Bare Metal P-51D

[GrubbyFingers]

Hi WH1SKEA,
I really like your deep shadows under the machine and your highlights on the radiator scoop.
I'd thin down your highlights on your fin, remember this is a thin object with a sharp leading edge. I'd also tone down your highlight on the mid-line of your fuselage to about 40% of what you have now. It is confusing your shape. Your highlight on the top of the rear fuse could be thinned down too. The P-51 rear fuse is a relatively flat sided affair.
I hope this helps!
Grubby.

[wh1skea]

After heeding the advice I've been given, here is what I've reworked it into:

[pkassak]

My small voice of almost noone meaning nothing on this field I would say this...reduce or remove the light reflection on the fuselage...it looks like the Mustang has some nonrounded fuselage...I mean that one that goes through the middle of the body...

[gamary]

Peter is right: it shows up more (too much IMH with the darkened panels and shading.

[wh1skea]

Its been a while, but here's an update...not much has changed, just subtle things.

[Vacajun]

Agree with GFR's comments on spinner/cowling gap--IMHO not much there!

[Jarink]

Better and better!

I think the rear fuselage still looks a little boxy, especially at the junction of the fuselage and the tail cone (at the tip of the fin fillet). Thin the highlighting out a little and run it back all the way to the horizontal stablilizer. I think it helps to get a better feel for the shape of a P-51 rear fuselage by looking at one of the early Ds without the fillet.



Remember, the fillet doesn't cover the full width of the fuselage.


The spinner gap is a little too big. I'm struggling with the spinner gap, too. I've tried narrowing it down to a one-pixel gap, but then it doesn't look right any more. Maybe I've just gotten too used to how it looks.

I'd tone down the ribs on the rudder and make it a slightly different color, too. It was the only fabric surface on the Mustang, so it shouldn't perfectly match the rest when done in bare metal.

[wh1skea]

OK, so I started over on the highlighting of the fuselage and tail. Concentrated on what all's been said about how thick I've had the highlighting on the tail. Any better?......(I'll tone down the ribs on the tail in the next WIP pic, Jarink.)



Edit:

Turned some panel layers back on, adjusted the brightness/darkness of the metal, and toned down those ribs on the rudder.

[GrubbyFingers]

I'm gonna have to do some Mustangs, these things are sooo ***y!

That's coming along very nicely, Whiskey. I haven't tried this myself, but you may be able to introduce variation of intensity in the pattern / texture by adding a gradient-filled masking layer to the pattern layer. You can then airbrush different intensities of grey on the mask to knock-back some of the texturing and give you more variety. The texture is looking very even and carpet-like at the mo.

Highlights and shading are much better. Shading could still be stronger under the rear fuse.

[Jarink]

More info on the P-51's fillet than you'd ever want to know. Great site, lots of the posters actually own and restore the warbirds they're talking about!

http://warbirdinformationexchange.or...ic.php?t=23725