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Free decal drawing service


Timmas

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I’m offering a service to BM members who want to recreate a specific model, but who can’t source the decals.

 

If there’s a decal or a specific decal set that you want, and you can’t get them commercially, I’ll draw them for you. I’m thinking of images such as aircraft nose art, pilot’s personal insignia or regimental markings on military vehicles and so on. I can also redraw ones you might have with an old kit but which have yellowed or cracked or are otherwise unusable.

 

I’ve been using Adobe illustrator and Photoshop for many years so I know my way around the programs reasonably well but I’ll be doing these in my ‘spare’ time (ha ha) so I won’t be able to offer an express 24-hour kind of service. I will get them done however!

 

I’d like to keep this dead straightforward, so there are a few things to consider:

 

I don’t intend charging for them. They’ll be free. Gratis. My purpose for offering this is to help fellow Britmodellers out. I might have to revisit that if I get swamped with requests but that’s likely to be a way down the line yet, if it ever happens.

 

I can only draw something based on the reference I get. The better the reference, the better the end result will be. If all you can provide me with is a grainy 10mm square black and white photo, and you want a full colour image made of it I may not be able to do very much!

 

After I’ve received the reference, and I think the job is doable, I’ll draw the decal(s) up and send you draft copies for approval. I’ll correct any errors I may have made, and will resubmit a corrected file. I suggest you print it out initially in black and white on a standard printer just to check the fit then, once you’ve approved it, I’ll finish it off and send you a final file in colour. You will have to arrange to print them.

 

I will reserve the right to decline to do some things, especially if they’re particularly complicated, overly intricate or are likely to be otherwise extremely time-consuming. If someone wants me to recreate a miniature Michelangelo or something similar…forget it 🙂

 

If I do a drawing, it will be done solely for the model in question. I’m not doing these so they can be sold on, used by anyone else or converted into commercial decal sets. I can recognise my own work and I’m not expecting to see them offered online or anywhere else, free or otherwise. If that happens we’re going to run into a problem with intellectual property rights which could get messy and unfriendly. No-one wants that. On the other hand, if I’m simply redrawing some from, say, an old Matchbox kit that are unusable due to age, that’s different.

 

What I would ask is that when the model is finished I would like to see a photo of it please. If it’s entered into a competition I would ask to be credited with creating the decals.

 

I think that’s about it. I can’t think of anything else at the moment. so let’s see how it goes. As stated above, I’ll be doing them in my spare time so I’ll fit them in and around other work. If I’m busy with something else, your job will have to join the queue but I’ll let you know what my workload is so you can decide whether you want to go ahead or not. The best thing is to give me plenty of notice!

 

I’ve been in touch with Mike about this, and he’s fully aware of the offer.

 

Any questions?

 

Edited by Timmas
correct typo
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That is really a very generous offer ! And I can say this as I know well how long it actually takes to draw decals... the whole process of drawing the artwork, sorting the colours, sizing and resizing to fit the kit is something that takes many hours when done right.

I confess that while I've done this for a few fellow modellers, I would probably not have the inclination to do it constantly, for this reason too I say that you are very generous and a gentleman !

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  • 3 months later...

Hello @Timmas Im coming into some $ over the next couple of months. I have some very detailed photo's and artwork for a restored P-40N warbird, and absolutely no one makes decals for it. Its a special plane to me as i have a childhood connection to it. I contacted the curator of the museum that has owned the aircraft since the early 1970's. I received the artwork and photo's from the man that originally painted the restoration and is now the curator. I definitely want a decal set for a future build scale is unknown currently. I know you said free but i will pay you for the postage from you to the USA. I will contact you via P/M when the time comes. 

 

Dennis

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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  • 2 months later...

Hi Tim, 

 

could I take you up on this? I have some unit badges to produce. I have part of the drawing but not the whole. I can provid photos to make up the miSsing parts. I would gladly make a payment for this, and if you think not, I woyld donate to a harity of your choice. Let me know, Please.

 

thank you.

 

Martin

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On 9/21/2019 at 4:52 PM, RidgeRunner said:

Hi Tim, 

 

could I take you up on this? I have some unit badges to produce. I have part of the drawing but not the whole. I can provid photos to make up the miSsing parts. I would gladly make a payment for this, and if you think not, I woyld donate to a harity of your choice. Let me know, Please.

 

thank you.

 

Martin

Hi Martin

 

I'll be happy to help ....can you send me a PM attaching the reference materials so that I can take a look?

 

Cheers

 

Tim

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  • 6 months later...

Hi Tim

 

I would need your help for the following problem:

I have bought the FIAT 131 Abarth from Italeri scale 1/24 and made a scan from the decal sheet.

The other FIAT 131 Abarth I have is from Tamiya and 1/20 scale. This decals were not good and I removed them 

from the model The model has now the basic white colour.

Now i want to use these for the 1/20 scaled Fiat. The main problem is to cutout all small decals.

As I want to use a white decal sheet (it would be easier to cut out - but it would not possible to attach them to

other decals as normal. So the small decals should be integrated in to the bigger base decals.

My graphic program does it not right- there are always small borders!

 

Can you help me?

 

Thanks in advance!

spacer.pngspacer.png

Maybe you can draw the smaller Fiat Logo on the sides and the 131 Abarth over the front wheel?

 

  Cheers Andreas 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Plastimic

 

Yes, no prob. I've got a set on the go at the moment but am happy to look at some others. Send me a PM so we can discuss?

 

Cheers

Edited by Timmas
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Timmas

 

I hope I am not to late to the party . . . .

I would like a girlie pin-up for my 32nd Lancaster, I would also like the codes and serial number(s).

I have a grainy photo of her and also some artwork showing her a bit clearer.

Can I PM you showing the details required ??

Many thanks for your kind offer

 

Ian

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  • 4 weeks later...

This is a great offer, I would like some decals for a 1:48 Vulcan. I’m not sure yet which aircraft  I’d like to model. Maybe the one that flew until recently, or maybe a 617 Sqn aircraft. It’s all the stencilling and sqn badges I would like. Not sure yet if I can get good ref for the stencilling though, it’s hard to read on pictures I’ve found. Could you help with this do

you think ?

Thanks a lot

Phil 

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  • 7 months later...

I hope Tim doesnt object to me stating that he has done a sheet of artwork for me and he is as keen as I was to get it right.

I hope he is is not over worked with suggestions but I can certainly recommend him.

 

Many thanks Tim

I wish you all the very best for the coming season and a better 2021

 

rgds

Ian

 

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Made a boo-boo and deleted this whole thread by mistake.  Sorry about that Tim, but after a rummage in the bin it's back! :yahoo: and :phew:

 

If anyone's reading this, if you ask for a post within a thread to be deleted, please make it TOTALLY clear that it's your post, not the thread that's to be deleted.  A Mod in a rush or not paying 100% attention might accidentally delete the whole things, as happened here :blush:

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi tim, thanks for the offer! It is very kind of you! I hope it isn't too much to ask to post to Australia. I will pay for the postage if you can send it. The decal I need is the 'order of the red banner' for a 1/100 is-2 (which I dont have yet) It needs to be around 1 cm from top to bottom so I hope its not too hard... Here is a picture:

https://images.app.goo.gl/9LEheN9bzXzF2jZj7

Cheers,

Riley

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  • 5 months later...

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