P-51D 354thFG Capt Richard E Turner "Short Fuse Sallee"

[oboe]

WIP - trying to finish this one up for the next batch.   Not final; still have art positioning and details to work out, along with some additional weathering.  But thought I should show rather than just submit out-of-the blue.  Spec maps are borrowed from another skin so there are a couple of sheen issues with the metal finish that'll get taken care of.   Still working on a metal '38 but that one is not far enough along.

"Short Fuse Sallee" was actually on two different airframes - the older one, tail serial number 413561, doesn't include a black theater ID stripe on the tail & rudder according to photo evidence.  I have no photos of the tail of 415622, though every profile, painting, model, and even postage stamp includes the black ID stripe on the tail.  The style of the kill markings is also different between the two.

[Devil 505]

Looking excellent so far.

[Shuffler]

Looking great Oboe!!

[Vraciu]

Pretty amazing for a WIP old boy.   I was wondering how you would get the cowl stars to work.   Beautifully done.  Your best one yet.

His last D Mustang was called SHORT FUSE but I never found details of why he dropped the SALLEE part.

[Greebo]

Really nice skin Oboe, great work.

[Vraciu]

How dark are you going on your P map?   I really like the way the metal flares.  Not too much, not too little.

[lyric1]

 

[oboe]

How dark are you going on your P map?   I really like the way the metal flares.  Not too much, not too little.

Its very dark - RGB values for the metal range from x'141414' to x'202020'.   Its the current P-map from Bad Angel.   

[Nefarious]

Wow, that is amazing work. Arguably the finest P-51 Mustang in the game. You continue to outdo your previous work! Keep it up! 

[Vraciu]

Its very dark - RGB values for the metal range from x'141414' to x'202020'.   Its the current P-map from Bad Angel.   

Copy that.  I'm gonna' try that just to see what it does.

I've noticed your metal is less blue than mine and in these shots you aren't getting that big white overpowering flare that is such a struggle with this engine.    To tame it the things wind up looking too dark in indirect light.    It's driving me a bit nuts.   I think the effect I get from the cockpit looks pretty good, but in screenshots is too dark.    I can't decide if it is an effect map issue or the base metal color.



This is a great skin.   Looking forward to seeing it finished.

[Devil 505]

Copy that.  I'm gonna' try that just to see what it does.

I've noticed your metal is less blue than mine and in these shots you aren't getting that big white overpowering flare that is such a struggle with this engine.    To tame it the things wind up looking too dark in indirect light.    It's driving me a bit nuts.   I think the effect I get from the cockpit looks pretty good, but in screenshots is too dark.    I can't decide if it is an effect map issue or the base metal color.



This is a great skin.   Looking forward to seeing it finished.

Yeah, I think Oboe really hit on the special sauce for a BMF finish. When I finally finish the P-40N template I will need his guidance for the metal work.

[Vraciu]

Yeah, I think Oboe really hit on the special sauce for a BMF finish. When I finally finish the P-40N template I will need his guidance for the metal work.

Yep.  It's enough to drive me to quit, frankly.

I have a real problem with drawing wrinkled up and wavy metal on Mustangs.  It works, as shown here, giving real nice depth to the art, but it isn't something my personal experience allows me to draw.   It’s some kind of mental block like I had with the skins being darker than average.  Maybe I'll figure it out eventually...

In any case, I don’t think one can do any better than this, and getting the stars to work on that crazy stretching nose is a real feat.

[oboe]

Here were the two most helpful research images for tail number 415622:





I'm a sucker for WWII aviation art.  I think I could tone down the fastener glare on the fuselage-inner wing fillet a bit though.       

Here are some examples of the metal skin deformation from museum exhibits of the P-51 that impressed me:







I probably have a tendency to exaggerate effects, to try to make up for the limited detail we have on a 1024x1024 skin.  I suppose it comes down illusion and "tricking" my eye, and everybody sees things somewhat differently.   

I got a new monitor over Christmas, and the difference in color saturation levels between the two was eye-popping.  I was concerned about that affecting the color representation in skins.   

[Vraciu]

Here were the two most helpful research images for tail number 415622:

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

I'm a sucker for WWII aviation art.  I think I could tone down the fastener glare on the fuselage-inner wing fillet a bit though.       

Here are some examples of the metal skin deformation from museum exhibits of the P-51 that impressed me:
(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)


I probably have a tendency to exaggerate effects, to try to make up for the limited detail we have on a 1024x1024 skin.  I suppose it comes down illusion and "tricking" my eye, and everybody sees things somewhat differently.   

I got a new monitor over Christmas, and the difference in color saturation levels between the two was eye-popping.  I was concerned about that affecting the color representation in skins.   

What you're doing is working and I may need to try it and make myself get used to it with my own stuff.   It looks good. 

Funny you mention monitors and cards.    My laptop is where I do most of my work and the screenshots really make the metal look great.   Then I bring them over to my PC and they look entirely different.    It's a bit mystifying. 

I've noticed the area I don't like is from the cowling to fuselage joint back to just forward of the insignia.  When markings hide it it's not so bad, but on its own something just doesn't work for me--even if real Mustangs are relatively smooth there.   The way you do it gives depth to the plane.   I've always said you're the Robert Taylor/Nick Trudgian of skinners.  It's true.

[FTJR]

beautiful skin Oboe