War Cruiser Affinity Photo and Luminar Neo Composite Photo Process

Equipment Used:  Affinity Photo 2, Luminar NEO, SketchWow, Befunky.com, and remove.bg.  Pictures were taken with a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

This blog will focus on the process and digital programs I used to digitize the war rig and place it in some composite photos.  If you want to know how I built it, see this post:  How I Built the War Rig

PICTURES: I used a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra camera in photo mode.  I draped a green screen cloth over a kitchen chair with good overhead lighting.  The green screen cloth didn't work very well.  It left a green hue on shiny/reflective areas.  When I do it again, I will try a white sheet.  Setting it on a chair helped me get good angles straight on and slightly below.

See the green hue of the green screen.  I should have used a white sheet. But setting it on a chair allowed me to get great low angles. 

I held the rig with my hand to snag a jumping perspective.

Once the pictures were taken, I used the Samsung standard picture editing software to remove the backgrounds. Using the stylus made it quick and easy. I saved each edit as a copy. The background removal did an okay job, but I had to do a lot of fine-detail finishing in Affinity Photo. Next time, I will just remove the backgrounds in Affinity Photo.  

AFFINITY PHOTO:  

I'm not a professional graphic designer.  I know just enough to give myself a big headache.  When I'm stuck, I find Youtube instructional videos.  AF was primarily used for fine-detail background removal around the perimeter of the war rig.  Using the selection brush tool only worked well some of the time. I ended up spending too much time switching between adding or removing my selection.   For the best and usually quickest results, I spent most of my time using the erase brush tool.  This is a long and tedious task.  

I also used AF to create two gaslands gang identifiers.  Here is the first one I call "The Trumpinator":

Here is what I started with:

REMOVE.BG

For small picture files my go-to for background removal is the free website remove.bg.  I have added it to my web browser tool bar at the top for quick access.  It's so good and for small/low res pictures it's the way to go.  You can pay per pic or a monthly for high resolution but I save high resolution for Affinity Photo.  So I used remove.bg to remove the Trumpinator original file and turn it into a .png file.  

BEFUNKY.COM

Then I dropped it in Befunky.com to turn it into a drawing.  Befunky.com has a minimal free offering but I use it a lot and pay about $15 a month for it.  There is a way to get good-quality pictures from it for free, and I did for a number of months, but I used it enough to earn my $$$.  If you want to know about my free workaround, ask me in the comments.  Befunky.com has an "Artsy" section in the photo editor.  I used the Sketcher GFX to turn it into a drawing.

I opened the Sketcher version in AF and using the flood selection tool, removed all the white space. I wanted the picture to be transparent except for the black lines.  This was another time-intensive endeavor.  But as they say, the devil is in the details.  I wonder if DaVinci ever got tired of painting the details in the Mona Lisa. I bet he did.  That's when you stop and take a break.  There were about 4 times I thought I was done and saved it as a png to only see I had missed a little white space here, another there.  The white space stuck out like a sore thumb, so there was no ignoring it. 

Next, I selected the hair and changed it to yellow. Then I found a metal-textured picture I liked and used remove.bg to remove the background and turn it into a .png.  That's the hair from my picture above.  When I added it to my war rig pictures I kept it transparent so it takes on the look of whatever it's placed on.  

The next thing I did was find a blood-red painted circle, bullet holes, and a blood drop and run .png that is flowing from the ear with a bullet hole next to it.  Again, I used remove.bg to quickly complete those tasks.  By now you should have a good idea why it's called the "Trumpinator". It's September 2024 and elections are in November.  Last month Trump narrowly avoided a bullet through the brain and it nicked his ear.  

But when I was finished with the Trumpinator I felt it was too detailed so I made my own gaslands gang identifier:

SKETCHWOW
To create this I used the program SketchWow that I bought a couple years ago for $50. Now if I were an AF power user I wouldn't have to use SketchWow, but I'm not. I use SketchWow at my day job to create PowerPoint graphics for presentations--that's what it does.  I love SketchWow and this was my first time using it for my gaslands hobby. Now it looks pretty basic, and it is, and I may fine-tune it in the future, but see how it looks in this picture:

LUMINAR NEO

To get it to look like it belongs I had to use Luminar NEO.  NEO is where the majic happens.  NEO is the icing.  AF is the workhorse. NEO is much more user-friendly than AF.  NEO has a lot of editing tools but its Presets are gold.  So I'll edit a picture in AF and go to NEO to add a Preset to pull it all together.  In other words, I edited the war rig in AF, found a scenario picture on Google, and used NEO to add them and make it look like the war rig belonged (not an easy task).   

In NEO I added three layers: the scenario picture, the war rig, and then the skull.  Selecting the skull layer in the Layer Properties I selected the Overlay property.  That gave it the look that it looked like it was put on the corragated metal.  Then under the Develop options I tweaked the colors and lighting. 

In the above picture I added smoke from the mufflers and sand/dust.  Again, I found the files on Google and used remove.bg to remove the background and turn them into .png files.  For the sand/dust clouds I used AF color tools to match it to the sand.  

In the above composite, I added the moon under the "Sky" option in NEO edits and used the preset Vintage Mood at 45%.  

Here's my next composite:

For this I used AF to create the shadow. I created a duplicate of the war rig and turned it black.  Then I used the smudge tool to draw the shadow.  When I added it to NEO adjusted the opacity to fit.   Then I selected the war rig layer in NEO and adjusted the lighting and colors to match the background. Next I used the Sky edit to add a sky with some character.  I saved the picture and then added the save to NEO and used the preset film vintage.  

Here is the original background picture:

I've saved the best for last:

 I used the same procedures as the previous composites.  

Final Thoughts:

I want to take some pictures to use as my own backgrounds.  

I need to take pictures of my other gaslands mods to add to these pictures.

As much time and enjoyment this hobby has given me, I need to watch some AF instructional videos to improve my skills and reduce my effort/time using it.  

If you've read this far, thank you!  Please leave a comment so we can connect.  

The Steps to Build a HotWheel Gaslands War Rig Mod

 Here's how it started:

2018 International WorkStar Tanker Truck

Here's a few Post Pics:

Photoshopped the smoke and created the Terminator logo to add.  

Now for some context:

It took me about three months to create the War Rig, my biggest and most ambitious mod to date.  I had modified six cars before this one, but they were the typical individual Hotwheel variety. The work and time on the War Rig, my seventh mod, easily exceeded the first six car mods combined. 

CONSTRUCTION:

BASE:  The original truck was a 2018 International WorkStar Tanker Truck that I ordered from 3000toys.com for around $15.  The first thing I did was remove the undercarriage and wheels.  This left the truck in two separate sections: the tank and cab.  I found two Jada Just Truck Hummers that I wanted to use the wheels.  Upon removing the wheels on the Jada Hummers I discovered the undercarriage they were attached to would serve well for the undercarriage of the war rig.  Using PVC sheets I cut out the base that would eventually connect the wheel undercarriages underneath to the tank and cab on top.

CAB:  Using a coping saw I cut a hole in the hood to mount a big engine.  I also had to cut some metal off the wheel wells to make room for the bigger tires.  I added a sun/bullet guard to go on top of the cab to extend over the windshield. The big mufflers are made from a plastic straw, cut and painted silver on the outside, black on the inside.

FRONT BUMPER:  Initially I was going to build a big cattle guard to cover the front but once I had it built it was too small.  Cutting, bending, and gluing PVC to flare out takes work.  So as mods go, you either scrap it, mod it, or roll with it. I kept it and added two bladed menacing-looking guards to go on either side of the cattle guard. Now the dilemma was how to connect it to the front of the cab.*  For that I used "Treat Sticks" from Wal-Mart found in the party section.  They are 4 inches long, 10.1 cm round, made of semi-pliable plastic and perfect for bumpers, roll bars and about anything else.  They come in a pack of 50 for around $3. 

TANKER TOP:  I cut a truck Hotwheel in half and glued the front half frame at the front of the tank and the back half at the back of the tank.  Next I created four I-beams from PVC sheets to attach the "corrugated" metal sheets. The metal sheets are cut from an aluminum can and corrugated by running them through a Toothpaste Squeezer. 

CAR TURRET:  The car turret is my most rewarding achievement on this mod.  It rotates 360 degrees and moves up and down at two pivot points.  For the arm I used a pre-made resin backhoe arm with a shovel.  It was a freebee thrown into an online order of various gaslands accessories.  Initially, I had planned to attach it to the back of the rig but it just didn't look like it belonged.  But then I had the idea of gluing a car on top of the shovel and making it movable.  

Here is a picture of the turret and arm mechanism:

Removable and adjustable car turret.

I modified a Hotwheel car and glued it to the shovel. I reinforced the two pivot points with heavy PVC and pins made from a finishing nail. To make it rotate I glued a treat stick on the bottom. Then I drilled a hole through the tank and to the bottom.  Now I could drop the turret in the hole and it is anchored at the top and bottom for stability.  It is also removable.   

BACK BUMPER:  

I added a gun and a flame thrower that is sitting just inside the back.  I used another "Treat Stick" for the back bumper and hung a chain.

SIDES: I covered the sides with armor plates and lined up six three-toed side "deterrents" (not sure what they are called) on either side of the back 3-wheel set on the extended wheel well ledge.  For the front two tires, I created square wheel protectors with spikes on top.  For all eight tires I added a four point wheel spike. The wheel wells were deep so again I cut "Treat Sticks" down to size to mount them.

ICING: This is what I like to call the little extras that go a long way.  On top of the cattle guard I stacked nine skulls.  And added three more on the car on top.  Since there is a lot of weight on the front bumper system I added chains that reinforce and hold up the weight.  I also added a chain on the back bumper.  I added two oil barrels sitting on top of the tank.

PAINT: For the metal parts I used Vallejo Natural Steel and Oily Steel. The car turret was painted in Game Color Goblin Green.  For guns I used Vallejo Gunmetal Grey. For the rust effects I used a combination of Vallejo Light Rust Wash FX and Tamiya weathering master C Orange Rust and /Silver for highlighting.  For the weathered look I layered a lot of Citadel Colour Shade Nuln Oil (great for metal) and Shade Agrax Earthshade for the dirty/muddy look.  You need Nuln Oil and Agrax, it makes everything more realistic and turns newbies into competent painters.  For the engine and oil barrels, I used Vallejo Mecha weathering Fuel Stains (glossy).  The glossy leaves a wet look.  

HONORABLE MENTION:

I used Treat Sticks so much on this mod that it's worth its own picture so you know what to get.  I found it at Wal-Mart in the party section for around $3. Here's a 200 pack for $7 at Amazon. 

I will make another post describing the work and process I used to photograph the War Rig and create composite murals. 

*Modifying diecast cars (Hotwheels) is an exercise in constantly solving problems.  Not only does it help nurture creativity but it stretches problem-solving thinking skills.  It also pushes patience to the limits.  There must have been a half dozen times I wanted to quit, or was not happy with my work, but I have learned to stop, step away, take a break, and come back when my want-to had returned.            

Added smoke and an intimidating skull.

Tips for Mom and Baby Outdoor Photo Shoot

 

NEO Dirty Look Preset Filter @ 80 percent

Original. Fuji 16-80 lens.  Autofocus. 17.7mm. f/5. No flash.  

Post Reflection Points:

--FLASH:  Using a flash for most of the pics was a winner.  Always bring backup batteries.  My flash died early and fortunately was able to repurpose some AA batteries from one of the baby's toys.  This would have been very embarrassing and unprofessional had I been paid.  

--LIGHTING:  Set up photo shoot in the evening about an hour and a half before sunset.  Perfect lighting but you can't lolligag.  Also be aware lighting is constantly decreasing ever so gradually.  Start by taking impromptu pics and easy staging pics to get your bearings.  Save your best staging for the middle of your photo shoot for best lighting. 

--SETTING:  We took the pics outdoors at a ranch and had a lot of different areas/backgrounds to choose from.  I chose the area because it had a decorative rock bed and a tree with some character in the foreground, a wooden fence in the midground, and the tree line in the background. The sky was clear and uneventful so I tried to minimize it.  We added the hay, saddle, iron wagon wheel, and a gunny sack material to set the baby down for props.  We had to clear the area of some horse manure and watch out for patches of sticky grass thorns.

--ATMOSPHERE:  It was a clear, hot, upper 90's, humid, Texas summer day. Have cold bottled waters, handkerchiefs for wiping sweat, and take short breaks. Pay attention to faces and sweat beading. 

--BABIES:  Matias, the baby, is one year old.  His mother (Georgia) and grandmother (Patti) were great at jumping and calling to get his attention to smile, hold head up, and look at the direction of the camera.  Be patient when taking toddler pics by themselves.  When he cried, which was often, I paused quickly to allow the mother to play and settle him.  I didn't want him to cry so hard as to get emotionally upset to the point of no return.  Sometimes you can avoid it, others times it is what it is. 

--EXPECTATIONS:  I shot 90 pictures and maybe had 10 that were worthy of mention.  There is maybe another 10 with potential and good for personal sharing.  A 20% return rate is exceptional in my experience.  What helped this shoot is the lighting, backdrop, and a baby that did really good considering it was really hot and humid and he was in an unfamiliar place.  Good job Matias!  Good job Georgia!

Now for some final pics to share.

Enhanced skyline.

NEO Composite. Added sky. Sepia filter.  Also created the Wanted poster using another picture, clipart of Wanted Poster, and BeFunky.com to turn it into a drawing.   

Composite.  Rocky Mountains added to sky.

NEO Dramatic and Mystical Edit

NEO Preset My Preset

NEO Preset My Preset

NEO Preset Autumn Glow

NEO Preset Instant Results

NEO Preset Warm Glow 85 percent

NEO Preset Ginger Look 50 percent