BONE over Afghanistan

[SD_DoolittleRaider]

Close-up of one aircraft of a two-ship of B-1Bs (BONEs) over Afghanistan.

Aircraft and AB plumes modelled/textured in LW, background in Vue. "Whiskers" added in Photoshop.

[krazycolin]

hmmm... well... as a piece of illustrative art, it's not so bad... if, however, you were going for a more "realistic" approach, it needs work... for one thing, afterburners are almost never blue. and certainly not that low. the plane would probably break up... (i say probably)....

[SD_DoolittleRaider]

I appreciate your input but...

I have worked with B-1Bs for 15+ years. The AB plumes are that color at that altitude (while their was some artistic license taken with their length) and throttle settings. The blue ABs are a unique signature of the B-1B's GE -102 engines (see this pic of a B-1B at lower altitude (http://www.whiteplanes.com/images/military/military18.jpg)). My image was based on BONE crewmembers I work with and their input. The original color I had was more of a pinkish-purple but the crews said it wasn't realistic for medium to high altitude.

As for breaking up...the plane is a low-altitude penetrator and was designed to withstand the pressures of that environment, including augmented stages up to 640 knots at 500 feet AGL.

This picture is one of a pair of BONEs transitioning from medium altitude to low altitude to begin a high-speed run.

I'm not being short...just responding with why I did what I did.

What else needs work? Maybe some blurring and heatwave rippling?

[kevjon]

Looks pretty good. I like the afterburner and other effects you've applied. Give a real sense of speed & power. Aircraft seems to be dimly lit compared to the background photo though. Also you might want to add some grain to your aircraft too help integrate it with the background photo a bit more.

[Spinner]

I am familiar with that light shown in your background pic. Afghanistan has that amazingly clear high alt light especially in the afternoon. Its been a while, I was there when the Russians arrived, but must say that the thing that immediately struck me was the light not being the same on the aircraft.
It tends to seperate the aircraft from its setting.
I believe we're seeing early morning or late afternoon lighting. For some reason it feels like late afternoon. I imagine myself digging for my jacket as the chill sets in. If so, its the sun low to the north west with us and the aircraft looking south west. I feel the underside of the aircraft would be delineated in sunlight and that that although dificult to depict would intergrate the aircraft fully into it's suroundings.
Could be a really great pic. You're very close IMHO.

[pete.cook]

Have to agree with what has already been said. The Lancer just looks a little to dark with the light being at just the wrong angle to match the picture.

I think the vortices over the wings and the tail are very effective and capture that transition through pressure zones very well.

Overall a great image that just needs little tweaking to integrate it with the background plate more efficently.

[krazycolin]

well, i didn't want to get to into it with someone new, but i have to agree with all the other points: grain, light, bounced lights. some minor deflection on the control surfaces would help. wing tip vortices are needed as well. the anlge at which the ab's are coming out (i mean the blue stuff that is supposed to be there after all) seems to be coming out at the wrong angle. what's the blue thing at the end of the plane? i don't think heat blurring will add to your pic; i think it would detract from it... and now... i'm going back to my corner to sulk!!!:cry:

[franken_johan]

It's quite a good attempt but I must agree with krazycollin about the burners. In my opinion there is too much blue and too little orange. And the blue rays (!) sticking out of the nozzles don't look convincing at all.

My advise : change the rays into a more difuse glow and add a bit of warmer colours (red, orange, yellow) in the nozzle.

Do you have any other renders/angles of this great bomber for us???

[cobra6]

The smoke is a bit off. It needs to run more to the left instead of right. It gives me the impression the aircraft is going sideways to the left. Also its to dense. Make it more transparent.
And turn the nose of the aircraft up, or the smoke. They have an angle to them that is not correct.

Cobra 6

[SD_DoolittleRaider]

well, i didn't want to get to into it with someone new, but i have to agree with all the other points: grain, light, bounced lights. some minor deflection on the control surfaces would help. wing tip vortices are needed as well. the anlge at which the ab's are coming out (i mean the blue stuff that is supposed to be there after all) seems to be coming out at the wrong angle. what's the blue thing at the end of the plane? i don't think heat blurring will add to your pic; i think it would detract from it... and now... i'm going back to my corner to sulk!!!:cry:

Please don't let my nub-ishness and my post deter you from providing any feedback. All you folks provide a great service to others looking to improve their artwork. Besides...I asked for it. :)

[pete.cook]

Don't forget, this area of the site is designed to provide very critical responses. Every comment raised is just as valid as another.

[SD_DoolittleRaider]

Don't forget, this area of the site is designed to provide very critical responses. Every comment raised is just as valid as another.

And gratefully received. Thanks for the awesome site!!

[krazycolin]

yayaya.... ok.... i'll let you play with my ball.... (not the that one!!).... anyway.... i think we'd all like to see more of this plane...

[pATREUS]

Yes! More B-Ones please!!!!

They are the most beautiful death dealers in the US arsenal

[WonderWheeler]

There is an attractive other-worldliness to it. But, not having observed that world, I can't offer much help.

If the vanishing point for the image, is near the ridge line at the left edge of the drawing or a little past, appoximately, the afterburner streaks are a bit off. They are mostly horizontal with the frame. The lines from the afterburners should all seem to go through the engine, to converge at the vanishing point.

This would imply that the engine to the far right would have a flame a few degrees above horizontal, the one to the far left would be a few degrees below horizontal etc.

The streams from the other parts of the aircraft would act similarly.

[SD_DoolittleRaider]

Thanks for the crits...still working on this. I work with two of the squadrons that carried out the original mission in WWII and are currently flying missions in "the sandbox".

I have received a request to incorporate this model with that of a B-25B to have a combined representation of the Doolittle Raiders, then and now. More to follow...probably more appropriate posting for the WIPs section (http://www.military-meshes.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14498#post14498).

[XLNT 3d]

Yes! More B-Ones please!!!!

They are the most beautiful death dealers in the US arsenal

Not to butt in on another's post, but Dru Blair (http://drublair.com/) has great aviation art with B-1. He has a famous one of the B-1 coming over the lake through the mountains. The U.S. Government used it in their presentations and he tried to sue. The said it was their photograph, not realizing he had airbrushed it. He is a traditional artists.

My father-in-law retired as a senior crew chief on a B-1. His group was out of Texas.

[allfiredup]

Close-up of one aircraft of a two-ship of B-1Bs (BONEs) over Afghanistan.

Aircraft and AB plumes modelled/textured in LW, background in Vue. "Whiskers" added in Photoshop.

I think this is very well illustrated. The AB's are very well done. I've seen B-1B after burners and you got em right. The only thing I have to say is that I think the background competes with the foreground. The AB's draw my eye but the sharp contrasts of the mountains in the back also lead my eye away. Perhaps a little bit of distance blur to them, not motion blur because the mountains are in the distance, but put more focus on the B-1. That's just my thoughts. :rolleyes:

[mattclary]

Not to butt in on another's post, but Dru Blair (http://drublair.com/) has great aviation art with B-1. He has a famous one of the B-1 coming over the lake through the mountains. The U.S. Government used it in their presentations and he tried to sue. The said it was their photograph, not realizing he had airbrushed it. He is a traditional artists.

My father-in-law retired as a senior crew chief on a B-1. His group was out of Texas.

XLNT, what is your father in law's name? I was stationed at Dyess from Dec '87 to Dec '92. I worked on the ECM systems for the B1.

[mattclary]

I think this is very well illustrated. The AB's are very well done. I've seen B-1B after burners and you got em right. The only thing I have to say is that I think the background competes with the foreground. The AB's draw my eye but the sharp contrasts of the mountains in the back also lead my eye away. Perhaps a little bit of distance blur to them, not motion blur because the mountains are in the distance, but put more focus on the B-1. That's just my thoughts. :rolleyes:


Motion blur might be appropriate if the plane is in focus and being tracked by the camera. The background would be in motion.