I almost never enlarge the bitmap to over 256x164 pixels.
In most cases I have openend a pic of the car and then I paint what I see on that pic into the bitmap (with paint, one pixel after the other). Then I optimize this base step by step.
Sometimes I copy the sidepods from the cars into the bitmap (after I resized them of course). But this doesn't happen too often (STR, A1GP-car, GP2-Series-car). When it's in the bitmap I update it as long as you don't see anymore that it was a picture once.
I also add the sponsors always in already resized version (sometimes I have to try 3, 4 times to get the right size).
BTW: Looks you made some nice improvement on the McLaren-nose. I like it!
I have a series of small bitmaps that act like French Curves do in technical drawing, they're all different colours which are smoothed into each other so I can create smooth curves or lines easily.
I start with a car from the previous year, or a blank model. Than i add basic color layers. Than i do stuf like sidepods, airbox, etc. (Flaps before rear-wheels and exhaust (sometimes) from real pictures, but made smoother and less colors so it looks more realistic). Than i add sponsors from internet searching (scaled down with Photoshop).
And some small things that give it "my" touch... (wich i'm not gonna tell... )
TdK wrote:I start with a car from the previous year, or a blank model. Than i add basic color layers. Than i do stuf like sidepods, airbox, etc. (Flaps before rear-wheels and exhaust (sometimes) from real pictures, but made smoother and less colors so it looks more realistic). Than i add sponsors from internet searching (scaled down with Photoshop).
And some small things that give it "my" touch... (wich i'm not gonna tell... )