51 replies to this topic

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

BFett, on 07 December 2012 - 09:15 PM, said:

I can try out the color 55554f

err....

samples man....for god's sake send me some samples!

[BFett]

I thought the Catapult I made here was enough of a sample. You do know how to pick the color that is in hex code (HTML notation) right?

After clicking the color button you should see something like this:


enter the color I supplied and try it out.

Edited by BFett, 12 February 2013 - 04:11 PM.

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

BFett, on 08 December 2012 - 09:18 AM, said:

I thought the Catapult I made here was enough of a sample. You do know how to pick the color that is in hex code (HTML notation) right?

Well first I was joking......

Second, that 555554f is actually grey....I can do grey on black all day...that's not what I asked.....

How doe's one do black on black without losing the image....kinda like that blackwidow awesome on repaints.

[BFett]

OK, here's an experiment. Paint a mech black and use the color select tool to select the black color. Notice that hue and saturation do not affect the black but that lightness does.

Conclusion: You must use a dark shade of gray to have a see through black color. If you don't believe me check out the concept art thread and use one of the "blacks" on someone elses mech.

Anything else?

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

ok.. I'll try it

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

Congratulations to BushMaster!!!
He has downloaded GIMP and is now trying his had in the repainted concept arts section!!

go check out his work @ http://mwomercs.com/...ost__p__1588502

[BFett]

Very neat! I look forward to more people using GIMP for repaints.

[Creepy]

Re: Black on black color schemes
BFett pretty much as has it there. You want to get something lighter than the black lines. Also note that the blacks can have a little bit of a tint to it to better blend in with the rest of the picture. With the exception of certain cases, try to go easy on how much pure black and white you put down. The brain scales everything it takes to the lightest and darkest part of whatever it is you look at and is part of what makes glows and lights happen.

Not sure if I lost any of you on that...

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

This is an ongoing conversation thru email with Bushmaster:
and dissecting his Stalker he sent to me in .xcf format.

Ok;

Here we go... GIMP 101 for the uneducated

step 1. downloaded file, saved to desktop, opened gimp, opened file. wow...lots of layers...

step 2. closed all layers by clicking on the "eye" on the left of the smaller images in the dockable dialogs "layers dock"

step 3. opened each layer separately using the "eye", looking, examining each layer carefully.

conclusion: WOW.. naw just joking

1. Is it a safe guess that there was a saving mistake that turned your "background" layer grey except for the cockpit?
Every template that I have and all subsequent instructions that I've received say the "background" layer has to remain (normal and untouched)

2. I know how to do the layers and name them, but I noticed that you named the soft white layer "soft white" but did not actually change the layer mode to soft white, it is still "normal". I do notice that you have moved the slider bar for the "opacity" up to 2.7 to lighten the white.
(Now is a harder question which is 1 major issue I'm having) when I grab that opacity slider bar and move it to 40, I really notice how every (knuckle, joint, hinge, cockpit) Lrms and a few vents stay the original grey from the background color...How did you do that? How did you isolate those areas so perfectly?? when I try to use the fuzzy select tool I can only do one section at a time and it is very time consuming...If I try to use the eraser to erase the white my lines are NOT that clean....stumped and stupid

3. your additional layers, "striping, grading, colors and body text" have all been changed to "multiply" which I do know how to do that.

4. I also notice that the last layers "color here and multi white copy" are not used for anything.

Now all the above is my first impression of what I see and basically are my first questions, what follows is more in-depth and really the meat of this email.

5. As previously discussed I think there is a problem with the "background layer and the soft white layer" only because it's different than what I've been told in the past, but I believe you have found a fantastic work around that really works for you! (KUDO'S)

6. Striping layer: once more how in the world did you get the line so "perfect!" and get them to bend around the srm-6 launcher?? I'm absolutely floored because I still can't do that!!
Even zooming into 400x the lines are perfect!! one black line is like 3 pxl's wide and the other line is 1 pxl wide...even the detail on the nose, the tiny little red strip on the other side of the cockpit is is...I don't know..amazing....the angles are perfect, like 45,90,27,233 all perfect...
How?.....even the spacing to the original body lines are perfectly spaced..

7. Grading layer: I believe you are getting to colors from the "Gradients Pallet" specifically the "Incandescent" pallet? (easy way) or like me (hard way) you make a separate window, use different size brushes and multiple colors, then blend them??
but back to the same frigged question..how are you isolating the individual sections?? and so darn perfectly!!

I will let you respond to these questions before I start turning this into a tome, hehehe

But I do have so many many more questions...but the isolating is the BIGGEST #1 on my list!

[BFett]

I'm not sure how he did all these things, but his Stalker did come out well.

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

My mistake.. I meant the free select tool....I guess I will have to look for a video on it.
I can only select one item at a time not multiple items. and that takes way too long and I get bored and fead up quickly and quit...

I can't see creating a layer, free selecting one "ankle joint?", copy, paste....the other (ankle joint), copy paste,... one knee joint, copy past, other knee joint, copy paste....etc.etc.etc..then color GM grey....
That's insane.. it take's hours, and I know that's not how you guys are doing it..

Even if I try the deleting way, I isolate the knee joint, hit delete...poof it's gone or I isolate the mech leaving the knee joint alone, hit delete....poof and the whole mech is gone....then it's back to the copy & paste thing.

[Bushmaster]

as for selecting the whole mech for a solid color, I general use the fuzzy select and bucket fill in the layer you are using as your non-texture color layer.
For more detailed work, I use the free selection tool, so I can pick a certain area to texture, color, opacity of color, and what have you. I dont really ever use the paintbrush, airbrush or pencil.
I'll use the erase set on Dynamics - Perspective and Fade Tapering
I'll also use the Sharpen/Blur tool to adjust hard edges and choppy lines

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

Bushmaster, on 15 December 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

as for selecting the whole mech for a solid color, I general use the fuzzy select and bucket fill in the layer you are using as your non-texture color layer.

OK...I've done that before...

Bushmaster, on 15 December 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

For more detailed work, I use the free selection tool, so I can pick a certain area to texture, color, opacity of color, and what have you. I dont really ever use the paintbrush, airbrush or pencil.

Really... I can't seem to get away from it, I guess I need to work harder at it!

Bushmaster, on 15 December 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

I'll use the erase set on Dynamics - Perspective and Fade Tapering

I've never tried anything other than normal...humm......Guess I need to try this also.

Bushmaster, on 15 December 2012 - 01:20 PM, said:

I'll also use the Sharpen/Blur tool to adjust hard edges and choppy lines

All the Time!

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

And I also noticed....given time....or Im just slow.. you don't use that layer mask thingy.....

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

Learning new things on GIMP all the time!

Now working on blending, scripts and fu's

[BFett]

Gimp is a powerful program. I'm going to have to go through all the tutorials to see what I've been missing out on.

[Bishop Steiner]

It is indeed, and while so far, more linear than Photoshop, there is oh so much I have yet to figure out. I also need to man up, load the software, and plug in my Bamboo Create tablet and take the plunge into digital art.... but I is scared!

[Paul BlackJack Cady]

Hey Bishop

Your one hellof an artist anyway, this could be just the "snap" you need to get rolling.

Heck if it wasn't for BFett, I would be soooo.....lost. I'm what you would call a "shade tree" artist, kinda like the older shade tree mechanic no training, no schooling, nothing has tought me except trial and error, and I still kant spell.

[Bishop Steiner]

I took one art class way back in High School... and I failed it.

Everything I do has been either self taught, or learned by observing others. And tons of trial and error. I think the thing for me and digital art is that it is not "intuitive" to someone used to doing "analog" art, as to shading, etc. I don't think in "layers" (though my fried who paints in watercolors seems to do so) so the "media interactions" are very alien to me.

The other thing that is slowing me down is the nature of digital art. I am used to watching the tip of my pen/pencil brush, not a screen totally divorced (visually) from it. I really don't see why no one has made a tablet that one can "see" what he is doing on directly, using the computer for the "power" and resources. And mouse art is just..... not me (at least yet).

But man, even if I don't always like the "concepts" that Flying Debris or Shimmering Sword, or White , Xarbale, etc come up with, the actual detail and depth to their work is awesome, and I so want to be able to "get there".

[Iacov]

how does merging down layers, while keeping the "lower layer's" setting?
i tried to merge a layer with an insignia with the paint/multiply layer...but as soon as i do that, the alpha mask etc is gone

currently GIMP is not working very well for me