When using the wireframe kits, am I suppose to paint over the wire frame itself or am I suppose to paint on a created layer? When I added a layer over the wire frame I wasn't able to fill the polygon's of the template. And when I painted the wire frame itself It shows through in the viewer and looks like crap. What am I doing wrong? I am using the Gimp 2.6. Is it a merge layer thing that I'm missing? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

The wireframe layer is only a guide, I have this as the topmost layer and turn it off before saving the skin (save for web in PS).

Next I have the black mask layer, then the default shading layer (set to multiply).

Underneath these is where the actual skin goes.

As Bean0 said, it's a guide to show you where the parts of the car are, the way things wrap around the car, etc. You don't paint on it or use the fill bucket. All the paint scheme should be painted on its own layers.

Aahh.. I see, ok, thanks guys guess it's back to the old drawing board for me then I'll work on it some more. Thanks again

Ok I'm back, been practicing and have learned alot, but one thing is still Fn me up. When I am using the wire frame layer, is there a way to mark a point, on the layer below somehow, (for refural)? What I mean is, If we wanted to map out a perticular section of the, wire frame layer, to the paint layer below it, How? do we?
We can trace the sections we want to other layers and use them that way...
I know but , was wondering about a shortcut between the layers/planes. Kind of a waypoint :auto: marker, or something?
By the way, it will be great to race in my own design, (I, will hit the enter?exit points faster and cleaner), in a skin I designed myself It gives me more pride in the ride somehow

What you are asking is theoretically possible in most programs, but not really necessary. What you can do is leave the wireframe layer visible, above your other painting layers. If you need/want, reduce the opacity for better vision of your working layers.

That's interesting, I go the opposite route. I always have the wireframe as the lowest layer so I can see that i've completely covered a specific line/triangle. Also it leaves my view of what I'm working on unobstructed.

I always have a background layer which is the base colour of the car, and work up from that on the paint scheme, leaving the wireframe as the top so I can see where things need to be to line up. I don't leave it visible, though, I only have it on when I need to align something.

First, sorry for the lateness of my reply. Second, "TY" ya'll, your help has been invaluable. And Third, well, third is the driver I always seem to be chasing.
I have managed to design my first attempt and am working on my second skin. I am starting to get a handle on how it all works, but I am wondering about the best method to layer decals and such. What I have been doing, is opening a separate layer for each decal. Is this the right way? or, should I be using a "decal layer"?
Also, if I wanted say, candy apple red, does adding shade's of solid colors in layers, give a depth perception to the overall finish? Just wondering

I personally only bother with one decal layer, but I keep that seperate from personal layers (such as names, country flags, and numbers specific to one driver). If I have to modify the skin for a league that demands specific decals I just copy the original decal layer and delete what I dont need and add what I do need, then un-check the original decal layer.

I know in Photoshop you can have layer groups, and that may honestly be the best way to go. I don't know if gimp has that or not.

I personally have all my decals on a separate layer, all of which are within a folder for decals. I do it this way mostly because PS places them on their own layer whever I paste them into the file, and I just leave it. If I weren't so lazy I'd either merge them or at least rename the layers so I knew what the hell everything was :P In short, it really doesn't matter.

As for "candy" finishes, these have to be faked by varying the hue and/or dodging/burning the appropriate areas to increase contrast where necessary. It's tricky to do, and I'm rubbish at it, so I'll let someone with some more talent than myself answer you with regards to that. If done right, it can look crackingly good!

Well Gentlemen, you might be proud to know that with your help and some work on my part, I am getting the hang of it. Although I am beginning to feel a bit like what the old lady's called Gary Cooper in that movie when they put him on trial for giving his money to the poor. Pixelated,
Its amazing how much detail you can get into while skinning. I have begun to pin-stripe my skins down to the pixel. A bit time consuming but a hell of a lot of fun.