Anyone want to take a guess at how many layers there are in the whole profile at the time I took this preview WIP?
about 10-15 for rivet and panel lines weathering, 2-4 for rivets and lines, 6-16 for highlights, and maybe another 10 for shadows, 4 just for colwling and lamps, 10-20 for bare metal texture... This give from circa 35 to 70 layers.
You have the right idea, but you've way low-balled my current count on rivet lines. Also, you're estimate would be closer if we were just talking visible layeres, but a lot of layers go into those 16 visible lighting layers, for instance. Finally, you're close on one part of the boom, but not the whole drawing.
Beyond that, the work looks great. Having, and still doing, my share of fastener detailing - nutplates, rivets, screws, bolts, washers, etc., I know just how laborious it can be but how necessary it is to do properly.
Thanks, you're not kidding about how laborious it can be. Fortunately I do take comfort in the fact that even when I guess wrong, this is still the most accurate P-61 boom profiled that I've ever seen. Also, given the couple hundred dollars worth of P-61 books I've accumulated for the project and I still don't have the detail I need, I can safely say that the only people that could call me out on my mistakes either have direct access to a P-61C up close (both of which I've seen in person myself, too), or access to a large stash of unpublished photographs of bare metal P-61s (unlikely).
As for the layer count, [ur=http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,20962.msg580445.html#msg580445]perttime has had the closest guess for the whole thing over on the What If forums with ~1,500 layers[/url]. Still a little low, but he's definitely close.
Cheers,
Logan