Creating realistic metal surface, large scale - need help

[Kolos]

Hello everyone.

This is something I've worked on for a long time. There are some areas I've never been satisfied with, the big tower being the most important one. I just can't seem to get a realistic looking metal surface on there. It keeps looking computer generated no matter how hard I try to change it.
It's supposed to be a scene from the game Half Life 2, with the tower being an important part of the world. So that's why I'm writing. I'd very much like some help or suggestion on what to do. I want the whole thing looking like a photo when it's finished, and the tower is making that very hard (among other things). It needs to look like it's made from big pieces of metal put together without any specific design in mind. And it needs to stay blueish.
I've looked for textures on cgtextures.com but haven't found anything that satisfied me, but the blending of the material is also something I haven't managed to get right yet. It doesn't fit the rest of the picture.
I'd be happy to hear any thoughts on this - also if it's about something else in the picture.

Here's it is.

[Kolos]

I thought I'd also show you how the picture is made up.

Take a look.

[ibclare]

Very nice. You did a really good job making everything work together.

As for the metal, have you tried making it yourself? Does it need to be a smooth surface? You can combine a number of filters and pattern effects to make some pretty realistic looking metal surfaces. But I haven't tried to make one smooth. For example, I've used filter>clouds and diff clouds, glass filter and pattern overlays. Color is not much of an issue; lots of ways to change that. Have you tried playing with the chrome filter? I'm sure there are sophisticated ways to do what you are asking, plugins, but my needs don't require much outside of PS itself. ??

[ibclare]

here is a collection of tutorials on creating various textures. You can always combine effects from more than one to create a custom effect. http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/desig...ials-textures/

These are resources I use for textures. There are metal textures here Mayang's Free Texture Library and at deviantART.com (as well as lots of other free image downloads)

I'm putting up an example of the kind of thing you can do to create metal texture, not saying that this is what you want. Just an idea.

[Paul]

Simply the best one out there 30+ High Quality Metallic Texture, Pattern, Brushes and Photoshop Tutorials

[Kolos]

Thanks to both of you. I'll try what you suggested and see how it goes.

Now that I'm here though, I might as well ask you something else. Do you have any idea how to make realistic looking smoke at the buttom of the tower? I've tried extracting smoke from other pictures, but it's very hard to do so and have it blend nicely with the new image.
I'm sure creating smoke in a 3D program with lighting effects is the best way, but I haven't worked much with 3D graphics before so I wouldn't know how to do it. I've run up against a wall with this one too. Can't seem to find suitable images with smoke going in the right direction, taken from the right angle, with the light coming from the right side too. Any ideas?

This is the base of the tower, in full resolution. It needs to look like things are going on behind the large fence/wall.

[ibclare]

I haven't tried making smoke from scratch but there are some very credible brushes you can download. I don't remember exactly where I got the ones I have but I think I found them on deviantART: where ART meets application! and I trust the downloads from there.

Then you can always adjust spacing and angles with the brush palette and even do them on a separate layer and transform.

It looks to me like you could make some of that puffy smoke using render>clouds; add noise, then gaussian blur. You might try playing around with that, then you could use the more delicate and detailed brushes to fill out the billows.

I'd like to see your work when you've got a "finished" piece.

[ibclare]

Here are some good sites for brush downloads. I am a bit paranoid so I try to find bug-free websites

Smoke Photoshop Brushes :: Brushes Download :: Free Photoshop Brushes, Layer Styles, Gradients, Tutorials, Icons :: Powered by BroHost!

Rons Photoshop Brushes & PSD layers - deviney's Photos | SmugMug

Browsing deviantART

[Kolos]

I'm not so much into using other peoples custom brushes, but it's a good idea nonetheless.
I want this picture to be made entirely by me, not having to thank anyone for doing parts of the image, other than taking the stock photos I used. I might try making some smoke myself with the standard brushes. I've got a tutorial for that, now I just need to learn how to do it.
Thanks.

[Kolos]

Oh, didn't see you had posted again with all those links. I'll definitely have a look though, might want them for something else.
Thanks again.

I'll try to remember to post the finished thing here when it's done, but it might take a long time.