template making tips?

[slick cowboy]

Are there like tips or tricks concerning making of templates? I'm working on one for the A-4. Separating the metal parts and red intakes are not a problem? I even redid the panel lines. But I'm struggling with using the original weathering as an overlay or other blending options.

I'm also experimenting with a negative of the original as it highlights the panel lines and rivets, but I'm not getting any further...

 

Any ideas?

[+russouk2004]

When creating temps from stock textures its probably easier to make your own layers for weather etc...

[+Wrench]

i have a fairly complete set for the A-4F, it that'll help. I thought I'd uploaded them (like the A-7 and A-6E)

 

alos, a good trick is to duplicate the main or background layer and INVERT it. this'll show the panel/rivets as white (usually), makeing the easier to see

 

it goes without saying, the base size for Home Grown Templates ™ should be at least 2048x2048. 4096 works realy good too, and allows for more details

 

use of clouds, noise on the painted parts, etc. all help.

[slick cowboy]

i'd be interested in that template, even if it were only to learn from it

[slick cowboy]

thx for the A-4F template... i've put it to good use :-)

i'm just wondering how you figure out how to paint the camo, i mean to make sure it flows from wing to fuselage without interruption?

is it just trial and error or do you have a trick for that?

thx

[Spinners]

One obvious way is to follow the original skin.

[slick cowboy]

yes of course.. i thought of that

just being curious...

[+Wrench]

that's EXACTLY how I did it!!

 

fade the opacity of the 2tone desert, so the IDF 3 tone shows under it; you'll see I followed that basic 'line', just filling in with 2 solid colors, instead of 3.

[+EricJ]

And Organize your layers too. I tend to setup Groups for my skins now (as opposed to making seperate skin PSD files for things) so if I need to do a digital camo desert Su-27 skin (which I really need to finish) I can group it and deacivate it for any other job/request that may come along, etc. And I tend to i tend to group it by major sections, and when I use somebody else's template, I do the same. Too much layers and you get overwhelmed, and in some cases the groups do, but it's a lot of flexibility that I need.

[+Wrench]

i've beenstarting to do that too, using the 'layer sets' in PS. makes things a LOT easier to find, expeciall on some of my HomeGrowns that are pushing 90megs, and have literally dozens of layers