Need help with making proper shading/highlighting

[Mangas]

Hello to all.
Where can I find any good tutorials on making 3D shades and highlights?
I tried this: Shading: Drawing Aircraft - Step 3
and this: AviationGraphic.com - In progress
But nothing good comes out... I think I can master all other details, but bad shades/highlights really spoil all the rest in my project:
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/6397/31736047.jpg
I need more advanced techniques explained... Anyone? Grubby? inkworm? JMSmith? GiantFlyingRobots? C'mon, guys... Tell me your secrets!

[inkworm]

Everyone has their own way of doing things and you'll probably get a load of different yet invaluable advice from everyone.

Me I just make the brush as soft as possible, take up the spacing a little, the opacity down to something like 6% and turn on the pen pressure, then just gently brush away at the bits needed. Personally I use paths to load selections and then shade up different areas and before details starts going in a guassian blur helps.

Having a quick look at Grubby's tutorial that says it all really, the other thing is to look at lots of aircraft and see how they actually do cast shadows and create highlights, plus going to airshows/museums isn't a bad thing!


Keep practising

[GiantFlyingRobots]

Hello Anton.

Have you checked out these tutes some really useful ones here.
http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/foru...hop-tutorials/
not necessarily what you are after, but good nonetheless.

The bad news is that there really is no easy way of doing these things.

Really the only thing I can tell you is to experiment with different sized brushes and layer opacity/and layer settings like multiply/overlay etc. Also dont be afraid to use the Gaussian blur filter, I use it all the time. And build up your shades and highlights slowly, I never achieve the desired result with a single layer, it can take dozens.

Remember that you are aspiring to the level of(some freakishly good) guys that have been doing this for some time, and you aren't quite at that level just yet, so be patient practice and you'll get there. Ive been in the exact same position that you find yourself in, and I think my work is pretty ok these days.

If you can, search back to when I (or anybody else) first started posting threads here, you'll see that you aren't all that far off getting it right.

Chin up and practice, you'll get there, I'm sure.

[Supah]

I on the other hand use the gradientfill and paintbucket tool exclusively for my work and I do quite ok too. Just a matter of how you preffer to work, there isn't just one right way.

[Mangas]

Well, perhaps I confused myself... It seems my problem is that I started a project with Olive Drab plane (dark overall)... Perhaps it's hard to make a proper shading -- I mean not very good thing to start with -- rather hard to follow your own progress...
I've just tried some more "lighter" scheme -- the result is not that bad as previous Olive Drabbed P-40:

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/2530/p40evvs.jpg

But I'm still not happy with this... It seems that making shading/highlighting will be my sword of Damocles from now on...

[Barrakooda]

Look at step 3 Drawing Aircraft Profiles on Your Computer

[inkworm]

Can't really see what the problem is with the last image post, certainly heading in the right direct so you really shouldn't worry too much, the only real issue I can spot is that at the top you have a highlight, then a dark bit then more highlight which makes the side appear a little concave when it should just gradually continue down, same applies to the leading edge of the tail.

Maybe try a bit of Supah's method?

I'd personally add a bit more highlight and darken the underside to give more contrast but that is largely down to personal taste.

[Mangas]

Thanks everybody for the replies!

I on the other hand use the gradientfill and paintbucket tool exclusively for my work and I do quite ok too. Just a matter of how you preffer to work, there isn't just one right way.

Can you be more specific? If possible, can you show a few examples/screenshots, please?

Inkworm, James, and Grubby, did you guys do any "Kitties" profiles?
Can I see 'em?...

[Macwan]

Hi Mangas,

that's what I did before : http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/foru...10/index3.html

Some areas could be better and I should improve it in the future.

Plus Gamary's topic : http://www.simmerspaintshop.com/foru...-warhawk-2991/

Hope it helps...

Cheers,

[Mangas]

Thanks to everybody for trying to help...
I don't give up & keep struggle:

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/7739/p40e2.jpg

The only thing I'm not sure is the area behind the cockpit...
inkworm, isn't it supposed to look like some kind of "razorback"?

If somebody have any kind of suggestions -- don't hesitate to announce 'em -- I really need it to put me "on the right track"...