He doesn't want a tutorial on how to UV map, guys. He wants a tutorial on how to make good looking bitmaps.
The answer is that there is no real tutorial, Swamp_Thing. Creativity is not something taught in a tutorial. People can give you tutorials on how to use graphic design programs, but not on how to be creative in your use of those tools. Just play, try things out, and be patient.
Two pieces of advice:[list=1]
- Use subtle shifts of colour on your textures. Solid blocks of colour or even simple linear gradients look dull and unconvincing.
Look at the texture for the Herc 2 for example: It seems to the eye that those side pods are simply grey, but in reality there is a lot of colour variation on them, so that some bits are actually purple and some are green.
- Don't go overboard with little fiddly bits in the textures. Too many bumps, buttons, vents, glowy bits, etc., will make the texture too busy, and therefore less pretty.
Think of it as a background with some accents. In all good design, there has to be a backgroud, and there have to be some accents. If you put on too many accents, it becomes hard to tell which is background and which is accent, and that makes for an ugly design.
For an example compare the Bakha with the Sekhmet: The Bakha is nicer to look because the Sekhmet has too many little glowy bits and vents stuck on it. The accents and the background are at war with each other for dominance, and the Sekhment cannot decide whether it is a tan ship with glowy and venty accents (yes I made up the word venty), or a glowy and venty ship with tan accents. On the Bakha, there is no war, and it is quite clear which part is the background, and which parts are the accents.[/list=1]
