Not 1, but 2 P-38s! 18FG - 12FS "Billy's Filly" and "St. Louis Blues"

[Knite]

Hello Everyone,

Here's an update. As always, any changes/alterations/mistakes please feel free to point out. I don't bite. =P

As you can tell, I heavily adjust the "blue" color for the squadron colors. Here's a couple of screenshots also pointing out a few other changes :

Showing the removed dive brake panel lines from the J, as well as including the Landing lights. Nose gear appears not to match, but I believe this is a "reflective property" issue, as when you see the next 2 screenshots, the nose really does appear to blend as long as the light isn't directly shining off of it. However, if it's still not close enough, please let me know. Always good to have another set of eyes. =)


This next screen shows the rarely seen "right" side of the aircraft. Also is to help show that the color match problem doesn't seem to show up when the light's not shining.


Here's Billy's Filly, hopefully showing the noseart a bit more "obviously", and also showing the dive flap panel lines and removal of the underwing landing lights. I made Filly a bit more weathered than blues as I get the impression from the pictures I've seen Filly's a bit dirtier / more worn looking. The top also has a change to the gas caps (now all metal, instead of red like Blues. No real reason other than artistic license. If need change, just let me know. =) )


And here's another pic of Blues (this is Blues's day!), showing off the new propellers.


And of course, the obligitory flying in CLOSE  formation pic!




As always, comments, suggestions, general ranting all accepted and preferred. I figure since this is usually how it looks like for me flying -     I could at least try to get my skins right. 

[MjTalon]

No pics Knite

[Knite]

No pics Knite

Hahah Talon. You're too fast!
Turns out where I linked to, and where I uploaded were slightly different places. =P It should be fixed now.

[lyric1]

Looks much better.

[Plazus]

Knite, I really like your bare metal approach to your new skins. Its very unique, and looks more like "metal"!  

[B4Buster]

Knite, are the nosearts too bright?

You changed the blue on the spinners, booms, wtc but left the noseart the same bright blue.

Wasn't sure if you missed that or if it is the way it should be. Skins look awesome though!

[Knite]

Hey B4Buster,

I have to check my pictures at home again. I am pretty sure I'm close on Filly's blue skirt color, but I have to recheck on Blues to see if I have a color reference. I might try it with both tonal colors just to see how it would look with turquose vs. blue. I do have to admit, I kind of like the contrast between the squad markings and the nose-art blue color, but simplifying might help with some of the "256 color limt" I keep running in to. Apparently I make my planes too colorful (for instance, Filly actually is a lot more "dirty" around most of the panel lines than Blues) and it causes lots of "trail and error" trying to get them back down to 256.

Also just noticed I forgot the pilot/crew information on Filly again, and haven't removed the "metal sheen" from the nacelle OD areas. DANGIT. haha

[oboe]

    Knite that is fantastic looking bare metal.   I get a sense of dents and other minor surface deformations.   Very nice work!

Just a few things, minor details really but these skins are worth the extra effort IMO.    First, the J has a recessed landing light under the port wing only - check Fester's 38J for confirmation, or I think my 80th FS J's have that detail correct.   My earlier J skins are wrong.   The early 38's - F, G, H's had a recessed landing light under each wing, but with the J they went to the light under the port wing only, and with the L it was moved to the leading edge of the port wing.

You don't show a pic of the main wheels, but if you are using the default main wheels, please note the default rims and wheel covers are incorrect, and the shading problem between the tire tread and tire wall in the pic below.  The tire sidewalls are too light or the tread is too dark:


This pic shows the correct wheel rim,  You should be able to cut it out and work some magic with it.   I swear when I look closely at Fester's I can see hints of a disc brake assembly inside!


You could add a small shadow and/or grease & oil blowback between the spinner and the nacelle - I think there is enough clearance there for a small shadow line to form.

You could try adding just a hint of blue to the reflection in your nacelle mirrors, to represent the reflected sky color.

I think Filly's noseart could be darker to have more contrast against the bare metal - her belly washes out against the nose metal and she has no facial features - but the original color pic shows these details  (also the blue towel is too bright compared to the photo).  


I think she's worth spending more time on if you choose to - I spent alot of time adding detail to the noseart image of my P-38G "Beautiful Lass" and it may be the one skin I'm most proud of - the image I started with was very bland and lacked detail.  For a while after I finished it, I wanted to take up painting female nudes  


Again, gorgeous skins as is, but well-worth any extra time you choose to spend on them.   I know I'll see alot of them in the arenas!

[Knite]

Heya oboe. I'm very happy to put extra detail in skins. I mean heck, I created new Props and included whatever that doohickey (god I feel dumb) is behind the propellers, so going overboard is not a problem at all =). I actually have already replaced the wheels on Blues and Filly and believe I lowered the "roundness" brightness of the tire but haven't taken a pic (I'll have to do that to show). I REALLY appreciate the information on the landing lights (of course I also appreciate ALL of the help, don't get me wrong). I believe Fester's 38J that I was looking at actually has 1 underneath each wing, but I'll check on your 80th as well. I love looking at other people's skins anyway, as each new one gives me more ideas to try. I should have more pics this weekend (and likely will throw one up of the wheels tonight =) )

[oboe]

lol I didn't mean to give you a laundry list - your skins are excellent and will be accepted whether or not you do the extra details.   

I'm away from my game computer and can't see Fester's J.   Pretty sure he would have it shown correctly though.    Maybe someone from SAPP could answer that question.

Looking forward to seeing the new pics!

[Knite]

Oboe, no worries. I don't think of it as a "demands" list or laundry list or anything of the sort. I just think of it as something to work on and constructive advice.  

Only one screenshot this time. Tried the blue tinge on the gear reflectors, reworked Filly's noseart again, finally added the pilot text, put a little "dirt" behind the spinners, and showing off the new wheels. The only adjustment I made to Blues was removing one of the landing lights, so I figured no need to post it again. haha. I've got one or two little "tweaks" to go before submission, so now's the last chance for any last minute alterations/advice/corrections.   Thanks for all the help!

[Megalodon]

Oboe, no worries. I don't think of it as a "demands" list or laundry list or anything of the sort. I just think of it as something to work on and constructive advice.  

Only one screenshot this time. Tried the blue tinge on the gear reflectors, reworked Filly's noseart again, finally added the pilot text, put a little "dirt" behind the spinners, and showing off the new wheels. The only adjustment I made to Blues was removing one of the landing lights, so I figured no need to post it again. haha. I've got one or two little "tweaks" to go before submission, so now's the last chance for any last minute alterations/advice/corrections.   Thanks for all the help!

(Image removed from quote.)

Prop tips are red

Nice Job!

[oboe]

Beautiful!   Nose art is so much better now!

boundary between tire tread and sidewall still looks unnatural to me though - I know this is from the default skin.   Anyway you can lighten the edge of the tread or darken the sidewall so it's not such a hard edge?

Great work!

[Knite]

Thanks Megalodon! I'm a bit wavering on the propeller tips though, as I don't want to change them to red unless I'm sure they WERE red.
The photo you are using as an example (ww2color?) has serious color/contrast issues due to aging. Doing a cheap color correct (I can do a much better job when at home with the tools I have there), it looks to me like it might still be yellow, or at worst, an orangish color.

I have a couple of color pictures of other P-38s such as St. Louis Blues, and they all show a yellowish coloration (either before color correction, or after), so the only way Filly would have had a color other than Yellow would be if they painted the prop. I definitely would be ok toning down the yellow, and moving it towards the red spectrum a hair, but unless I can find something a little bit more "concrete", I'm a little unsure as to if a change to full reddish would be the right thing to do. =? Any thoughts? Was it normal to paint the propellers in the field?


Oboe - Ok, I'll adjust again. I know I changed the brightness/contrast between the sidewall and the tread, but I did absolutely nothing with the patterns themselves. I'll think of something. Thanks for the help on the noseart.  

[lyric1]

Found a picture that may be a little clearer on this aircraft.  A little late I know I just got a book with this photo in it.