Simviation Forum - ScreenArtist Spotlight Jankees

Sep 16^th, 2009 at 10:48am

ShaneG Offline
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Click on the screenshots for the Hi-resolution version.

Studio V: I've finally had the good fortune of sitting down with the wonderfully talented Jan Kees. As a long time SimV member, Jankees has made many excellent contributions to the flightsim community with his detailed and stunning repaints, & also his superb collection of screenshot art. That's what StudioV is here to explore to-day.

So, let's get right to it, good morning Jan Kees.

Jankees: Hi Shane! It is an honor indeed to be asked for this spotlight. However, could I make one small remark? My first name is actually Jan Kees..a common mistake, no worries, but I like my name to be correct, I’m sure you’ll understand.

1. StudioV: I’d imagine with your repainting, and flight simming, and personal duties, you're not left with much time for other interests? We’d like to know what some of those other hobbies and interests may be.

Jankees: Well, first and foremost, there are my two daughters Catalina and Larissa, who are constantly trying to pry me away from my computer, together with their mother…
Other hobbies include my motorcycle (a BMW R1100S for those that like to know), the outdoors, good food and wine, lots of wine…
I can also say my work is a hobby, I consider myself fortunate to be teaching geology at one of the universities here in the Netherlands, which combines well with my love for the outdoors.

2. StudioV: It's a known fact that you're very partial to WWII era aircraft. What is it that draws you to this particular generation of aircraft ?"

Jankees: It’s a combination of things, I grew up with endless airfix kits, like so many, which especially in those days, included a lot of WWII aircraft. I must have made nearly all of them…
I also like the internal combustion engine (this may have something to do with the BSA’s and Triumphs I’ve owned), I like to be able to see how things work, so propellers attract me far more that jet engines. The WWII aircraft are, to me anyway, the top propeller driven aircraft. That kind of technology at its zenith.
Finally, it’s my way of paying tribute to those young man that put their life on the line so that others may live in freedom.

A really old one, still from FS9, and one of the first I set up. The MAAM-Sim B-25 ‘Briefing time’ came with a few wonderful viewpoints and I felt I had to do something with it. So, using the recorder module, I set up three red tail Mustangs I’d just painted and moved the B-25 until I had this shot. Must have felt good, flying a bomber and seeing those red tails! The sky could perhaps have been a bit more dramatic, but in all, I’m still very happy with this one. Still one of my best.

3. StudioV: What are some of the things you initially look for in trying to create better screenshots?

Jankees: I create screenshots for several reasons. One is to show and/or inspect the repaints I do. In that case, I’m only interested in the aircraft, though sometimes the shot turns out really well, which is then lucky.
In other cases, I make a flight for the fun of it, or to explore a new scenery package, and when an opportunity presents itself, I take the shot. Again, luck is a factor here, though flying in dusk, or extreme weather, is more fun, and usually produces better shots.
Finally, I sometimes start out with an image in my mind, or a certain atmosphere, or a picture I saw. I then go out and try to recreate that. This often involves very little flying, but rather a lot of slewing, trying out different angles, weather types etc.
In all, I feel the shot needs a bit more than just an aircraft in the sky, it needs to tell a story, or ask questions, it needs to provoke a thought, an emotion. The struggle to land, the safe feeling of seeing your escort, the joy of flying above the weather, as long as there is something to watch.

4. StudioV: Your screenshots are always very photo-realistic, is this a goal you strive for with your shots, or just the result of the right addons working together perfectly?

Jankees: Yes, it certainly is something I strive for. Being a geologist, part of whose job it is to make sense of the landscape, I can barely look at the default scenery. It is just so ugly and unrealistic. When I first started simming, I tried to make my own photoscenery of a part of the Alps I know really well, but miraculously, someone else made it commercially (and much better than my first attempts). Nowadays, I only fly over photoscenery or FTX Australia. I believe good scenery is already half of a good screenshot. After all, it has to be believable, doesn’t it? The same is true for the aircraft. In most of the shots I take, I am using my own repaints, and while they may not be 100% accurate, I try to get as close to that as I can. Again, the more realistic it looks, the more believable the shot will be.
So yes, it is something I strive for, and consequently, it is also the result of the right add-ons.

The aerosoft Catalina taking off somewhere in the Tongass scenery. Taken while exploring the scenery, I like the low lighting, the bright red tail (Alaskan repaint of course) and the suggestion of the aircraft having just lifted off, still dripping water…

5. StudioV: Obviously, you need the right software to do a good quality repaint, what program/s do you use for this task and why?

Jankees: I started out repainting with Adobe Illustrator, because it was a program that I knew really well, and produced the results I wanted. Most of my A2A Mustangs were done with Illustrator. However, as paintkits grew more complex, and my own demands increased as well, I switched to Photoshop, which is what I’m using at the moment. I still use Illustrator to really draw things like nose art, which I then import into Photoshop. I also use DXTBmp to convert the textures for FS9/FSX, and that’s about it.

6. StudioV: What are your favorite particular planes to repaint, and why? What was your first repaint?

Jankees: Since it is realism I’m after, I look for high quality models, preferably those that come with a layered paintkit. We’ve been very fortunate with some fantastic WWII models for FSX lately, like the Catalina, the Hellcat, B-24, P-51 and the P-47, and I have very much enjoyed producing new clothes for them. I’ve also been developing an interest in GA, with the Safir (difficult to paint, but what a model!) and now the new Cub. No airliners yet. I never fly them, and I only paint what I like. My all time favorite is probably the latest A2A P-47, what a model! It takes realism to a new level in FSX, also in the exterior textures.
My first repaint was for the P-51 by Shockwave, or A2A as it is now known. I had just moved, and during moving, came across an old airfix model of the P-51D Mustang, in the colors of ‘Ridge Runner’. Almost at the same time, I bought the A2A P-51 (my first payware btw), and I thought ‘wouldn’t it be fun to be able to fly this in FS9?’. I found a paintkit on avsim, and started experimenting….that certainly kept me occupied for a long time. I’d never heard of alpha channels, extended bitmaps or any of that stuff, let alone the need to convert bitmaps. Step by step, I discovered how it was done, partly by trial and error, partly by looking at other repaints, and partly by asking around on forums like simviation. The habit stuck, and I haven’t looked back since.

Thunderbolts of the 65th FS over Corsica, their base. Another shot I set up using the recorder module. After seeing a movie on the 65th, I painted a few of their a/c, and wanted to show them coming home from a mission over Italy. Here, I am quite happy with the general angle, the low hanging clouds with the central range peeking through on the right, and the airfield just visible on the left, as well as the added realism of the photoscenery by FranceVFR.
There’s a lot to look at in this pic, but it all comes nicely together I feel.

« Last Edit: Sep 22^nd, 2009 at 7:52am by ShaneG »

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Reply #1 - Sep 16^th, 2009 at 10:51am

ShaneG Offline
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7. StudioV: As an experienced re-painter, what has been some of your biggest challenges, and what have you found to be easier than you expected?

Jankees: The biggest challenge by far was that first repaint, all else was relatively easy. It can be interesting though if things like the fuselage textures are made up of several smaller parts, which in turn are in different files. The Catalina has this for example. Just getting stripes on the side to line up can be a nightmare, let alone more difficult patterns. Getting started on a new model is sometimes a challenge, trying to work out where all the parts are. There’s always this little annoying thing in the wrong color that you can’t find.
On the other hand, some aircraft are really easy to paint, and you can do very nice paints in a very short time. It varies according to what you are trying to do, but sometimes a repaint takes less than an hour, if you know the kit, and you’ve found all the details that you need. Others take days to complete…

8. StudioV: Do you feel your work in this field of FS has helped your screenshot taking/editing abilities?

Jankees: I’d say it helps. It will teach you to have an eye for little details, things that have to be just right. Quite often, I paint some small detail (or keep fiddling for a shot), and you know that probably no one is going to notice that detail, but you know that if you don’t do it, there will be diminishment. So if I post a screenshot, it will have to live up to my standards (paint has to be right, ground textures have to be right, angle, lighting etc..), and then you can only hope that others like it too.

I took this shot to check if the paint scratches on the leading edge of the wing were looking realistic, but like the shot so much that it still is my desktop on my computer at work.. It just brings out the sheer size of the P-47 so well, and also shows the quality of this model really well too. Still the best model for FSX, well for me anyway

9. StudioV: You have inspired quite a few people here with your screenshots and repaints (myself being one of them!), who has inspired you the most and what is it about their work that does so?

Jankees: There’s quite a few people that inspired me here on SimV, Krigl, Mictheslick, SeanTk among others, but the most inspiration to me were always Waspiflab, with his fantastic ground textures and unbelievable sharpness, and Harold, for his fantastic skies and his incredible detailed realism. With Harold, I also like that fact that he is always constructive and critical in the forums. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much from them lately, but I’m confident they’ll be back…Harold gave me a lot of advice on setting up my sim too, which helped a lot.

A recent shot, test flying a new repaint for the A2A Cub. I like the ‘sunny Sunday afternoon’ feeling of this one, the fantastic ground textures of FTX Tamworth, and the lighting off the aircraft. In all, simple, but very nice shot, mainly due to the quality of the addons. There is one annoying little detail that is wrong, can you see what I mean?

10. StudioV: If you could pass on just one piece of advice to your fellow simmers/screenartists, what would it be?

Jankees: I’d say: do the best you can, and have fun doing it! It’s a game after all!

StudioV: As expected, this interview has been a true pleasure for Studio V. I'm sure many SimV members will benefit from reading about your simming and screenshot art skills and experiences. Studio V would like to sincerely thank you Jan Kees, for taking the time and energy to provide such informative and helpful information.

...

« Last Edit: Sep 16^th, 2009 at 3:39pm by ShaneG »

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Reply #2 - Sep 21^st, 2009 at 6:42am

ShaneG Offline
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Thanks again Jan Kees, for taking the time to share with everyone!

Back Monday with another installment of Screen Artist Spotlight!

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Reply #3 - Sep 21^st, 2009 at 8:37am

Mitch. Offline
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Another great read, very inspirational, makes me want to repaint. Thanks for your time Jan Kees.

---------->Currently building a native FSX Beechcraft Starship 2000<----------

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^^^ Click above to check out MySimshots.net ^^^

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Reply #4 - Sep 21^st, 2009 at 12:25pm

Daube Offline
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Very interesting interview !
And... I mean... Wow, the screenshots Shocked

Got bloom ?
Got mountains ?
Got damage ?

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Reply #5 - Sep 22^nd, 2009 at 12:28am

jime59 Offline
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An artist in my opinion. He does wonders with those old beauties. Cool

Excellent interview. Wink

The mind is like a parachute...it only works when it's open.

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Reply #6 - Sep 22^nd, 2009 at 7:54pm

SubZer0 Offline
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Nice to see an interview of not only a great artist, but one of the best painters out there.

Thanks for your time, Jan Kees

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Reply #7 - Sep 23^rd, 2009 at 3:22am

JakesF14 Offline
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Inspiring and Great! Someone said you will never HAVE time to do what you like, you have to MAKE time! Well,I still trying to get it to perfection...

Thanks Jan!

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Reply #8 - Sep 23^rd, 2009 at 4:31am