Hi all
A few people at SimV are getting into composites and that is good but i thought i should show you how i do it. Just to get an idea on how to create something that can really pop
It does take a bit of effort but the end result is very rewarding.
Fist off you need an idea. This idea can and possibly will change as you progress through your image but that can be a good thing. Maybe you’re not happy with the way its progressing or it’s just not right it’s good to keep your mind open.
In this case I’m using my shot titled ‘Into The Sky’ where a Me-262 is climbing through the clouds above some B-17’s. I use Photoshop 7 but it has its limitations and CS4 I have found is the best but I can’t run it
Once you have your idea you then need a background. Something that fits with the idea, I use either Google and I always make sure the image is bigger than 1600*1200 just for some detail. So now you have a blank canvas. Now you need planes to fill it. This pic originally is 1944*2592
Go into your sim either IL2 or FSX and take a few shots where you would like the planes to be. Make sure you get ‘up close and personal’ with the plane to get all its details. Once you’ve done that open the image you took in PhotoShop or similar then cut it out and place it where you want it. Once your happy with the plane it’s time to cut it out. This is the most tedious part of the composite. I use the polygonal lasso tool but you can also use the pen tool if you want. You would want a Dark Bg to show where you have missed but its OK if you don’t. High light the areas you don’t want then press delete.
After you finish that you would place the cut out off the plane in your Background. Position it to where you like. Now comes the tricky part, you need to find out where the light is coming from and suit the background to fit the plane or vise-versa. As you can see its coming from a different angle to to plane which would leave it in darkness. Press Ctrl+T >right click> Flip horizontally. That should make the 262 in the light now.
The next thing to do is to add some shading and high lights. For this I use the Doge (for highlights) and Burn (for shadows) make sure the settings are low about 10-20% and the range is set to highlights. Go over the highlights with the dodge tool with small increments building up the highlight. The same with the shadows.
Next is to add effects to make it look like that it is in the image. Ill start with the smoke. I use the brush tool with a dark colour. I then start a dot by holding down SHIFT and click down the image which it will create a straight line. Once both engines are finished I then grab the eraser tool and set the flow to 1-5% go over it and break up the line. Then set the opacity to a low number eg 43%. Not much is left to do now. Just add a few more effects and then its really done.
One thing to note is the colour of the Plane its self. You want it to fit in with the BG so press Ctrl+B and set the colour balance you may want it to have a yellow look or a blue look this is up to you. For this I want it to have a Blue look. Also do the same with the Background. have it so they both match also try Ctrl+L and Ctrl+B they work wonders sometimes.
The image now is done concerning the 262. I added the B-17’s but it’s the same as the 262. Cut, place, highlights, shadows, blend, effects and props if they need them.
All that is left to do is step back and look what you have created if you like it, which you should, post it up and see what people think.
If there are any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
Thanks for your patience and i hope it didn't bore anyone
S! RAF_Leigh
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