Handpainting Textures

[deltafan 1]

Hello, I'm new to painting. I've already had one release, the SGA SAS NC MD-81 at the library, and I am working on number 2. Snowflake MD-82 is what I'm working on and I need some help handpainting a textures. I am trying to paint the "Y" that is in teh Flysnowflake.com titles on the forward fuselage. I can't seem to find a logo that has the "Y" on it so I have to handpaint it. I am getting very frustrated and was hoping a more experienced painter could help me out.I'm using Photoshop and I've tried the pencil tool (which doesn't look good at all because it doesn't fade at the edges of the letters) and the pen tool, which looked better, but I can't seem to get it to make the correct shape.Do I just keep working with it? Do I use the eraser in conjuction? What do I do?Anyone who can help, I'd appreciate it a lot. If you also have any tips or tricks for handpainting textures that are much more complicated, I'd be happy to read those too. Thanks in advance.

[mcwdainow 0]

I'd be more than happy to help you out. Just looked at some images of the livery, is it the y in the "flysnowflake.com" text at the front of the fuselage.. or something else? If it is, the font appears to be arial.However you explaining "fading edges" leads me to believe it isn't.. post a shot/link :)

[JP_Visser 3]

i think he means the pencil doesn't anti alias the edges,thus creating sharp edges...i can be wrong,though(happens all to often) :)cheersJP.

[deltafan 1]

Yeah, I just real a tutorial on Calclassic that got me to use the polygonal lasso tool and the y was good after a little bit of adding and erasing. I even went to the Aerial font and compared it to my y and it came very close. So, I guess I ended up getting my own technique. Would this knid of thing go the same for really complex handpainting like handpainting a Virgin tail (with that really funky Virgin font), or complicated fuselage designs (like ANZ LOTR)? I would assume they would, correct?

[mcwdainow 0]

If you want to "trace" certain things then, depending on the program you use the lasso is a good way to go (try out the magnetic lasso). However the marquee shapes can also be useful being used in conjunction with the lasso.Edit:This is a useful site if you want a logohttp://www.brandsoftheworld.com/

[deltafan 1]

I used that site for the Snowflake part, but I couldn't fint Flysnowflake.com at their site.