Author Topic: Romanian Bf-109G6 of Grupul 9 (Read 928 times)

Treize69 · « **on:** November 15, 2006, 02:39:50 AM »

I cropped them kind of weird in the hopes that I wouldn't have to shrink them down and lose resolution. Hope it worked.

Bf-109G6/R6 "White 2" of Grupul 9 Vanatoare (9th Fighter Group), early summer 1944, operating around Brasov. Flown by Cpt. av. Gheorghe Popescu-Ciocanel of Escadrila 56. All fuselage and tail markings (swastika, balkenkreuz, staffel and gruppe markings) and mottling were oversprayed in a basic 2-tone mix of dark and light grey. Aircraft was heavily used but well maintained (G9V and G7V were the elite units guarding the capital and industrial targets, well supplied and maintained as far as ARR units went), hence the light weathering but heavy exhaust staining.

Made this 2-tone one as a companion to Tudor Greceanu's heavily mottled "White 13" of Grupul 7 done by Rogerdee.

Treize69 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 15, 2006, 02:42:58 AM »

Underside view...

Note the exhaust stain on the bottom of the supercharger intake. Last minuts addition, I almost didn't notice the exhaust stain overlapped the bottom edge of the intake in time to fix it. Looked really funny without the stain there.

Treize69 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 15, 2006, 02:45:58 AM »

Deleted, I lost the profile I had for it.

straffo · « **Reply #3 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:03:01 AM »

I should have it somewhere.

Treize69 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 15, 2006, 05:04:13 AM »

Its on page 45 of Ospreys Aircraft of the Aces #54 "Rumanian Aces of WWII", profile #27. I just can't find the copy I had of it scanned.

Profile identifies it as Esc. 47, my bad.

Wk-Nr. 166161.

Krusty · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2006, 12:17:21 PM »

It's lightly weathered, but the insignia and number and tail band are full bright. It looks like a bitmap rather than a skin in those areas.

It looks like your 2-tone colors are just solid colors. You can leave the weathering "light" (oil streaks, stains, etc) but you need to do something to break up the solid paint bucket filled areas. It won't look right if you don't (trust me, I did a couple waaaay back just like that, they got rejected for looking "too clean")

Treize69 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2006, 12:38:02 PM »

I keep trying to fade the paint and lighten it up a bit, but it always looks way too weathered in photoshop and like I've done next to nothing when looked at in skin viewer. When I use the skin offline it looks a bit better, but the changes aren't translating right. Plus the weathering layers keep somehow making the yellow brighter and fading the red and blue.

I'm afraid of going over the line from "not weathered enough" to "how the heck is that thing staying in the air" if I keep going.

Keep in mind also that the overspray on the fuselage was very freshly applied- the aircraft was probably only received in the spring of '44 (during the late-winter/early-spring lull in USAAF bombing over Romania), and was shot down by 15thAAF Mustangs on July 26. It had a very short service life in that paintjob.

Krusty · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2006, 01:03:58 PM »

True, but in real life a solid coat of paint doesn't look like a solid bitmap

There are variations in shading and highlight based on the angle you view it, shadow and light, all add to give it a 3d look.

If the weathering layer you describe doesn't look right, ditch it and try other things. Other methods, other blending.

Also, try taking the "bright" layers and reducing opacity to 95% or 90%.

Treize69 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2006, 01:28:02 PM »

Hadn't thought of reducing opacity, good idea.

weazely · « **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:35:28 PM »

thats really good

how do u make a skin?

Hap · « **Reply #10 on:** November 15, 2006, 03:41:52 PM »

Trieze69, nice work

~~hap~~

Stoney74 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 15, 2006, 11:52:54 PM »

Maybe try Kev's method which I sort of adopted and modified for GIMP. Render a layer of noise or clouds ( I use the plasma rendering in GIMP) with the gradient set for black fading to transparent. Then gradient map the layer and just set the opacity for what looks good. A real faint opacity between 10-20% can make a huge difference in the "newness" of the paint. I also realized an unexpected benefit of a chipping effect on the white areas of the leading edges of the wings and tail where the Pacific jugs used white paint.

Also, try throwing a blur on the darker grey camo areas. The blur will help soften the transition between the two colors of paint.

Edup · « **Reply #12 on:** November 16, 2006, 07:50:04 AM »

I r teh mental midget!

straffo · « **Reply #13 on:** November 20, 2006, 03:20:05 AM »

Sorry Treize ,so far I've been unable to put my hand on a profile ... I'll continue to search

evenhaim · « **Reply #14 on:** November 20, 2006, 09:41:59 PM »

i definatly tap that lol good job