From Void to Template

Contributed by: bird_brain

The first step is to create a new file in Photoshop. It should be 1024 x 1024 pixels, RGB color mode, Background Color. Name this file "Template", or whatever you like to keep track of it.

Next you will open the void file you are making a template with. This one is the Me262-1a located in the Paintschemes/skins/Me-262-1a folder.

Select your Template file, go to "Layer" in the menu bar and select "new" & "layer". Name this "Void" and select OK.

Go back to your original void file and With your rectangular marquee tool, select the entire image. Return to Template and select the new "Void" layer in the drop down layers pallete. In the menu bar, select "Edit" & then "paste". Your void file should now be copied to your template file as a new layer.

Right click with the mouse on the void layer in the layer pallete and select "Duplicate Layer". Name this new layer "Rivets". Now select "Rivets" and duplicate this as "Mechanical".

On the Template, select your original void file layer in the layer pallete and create a new layer (Layer, New, Layer, OK) and name this one "Base color". It should appear in the layer pallete just above "Void" and below "Rivets".

At this point, uncheck the layer visibility box (the little eyeball) for the "Mechanical" layer. It will disappear in your Template window. Select the "Rivets" layer and run the Mac's Remove White plug-in available here;

http://www.photoshop-filters.com/html/macks.htm

To run this utility, select "Filter" in the menu bar, "Mac's" & then right click "Remove white". The rivet & panel line area of this layer will now become transparent.

Now select the "Base Color" layer you previously created. Select the fill tool from the tools pallete (the tipping bucket) and select an appropriate base color for your aircraft. Light gray or blue are the most common. It is easy to adjust later so you don't have to be too picky just yet. Click anywhere on the template and your base color should fill in behind your rivets layer.

Select the top "Mechanical" layer and select the eraser tool from the tools pallete. Make sure you have it set at 100% opacity and a large round brush works well to start. Erase all the white area on the Mechanical layer that covers up your transparent rivets & panel lines. You will need a small eraser to get in all the corners. You may want to leave any fuselage markings such as yellow warning marks, red 1st aid crosses, trim tabs, etc. but you can copy them from the bottom void layer later if you erase them.

Next you will create new layers for your different components of the finished skin. I normally add them starting from the "base color" layer since new layers are added above the selected one. Go to "Layer", "New", "Layer" and add in "Fuselage Color" "Markings" "Insignia" "Highlights" "Shading" "Dirt" "Stains" & "Chips". You will need more later, but this is a good start. These are the layers that are common to all skins.

Now you are ready to start painting! Select your brush from the tools pallete and on the "Fuselage Color" layer, you can add your upper surface colors. You may need more that one fuselage color layer to create camoflage schemes. Many skin artists layer the different skin surfaces as independent layers, but for the sake of simplicity, I keep them together.

Now that you have something close to the final colour on your skin, you can select the "Rivets" layer and adjust the opacity with the slider at the top of the layer palette. Some aircraft require darker panel lines and rivets than others and it depends on the quality of the void file as well. The better the void file, the less work you have to do on adjusting the colours. This example (the Me262) had filler over the seams so they should be almost invisible, whereas the J8A has such a good void file, that you should leave it at 100% opacity. Average is somewhere around 75%, you just have to mess around with it until it looks right.

Now all you have to do is add in the remaining features of your skin in the appropriate layers. Happy Painting!