Aircraft weathering - accuracy or artful technique

Fermis,   That is a nice collection of models.  I'm a little embarrassed because I was admiring you're first one before I read your description.       It's fun to see your creations again.        gk

Thanks Bish!

Love it. Love all of it. 

plasticjunkie

Fermis

Which thread are you posting it in the GB or aircraft section?  I like following your WIPs. I specially liked the TBD you did a while back.

 

PJ, his build is in the aircrfat section, some really nice work there.

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/169367.aspx?page=1

allan

 

For GM

 

 

allan

For Karl

 

 

glug, glug, glug, glug... 

Fermis

Which thread are you posting it in the GB or aircraft section?  I like following your WIPs. I specially liked the TBD you did a while back.

For Karl

Thnaks fermis, i'll be sure to watch out for it.

Bish and Wayne....I'll take pics of the process/progress and post em in my 190 thread. I'll start painting tonight. Should have all the color coats done by tomorrow (got 6 planes goin to the booth! Only 3 190's though).

Much easier to describe with pics!

is blackbasing like priming with black?

i did an OTS T-55 syrian mine roller. primed in gray and sprayed what i thoight was Vallejo air paint (sand) and couldn't understand why it wasn't covering. turned out it was their sand primer. couple more light coats and i had something akin to panel line coloring. some washes, and serious scrubbed in powder and voila took a first in 1/72 post korea armor at a regional. mistake = success.

always wondered what a black primer would do, never had the guts to try it yet.

fermis, one question on this blackbaseing. I have seen it use on single colour schemes, like B_one's F-18. But how does it work on a multi camo scheme. Do you do each colour seperatly, because i imagine if you lay the lighter colour all over, you cancel out the effect.

fermis

I have always tried for "realistic"...which is a bit of a loose term, as I see it. "istic" being like "ish"...Real-ish. Not exactly real, but a decent representation. Since I got into painting and finishing entire models, I've gone through 4 "style" changes.

 

I think thats a much better way to put it.

Bish

 

 

stikpusher

 

waynec

SPRU CE watch for it in the future. you and i will be the only 2 who get it.

 

 

 

 

I know what you are talking about... This I gotta see...

 

 

 

 

Having thought about this for a few minutes, i would like to be the first to say i don't have a clue what you guys are talking about.

 

Anyway...to the subject at hand.

When all is said and done, if you did what you like, and it turned out as you like...it's right!

I have always tried for "realistic"...which is a bit of a loose term, as I see it. "istic" being like "ish"...Real-ish. Not exactly real, but a decent representation. Since I got into painting and finishing entire models, I've gone through 4 "style" changes.

First "style" was brush paint or whatever rattlecan color I had on hand. "Weathering" would be done with paint. Put down a tiny dab of black and streak it back with a finger. I keep one of those old builds around, just for a reminder! It aint pretty!!!

2nd style...proper, or at least "close" rattlecan colors, (got better with colors, once I got a cheap Testors a/b, which wasn't any better than a rattlecan, other than for colors). Weathering was done with a felt tip Micron pen. Run the pen down the panel line, then swipe the excess back with a finger. This was an improvement, and I thought it was so awesome, at the time...not so much anymore!

3rd style...no more rattlecans, but still had that cheapo Tetors a/b. A/B the base colors, then hit all the panel lines with black pastel chalk. Then, dry-brush base color over that, mixing in the pastels and making a heck of a mess, then drybrush a lighter shade of the base color over that. This would leave the panel lines darker and add a tonal variation to the finish. Then they'd get hit with a little bit more pastels in dirty/traffic areas and exhaust. I'm still pleased to look at these on the shelves.

4th, and current style. After switching from the typical panel line pre-shading, I adopted the  "blackbasing" (learned from DoogsATX) technique. All the tonal variation is done with an airbrush, then weathered with a wash and some pastels here and there.

Each "style" varied, and improved over time, but still had the same "style". When the style changed, it was overnight...the new one being completely different than the last.

stikpusher

 

waynec

SPRU CE watch for it in the future. you and i will be the only 2 who get it.

 

 

 

 

I know what you are talking about... This I gotta see...

 

Having thought about this for a few minutes, i would like to be the first to say i don't have a clue what you guys are talking about.

waynec

well this is getting annoyingly interesting.

i am a technical illustrator and a graphics artist which seems oddly similar to the realism and artistic thoughts on modeling. what that means is i professionally draw for accuracy UNLESS it doesn't look right or convey the correct information in the training manual. than i get a little artsy so the student understands the drawing. 

as i menrtioned earlier i gravitate towards the arttistic side when it comes to painting and weathering, hopefully with some common sense thrown in because that is part of the fun.

I have used weathering and excess stowage to cover "mistakes" and I HAVE DONE IT 1-1 SCALE. we had a desert camo scheme on my tanks when i got to germany. we had to have 30% sand so, when we repainted, we looked at our load plans and painted all those areas sand that would be covered by track blocks, road wheels, duffle bags, etc. guess that counts as hiding "mistakes."

i have had modern tanks, even my new A2s, look pink after 3 weeks in the field in a red clay area, thick mud on the underside and dinged fenders.  after the wash rack and a good cleaning they look pristine on the pad. funny though on the pad the end conectors, steel wear plates and metal parts of the track are rusty. in the field in the dirt and mud there is no rust on the running gear. 

a T-34 that survived Kursk and the counterattacks afterwards would be a tad more weathered than one rolling out of the tank factory at Stalingrad to be destroyed 2 blocks up the road.

a Toyoda pickup in my driveway certainly iless beat up than a Libyan rebel technical.

SO i will continue to enjoy the WIPs of both sides of the issue, learn new stuff, try new techniques, and keep what i like. i will continue to post WIPs, welcome constructive critiscism and suggestions, and improve. i don't have any national awards but in the last 2 years i have a number of regional ones which is an indication my modeling is improving because, in part, to the information here (and from doing some of the less frequented categories i like to build in.[8-|)

a suggestion. try building dinosaurs. no one really knows what they looked like so anything is possible. (shameless plug for a GB)

I think I'm in your boat Wayne, Graphic Designer here as well. I will get hung up on the "right" colour from time to time, but at the end of the day I want the finished model to LOOK right, bonus points for accuracy.  ;)

I really miss San Miguel Dark, the real stuff from the Islands.

allan

Karl,

 

Unfortunately, Ive only got virtual San Mig Light, bottled.  But I tell you, it goes down smooth and refreshes every cell of your body.  

 

Cheers!

 

 

I used to know a guy who brush painted his aircraft models with fingernail polish and displayed the completed models at the yearly Glenview NAS open house IPMS McKinstry display.

Wonder what he'd think of all this......?

Karl,

Unfortunately, Ive only got virtual San Mig Light, bottled.  But I tell you, it goes down smooth and refreshes every cell of your body.  

Cheers!

waynec

SPRU CE watch for it in the future. you and i will be the only 2 who get it.

 

I know what you are talking about... This I gotta see...

waynec

SPRU CE watch for it in the future. you and i will be the only 2 who get it.

 

LOL..........

SPRU CE watch for it in the future. you and i will be the only 2 who get it.

Bish

 

 

waynec

 

Bish

 

 

waynec

 

a suggestion. try building dinosaurs. no one really knows what they looked like so anything is possible. (shameless plug for a GB)

 

 

 

 

 

Well, almost anything. I doubt they had any rust.

 

Just sayin

 

 

 

 

DAMN!!! now i have to redo the Stegasaurus spine plates.

 

 

 

 

See, what would you do without me to point out these things.

 

Speaking of dinosaurs......

There's always the option of wielding a cooking utensil while yelling:

" Not the ma-ma !" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOavOd56AtQ

waynec

 

Bish

 

 

waynec

 

a suggestion. try building dinosaurs. no one really knows what they looked like so anything is possible. (shameless plug for a GB)

 

 

 

 

 

Well, almost anything. I doubt they had any rust.

 

Just sayin

 

 

 

 

DAMN!!! now i have to redo the Stegasaurus spine plates.

 

See, what would you do without me to point out these things.

Bish

 

 

waynec

 

a suggestion. try building dinosaurs. no one really knows what they looked like so anything is possible. (shameless plug for a GB)

 

 

 

 

 

Well, almost anything. I doubt they had any rust.

 

Just sayin

 

DAMN!!! now i have to redo the Stegasaurus spine plates.

waynec

 

a suggestion. try building dinosaurs. no one really knows what they looked like so anything is possible. (shameless plug for a GB)

 

 

Well, almost anything. I doubt they had any rust.

Just sayin