Blue Steel look?

[k.digennaro]

Im working on coloring in my sketch of my car, and im trying to create a blue steel, or blue chrome look. ill post wat i came up with, but it doesnt look that great, i just used curves and a dark blue gradient. maybe thers an effect i should use? i just want it to look like car paint, and the easier to do the better, cus pretty much all the paint on the car will be that way.

Thanks!

[Olli]

first is suggest using some noise and motion blur , thats gives an texture effect and ...

a gradient and curves+ would usually work...

[k.digennaro]

hmmmm, i tried that and i didnt really get any thing i liked, can you post an example of wat you were thinking?

[Ace Jon]

Change the gradient to a vertical one (so the darker colour is on the bottom). This gives it the shading needed.

Now, add a new layer and draw two downwards-curved (like a smile) lines. Fill the ensuing shape between the curves and the edge of the bodywork with a 30% alpha white to a 10% alpha white. Delete the lines. This gives the metal a shine. If it looks too cut-out, give the shine a very soft blur.

[Olli]

i will work on it

[Olli]

Change the gradient to a vertical one (so the darker colour is on the bottom). This gives it the shading needed.

Now, add a new layer and draw two downwards-curved (like a smile) lines. Fill the ensuing shape between the curves and the edge of the bodywork with a 30% alpha white to a 10% alpha white. Delete the lines. This gives the metal a shine. If it looks too cut-out, give the shine a very soft blur.

could you post the result?

i dont have lots of time but i gaved it an quick try

[Ace Jon]

A quick do-up:

It needs more shininess... If your car has a background, add reflections.

[Wither]

I doodled this abomination (which is not to be taken seriously. I couldn't draw if my life depended on it. :wink:)

It seems that many of us thought alike, as I come back from doodling this to find the exact same thing said... twice.

It's a simple light -> dark gradient with some highlights. I added a small amount of noise on a new layer and motion blurred it to give it a tiny bit of texture.

Since your car isn't a box, it will likely look much better if you try it.

[k.digennaro]

i like that, would the glittler plugin or something add more shine?

[k.digennaro]

ill give that a try wither, dont sweat not being able to draw , i cant color lol, so i guess that makes us even.

[k.digennaro]

okay, well i tried both just a section of the car, i like them both, which one do you guys thinks looks better?

[k.digennaro]

well....thats not wat i did....i did that...but....lol...hold on

here we go

here's one i took a little further, using basically withers idea

[Ace Jon]

If the whole car looked like that door, with the shines in the correct places, that would look very good.

Attention to some others: cars generally don't have a brushed metal look, just a metal look (brushed metal look is the one where you add noise+motion blur).

[k.digennaro]

i dont mind the look of the brushed metal, but i really do want it to 'shine', i want it to look like the paint if you did a google search on a car, i no it wont look perfect but iono, sometimes im to picky lol

[Wither]

i dont mind the look of the brushed metal, but i really do want it to 'shine', i want it to look like the paint if you did a google search on a car, i no it wont look perfect but iono, sometimes im to picky lol

The only way to simulate shine, regardless of what it's on, is to add reflections (if there's scenery around) and/or highlights (where the light would be hitting it)

Ace Jon's method is probably the way to go. You'll just have to 'eyeball' it and make sure the highlights/reflections (and even shadows) all fit the contour of the car.

(Brushed metal will make your car look all scratched. Like mine. )