Slice & Dice: air combat over Japan, 1946...

[Skyraider3D]

I finally got around uploading a little more from the work I've done for this book:
http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/foru...-kraftei-2854/

[Aircraftprofiles]

I´m very impressed with your artwork Ronnie ! It´s by far some of the best stuff i have ever seen, i´m especially impressed with the 3d artwork you do, it´s exceptionally good, and the texture of the P-51s NM finish is perfect ! very well done. I have been thinking about doing something similar (without having the slightest hope of reaching your level).
I have about 1000 questions for you, but if you wouldn´t mind answering just 4 of them, I would be very greatful !

1. How do you make the clouds ?
2. Do you start of with vector based graphics like when you (I do) when making a profile ?
3. How do you make the sky ?
4. How do you ensure that the proportions of the aircraft are correct (it can be hard enough on a 2d drawing !)

[Clint Mitchell]

If you want AC Pro I could answer these but I'll leave them to Ronnie to explain. If you are interested in learning this as a Mac user I might have some things you would be interested in? I'm looking at learning them also when my finances allow me to upgrade my machine. Until then Photoshop it is.

Clint

[Aircraftprofiles]

I would be very interested Clint !

[Skyraider3D]

Thanks very much for the kind comments!

1. How do you make the clouds ?
2. Do you start of with vector based graphics like when you (I do) when making a profile ?
3. How do you make the sky ?
4. How do you ensure that the proportions of the aircraft are correct (it can be hard enough on a 2d drawing !)

1. This is the easy bit, providing you fly every now and then. The clouds are a modified photograph I took while flying over Canada.

2. No, I start off with a multi-view drawing of the plane I mean to model, plus lots of photos if available, then set this up in 3D space. Next I create the model using the drawings and photos as reference, and once done I create and apply 2D bitmaps as textures. With these realistic looking materials are set up. Then I set up a background from (self-made) photos and lights are set up to imitate the sunlight and ambient light. Also an environment reflection is created to further help integrate the model into the backdrop. This is then rendered and taken into Photoshop, where hours of tweaking the image follows until I arrive at the final result you see here.

3. See 1
Although as mentioned an environment reflection is also required, especially for bare metal finishes. This is created in 3D and/or with the help of photos. The goal is to create a full-spherical image which reflects in the 3D model correctly from all angles.

4. Modeling something in 3D indeed means that all your shapes and curves need to be pretty accurate to achieve a convincing shape. So a multi-view drawing with cross-sections is really useful. Also a healthy supply of reference photos is extremely important (and unfortunately not available for "1946" work), as drawings often contain flaws and never show full 3D curvature (unless you're lucky enough to obtain multi-view "waterline" drawings). Once you've modeled something in 3D, accurately, you really are intimately familiar with the curves of the airplane you made. I can pretty much dream the Mustang by now as I've studied its shapes at length. Many 3D modelers ignore the whole photo reference bit and make their model straight from drawings. Sure enough their models then lack the subtle and often characteristic shapes of the real thing and fail to convince. As said with "1946" subjects there's no such thing as walkaround photos (if you're lucky there may be windtunnel model photos, though), but then again nobody can really tell you're wrong as the planes aren't nowhere near as iconic as the Mustang for instance.
To give an example of the subtle-but-characteristic curves I talk about, check out this photo of the Mustang:
Photos: North American P-51D Mustang Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
Note the bulges on the top of the cowling on either side and directly behind the spinner. These bulges are not visible on any 3-view and difficult to spot in photos and therefore often missed out. But they are very important to obtain the right looks of the Mustang nose and forgetting them simply makes your 3D Mustang fail to convince. Many 3D modelers who've made the Mustang (and the Spitfire and most other Merlin-powered planes for that matter) simply make the top of the cowling cylindrical in shape, while in realiy the top of the cowling of mentioned planes is really flat.

I hope it all makes sense