Author Topic: Another P-51B skin (Read 1394 times)

TDeacon · « **on:** August 27, 2005, 12:23:26 AM »

Here's the current state of my first skin (The Deacon's p51b). I'm now trying to figure out the hard part, which is rivets and weathering.

SkyChimp · « **Reply #1 on:** August 27, 2005, 12:41:11 AM »

Hi! What are you runing psp or adobe?

TDeacon · « **Reply #2 on:** August 27, 2005, 12:48:26 AM »

Photoshop 4.0 from 15 years ago; need to upgrade.

SkyChimp · « **Reply #3 on:** August 27, 2005, 12:56:26 AM »

lol!

should have a pencil tool use that for rivets. Make it one pixel and should have a tab called brushes somewhere click on that. Click on Brush Tip Shape make spacing 500%:D I like 900% though.

TDeacon · « **Reply #4 on:** September 12, 2005, 12:25:17 AM »

Well, here's the skin after redoing all the panel lines, adding rivets and doing some initial weathering. The rivets are pretty much invisible at this distance. Among other things, I suppose it needs more weathering, paint chipping, and some historical corrections to the paint job (at least the latter is easy...).

Since this is my first skin, I would appreciate constructive suggestions for improvement.

SkyChimp · « **Reply #5 on:** September 12, 2005, 01:30:42 AM »

Wow.... Looks good keep up the good work

oboe · « **Reply #6 on:** September 12, 2005, 08:03:16 AM »

Very nice job, TDeacon. I think you nailed the brown-hued olive drab right on.

What seems to be missing still is the paint chipping (often seen along panel lines/junctions and between prop spinner and nose), paint wear along wing surface where pilot steps to enter cockpit, scratches/chips/wear near ammo tray doors, fuel filler caps, and access panels. This is a real tedious part of skinning, but really makes a difference if done well.

Many skinners add a hint of shadow along the leading edge of the moveable control surfaces.

Also grease/dirt oil stains on wing undersurfaces? Can't tell from your screenshot.

Looks to me like a first rate effort for a first skin, though. !

Fencer51 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 12, 2005, 08:15:38 AM »

Oh man I love that skin. Nice job.

Question, did you think about adding the white stripes on the wings and tail that they put on for recognitition?

Cheers

oboe · « **Reply #8 on:** September 12, 2005, 09:31:31 AM »

Good point, Fencer. Here is my previous P-51B skin from the same FG and squadron, showing the white recognition stripes. I couldn't tell from the profile I went from that they went on the horizontal stabilizers, but I would guess that they should've and it was something I missed. Guppy or someone else with better P-51 resources should be able to tell us...

btw, that pic reminds me of another trick skinners can use to make the skins seem more authentic - color a few panels slightly lighter or darker than the overall paint scheme - this represents a replaced panel, perhaps from a salvaged a/c due to battle damage (good opportunity to add paint chips here).

Another technique is to overspray some sections of panel lines with a slightly darker color to simulate the crew chief's attempts in the field to repaint over the chips and paint wear.

The effects can all be real subtle but they are noticeable, and can add to the skin's realism.

TDeacon · « **Reply #9 on:** September 12, 2005, 09:34:39 AM »

Thanks for the comments so far guys. :-)

Oboe: I definately plan to add additional weathering, including oil leaks and paint chipping. I have a black-and-white photo showing a P-51D from below, and can get some additional oil leak ideas from that. I did use several intensities of "panel lines", with the darkest reserved for control surfaces. I will experiment with the shading idea you suggest.

Fencer51: The "historical corrections to the paint" job I mentioned involves either white recognition stripes (which I hate), or the invasion stripes shown in the old Squadron/Signal booklet from the 70s. I probably will try both, and use whichever looks less strange. I wish I could get away with no recognition stripes, but have no evidence that such would be historical. (BTW, I remember you from AW around 1990. I was "The Deacon" then, and initially was using an Amiga 1000.)

TDeacon · « **Reply #10 on:** September 12, 2005, 09:37:47 AM »

Oboe,

Most images I have show the recognition stripes on the tailplanes as well. However, I would "overpaint" them if I went with the Squadron/Signal interp (meaning the D-Day stripes instead of the single stripes which it had previously). The side-view image from that book is here:

BTW, Guppy posted a kind of blurred photo image of this AC with the pre-invasion simple white stripes; I'd have to search the "skins" board to find it.

oboe · « **Reply #11 on:** September 12, 2005, 09:45:35 AM »

Very nice bird, TDeacon.

btw, I just noticed the the white FG/squad recognition ID letters on the fuselage have a red outline to them - its evident in both profiles posted.

Its a sharp looking bird, with or without the invasion stripes.

Guppy35 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 12, 2005, 12:05:03 PM »

In late March 1944 the while tail ETO recognition stripes on the OD/Gray birds went away. Apparently too many folks were shooting at the 51Bs thinking they were 109s.

This wasn't the case on natural metal birds however as the black ID bands remained.

The Deacon would have had the wing white bands but not the tail bands. The red band and the red outlined squadron ID letters were were something done by the 334th FS of the 4th FG. Not all of thier birds had that either though.

Deacon had the red outlined QP-J and red vertical tail band.

Kidd Hoffer's "Salem Representative" also had the red vertical tail stripe

Posted before, but my early profile effort at "The Deacon" from pre-D-Day stripes, May 1944

Fencer51 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 12, 2005, 08:39:48 PM »

Did a little research and found that the invasion stripes version lasted one day in combat. It was lost on June 6, 1944 along with it's pilot Major Sobanski.

I also have a blurry picture of the pre-invasion stripe scheme from May 1944. Probably the same source that Guppy has.

Are you guys sure that the green is dark enough on this skin? I am not an artist nor a paint expert but the color pictures I have from that same era sure don't look that light.

What are the rules on posting images from books here?

Oh and Oboe love that Mustang too! Has it been submitted for inclusion in the game?

Cheers

Guppy35 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 12, 2005, 08:49:38 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Fencer51
Did a little research and found that the invasion stripes version lasted one day in combat. It was lost on June 6, 1944 along with it's pilot Major Sobanski.

I also have a blurry picture of the pre-invasion stripe scheme from May 1944. Probably the same source that Guppy has.

Are you guys sure that the green is dark enough on this skin? I am not an artist nor a paint expert but the color pictures I have from that same era sure don't look that light.

What are the rules on posting images from books here?

Oh and Oboe love that Mustang too! Has it been submitted for inclusion in the game?

Cheers

Thinking you are looking at the same photo of "The Deacon" in Escort to Berlin

I've posted scans of photos from books here. I don't tend to leave em up real long but that's where I find the info.

I figure if it helps the skinners cause, it's worth the time.

I've never seen any rules on posting them.

Tough call on the darkness of the OD. So often the camo looks splotchy where they've touched up the paint too so it has darker patches on the lighter faded stuff.

Fencer, suggest you get Frank Speer's book "The Debden Warbirds" It's a great 4th FG resource too. Has a bunch of color of Don Allen nose art in the back. Speer being a 4th pilot who was shot down and made a POW in a B model.

Some photos I hadn't seen and the diary of the 335th FS used extensively as one of the guys saved it