How the artwork is created to produce a model, plus sending off to production?

[jetliner10101]

So I read about the article "From Artwork to Model". Very informative, but it's more like an "artwork proofing" type of article:

From Artwork to Model

Pretty cool insight to some behind the scenes action at Aeroclassics by @Mark22. Click on the Image to read the article, or click here.

modelairlinerforum.com

What I always wonder is how an artwork is created from scratch or from the beginning, how it gets drawn out, and the process of sending the artwork to get printed onto the model.

I have watched some YouTube videos (like the one from Sam Chui last year) of the production but that doesn't give an insight of the early stage. It's pretty much the final stage.

Here're my wild guesses and questions from the beginning stage to the production stage:

1. Marketing manager starts with the project, planning of the product, quantity, design principle, etc.

The manufacturer hires graphic designers and/or illustration artists to handle all the artworks, from packaging design (notice nowadays many box packaging has an illustration of the aircraft instead of an actual aircraft photo, like back in the days Dragon Wings would probably use photos online for the packaging).

2. The designer/illustration artist starts off from something like this below, also the top view and bottom view to define the printing specs for the wings/stabs/belle:

So how does the designer or illustrator get this type of illustration? Do they draw from scratch or buy the illustration templates online?

Usually, the packaging nowadays contains illustration of the aircraft model, so this illustration/artwork may also be used for part of the packaging design?

3. Research, find photos of the aircraft/livery online (possibly Airliners.net or Jetphotos.net) and try to look for photos from all angles.

4. Using the 2D template like above, draw/illustrate the artwork based on the research photos online. Software would be like Adobe Illustrator?

The font of the airline logo or certain parts of the text imprint with unique font are the tricky parts. Wonder how they execute those parts? Redraw fonts or find similar fonts to modify?

5. Colors of the livery: if the manufacturer has the license from the airline, the airline will provide the Pantone swatches to the manufacturer to use. If no license, the manufacturer then tries to color match using photos found online to get the closest possible colors?

6. Proof the artwork, this article already explains it:

From Artwork to Model

Pretty cool insight to some behind the scenes action at Aeroclassics by @Mark22. Click on the Image to read the article, or click here.

modelairlinerforum.com

What kind of people they hire to proof the artwork?

7. Once artwork is good to go, then it will transfer to the tampo machine for printing.

The artwork will transfer onto the metal plate of the tampo machine like this:

And then the ink cups will pick up the paint of the livery and rubber stamp the artwork onto the aircraft model:

The interesting part is transferring the 2D artwork onto the metal plate. Don't know if how it's being done. It's almost like engraving, and if it's time consuming.

Any inputs are welcome. If anyone has done this type of manufacturing please correct if this is the way of how manufacturers produce the models.

 

[Jazajia]

One technique that I have seen used in home-made customization is to use some sort of wrapping around the model, draw the artwork on top of the wrap, and then unwrap. Then the drawing can be scanned and used to design decals that will conform to the mold shape. I'd imagine the industrial way of doing that would be to use 3D design software, then the pad printing machine hugs the model and prints said artwork around curved shapes, etc.

For licensed models, I'd imagine it is easy to get logos and fonts from the airline. However, I think it is up to the manufacturer to design the more intricate parts of complex liveries.

In the case of models for which official artwork is not available any vector design software will do the trick. If there is a high-resolution image available online, or a set of decals, the search ends there. If not, the artwork can be re-drawn on top, etc... lots of different techniques here.

One note about the artwork of DW boxes, I think the photos were provided by the photographers directly to them. DW was known for doing business the proper way. However, I have seen many boxes with obvious copy-paste photos on them. I'm pretty sure some photos used on the boxes of Magic Models even had the Airliners.net watermark on them. I know the box of KLM 747-206 PH-BUD by BigBird Mk.3 has one photo on one of the sides that has an @AirlinersGallery.com watermark on it. Super trashy if you ask me

 

[YesterAirlines]

The model brands have a base template for their aircraft as a starter point in four views (left, right, dorsal and ventral). You'll notice that sometimes the Gemini artwork they publish even looks like the mould rather than the actual aircraft (you can tell when the mould is bad).

Aeroclassics designers usually have two images (left and right) given to them for the design, which is one of the reasons they make so many mistakes. The designers don't check enough photos and just use the two images.

Proofing the artwork is very hit and miss and depends entirely on who they are working with how much effort they put in. This varies widely across brands and even models. They don't 'hire' anyone as of such in that they aren't paying for this. I've proofed artwork for Aeroclassics, NG Models and JC Wings at various times before. I know of other collectors who have done similar.