrapping around a bit. I intend to put a full USN submarine warfare insignia ("dolphins" or "fish") on the nose rather than using just a single fish mirrored on each side of the fuselage. The pilots name will be on each side of the cockpit, probably underlined with a trident like my DH-4. I want to fit a larger trident somewhere (to represent both the massive power of the Trident missile and King Neptune's preferred weapon), but I can't think of any good spots right now. The serial number will, as usual, represent my current boat. I also want to find a place to include a shellback marking for crossing the equator, but so far no luck. If I figure that out, I may go back and add it to previous skins. After that, the Gotha may include a custom camo scheme, or may use one of the stock ones (which are all included in the template). It will have a similar personal markings to the HP, but will be tweaked to match the Gotha a bit better.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

Whew! When I get some time to sit down, I can get a lot done! Here are the new Handley Pages arriving at the front soon, hopefully in time to see action at the FlugPark on Sunday. They have been uploaded to HSD, just waiting for approval.