North American Aviation Shop

[Vraciu]

I've gotta do that fencing like yours...   

[Greebo]

Great job on updating those skins Fencer, there is some good detail on them and they are all, the USAAF P-51D in particular, nicely weathered. I'd like to see some of your Firefly skins.

There are a few niggles I have though;

On the P-47 across the top of the rear fuselage the top 20% of the USAAF insignia gets stretched in height by the shape's barrel distortion. I usually reduce the height of the top of the insignia circle about 20-25% to compensate for this. Also I think the panel line dirt and gun soot could be toned down a little.

The grey and green colours on the RAAF P-51D look a little pale and washed out to me.

[Fencer51]

The RAAF Mustang was just a file I found while looking for the Fireflies.  I do not plan on submitting it since we are full up.

Yeah those stretching are bothering me, much obliged for the solution.  Righto on the toning down.  No one ever likes my gun smoke. 

I will post the firefly skins this weekend, I am going to do the Sherman 75s and 76s as well which will finish up my tanks and get rid of the ice look Lyric was complaining about.

[Fencer51]

Updating.. Spec done

Just to clarify by updating I mean going in and redoing all the panel lines to anti-alias, redoing the weathering and the overall feel of the aircraft.  Modifying the aluminum to my new "standard" and fixing any other issues on these 10 to 12 year old skins.

[Greebo]

It is a good looking skin Fencer and the last shot shows up the new effects well. As on Vraciu's latest skin though I'd like to suggest making the control surface and hatch line gaps a fair bit darker than the panel join lines.

[Vraciu]

How do you do nose art like that?   Is it drawn as a big file then resized or drawn to scale?

[Skuzzy]

How do you do nose art like that?   Is it drawn as a big file then resized or drawn to scale?

I do not know how Fencer does it, but I would be using a vector art program to draw that.  You really cannot draw it in a bitmap and resize it, without losing a lot of detail (shrinking) or making it blocky (expanding).

With vector art, you can resize it without losing any detail or clarity (for the most part).

Here is a link to well regarded, free, vector art application. https://inkscape.org/en/

[Vraciu]

Awesome.  Thank you, I will check that out. 

[Fencer51]

How do you do nose art like that?   Is it drawn as a big file then resized or drawn to scale?

A wife who has a bachelors degree in art education and a masters in art history but had nothing to do with it.

I have a first grader's talent for tracing.

[Devil 505]

I do not know how Fencer does it, but I would be using a vector art program to draw that.  You really cannot draw it in a bitmap and resize it, without losing a lot of detail (shrinking) or making it blocky (expanding).

With vector art, you can resize it without losing any detail or clarity (for the most part).

Here is a link to well regarded, free, vector art application. https://inkscape.org/en/

So how does one take the vectored artwork and put it into a regular bitmap without losing detail?

[Skuzzy]

So how does one take the vectored artwork and put it into a regular bitmap without losing detail?

You size it and export it as a bitmap then merge it in.  The first part is the tricky part.  Ideally you do not resize it once you export it.  It really does make a difference in the clarity of text and those small details in the nose art.

[Devil 505]

I'll definitely have to give it a go.

I imagine it will be a godsend for a sharkmouthed 110 and keeling the teeth sharp - pun very much intended.

[Vraciu]

A wife who has a bachelors degree in art education and a masters in art history but had nothing to do with it.

I have a first grader's talent for tracing.

Oh sure, blame wifey!       

[bustr]

Found this one, color photo taken in ww2.

[Fencer51]

4 Sherman Vc Fireflies updated, 1 FW-190D9 updated, 2 New FW-190D9s submitted, 1 P-47D11 updated, 1 P-51D updated, and 1 P-51B updated all submitted today... time for a break.