Macross Lineart and Profile Color Scheme Art, Round II

[chillyche]

Damian, why do you call the colorful paint jobs 'lead bird'? in Naval Aviation jargon, the painted-pretty birds in the Airwing are called CAG birds, since they are typically the only aircrafted allowed non-low vis paint scemes Examples from 'Teh Last & Teh Stupid

I have a question then, about the CAG bird paint schemes.

If more than one squadron is operating off of a ship (like, say Angel, Apollo, and Skull, operating off of the SDF -- or the ARMDs) in a carrier group, does the squadron commander or flight leader for each squadron get a CAG bird, even if said pilot is not the CAG for the carrier group?

[Talos]

I have a question then, about the CAG bird paint schemes.

If more than one squadron is operating off of a ship (like, say Angel, Apollo, and Skull, operating off of the SDF -- or the ARMDs) in a carrier group, does the squadron commander or flight leader for each squadron get a CAG bird, even if said pilot is not the CAG for the carrier group?

No, the squadron commander will get an x01-numbered bird. The CAGs fly x00 ones and can have more then one plane in an airwing.

So you could have, for instance:

Skull squadron 1xx

Angel squadron 2xx

Apollo squadron 3xx

Roy would have his classic VF-1S in Skull markings with Modex 100 (yes, I know, canon Macross has it reversed, to an inane 001). The Angel squadron commander would have his VF-1S numbered 201, Apollo 301. Roy could have a VF-1 in those squadron markings too, which would be numbered 200 and 300. He could even have a Cat's Eye marked for him, numbered something like 700 or 800.

Traditionally, CAG planes would have more extravagant paint schemes, especially including rainbow markings of some sort. (The rainbow symbolized each squadron). With the move to low-vis markings in the USN, they usually keep the CAG plane painted in full-color, high-visibility markings.

Old-style CAG plane with rainbow

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v613/colinritchie/f-4b%20project/f4b-3.jpg

Regular plane, same squadron

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/F-4B_VF-51_CVA-43.jpg

Modern CAG plane in high-vis markings.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/FA-18_Super_Hornet_VFA-103.jpg

[Wolfman]

I do indeed know that they were the "Gunfighters". They also had the tomcat mascot as a prominent feature of their tail art which wouldn't really do what with the VF-1 not being a F-14 and all. So a change in mascot and in my mind the unit deciding to change their name. It has happened before in the light attack squadrons. If that doesn't fly then it's not even the same VF but a new SVF assigned the 124 number (easier to swallow for some I suppose).

Works for me.

[chillyche]

No, the squadron commander will get an x01-numbered bird. The CAGs fly x00 ones and can have more then one plane in an airwing.

So you could have, for instance:

Skull squadron 1xx

Angel squadron 2xx

Apollo squadron 3xx

Roy would have his classic VF-1S in Skull markings with Modex 100 (yes, I know, canon Macross has it reversed, to an inane 001). The Angel squadron commander would have his VF-1S numbered 201, Apollo 301. Roy could have a VF-1 in those squadron markings too, which would be numbered 200 and 300. He could even have a Cat's Eye marked for him, numbered something like 700 or 800.

Traditionally, CAG planes would have more extravagant paint schemes, especially including rainbow markings of some sort. (The rainbow symbolized each squadron). With the move to low-vis markings in the USN, they usually keep the CAG plane painted in full-color, high-visibility markings.

Awesome, thanks for the detailed response.

[Talos]

Glad I could help. I started with just the first line, then I kept going back and adding more and more.

[Mr March]

Very nice work Damian. Well worth the wait. Thanks for sharing!

[Damian]

Did someone say family model Valkyries? Well I'm sure someone must have muttered it

1. The "Virign Road" VF-1D. Painted up in Max Jenius' colours and flown by him with his new bride as the GIB or should I say BIB?

2. Here's machine 102 from VT-102. This is the first Veritech flown by Hikaru/Rick

I hope you like them!!!

D

[Mr March]

As always, simply astounding results. Well done!

[hellohikaru]

Little update on the SF-3A after discussing the size issue with Talos earlier based on figures we found in Sky Angels VF-1(non-canon that time) and Macross Chronicles, i have adjusted the SF-3 to 13.2 metres making it a full meter shorter than the standard VF-1 fighter.

The original 1/72 resin kit (and/or the recast of it) was a little too big for that scale which i based my original measurements on.

Edited April 25, 2011 by hellohikaru

[Mr March]

I didn't even know there were any unofficial figures for the Lancer. Either size looks plausible, so I don't really have much trouble with the Chronicle figure. Nice work.

[Talos]

Definitely looks a lot more like a coffin with two lasers stuck to it now.

March, you've been MIA on MSN.

[Talos]

Line art update.

First is my first attempt at integrating the weapons from the Hasegawa VF-1 into the one I drew based on the Master File one (which is based on the This is Animation Special Macross Plus one).

Next is a VF-1D and later production VT-1 with the late panel lines.

One of the neat things in the second volume of VF-1 Master File was an early FAST pack similar to the VF-0's. Instead of boosters, they just contain missiles and fuel.

In VF-1 Master File, the last blocks (13-17) have a different fuselage, tail, and ventral fins, as well as flush antennas on the dorsal spine. The 17, the last block produced of the legacy VF-1, was described as having modified FLIR sensors on the nose, but wasn't illustrated. I realized that the FLIR sensors on the VF-1X/VF-1P from the second volume of the book fit that appearance, so I integrated them with the 13-16 VF-1 I already had.

VF-17D updates. I'm slowly going backwards from the nose, adding detail from the high-detail line art, and accurizing the shape from the TIA:M+ schematic I'm using as a base.

This one's another Master File one, this time from the VF-19 book. It's the two-seater VF-19B/D. I'll do a cockpit interior later, after I get a chance to draw a custom panel for the backseater.

[hellohikaru]

It IS a flying coffin. With the new scale there isn't much space for life support equipment much less an escape module.

Looks like someone's been busy Nice assortment of variants coming up.

[Talos]

Since I got my copy of VF-25 Master File today, I thought I would work on the newer Valks some. I'm going to detail the YF-24 like MF's (as well as do a long-nose production VF-24A with ISC), add in some MF details to my VF-25S I still need to finish, and add the YF-29 Durandal from the latest Macross Frontier movie, Wings of Goodbye. To get a start, I worked up a boilerplate YF-29 and inserted it into my (slightly-rearranged) VF size chart, along with a tweak in the YF-24's size. I was .2 meters longer then what Master File gave it's length as.

[Talos]

Tweaked the canopy on the second generation VF-19, in this case on a VF-19E. I originally had it with a normal VF-19A forward canopy, with the aft part modified, but here it's all different.

[Starscream]

Very nice Talos. But you left one thing out... so allow me to contribute and whoever wishes to turn this into lineart, go for it.

[Talos]

Thanks for the pictures, Starscream, they do help. I just haven't gotten around to the VF-27 yet since I'm not big on the design, lol!

[Starscream]

Thanks for the pictures, Starscream, they do help. I just haven't gotten around to the VF-27 yet since I'm not big on the design, lol!

No problem. Albeit, it's a well known fact I LOVE the VF-27

[Talos]

No problem. Albeit, it's a well known fact I LOVE the VF-27

Yes, yes it is.

[soul.assassin]

Hi guys, this is my first post here, after Frontier revived my interest in the saga. To start off, thanks to some of the pointers provided by this thread, this is my attempt at making a decent render of a VF-25 Messiah (for now, still WIP because of some shadow issues to deal with), a "what-if" scenario in which Sheryl joins the SMS:

Actually, I made the line-art first in Coreldraw 12 before saving it as a Photoshop PSD with layers intact. After much of putting in the colors and the details, the PSD file ballooned to 7mb. Took me a day to make this.

Tomorrow, I'll have to study the artbooks in order to recreate the Messiahs' schemes for the flyboys, and another to please Ranka Lee connoisseurs.

Edited May 23, 2011 by soul.assassin

[Talos]

Hi guys, this is my first post here, after Frontier revived my interest in the saga. To start off, thanks to some of the pointers provided by this thread, this is my attempt at making a decent render of a VF-25 Messiah (for now, still WIP because of some shadow issues to deal with), a "what-if" scenario in which Sheryl joins the SMS:

-snip-

Actually, I made the line-art first in Coreldraw 12 before saving it as a Photoshop PSD with layers intact. After much of putting in the colors and the details, the PSD file ballooned to 7mb. Took me a day to make this.

Tomorrow, I'll have to study the artbooks in order to recreate the Messiahs' schemes for the boys.

That looks a lot better then my first profile post here. It was an awful, awful VF-4.

Anyway, the shading looks pretty good, but I would put some more on the upper edge of the plane to define the shape a little better. One of these days I'll move to another program but for now I still draw my line art in MS Publisher 2003 and then do the coloring and shading in GIMP and Photoshop.

This reminds me that I need to finish my VF-25 line art (YF-24 and YF-29 too).

Great work on your profile, s.a!

Edited May 23, 2011 by Talos

[soul.assassin]

Thanks! I'll try to add a little more oomph on the upper part. Gonna be on my to-do list.

I found this little website useful for adding extra details such as warning and informative labels on the fuselage:

http://www.rc-network.de/magazin/artikel_04/art_04-0040/art_04-0040-01.html

OBTW, before I did the Messiah, I learned a few lessons from the VF-11C PSD template and recreated the paint scheme for the Philippine Air Force P-51 Mustang known as the "Shark of Zambales":

[Talos]

Thanks! I'll try to add a little more oomph on the upper part. Gonna be on my to-do list.

I found this little website useful for adding extra details such as warning and informative labels on the fuselage:

http://www.rc-network.de/magazin/artikel_04/art_04-0040/art_04-0040-01.html

OBTW, before I did the Messiah, I learned a few lessons from the VF-11C PSD template and recreated the paint scheme for the Philippine Air Force P-51 Mustang known as the "Shark of Zambales":

Ah, yes, I saw that VF-11C on your blog. Nice work on it too.

I haven't done any profiling in awhile, these days I've been mostly doing the line art and letting others do the profiling, but I did draw a bunch of the warning decals and such, since I have access to the NATO and USAF/USN manuals covering the markings. They're easy to draw.

I look forward to seeing more from you!

This is what I've been working on today, slowly doing a YF-24 based on the Master File version.

[frothymug]

I give your profiles a thumbs-up! Good work. Hope to see some more from you soon.

[soul.assassin]

Final version of Sheryl's ship:

Made corrections to the shadows, plus added extra "shine" to the upper part of the fuselage.

Next project: Mikhail Buran and his strike bird, and hopefully add a special mission load -- a Fire Bomber audio system and hardpoint-mounted speakers -- for Ranka's debut on Gallia IV.

Update: gonna have to figure out how to render the speakers and the Dragunov. For now... Added warning labels, safety reflector tape.

Update 2: finally added the sniper rifle (took 3 hours) and speakers (easy da!):

I love that episode, Ranka turning Zentraedi warfighters into little boys.

Edited May 24, 2011 by soul.assassin

[EXO]

Nice schemes! Ang maganda!

[Talos]

Nice job on Michel's plane. One part I should mention is he flies a VF-25G (as you marked), which has a one-gun head roughly similar in appearance to the VF-1A's, which you can see here.

Keep up the interesting profiling!

[soul.assassin]

My bad. How could I miss that head turret? I'll see what I can do to fix that. Thanks for pointing out to me that there's some minute differences between the models.

Update: fixed via Photoshop. Took some masking and the use of the path tool to remake the head portion.

Edited May 25, 2011 by soul.assassin

[Talos]

Not a problem. VF design nitpicks are a hobby of mine.

But yeah, each of the four Skull Shotai VF-25s has a different head. The cannon fodder khaki ones we see in the background mostly are VF-25A's and have a similar head to Michel's plane.

Edited May 25, 2011 by Talos

[soul.assassin]

I see. I'll be careful after this one; will have to study the heads in closer detail.

Making profiles, I realized, is just as intricate as assembling a model, yet a joy to behold once done with the finished product.

OBTW, the problem with the rather tricky sniper rifle is finding its exact placement and measurement; with only a few pics that showed the Dragunov in different angles (I can't seem to find the proper lineart for it), I had to check to see how long the rifle was, how much higher it needs to be recessed upward, onto the belly hardpoint in order to allow clearance for the landing gear, and so on.

Edited May 25, 2011 by soul.assassin

[Talos]

I see. I'll be careful after this one; will have to study the heads in closer detail.

Making profiles, I realized, is just as intricate as assembling a model, yet a joy to behold once done with the finished product.

OBTW, the problem with the rather tricky sniper rifle is finding its exact placement and measurement; with only a few pics that showed the Dragunov in different angles (I can't seem to find the proper lineart for it), I had to check to see how long the rifle was, how much higher it needs to be recessed upward, onto the belly hardpoint in order to allow clearance for the landing gear, and so on.

There actually is a profile shot of it in an issue of Macross Chronicle dealing with gunpods. I sourced a drawing in that for the gunpod for my VF-11B (not C). But yeah, after that it's just test-fitting until you have something that looks right.

EDIT: The fix looks good. Great job on his VF-25G. Now I have to get back to work on my YF-24.

Edited May 25, 2011 by Talos

[soul.assassin]

Checked one of the Chronicles. Turns out that the speaker set that I rendered was way far different from what was in the publication, so I'll have to revise the speakers. Ditto with the Dragunov.

Also, I'll have to study in close detail those FAST packs and armor packages, as Ozma's winged predator will be next.

Edited May 26, 2011 by soul.assassin

[Talos]

The gunpods show up in Chronicles #22, if I remember correctly.

If you have VF-25 Master File, that has FAST pack line art and I know I've seen Armor pack line art floating around somewhere.

[soul.assassin]

This time today, I traced out and rendered the correct speakers and rifle, both of them being closer enough as shown in the Chronicles.

[Talos]

Looks good, S.A. Keep up the good work, I look forward to seeing what you come up with next!