Looks like a nice start there. Those inexpensive Tamiya models are a great place to start trying new things. I still use one as a paint mule.

Great work on the cockpit there. Looking forward to seeing how she comes out, I've only pre-shaded with dark grey before. 

Very nice start! Looking forward to your experiment, sounds like a good idea

Nikola

Maybe someone has done this before and if so, please share your experience before I ruin the model completely.     Also, I could use some tips on weathering "Zekes" so those are more than welcome.    Thanks in advance guys! 

Nikola, first off you won't ruin anything and good for you giving something new a try. I usually black base but am always willing to try a new technique. You may just find the new hot process.

As far a Zeros, it really depends on what year. During the first part of the war, and since you have an A6M2, I'm assuming model 21, carrier based Pearl Harbor time frame fighter, the color would be the Mitsubishi Grey (there is a diffrence). The paint was simi gloss and rarely chiped. Early war Mitsubishi fighters had primer, something that was rare on later Japanese aircraft, and good quality paint. Even late war model 21's paint job, at least the ones that made that far, were still in realitivly good shape. A chiped paint job on an early model 21 was almost never seen.

So to answer your question regarding weathering, don't do too much, it would be out of character. A model 52 on the other hand.....

Thanks Tickmagnet, we'll see how it turns out. One either wins or learns! :)

Best, 

Nikola

Thanks Gamera, 

It will be a somewhat slower build, as all my models are, due to lack of free time because of a six year old and a baby at home. :) Will update on the progress as I go.

Regards, 

Nikola

Thanks Paladin, 

It does sound good, but we'll see if it really is, haha.

Best, 

Nikola

Hi Modelcrazy, 

Thank you for encouragement! Will do my best. :) 

Also, thank you very much for the info on Zekes. Much appreciated!

Regards, 

Nikola

You should be spot on with the purple tone for pre-shade under the grey. Maybe something in a medium to dark lavender..... Will keep watching as it would work for modern a/c as well with the greys now in use.

Hi gents,

Just an update on the Zeke and the complementary pre-shading experiment. 

Since the pre-shading is in purple, I primed the model in dark yellow, this being complementary to the purple hoping to add more colour interplay.

The next step will be the moment of truth, the base colour IJN Ash Gray. Will update when done.

Thanks for looking! 

Best,

Nikola

I'm interested in how this is going to look.

OK gents,

Here she is, after a number of thin passes of base color. The colors are much better in reality, but you all know that excuse, haha... We will have to wait for proper photos in the end. 

I might have missed the exact color of the Zeke, but that is OK because it wasn't my primary intent on this one. 

I like it so far. Looks promising. 

You be the judges.

Cheers,

Nikola

Looks like you stopped spraying just in time, anymore and it would have wiped out the preshade. The purplish tone also lends itself well to the tan paint. Your preshade here looks very good. So many modelers way overdo the preshading, but your kit looks just right. When you finish weathering it, it will look perfect. 

BK

Hi Brandon, 

Thank you!

I think so too, one more pass would be one too many.

As I mentioned in my opening thread, since tan is pretty much yellow based, I chose purple as it is complementary to the yellow, and it turned out good in my opinion. There is still a lot to work on with this method and develop it further, but I think it's a promising start. We'll see how far it can go. 

Best, 

Nikola

You can even go further when doing a "virtual light source" method (I don't know the proper name :)) and introduce "warm" colours for pre-shading "cold" base colors in areas which will be in shade and vice versa, "cold" pre-shading for "warm" ones. This is done in painting. 

Hi guys, 

Finally, here is the link to the finished model:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/183618.aspx

Thanks for looking!

Cheers, 

Nikola