Alpha reflectivity guide?

[Soulmoon]

Ok, I was working on a repaint of a couple planes (The Ryan STA by Bill and the new Stearman Cropduster 1965)... I decided to spice them up with a bit of shiny coating.

Unfortunatly, I'm basicly working in the dark... I can't find a good guide anywhere for how dark of a gray produces a good shiny for different things. What's good for chrome? Doped and painted fabric? Etc? Anyone have any good guidelines?

(My first attempt had a Stearman that at first I thought was white it was so shiny...)

[Admin]

Here's another good set of tutorials
www.gjsmith.net/Tutorial/tutorials.htm

[spad54]

I agree with Tom, that set of tutorials started me as a repainter. I recommend it highly

[leon louis]

Hi Soulmoon,

Here is a pict of Bill's STA that I did way back.



I recall not changing the color of grey at all and testing with different values of the alpha channel, by using the darker/ lighter function on my paint program because the alpha channel is mapped.

Remember, chrome will be the shiniest and then aluminium. Silver fabric or paint however, should only be as shiny as a good wax job, no more. Hence the reason normally to have to map the alpha channel........I think anyway.......If I am wrong, please hit me with something not too hard.....

Hope this helps,

Leon Louis