Preshading

The problem with pre-shading is that it creates  even shaded look throughout the surface of the model.On aircraft  will not see an even look to weathering.use a sluge wash followed by  pastels.Approach slowly section per section ,and look at reference photos.

Yup. Black basing is great. Glad to see you're a convert.

I used to do the typical pre-shade, but wasn't really all that pleased with the end results.

Nowadays, I'll start with spraying the entire model with black, or a very dark grey, then I'll spray white (fairly thin), in a semi-blotchy pattern, mostly in the center of the panels...like so...

(Not the greatest example, but it was the first one I could find!)

So, the shading and highlighting is done in black and white. Time for some color...I thin the color coats down about 50/50 (using MM enamels), and basically tint the blk/wht with color. It is a slow, tedious and hand cramping experience, but I love the results!

Here's another example of the finished result...

I can understand with airplane panel lines how it might look too heavy, but in general, I disagree, espeically with armor. I am a desciple of heavy pre-and-post shading, and of using heavy contrasts to simulate light and shadow to simulate "scale effect" of light, which I believe in wholeheartedly. Not only do I think it looks more realistic, but it is also a signature artistic style which pretty much defines much of my work.

I don't care for "clean" models; I think they look just like that--like a "model". I think that the manipulation and simulation of light makes a model look more realistic.

I just heard about preshading a month or two ago after more than 50 years of model-building, so I checked out a video on YouTube. I thought it was an interesting technique, and although I haven't yet tried it, I can't help but think I'd probably obliterate the effect as I finished painting the model.

USAFASME7

Panel lines are an entirely different story. Sure, highlighting every panel line brings out the detail of the MODEL, but on a real aircraft you would only see a few skin seams and some areas where maintenance access panels have been repeatedly taken off.

I agree. I generally do not enhance skin seams, but modern airplanes are loaded with access panels, more and more each decade, so enhancing those can make a really interesting model. Of course, the ultimate is to show these access panels/doors open or removed and all the junk behind them displayed!

The only skin seams I treat are on nmf where I may make some panels different shades of aluminum than others.

Panel lines are an entirely different story. Sure, highlighting every panel line brings out the detail of the MODEL, but on a real aircraft you would only see a few skin seams and some areas where maintenance access panels have been repeatedly taken off.

I never understood why they call it pre-shading. Grammatically, it means "before shading," similar to pre-election or presurgical. Or I suppose it could mean "already shaded" similar to pre-cooked or pre-assembled.

A more descriptive term would be underpainting. Artists have been using that technique for a few centuries, at least.

As for the shaded panel lines, I personally don't like it. But I also don't go out of my way to tell people that I don't like it--because I know they don't care. No one cares what I don't like.

ajlafleche

Tojo72

I tried pre-shading on my big slab-sided Mark IV Male,I did it subtly and liked the effect,will try it again on a Jagdtiger and A7V in the future,but I believe it needs to be subtle.

Unfortunately, many of us don't do subtle. Their thought process seems to be, if a little is good, more is better and if more is better, too much is just about right. Okay, too much IS just about right when dealing with hot sauce ,   and  but in modeling, IMHO , too much really IS too much. We've seen this for decades: chipping, washes, drybrushing, rust, damage, pre-shading, modulation. There was a tank in one of the magazines whose colors were so "modulated,"  flat surfaces looked round! I've seen pre-shading so overdone, you could no longer see the color of the plane or shape of the tank. One of the particular problems with pre-shading is the application of several colors of camouflage and the use of decals where the pre-shade disappears behind the decal.  Decals also present a challenge when heavily fading the paint. Big bright stars and bars on a faded to almost white Corsair just doesn't cut it for me. 

Al,I really don't care for it overdone especially panel lines on a/c.

Tojo72

I tried pre-shading on my big slab-sided Mark IV Male,I did it subtly and liked the effect,will try it again on a Jagdtiger and A7V in the future,but I believe it needs to be subtle.

Unfortunately, many of us don't do subtle. Their thought process seems to be, if a little is good, more is better and if more is better, too much is just about right. Okay, too much IS just about right when dealing with hot sauce ,   and  but in modeling, IMHO , too much really IS too much. We've seen this for decades: chipping, washes, drybrushing, rust, damage, pre-shading, modulation. There was a tank in one of the magazines whose colors were so "modulated,"  flat surfaces looked round! I've seen pre-shading so overdone, you could no longer see the color of the plane or shape of the tank. One of the particular problems with pre-shading is the application of several colors of camouflage and the use of decals where the pre-shade disappears behind the decal.  Decals also present a challenge when heavily fading the paint. Big bright stars and bars on a faded to almost white Corsair just doesn't cut it for me. 

I tried pre-shading on my big slab-sided Mark IV Male,I did it subtly and liked the effect,will try it again on a Jagdtiger and A7V in the future,but I believe it needs to be subtle.

GMorrison

Did you ever see a recessed panel line?

Where's that "Like" button?  

Did you ever see a recessed panel line?

I prefer POST-SHADING. For me, pre-shading doesn't work. I always end up covering it up completely. Of course, I spent 20 years painting real aircraft in the USAF, so "light and splotchy" doesn't cut it for me...

I have tried my hand at pre shading just to see how it comes out, but I just can't get the hang of it. But I think like colour modulation its one of those things used to create interest. And making a build look interesting seems to be the current thing.

But I am like you in that I still dry brush which I do as a part of the overall weathering process. I will think I will leave the pre shading process to others as I am happy with my results with post shading.

My bad there. "Preferred" is a much better word and is more to my intent than "better." Sorry.

I think the preshading can and will work but it needs to be something other than highlight every panel line. Creating depth in the shadows like you mention is much different.

And I really don't get the looks you get these days when you say you drybrushed. That's a technique I still very much use and like all others has it's place.

Plenty of discussion around this.

I agree with the first part of your sentence, up to "is a much better..". I'd personally substitute "is my preferred...".

I've been preshading my armor lately, but rather than panel lines (obviously not) I preshade areas that are in shadow, like vertical surfaces and crevices, undersides etc.

I think post shading with a lightened color, washes and powders are what I like for aircraft. Have a big one building BTW in the Desert Storm GB.

Fad? No, but when I started modeling it was all about drybrushing everything. Stuff evolves.