[TrashMan]

As some of you allready know, I have tons of ships in the works. One of them in the new version of hte Phoenix fighter. I started to make a texture for it, but have come to a problem..

I can't decide how to texture it. I just started to make the basic panelling (those labels, danger sigs, some paintings on the hull are not the problem) - and  I can't even friggin decide on the color!

Should it be very dark (black, like stealth-ops fighter), greayish, or whiteish? ARGH! It's been on hold for MONTHS now!
The only thing I know the color I want it to be are the "fins" - black with yellowish stripes.

Anyway, I uploaded a photoshop file with a few layers. One of them is the wireframe rendering of hte fighter parts I used for a template. If anyone wants to take a look, or even better, help me with it, I'd appreciate it very much!

http://www.hades-combine.com/web/hosted/fow/PhoenixNewTexture2.rar

[Getter Robo G]

Dude... That's not healthy (God I even sound like Basara now, he he)

Try this and see if it helps get you past the blockage:  Variants...  You can just make something and then make a new variant if something else strikes your fancy?


Besides, Textures are so overrated.

Who needs textures when you can transform your ship into energy and then combine to form a giant robot?

CHANGE GETTER ONE!!!! (ok so I don't have the REAL robot, yet, but I'm damn close!!!!)

(Sorry for the hijack)

[Water]

I can't decide how to texture it. I just started to make the basic panelling (those labels, danger sigs, some paintings on the hull are not the problem) - and  I can't even friggin decide on the color!

At the beginning there are only two basics. Coloured areas and line work. Both influence each other.

Create a colour layer and a line layer. Start with the line work - get some interesting lines in place. I'm not talking small panels and details. Only major dividing linework- and maybe some smaller divisions. If you have to, print out 3 copies of a screen shot, grab a pen and draw some paneling. Do 3 and pick the best parts from each of the drawings.

Then on the colour layer use the linework to break the colours into regions. Sometimes the lines get changed at this stage to make the colour areas more interesting.

None of this first stage involves any details.

And it's really hard to make any concrete suggestions without an obj, 3ds model. 

[TrashMan]

That's why I included a photoshop file with a wireframe model among other things..

[Water]

Sorry, looks like any advice I give you will not be suitable.

Remembered where I had seen your name and downloaded a previous ? version of the phoenix.

The unwrap styles we use are too different. Your one follows the older Box Projection style of unwraping, which is more of a 2d type texturing. The methods I use won't adapt to that style.

[Getter Robo G]

You know I love teh old Phoenix (and use it in my fanfiction)... I DL'ed it and will "mess with it" sometime. 

(damn you, made me open photoshop and resave as a jped so I can work with irfranview more easily). Hehe... Hey don't look at me like that, I am NOT an artist! 

[TrashMan]

Sorry, looks like any advice I give you will not be suitable.

Remembered where I had seen your name and downloaded a previous ? version of the phoenix.

The unwrap styles we use are too different. Your one follows the older Box Projection style of unwraping, which is more of a 2d type texturing. The methods I use won't adapt to that style.

Well, I didn't neew to UVwrap it totaly.. Since I made it out of several separate objects, and each is shaped so that a simple box map can fit nicely, I've seen no need to complicate matters by breaking all the polygons into a unrecognizable mess.

This is the render of the mesh:


The body (half of it), engines (one, all 4 are the same), guns, main wings and tail wings are separate objects. Just looking at the pds file is enough to see what is what.

[Water]

Well, I didn't neew to UVwrap it totaly.. Since I made it out of several separate objects, and each is shaped so that a simple box map can fit nicely, I've seen no need to complicate matters by breaking all the polygons into a unrecognizable mess.

Yeah I understand.

Perhaps you should try painting directly on the model. I'm finding it helps me to work out basic colour schemes and line work. If  a design doesn't work - just paint over it. Solves the paint-save-modeler-reload problem. Once you have something that looks ok, then is the time to start the paint program and import the textured uv map..

I use Blender for this, but anything that allows you to paint directly on the model would be fine.

[TrashMan]

Thanks for the advice..

I just wished I had a texturer to help me with all of these models. I got tons of untextured (or older, badly textured) models just pilled up, waiting... GAH!

[Water]

Thanks for the advice..

I just wished I had a texturer to help me with all of these models. I got tons of untextured (or older, badly textured) models just pilled up, waiting... GAH!

There is one other option for the creative block.

Pretend you are not texturing models, but instead are creating artwork for a book or web page. You know the type, the ones that show the top, sides etc. Try to do 4 (or more)  in a row without even looking at 3d. Basically it keeps you in 2d without the constant judgment calls that keep you altering stuff. Allows you to loosen up without getting tied up in knots about the volume of work. Once you are rolling it is easy to keep going. You have created a mountain and it is probably all you can see, and it may be the cause of the block.