New eager skinner here in need of a few pointers.

[DrFGHobo]

Heya folks.

I'm returning to IL-2 after a long hiatus (played the original way back in 2001 with the OG IL-2 and Pacific Fighters later on) and now I'm back with a few buddies getting bored with other games.

 

As the resident graphic designer in the group, I'm put in charge of skinning some planes (and as a scale modeller I love trinkering away at camo schemes anyway), and I've been having a blast these last few days but I need some serious help from more experienced skinners with a few things, if I may ask....

 

1. I really have problems wrapping not only my head, but also graphics around bends where different parts of the texture meet up (especially when they're not located in a logical place on the texture map. Case in point: The engine/wing meetup and wing root of the 262. See attached photos.
   
   So, question #1: Are there any tricks or best practuces to get the artwork to wrap around these parts nicely without constant trial and error? The templates I downloaded from the forum come with wireframes, but sometimes the resolution on them is pretty poor and doesn't really help a lot.
    
2. Are there any tricks, stencils or brushes to get the German mottling effect right? I've cheated a bit on my first try and tweaked the Photoshop Cloud filter, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something more readily available (and true to the original)
    

Thanks in advance for your answers, and see you in the wild blue yonder.

[9./JG27golani79]

Not sure how others do it but when it comes to UV islands it is trial and error unfortunately. That is if you can´t directly paint on the mesh which isn´t the case for us here.

 

Do you have a specific example regarding the mottling effect you want to achieve?

I´m using different brushes / erasers (grunge, spatters, etc) with different opacity / flow /  hardness .. to paint my aircrafts (using a tablet with pen).

Edited November 2, 2021 by 9./JG27golani79

[DrFGHobo]

Quote

Location:Austria

Okay, wie hoch ist die Chance, dass ich mit dem ersten Post hier einen Landsmann erwische XD

 

Quote

 

Do you have a specific example regarding the mottling effect you want to achieve?

I´m using different brushes / erasers (grunge, spatters, etc) with different opacity / flow /  hardness .. to paint my aircrafts (using a tablet with pen).

 

 

Not really, just a way to randomize the patterns a bit. Like I said, I can get something close to it with running the Cloud effect through a few filters, but I'm always eager to learn new stuff. 

 

Next up is a Mustang where I really want to do shiny, almost airshow-like chrome with some flat colored parts and a wraparound graphic on the rudder/tail section. I have no idea how to edit the alpha channel to get it shiny, all I get is dull aluminium... it's a learning curve.

[esk_pedja]

First of all welcome to the "skinning" club ! ?

1 - The best method from my experience is PATIENCE: edit the skin, rename, fly, pause the game, right angle and zoom, screenshot... and step forward again

2- From your CV, you should be well aware that Luftwaffe did not have anything like common mottling pattern, i.e there are heaps of brushes sizes and softness that were applied in a real WW2 ...so regarding the "right brush" you are looking for something that does not exist.

 

Looking forward to your art !

[DrFGHobo]

Thanks for the warm welcome, appreciate it.

 

I've posted my first skin (which is just my personal career livery) here. Nothing too fancy, just a basic recolor to get into the groove and practice (I've done a F4 version with winter camo as well as a kill laurel too, to use as the career progresses.

 

Not really planning to do any real historical stuff, we already got plenty of very talented people for that here. I'm more of the showboaty Ace Combat fantasy livery crowd (I know it's not to everybody's taste, but still... I guess I'd feel right at home with Flying Circus if I weren't that much into the WW2 piston fighters )

 

Can't wait to get my hands on the Razorback (still gotta wait for a sale because of financial limits, just bought a new computer) but I already started coloring the custom nose art I got done by Stéphane Roux (Marvel, DC, Semic) at a local Comic Con a few years back. Luckily, with the Viewer, I can get cracking on the skin even though I can't use it yet...

[Raptorattacker]

@DrFGHobo You'd get a LOT of info here... I'd recommend it.
https://discord.gg/Rme9Q3UT

It's the IL-2 Skinners Forum on Discord.

 

Rap

Edited November 2, 2021 by Raptorattacker

[DrFGHobo]

20 hours ago, Raptorattacker said:

@DrFGHobo You'd get a LOT of info here... I'd recommend it.
https://discord.gg/Rme9Q3UT

It's the IL-2 Skinners Forum on Discord.

 

Rap

 

Already joined, prepare to get pestered in the coming days.

[Sheriff88]

On 11/2/2021 at 6:22 AM, DrFGHobo said:

Are there any tricks, stencils or brushes to get the German mottling effect right? I'

A couple of approaches I've used (in GIMP):

1.Create a transparent layer on which to paint desired effect. On that layer create random splotches in desired color. Place that layer at top of layer stack. Use eraser tool set to low opacity to start fading the mottle splotches. To paint the splotches I often use the free select tool with feathered edges. 

2. Using a skin with a mottle pattern scheme that approximates what your looking for and  paint over parts that you don't want. Transfer resulting pattern to a transparent mottle layer as described in method 1 and edit from there. Another way to tone down mottling is the create a transparent layer for shading. Then brush over that with the lightest color that surrounds the mottle 

The image below used both of these methods.

 

[9./JG27golani79]

On 11/2/2021 at 3:54 PM, DrFGHobo said:

Okay, wie hoch ist die Chance, dass ich mit dem ersten Post hier einen Landsmann erwische XD

 

Hehe .. if you need anything just send me a PM

[Feldgrun]

On 11/2/2021 at 12:14 PM, Raptorattacker said:

@DrFGHobo You'd get a LOT of info here... I'd recommend it.
https://discord.gg/Rme9Q3UT

It's the IL-2 Skinners Forum on Discord.

 

Rap

Discord link is bad? "Invite Invalid" I'd love to learn how to skin! I love to pause and look at the planes almost as much as flying them.

PS - Rap, Love your skins!

[Raptorattacker]

19 hours ago, Feldgrun said:

Discord link is bad?

Try again... I just tried this one and it definitely works. They're possibly time sensitive though and that last one was well over a year ago!
https://discord.gg/XeCsN3dV

Edited May 22, 2022 by Raptorattacker

[Feldgrun]

3 hours ago, Raptorattacker said:

Try again... I just tried this one and it definitely works. They're possibly time sensitive though and that last one was well over a year ago!
https://discord.gg/XeCsN3dV

 

Worked. Thanks!