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Images by Carl Bush


IamSam, I use reference images to draw from, but there are very few actual photo elements in these pictures. There are literally hundreds of layers to get the resulting effects. The aircraft rivets alone are built up from 4 separate layers. I do use NOAA chart images for the backgrounds, but spend a lot of time cutting and pasting to make them fit the page at the size I want and have the edge markings remain true to scale. I typically have to redraw the logos because the online versions are generally very low resolution and I work at a minimum of 300 dpi. Thank you for the interest and comment.

Cheers, Carl
 
T-shirt design for the Florida Chapter of the Chevrolet SSR owner's club. I did use some royalty-free images for the foliage in this image.

RALLY-T.jpg
 
agentmoeller said:
How do you paint the air vehicles?
Click to expand...

agentmoeller,
I start by creating a lineart version of the airframe, usually 1 or 2 pixels wide pen line. I use the Pen Tool because it allows greater control and finer lines than the shape or mask tools. Once the outline is completed, I fill with the basic color and then convert the Pen Tool outline to a mask and Save the Mask. I do the same for all the major parts of the aircraft ... wings, wheels, engine nacelles, cockpit, windows and canopy (and anything that hangs on the aircraft like missiles, torpedos, and other bumps). Each has its own layer and each has its own mask. I then HIDE all the layers except the one on which I am working. I open the mask for that part of the image and then create 2 new layers ... a shading layer and a highlight layer ... I use a large soft brush at varying opacities to build up the shadows and highlights until the shape takes on a proper 3D lighted effect. I will use the brush spacing property to draw a line of rivets in the same color as the shape and using Guidelines to keep them all straight. Of course, the rivets also get a basic, highlight, and shadow layer to build up a rivet effect. By the time I am near completion, I have hundreds of layers that I keep organized by using the FOLDER option in the layers panel for each of the major parts of the aircraft. I can then selectively Lock or Hide layers that get in the way of my working on other parts of the aircraft. When the aircraft is looking good, I add the markings and the logos as necessary, and then finish with the text information. Sorry for the extended description, but a LOT of steps to making one of these from scratch. The police cars and ships are made the same way.

Cheers, Carl
 
These are wonderfull images, executed with great care for all the little details.
A perfect Photoshop job! I wonder how many hours you worked on each image?
 
chrisdesign said:
These are wonderfull images, executed with great care for all the little details.
A perfect Photoshop job! I wonder how many hours you worked on each image?
Click to expand...

chrisdesign, thank you for the comment. It usually takes 4-7 days of work from start to finish to create a new aircraft. I am very impressed with your work and the work of the other 3D artists on this forum. I want to learn how to create 3D images, but the learning curve for the 3D programs is extremely steep. Do you have a recommendation on which 3D program is less difficult to master; are there training courses or do you just learn by trial and error?
Thank you, Carl
 
Truly inspiring work. Thank you for sharing your methodology, a great insight.

With regard to 3d software, in my opinion Blender is probably the most accessible, partly because it is free but also because there is such an active community and there are loads of tutorials available online. there are a couple of schools of thought about tutorials - you can follow tutorials that enable you to produce some good looking scenes but not necessarily quite understand what you have done. there are tutorials however that will teach the basic building blocks.

Cheers

John
 
carlbush said:
chrisdesign, thank you for the comment. It usually takes 4-7 days of work from start to finish to create a new aircraft. I am very impressed with your work and the work of the other 3D artists on this forum. I want to learn how to create 3D images, but the learning curve for the 3D programs is extremely steep. Do you have a recommendation on which 3D program is less difficult to master; are there training courses or do you just learn by trial and error?
Thank you, Carl
Click to expand...


I started to learn 3D with Photoshop, and for quite some time I enjoyed it. But soon I found out Photoshop 3D is very limited. And render time is extremely long.
Then I downloaded BLENDER which is a free 3D program. From my experience I recommend to follow a few beginners tutorials to learn the basics. Lot's of them are on youtube. (some of them are just a waste of time)
So be prepared to get frustrated, this seems to be 'normal', so don't give up. It's important to learn the basics again and again. Don't just follow tutorials, it is much better to start your own easy project and finish this one.
If you run into problems you can always go back to youtube and find a tutorial to solve this particular problem.

It would be great to have another Blender guy onboard.
Al the best and happy 'blending'.

Regards
Chris
 
Amazing images when you take the time to look closely! :thumbsup:

I know I spent a lot of time on PS and Blender but I never did something like this.

Hats of for your dedication!

I start using Blender beginning this year and I have no illusion to make such a detailed work anytime soon...
 
chrisdesign and fredfish, I will download BLENDER today and get started! Wow, I didn't realize that a FREE 3D program would be worth trying. I appreciate the recommendation!

Cheers, Carl
 
Eggy said:
Amazing images when you take the time to look closely! :thumbsup:

I know I spent a lot of time on PS and Blender but I never did something like this.

Hats of for your dedication!

I start using Blender beginning this year and I have no illusion to make such a detailed work anytime soon...
Click to expand...

Eggy, thanks for the comment, I sure hope I can get past the initial frustration with learning a 3D program.

Cheers, Carl
 
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