GIMP question...

[GQfluffy]

It's been a while since I've been on the AM...much less on the forum, but I seem to recall some members using GIMP. Why? I assume because it was cheap (free) and somewhat easy to use. Now, I'm a drafter by trade; I understand layers, freezing them, thawing, etc etc...but for some stupid reason the layers on GIMP plumb evade me.

I've used Corel Paintshop Pro X in the past (and yes, I know it has layers as well...but again...I just can't seem to get the program to do what I want. In the image below, I just painstakingly painted betwixt the lines as I like the fuselage panels showing...makes it more realistic it seems-



Now on the next drawing (shamelessly showing MrOrange's image...thank you, and I'll remove it if asked)-



You still see the fuselage panels, yet they're..."colored in" in a sense? Does it make sense it what I'm saying? I remember from several livery threads several members saying they accomplish the above by using layers in GIMP, but I can't figure it out. I also seem to remember it takes them maybe 10-20 minutes to do a livery instead of several hours. Does anyone care to share how exactly they go about it?

Thanks for any and all response(s).

[1993matias]

I do it like this:

Put the aircraft template as the top layer. Select it and go to Layers > transparency > colour to alpha; then clock OK.

This way the aircraft will be transparent, but you will have to trace a line as an edge on the colouring layer to keep a boundary.

Examples:


^^^
Template with the sky behind in one layer - just fill out the area outside the plane. Add the sky last, after you made your template transparent, the sky can help hide your errors outside the plane. I've included a white background layer on all images.

^^^
I add shadows. Choose a light grey, trace some shadows either by just drawing, or use the Blending Tool (L).

^^^
This is how the colours look like without the plane. You can see the outline of the plane here, and if the colours overlap the windows, you will have to make holes for the windows in the pain layer.

^^^
All of the above combined makes a great livery!

[hay-airlines]

I use Adbobe Photoshop CS5, although I used to use paint.NET (free) and I'd be happy to write up any tutorials on how to use it.

[OG1123]

do you do paint.net tutorials? Tried GIMP... but i just cant handle it XD

[GQfluffy]

I use Adbobe Photoshop CS5, although I used to use paint.NET (free) and I'd be happy to write up any tutorials on how to use it.

The more, the merrier. I appreciate all those folks out there freely offering their services to create liveries for others, but I'm of the ilk of "I'll do it myself".

By the way, '93matias, thanks for the great post. I'll be sure to try it out in a few days once I pass this upcoming deadline. The life of free-lance work. Thanks again, folks!

[hay-airlines]

Simple tutorial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=t__GiZ9jbbU

Complex/advanced tutorial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbuzYa6UUxY&feature=related

They're my videos, please don't copyright infringe them or whatever, enjoy!

[OG1123]

Is this good?

[hay-airlines]

Wow yes that's great!

[OG1123]

Thanks :DD