Shipbucket

Keep in mind that the shading rules do exist to keep the style uniform. If you no longer can use components of the parts library or sections of existing drawings for reference, artists have to draw everything from scratch...... something very possible, there are artists who do just that, but we do not upload those artworks to our archive that is meant to be comparable in style and standards.

The shipbucket and FD style have evolved over time, allowing more individual freedom, but the core of the style (the black outlines for anything that sticks out, the no gradients rule, the crediting rules, the exact scales we use) are the very core of what shipbucket is about, and it is important to keep that intact. This has nothing to do with autocracy or ego boosts.

Why should shipbucket to grow and improve? We are a community of people who are having fun drawing stuff, gathering knowledge, teaching each other, using each others work to create new stuff..... We still get our fair share of new people (sometimes more then we can properly handle on the discord, resulting in some senior shipbucket artists not wanting to be active "in that mess") even while we are not focussed on "growing and improving" shipbucket.

If you look at the shipbucket components sheets, you can definitely see shipbucket is not at an standstill. Without changing the style rules the shipbucket style has evolved over time, allowing for more potential freedom in stuff like shading, detailing, etc. The standard window colour that we used to use no longer fitted the more accurate colour schemes that were possible due to the internet providing more references then were ever available back when shipbucket started. HOWEVER! If a component was drawn 10 years ago, and I would past it on an existing drawing, colour correcting it and possibly adding some minor shading, it would not look wrong or mismatch with the "new, modern" drawing style. And that simple fact is very important, otherwise with every "evolution" the example drawings and part sheets would all have to be redrawn/modified. We have thousands of components available and thousands of drawings have been made, so let's not do that.

Regarding the F-5's and the black lines.

On the F-5, 2 shapes flow into each other. The engines, air intakes and the channel between them are a wide "box" while the main hull with the nosecone, cockpit, spine and flowing into the tailfin is a tall "box".

Looking at the cross sections of the aircraft in the below image: the wide box is sticking out on both sides of the tall box, with a clear defining line between them (on most cross sections this is even a hard near 90 degree chine, except for cross section G)

To represent this, similar to the skegs of ships, you need a black outline. There is a "top" of the wide box that is a clear separate part of the spine area. (See the purple lines I drew on the cross sections)


So in my opinion there should be a black outline between the air intake all the way to the engine nozzles. There might be some variation between other F-5 variants then the N-156-F pictured here, and I could be accepting of a grey line in the area of the more gradual shape of cross section G (although I would personally still use black there as there is a "top" which is horizontal) but the tiny amount forwards and the weird "only the part that is a different metal" is just not representing the real aircraft properly

Why? Because the original drawings are bland, basic, and uninspired. Compare the original (c2000s) drawings of a ship or aircraft to the modern and updated (c2020s) version. You cannot deny that drawing quality and realism has increased massively, yet these outdated stylistic rules place such worship on the original drawings and it stifles any stylistic advancement and artistic quality improvements.

@Acelanceloet
I'd like to thank You for opinions here, to which I entirely subscribe.

I've just messaged Colosseum and Gollevainen, asking them to express their opinion - after all, it's their show (as in, they literally paid money to have all of it running).
Until that, I'll abstain with responding to particular issued raised (especially by OstranderSTG, who in nearly 6 years of his presence on this forum has made only 3 forum posts and 0 drawings I am aware of).

P.S. OK - just one remark to Livewire: "problem" is, that whole this style has been built specifically around solid-black contours.

You do realise that that entire increase in style and realism has happened without any major rule changed right? This point actually proves that rule changes are not required for improvement of the drawings.

This is just nit-picking and rule worshiping for the sake of it.

Next time I guess I won't even bother uploading anything.

There is a space for using darker tones - where the break in surface is less sharp than in places where black lines are needed.
And when it comes to "nuanced shading" - Your shading is so nuanced, that I barely see any contrast at all, and it looks completely flat to me.
Ok, no more comments until Admins speak from the Throne.