"WHITE BANDED 33" Il-2 of the ShAP 7 Damyansk - 1941 - Flown by Lieutenant I.G.Kiryuhin, created by Petranera | download here

However you define a great skin, chances are the “White Banded 33” Il-2 by Petranera meets your standard of a masterpiece, and is the finest example of excellence from the War Thunder skinning community.

 Every intricate detail created by hand, the finest example of maps and channels working together in subtle harmony.

Although no skin, no recreation or model or map could ever be called truly “perfect,” this is an example of not only extreme attention to detail, but quite simply getting everything “right.” In my own experience as a skinner, truly getting it right is not as easy as it might first appear. With the better part of a thousand layers and effects in Photoshop, sneaky little things can get lost. When, after months and months of work, you’re satisfied with the outside appearance of your skin, re-dedicating yourself to the same standards for the insides of the wheel wells, gear assemblies, and the inner surfaces of flaps, can start to feel a bit fruitless. Knowing the colour, diffuse, albedo, specular, bumpmap, and metallic channels must all be created separately, but work in concert, small things can go amiss.

Petranera’s Il-2 just doesn’t cut any corners; every channel, layer, and effect comes to life in subtle but perfect harmony. This achievement of quality is made all the greater when you hear that Petranera doesn’t have the world’s greatest design lab at his fingertips; far from it. Working from his sailboat in Hiva Oa (the island in French Polynesia furthest from any continent), he has dedicated himself to paint splatter, chalk markings, and single screws replaced in the field – all while unable to play War Thunder himself due to the internet speeds available on his island.

Details of “White Banded 33” showing field repairs, repainted livery, and the human element behind this skin.

Not only an exercise in technical skin creation, Petranera demonstrates a dedication to highlight and pays tribute to the history which inspired this skin. A great skin is not only rivets, latches, and paint, but an interactive documentary of the very human experience that was building, working with, maintaining, and piloting these vehicles. Hand prints, indentations from walking on the wings, hand painted livery, and much, MUCH more, all provide an immersive window into the history of the lives behind this aircraft. For some in the skinning community, re-creating a piece of history like this is both a privilege, and can sometimes feel like a real responsibility to do justice to those who sacrificed so much. Like millions of other pilots, tankers, and soldiers, I.G. Kiryuhin lost his life in a war not of his making, and is remembered, in part, by this work.

Make sure to check out Petranera’s Live.Warthunder profile and share your likes and comments with all the skinners, model and map makers, and everyone else in the community who works hard to create great stuff for War Thunder! Ladies and gentlemen, the bar has just been raised. .

Author: TheOmega89

About the War Thunder CDK:

The War Thunder Content Development Kit (CDK) is an official set of tools that allow you to create your own user generated content for use in War Thunder. If you have ever wanted to design your own aircraft 3D models, custom maps, missions and skins, the CDK is an extremely useful tool for putting your own personal work into War Thunder and allowing you to use your creations in game. The War Thunder Wikipedia has a range of articles spanning the CDK’s features and will help you to produce a variety of content and assist you to getting your creations in War Thunder:

We are looking forward to see and try your creations!

The War Thunder Team