First of all this is just my opinion, so don't yell at me for it.

I have been skinning these tanks for quite a while now, almost 2 years, and for the last half of this year I have been seeing more and more "quickie" skins, these skins have been whipped up as quick as possible, by using the airbrush, or applying filters one after another, ect. Sometimes they come out looking nice, but most of the time, they just look like crap IMO.

I quote Proud Gaming Geek,

See this skin I made? That took 5 days for me to make, and it's still not perfect. I spent the first day drawing it roughly on paper, then I drew where I wanted things to go on the tank in my image editor.

Another thing I want to add is that details make the cake. Add rims, color the wheel spoke, add air scoops or whatever to make the tank look special. A tank that has the same texture applied on the whole tank looks very boring and has no height to it, and IMO that is just blah.

I would like more people to learn the program they are using by book, class, or just exploration, before releasing a skin.

Last edited: Thursday, September 15, 2005 at 12:13:43 PM

No offense, but assuming I had the resources (which I do- props to Google), I could make a skin like that pretty fast, too. But the planning would take me some time.

This is the kind of skin I was talking about as being "blah" and having no height. (No offence Legionary, it's not a bad skin)

Racer everything I know that is awesome in photoshop TT doesn't accept.
not everybody has time to take 5 days.
explain you techniques to people and they wont have crap.
good PS site

Last edited: Thursday, September 15, 2005 at 1:33:36 PM

I think I can help you with that.

True, however, people should take more time.

Good idea! I think I will start posting some tutorials soon.

...you..have...juST...MADE...ME...l_-=CRACK!=-_l

(Goes outside and screams "I will find you wherever you are and I will slaughter you!!!")

EDIT:now THIS is a sucky skin! ;)

Last edited: Thursday, September 15, 2005 at 3:19:11 PM

^ ack... Hey, I am quoted! I knew I would come up some day. Racer is right though. Decals man. It is what makes the tank!

Yes man my private Skin collection has not had a new addition in a long time ! I am very picky on what I had to my Private collection ask Racer ! Don't get me wrong every one I can not skin for the life of me butI know great work when I see it and I am sorry to say but I have not see any good ones as of recent besides Racers' X Box skin :(

How to change a color range
I tried this once, and I got this:

Like it? Good! Follow along, and you'll be able to make blue llamas in seconds.
1. Go to Select > Color Range, and crank up the fuzz (if it helps). Change the active color to the one you want selected (eyedropper tool?).
2. When you're done, click "OK". Then, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer> Hue & Saturation. Click "OK" and tweak to your heart's content.
Voila!

I've taken note of this myself. Dem kids is throwing together a couple of filters and BAM! A skin that everyone sez is awesome. So what happens? More crappy skins are produced. If someone dares to say, "Nice try, but keep at it", the crying starts. Personally, I blame the self-esteem-over-quality mindset, where everyone's a winner and no one wants to accept constructive criticism.

I've spent days designing a skin in my head, working out the details before I ever sat down to my computer and even then the final version is a variable of the original vision. Personnally, whenever I skin, I try to do something new (at least for me) and push myself to develop a new skill. Seems like a lot of the noobs are just looking to slap something together and call it gold in order to have something to post. Sure, ya gotta learn, but you don't have to post every single attempt either.

@DJ SkidMarxx - Saying and doing are two different things.

PS - Lone, take heart...I'm working up something extra special for you. ;)

Last edited: Friday, September 16, 2005 at 12:32:36 PM

@ Rabban
Ask Racer, I hate to be teased :P

Surprisingly I agree with racer, since I've been gone I havent really seen any imporovement...but hey its cool yall are trying...anyways, wuts up racer?
lips

Woot FL is back.

@ rabban... I have been meaning to ask ye, how do you get lighting on a tank? I have been useinf a brush in the PS demo, but id deosn't look as real as yours...

^ trying drawing the line using the other hand. :)

But seriously, remember that lightening looks random. I think I also added an outer glow and a pattern to my brush drawn line. I can't remember for certain, but I think I also used "overlay" or "multiply" as a color effect on the lightening layer I created.

Ah... I was just useing the brush with all the polka dots on it... It worked, kinda.