Starting point for skins

[Swoop73]

Hi Folks, I'm thinking about making up a 325th FG skin for the new P40F since that was the only model P40 the Checkertails flew. I've been reading everything I can find about skinning including Krusty's guide. I'll have a pretty good learning curve to navigate but looking forward to it. There's one question I have that I haven't seen addressed anywhere and that is...Are the default planes considered an OK starting point? I know that means building on someone else's work, in this case Cactus'. That plane happens to have a very accurate desert camo that matches photos I have of 325th P40's in North Africa. Can I start here or am I supposed to go back just to the basic aircraft line art? If I can arrive at acceptable results, I hope to submit it to AH. Don't want to step on any toes.  :-)

[The Fugitive]

The right way to do it is to start with the default as a template/starting point, and then build the whole thing from scratch. Lines, colors, textures, weathering and so on should all be yours for the final model. The default skin is only used to see what piece is where. Some people don't even use the default lines. They believe they got them wrong or some such thing.

On the other hand there isn't any rule, but some people believe "plagiarism" applies to skins as well 

[ink]

Hope you got a think coat on


na....im kidding the guys that skin planes here are a great help, my first skin I used part of the default and was skinned (pun intended) alive by a couple guys. ...

so I started doing them from scratch and using the default as a guide.   

be careful............ after your first one is done the addiction is set deep

I  use GIMP got any questions  don't hesitate to ask.

[Swoop73]

Thanks...The "P" word...Plagiarism...That's what I was worried about. I have CorelDRAW X4 and use it for work with photos and layouts but will have a lot to learn about filtering to remove the original colors. Hitting the books.....

[ink]

Thanks...The "P" word...Plagiarism...That's what I was worried about. I have CorelDRAW X4 and use it for work with photos and layouts but will have a lot to learn about filtering to remove the original colors. Hitting the books.....

can you do layers?

if so add new layer on top of default...then draw out the panel lines rivets and what not on new layers.....don't change the default at all...

[Swoop73]

Hi Ink...Yeah, I'm working in PhotoPaint, part of the Corel package. Pretty much like PhotoShop. Thanks for the advice. Will do. 

[VonMessa]

Make MANY, MANY layers !

Make copies of those layers (in case you mess up)

[Krusty]

I think the crux of the matter is what are you using from the default? Many of us get away using the default "fiddly bits" (gear, prop blades, wheel wells, flap interiors, etc). If you just use the default skin but add noseart, or just use the default skin and put your own nose stripes, wingtip markings, etc, you will find the unanimous response is "go back and do it again"...

If you use the original as a template and draw your own camo, even if you follow the same lines/demarcations as on the default, you will be on the right track. You'll find most people do something like this. That means layering your own details, rivets, panel lines, weathering, on top of your own camo layers.

So in short: doing your own work is the key. If you base your work off the default or get inspiriation from it that's fine, as long as you do the work yourself.

I hope I'm not speaking out of line but I think I speak for most skinners when I say that.

[Swoop73]

Thanks, Krusty. Pretty much what I thought the answer would be, and rightly so. On the other hand, i didn't want to spend what is looking to be weeks doing a skin and have someone say "Well, heck, why didn't you just swap the body number and nose art?"

I hope I can pull this off. Been waiting for AH to bring in the F model P40 for years. I'm going to try to do 325th FG, 317th FS "Lighthouse Louis" flown by Gordon Austin. I think I have about every photo that exists of that bird because the Austin family loaned me a book on his life published privately just for the family. Amazing guy. Was at Pearl Harbor trying to get the powers that be to disperse the fighters to outlying fields because they were sitting ducks. We all know how that turned out. He was deer hunting on a nearby island with some of his squad when the attack happened. Later was first CO of 325th and died a general at 96 last year. I was at his funeral at Arlington. So...maybe I can get this skin done and accepted.. Or not. Worth trying, though.

[ink]

Thanks, Krusty. Pretty much what I thought the answer would be, and rightly so. On the other hand, i didn't want to spend what is looking to be weeks doing a skin and have someone say "Well, heck, why didn't you just swap the body number and nose art?"

I hope I can pull this off. Been waiting for AH to bring in the F model P40 for years. I'm going to try to do 325th FG, 317th FS "Lighthouse Louis" flown by Gordon Austin. I think I have about every photo that exists of that bird because the Austin family loaned me a book on his life published privately just for the family. Amazing guy. Was at Pearl Harbor trying to get the powers that be to disperse the fighters to outlying fields because they were sitting ducks. We all know how that turned out. He was deer hunting on a nearby island with some of his squad when the attack happened. Later was first CO of 325th and died a general at 96 last year. I was at his funeral at Arlington. So...maybe I can get this skin done and accepted.. Or not. Worth trying, though.

wow......great story........if you find yourself not liking to skin...seriously let me know, I would be willing to make it.....just over your story......but then i see your from NH

[Swoop73]

LOL...Thanks, Ink. Actually I work in Hudson. 

Appreciate the offer. I'll know in a week or so if I'm going to stall out or not.

Mostly going through Krusty's manual and then there's a lot of new stuff I have to learn in Photo Paint.

[ink]

LOL...Thanks, Ink. Actually I work in Hudson. 

Appreciate the offer. I'll know in a week or so if I'm going to stall out or not.

Mostly going through Krusty's manual and then there's a lot of new stuff I have to learn in Photo Paint.

cool man, lived in Hudson, for awhile....now up in Plymouth.

[Swoop73]

OK....Appreciate the help..All good. Right now just playing around with tracing to fresh layer, different brushes, etc.

Question: I have a graphics tablet..is it worth dragging this off the shelf or is it more trouble than it's worth? It's a Bamboo CTH460
with both pen and touch. I bought it 2 years ago and found it really cool but quite persnickety, like teaching a cat to type. I have seen
a friend who is really good in Photoshop do everything with a mouse. Wish he lived up the street but he's in the UK.

[ink]

The Tablet is far more intuitive then the mouse, this type of graphics art is a perfect match for the Tablet, I use mine daily a Bamboo pen and touch.

[Swoop73]

Pardon me for another question that may have you all rolling your eyes but since I have Coreldraw, can I work in vector for things like outlining and placing mask outlines, where I seem to have more control or should I stay in bitmap "Photopaint" all the time? I'm still learning features I have not used. Expect some pretty primitive questions from me for about a year.  :-)