F-104 Starfighter

[Skyraider3D]

To make it look more glossy, you need to sharpen up the highlights as Ugo suggested. Your highlights now suggest a satin finish at best.

Not the same airplane, but good for explanation:
http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../0/1356060.jpg
Note how solid and hard the highlight below the cockpit is.
The highlights as you have them now look more like those on the radar cone of the aircraft in the photo, i.e. satin finish (smooth matt).

[Supah]

What you guys think of this?

[Supah]

To make it look more glossy, you need to sharpen up the highlights as Ugo suggested. Your highlights now suggest a satin finish at best.

Not the same airplane, but good for explanation:
http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../0/1356060.jpg
Note how solid and hard the highlight below the cockpit is.
The highlights as you have them now look more like those on the radar cone of the aircraft in the photo, i.e. satin finish (smooth matt).

Well it wasn't that shiney when it was operational What I hear from guys who were involved in some other starfighters at Weeze was that this one was painted with car paint.

[Supah]

And a look at the entire machine;

[Skyraider3D]

The highlights look about the same to me.
This photo better illustrates what I mean. Was pretty tricky to find a pic of 104838 with some good sunlight on it
http://www.i-f-s.nl/pres/USCA/104790.jpg
Keep in mind that highlights are nothing more than reflections of bright things (sun and bright clouds). So if you have a glossy paint the reflection of the sun will be pretty sharp and small.


[edit]
O, some more:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7827357...n/photostream/
http://sg-etuo.de/bilder/NTM82_F104_02_DLohmeyer.jpg
http://sg-etuo.de/bilder/NTM82_F104_01_DLohmeyer.jpg
http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace...29-01-2010.jpg (not many highlights visible, but a nice pic anyway)
[/edit]

[Supah]

Some good pictures Ronnie though the airplane painted up like 104756 is a museum exhibit painted using non period paints and offcourse has never been flown since it was painted. In the end it's a trade-off between technique and ambition, how you would like to draw it and how you can draw it. I would like to have nicer highlights but at the moment this is the best I could do without it looking cartoonish. I spent an evening experimenting with other highlights but I can't say the results looked better then what I already had on there. So here is how it went to the printers (more like Ugo but ok )

[Skyraider3D]

So here is how it went to the printers

Looks good. I am sure it will look stunning once printed. What size you make these?

[Supah]

Looks good. I am sure it will look stunning once printed. What size you make these?

6000 pixels from nose to tail at 300 DPI That gives you enough room to do the details while still being doable on most computers. BTW Ronnie, would you mind helping me out with a simple modelling request? I a side view of a rocket pod with a bulbous front where holes cut through it but there are no pictures. I was hoping you would be willing to do a rough render so that I atleast have a basis to draw on. Its a cylinder with a half sphere at the front and some holes in it.

[Ugo Crisponi]

Looks good. I am sure it will look stunning once printed. What size you make these?

I am planning a 30x90cm wide poster for this and some others. It fits well with 104 shape

[Supah]

Hah an idea I have been toying with for a while now!