F14 Skinners thread (Paintkit in 1st post)

[Gunslinger22]

8 hours ago, yewls said:

holy roughmet that looks awesome!

I've decided to add some edits and further weathering to your wonderful NE110, once permissions have been given I'll upload it! 

 

[yewls]

4 hours ago, Gunslinger22 said:

I've decided to add some edits and further weathering to your wonderful NE110, once permissions have been given I'll upload it! 

 

Approved as requested - looks sick!

[sLYFa]

VF-103 skin pack now available!

part1: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3319801/

part2: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3319802/

The skins represent 100, 103, 105 and 111 during their 2002 deployment aboard George Washington.

These skins are based off of the paint-kit so nothing special there but they add a bit of variety and authenticity for said period.

The rest of CVW-17 from that deployment is also available in the user files section for a properly filled deck!

Enjoy

[pantasauras]

On 12/15/2021 at 4:25 AM, Gunslinger22 said:

Not sure if I'm quite there yet, but continuing work back on some dirty VF-2 birds:

 

Oh my god I love the dirty worn look. Its gorgeous, can I ask what you used for your weathering technique? I'm struggling with making it look good, especially since the F-14 has so many skin files

[yewls]

Question - if I need to paint over the baked in rivets and panel lines, is there a way for me to grab them from the template and paste them back in over the paint?  I've been able to figure it out with the F-5, but haven't had luck with the F-14.  Thanks!

Also, have been messing around trying to recreate the beat-to-shit, hydraulic fluid covered, partial hood jets of VF-111 during their 1983 cruise on the Carl Vinson, as seen in this video.

Edited December 21, 2021 by yewls
Edit

[Gunslinger22]

16 hours ago, pantasauras said:

Oh my god I love the dirty worn look. Its gorgeous, can I ask what you used for your weathering technique? I'm struggling with making it look good, especially since the F-14 has so many skin files

Well how I do it isn't either easy or quick, but for some really specific weathering patterns I try to find really hirez picture of a Tomcat that has a certain salt and dirt area on it and create a layer above that image and basically trace and draw over it, creating a template I can then transfer onto the skin. One other thing I've found is changing the different tones of the overall paint layer (lets say on the wing) and mix them with the base to create the effect of paint that has dried at quicker/slower speeds than the other areas. This is especially important for panels and patches that have had some corrosion control paint done over the base layer. 

Edit: My skins have finally been uploaded, I've also done NE VS-38/VAW-116 skins! 

Edited December 21, 2021 by Gunslinger22

[yewls]

6 hours ago, Gunslinger22 said:

I've also done NE VS-38/VAW-116 skins!

We must've had a mind meld this week mate, I was working on those the night before I saw yours show up on user files - that S-3 template makes my brain hurt.  Happy to see CVW-2 almost done, now we just need skins for the A-6, SH-3, and uh ... *checks notes* A-3

Edited December 21, 2021 by yewls

[Gunslinger22]

12 hours ago, yewls said:

We must've had a mind meld this week mate, I was working on those the night before I saw yours show up on user files - that S-3 template makes my brain hurt.  Happy to see CVW-2 almost done, now we just need skins for the A-6, SH-3, and uh ... *checks notes* A-3

 

I'm actually now going to take Tomcatter97's lovely VA-176/VAW-122/VAQ-132 skins and do full squadrons with accurate BuNo's so we can have the Forrestal deck complete apart from the Tomcats and Cosairs. 

[Tomcatter87]

10 hours ago, Gunslinger22 said:

I'm actually now going to take Tomcatter97's lovely VA-176/VAW-122/VAQ-132 skins and do full squadrons with accurate BuNo's so we can have the Forrestal deck complete apart from the Tomcats and Cosairs. 

You're making me 10 years younger, no reason for that But sure, go ahead If you come across anything I might improve on those skins, let me know. My aim was to get the overall look right so it looks nice on the flight deck, but if you find out and add things like crew names and so on, go for it!
Be aware that there are some E-2s incoming, among others for the Saratoga (ODS Hawkeye with killmarks ) and Enterprise, early 80s. 

[Gunslinger22]

(Sorry if slightly off topic!)

Thought I'd go all out and create my own template and basically make all of CVW-6, just wish someone would publicly release that A-7 mod... Should be on the user section soon! 

 

[Nealius]

Those A-6 skins are making me impatient for the HB A-6. I've been trying to fiddle with the VSN mod but I can't launch or trap on carriers with it

[RaisedByWolves]

Bazinga!

[CheckGear]

Is there anyone making the following skins:

F-14A:

- VF-21 (1995, CV-62/CVW-5)

- VF-154 (1994, CV-62/CVW-5)

[Gunslinger22]

Doing some dirty VF-31/11 Birds up next, though so far I think I'm over doing the oil stains. 

Also my VAQ-132/VA-175/VAW-122 packs have been uploaded and are awaiting approval.

 

[LanceCriminal86]

5 hours ago, Gunslinger22 said:

Doing some dirty VF-31/11 Birds up next, though so far I think I'm over doing the oil stains. 

Also my VAQ-132/VA-175/VAW-122 packs have been uploaded and are awaiting approval.

 

 

11/31 are still getting some more jets and some reworks to the current '88 ones. Shmoo42 did the 31 tails up and I did the rest of the jet, he's going to take over reworking the existing 31 and adding 2 more, and doing more dedicated weathering/roughmets to go with them. I'm working on AE-111 right now, I think I overdid the corrosion control and am probably going to rework it yet again.

I'd also say, yeah overdoing the stains and dirt. 11 and 31 have some moderately dirty jets and they had a couple of big exercises up north but none of them looked nearly that rough. Honestly the existing weathering layers and roughmets worked pretty well overall for the 80s gull gray jets.

These are a bunch of the reference pics we have been using from the national archives, from '88 and '89 including the exercises TEAM WORK and WEST WIND:

https://nara.getarchive.net/search?created_date_from=1988&created_date_to=1989&page=1&q=forrestal

Also re-saving over the existing skins is going to degrade the quality since you're importing an already compressed DDS and then compressing it a second time when you save it.

[Gunslinger22]

Just now, LanceCriminal86 said:

 

11/31 are still getting some more jets and some reworks to the current '88 ones. Shmoo42 did the 31 tails up and I did the rest of the jet, he's going to take over reworking the existing 31 and adding 2 more, and doing more dedicated weathering/roughmets to go with them. I'm working on AE-111 right now, I think I overdid the corrosion control and am probably going to rework it yet again.

I'd also say, yeah overdoing the stains and dirt. 11 and 31 have some moderately dirty jets and they had a couple of big exercises up north but none of them looked nearly that rough. Honestly the existing weathering layers and roughmets worked pretty well overall for the 80s gull gray jets.

These are a bunch of the reference pics we have been using from the national archives, from '88 and '89 including the exercises TEAM WORK and WEST WIND:

https://nara.getarchive.net/search?created_date_from=1988&created_date_to=1989&page=1&q=forrestal

Also re-saving over the existing skins is going to degrade the quality since you're importing an already compressed DDS and then compressing it a second time when you save it.

Alright well I reckon I'll save my efforts on any 11/31 skins then, personally have been trying to do more around the 86 timeframe rather than 88, it was very difficult to match all of VA-176's BuNo's from what the CVW site has them listed as and from what actual pictures of the 86 cruise show. 

[Jackjack171]

6 hours ago, Gunslinger22 said:

Doing some dirty VF-31/11 Birds up next, though so far I think I'm over doing the oil stains. 

Also my VAQ-132/VA-175/VAW-122 packs have been uploaded and are awaiting approval.

 

This is some of the sexiest stuff that I've seen! Nice work gents!

[LanceCriminal86]

9 hours ago, Gunslinger22 said:

Alright well I reckon I'll save my efforts on any 11/31 skins then, personally have been trying to do more around the 86 timeframe rather than 88, it was very difficult to match all of VA-176's BuNo's from what the CVW site has them listed as and from what actual pictures of the 86 cruise show. 

Weirdly I feel like I found more 86/87 pics on the Tomcat side than '88. Finding jets with names and callsigns was not easy. 

Even tougher, try finding anything for 1991 of VF-11. Outside of the Lock On book series there's almost nothing, and very few of the scans used in the books are readable enough for names. AND it looks like VF-11 had two sets of names on different sides of at least some of their jets on that cruise.

I am very appreciative folks have been working on getting the Intruders, E-2s, S-3s, etc. painted up though, as I like replicating photos from the cruise with Reshade and film filters. There's a private A-7E mod out there somewhere too but I'm hoping the Flying Iron project will progress quickly enough to see something next year or so.

[LanceCriminal86]

I sadly must report that I just lost the entirety of my ext01 template, which was overwritten during some kind of memory issue and Photoshop led me to believe I had a different file selected, and lost all progress I had made last night on ext 3 and 4.

 

Anything 80s I was doing including the currently included VF-11 jets just got significantly set back because there were stencil changes in ext01 that are unique to that side of the jet, and stencils that I had added.

 

[Gunslinger22]

5 hours ago, LanceCriminal86 said:

I sadly must report that I just lost the entirety of my ext01 template, which was overwritten during some kind of memory issue and Photoshop led me to believe I had a different file selected, and lost all progress I had made last night on ext 3 and 4.

 

Anything 80s I was doing including the currently included VF-11 jets just got significantly set back because there were stencil changes in ext01 that are unique to that side of the jet, and stencils that I had added.

 

I feel your pain, has happened to me twice with PS on my MacBook which is where I do all my skinning, lost 5 DS Sluggers and 5 Be-Devilers skins that were ready to go with complete and individual weathering on each bird. 

[captain_dalan]

Sorry, something went bogus with my previous post. 

First thing's first. All credits where credit is due. This livery wouldn't be possible without the works of @Reflected and @Tomcatter87 who allowed me to use their works as a base and who's art has inspired me to make my first dip into DCS skin making.

This is supposed to represent a 1977 F-14A, NH 202, buno 159861, block 90 from VF-213. The high-viz template is based on Reflected's high-viz liveries, from 1975-1976, with the white underbelly being adjusted to more closely resemble the photos i found for this bird. The nacelle fins are repainted from scratch. The tail art and the crew helmets are taken from Tomcatter's VF-213 early 80's livery. The blue surface on the rudders and the top of the stabs is a result of much trial and error while experimenting with DCS lighting. The fed blue didn't work for me. While it resembled the F-14D VF-213's from the 90's it just didn't 'jive' with the 70's photos. The buno is composed of digits taken from other high-viz skins by Reflected and shuffled in the needed order. The Kittyhawk markings on the wing gloves and the base of the vertical stabs are taken and adjusted from Reflected's Vark livery. Unfortunately, i could not a photo detailed enough to see the names of the crew that flew this bird on that cruise, so i kept the Tomcatter's crew bellow the canopy. 

It was my original goal to paint the NH 201 (the one on my DCS profile cover), but i just couldn't find a photo detailed enough from this period. I must say, only now do i understand the passion behind making liveries. For several days (more exactly nights) i found myself staying up till 4AM either researching the plane, or fine tuning the look... and no matter how much you fine tune it, it's NEVER just right!  But i had to say when at some point, even though i'm not 100% pleased with the work i did. I mean, i'm definitely keeping the work for personal use AND for future modifications, but the ever critic in me will never consider it to be "good enough" . 

So what do you guys think? Is this worth sharing and publishing? 
Once again, all my thanks and full honors to the original creators who's work i based this on! Keep flaying, keep painting and clear skies! 
Cap D. 
 

Edited December 29, 2021 by captain_dalan

[Jackjack171]

1 hour ago, captain_dalan said:

Sorry, something went bogus with my previous post. 

First thing's first. All credits where credit is due. This livery wouldn't be possible without the works of @Reflected and @Tomcatter87 who allowed me to use their works as a base and who's art has inspired me to make my first dip into DCS skin making.

This is supposed to represent a 1977 F-14A, NH 202, buno 159861, block 90 from VF-213. The high-viz template is based on Reflected's high-viz liveries, from 1975-1976, with the white underbelly being adjusted to more closely resemble the photos i found for this bird. The nacelle fins are repainted from scratch. The tail art and the crew helmets are taken from Tomcatter's VF-213 early 80's livery. The blue surface on the rudders and the top of the stabs is a result of much trial and error while experimenting with DCS lighting. The fed blue didn't work for me. While it resembled the F-14D VF-213's from the 90's it just didn't 'jive' with the 70's photos. The buno is composed of digits taken from other high-viz skins by Reflected and shuffled in the needed order. The Kittyhawk markings on the wing gloves and the base of the vertical stabs are taken and adjusted from Reflected's Vark livery. Unfortunately, i could not a photo detailed enough to see the names of the crew that flew this bird on that cruise, so i kept the Tomcatter's crew bellow the canopy. 

It was my original goal to paint the NH 201 (the one on my DCS profile cover), but i just couldn't find a photo detailed enough from this period. I must say, only now do i understand the passion behind making liveries. For several days (more exactly nights) i found myself staying up till 4AM either researching the plane, or fine tuning the look... and no matter how much you fine tune it, it's NEVER just right!  But i had to say when at some point, even though i'm not 100% pleased with the work i did. I mean, i'm definitely keeping the work for personal use AND for future modifications, but the ever critic in me will never consider it to be "good enough" . 

So what do you guys think? Is this worth sharing and publishing? 
Once again, all my thanks and full honors to the original creators who's work i based this on! Keep flaying, keep painting and clear skies! 
Cap D. 
 

 

Looks good to me! 
Hats off to you, I dipped my toe into Photoshop, but I could not find where to get started! I call your livery a success! 

[Reflected]

@captain_dalan nice work! One note though: check the leading edges of the vertical stabs. Either the diffuse or the roughmet file doesn't line up. Compare it to my Ardvaark skin next to it and you'll see what I mean.

[captain_dalan]

17 hours ago, Jackjack171 said:

Looks good to me! 
Hats off to you, I dipped my toe into Photoshop, but I could not find where to get started! I call your livery a success! 

Thanks mate! I don't have Photoshop so i used Gimp for this. But if i start doing skins more often, i may have to get Ps! 

17 hours ago, Reflected said:

@captain_dalan nice work! One note though: check the leading edges of the vertical stabs. Either the diffuse or the roughmet file doesn't line up. Compare it to my Ardvaark skin next to it and you'll see what I mean.

Sharp eyes! Yeah, i see what you mean, the metallic shine threw me off there i didn't notice it. Thanks again! Is this better? 
 

[yewls]

Trying to get the greasy, beat-down look of NE204 from the picture below ... as you can see my "technique" for weathering really amounts to lightly airbrushing along panel lines and areas where there would be hydraulic actuators.  What tips do you guys have for more varied/detailed weathering?

 

Edited December 31, 2021 by yewls