That should have a natural metal polished underside except for the wing routes.

OK

Alphas

This is how I make them and it is a quick, simple and foolproof method and anot at all as complex as writing it out makes it look


Copy the layers you want to shine....turn that to the grey you want over a white base then save that as alpha and call it in via DXTBMP

I create a new group called APLHA in the top of my PSD.  There I have a white base and the various layers to be alpha are sitting there in the correct relation to each other

Then I turn the group on to save or work the alpha and turn it off to restore it to the normal base PSD.

Creating Alpha's automatically will seldom give you what you want and since you will need to edit it you are better just making it from scratch.

So to recap

Make a new layer with a pure white background at the top of the PSD called Alpha

Copy the metal.....place that layer over the white at the grey value you want

Copy the wing roots (if they are seperate) and turn that to pure white then sit that over the fuse bottom as a take out block

Copy the stripe turn that to you wanted grey and place that on the top of the bottom' take out

Copy the gold then turn that to the required grey and place that on top of the others

Then you will have an alpha that mimics the livery but is different values of shine (greys) which can be adjusted to suit

Save that as a BMP called (filename)_alpha

Call up the BMP in DXT BMP and import the (filename)_alpha bmp as your alpha channel and that should do it.

Turning off the alpha group or if not a group the individual alpha layers returns the PSD to normal

I find making them then adding them  means I have control over them at all times and no nasties can happen as with automated alphas.

Garry

Yep

BOAC lettering and the speedbird were gold

That is why the colour can looks so different as to how the light hits it..can look brown, can look yellow.

The copied layers are your masks and being copies they are correct and all you need worry about is balancing the grey values against your base paint

Remember that Alpha always lightens so go darker with you're bases.

If you are trying a 30 percent alpha then darken the base by thirty to start with then adjust it from there.  You will almost certainly need less alpha than you think sometime only 5 percent or so just to lift colour like the blue.

Once you are set up you can adjust to you hearts content although when you initially get them set up it's a good time to make a copy

What I like about this method is it can be used in any layered programme even those that lack sophisticated masking feature like Photoshop...if they can't be grouped then that's not really an issue.........and above all it only does what you tell it to

ATB

Garry

No stopping you now

Try a mustardy-yellow base for the gold

It's a job to tell from a single screenshot but I would say to darken the bottom and the gold and reduce the shine on both.

problem with FS is it is shiniest away from the light.........the complete opposit to real world

With aluminium it is dark when polished and takes on a milkyness as it ages and loses shine.

The lightness you have it is OK without a real shine but needs to be darked for a new, polished look.

At the end of the day it's what you are happy with and I can't give you figures as the dynamic shine applied to the model affects the textures.