The line drawing bandwagon

[Jesters-Ink]

I'm nicking the wheels for my bike
A fine bit of work you got there BH.

As for the markings and stuff not fitting to your liking, I would step back to the original line drawing you used at the start. It might be that it is too short or there is an angle out some place which is just throwing things off a bit.
I know we think these line drawings are pretty good when we look at them as line drawings, but as I've found over and over (when it gets to the markings stage) there is always something just a fraction out screwing things up when I get close to the finish line.

[ratfugel]

BH is giving us the finest example of profiling I've ever seen. When I jumped into this just recently I must admit I hadn't realised just how far you could go with this sort of detailing. Apart from his superb draughtsmanship, we are all learning a great deal about what was the state of play in WW one. One thing though. What is the gadget on top of the Parabellum(?) it looks like a telescopic sight. Surely not? If it is, then the mind boggles as to what the poor gunner must be thinking as he prepares to a) load and fire the thing, b) throw little bombs at people, c) light flares to find their way home again!

[santynus]

impressed work BW

[JMSmith]

hi BH,

check your cross, looks to big compared to the photo, reducing that and moving it forward to the same start place then move the band, and you can stretch your lettering then, hope you understand what i mean.

[BLOWHARD]

Thanks guys, yer making me blush

@ Jester, The fuselage and top/bottom join lines have been checked and rechecked many times by me and by famous professional nit-picker experts over at the Aerodrome. The drawing I used comes from Dan-San Abbott who drew his using a series of photos of a captured plane. The plane was marked with chalk reference lines for French draftsmen who made a set of drawings. I've got a reproduction of the French drawings too. The messed up part is the French guys filled/sanded/smoothed/repainted the fuselage including the lower step and tail hand hold. Those are the parts that Dan-San, I, or anyone else, apparently, haven't gotten fixed.
One thing is for sure, the Dan-San drawing is as close to accurate as you can get, especially when looking at the Windsock drawings; those things are WAY off I've been comparing the 4 drawings I have along with two almost perfect profile photos all along to make sure I had everything as close as possible. The main measurements are spot on. Incidentally, my profile is 1 px = 1 mm
Adding markings really helped find problems I wouldn't have ever noticed otherwise.

@ Ratfugel, Yep, a telescopic sight! Those were pretty common by the last 2 years of the war. But they were used more for long distance identification. A lot of single seaters had one mounted between the guns.
It was pretty important to know who to shoot at before they were in MG range

@ JM, my thinking too. I mulled over what could be done last night while trying to fall asleep and all day at work. I had enlarged it once, and it had been moved twice already. By the last posting I hadn't gone back and checked.
I reexamined it with something a little better than my eyeball this time. The comparison ended up showing exactly what you suggest-

I used the data line to establish the front vertical and the stripe for the rear. The join lines set up the top and bottom. That is, guessing that the cross is symmetrical. Since it was field applied over the earlier style cross, it may not have been.
I still haven't figured out a good way to flatten out photos with perspective and camera foreshortening except for small sections.

Anyway, here's the latest, it's pretty close, still not perfect but I'm pretty happy with it as it stands-


Thanks again for all the help guys Please keep it coming!

[Jesters-Ink]

@ Jester, The fuselage and top/bottom join lines have been checked and rechecked many times by me and by famous professional nit-picker experts over at the Aerodrome. The drawing I used comes from Dan-San Abbott who drew his using a series of photos of a captured plane. The plane was marked with chalk reference lines for French draftsmen who made a set of drawings. I've got a reproduction of the French drawings too. The messed up part is the French guys filled/sanded/smoothed/repainted the fuselage including the lower step and tail hand hold. Those are the parts that Dan-San, I, or anyone else, apparently, haven't gotten fixed.
One thing is for sure, the Dan-San drawing is as close to accurate as you can get, especially when looking at the Windsock drawings; those things are WAY off I've been comparing the 4 drawings I have along with two almost perfect profile photos all along to make sure I had everything as close as possible. The main measurements are spot on. Incidentally, my profile is 1 px = 1 mm
Adding markings really helped find problems I wouldn't have ever noticed otherwise.

And my Dads a policeman and he could kick your Dads arse any time . .

Swap text above for:-

@ Jester, Line drawing is as good as it gets and it has been checked . . .
I would have taken your word for it
Must be the markings then you think?

[gamary]

I'll only contribute by saying it's gorgeous, Blowhard. Absolutely gorgeous.

[ratfugel]

This tip may or may not be of use to everyone. As a dyed-in-the-wool Photoshop user, I always use the grid whilst setting everything up. Select 'View/Grid'. This keeps horizontals level and verticals the way they should be. It also tells you when circles actually are as round as they should be. Can be switched straight off when not needed. Handy little helper. Excellent for scaling things too. Thanks for telling us about the drawings. I bet everyone had wondered how the hell you knew where everything went! I personally decided you had invented a time machine and kept nipping back for a quick check.

[JMSmith]

glad i could help BH,

failing that i was going to do a full drawing check to see if i could find anything wrong, bloody glad i did not have to looks better now, and i must just add, it looks fantastic, when will i be this good

[Vacajun]

Oh my, oh my. You are the Master, my friend

next year, the Sistine Chapel!!