Cockpit Painting

Your singing my song, I just got back into modeling after about a 10-year hitatus and have already built a couple now. Here's some of my tricks.

I usually airbrush the sub-assemlbed cockpit the overall base color (interior green, dark gull grey, whatever). Next I will paint large panels (usually black) by hand. Next comes some drybrushing with a lighter shade of the before-mentioned colors. This will really make details pop out. Sometimes I do multiple lighter drybrushings from black to 3 shades of lighter greys to a very light application of white to make individual buttons pop out. I will usually pick off a few intrunments in red or yellow based on photo refrences. Add a diluted black wash to recesses. Perhpas to a little "muddying" to the floor if applicable with a raw umber drybrushing. Also do some aluminum/silver on selected spots for similate chipped paint. Last, I'll add some drops of future/gloss to the instrunment glass.

This is all pretty baisic- hope it helps

I do exactly the same thing.

what do others think of cockpit decals? I am building a Tamiya Zero and the decals look rather good.

I do the same as above, except I add black to the base color for the wash. After painting all details, I then give a Future gloss coat, followed by the wash. The wash on the details (gauges, switches, etc.) cleans up the edges. I do the detail stuff with a 3/0 brush, under magnification. Then I apply Testors Dullcoat, followed by drybrushing. Lastly, I apply a drop of Future to the gauges, to simulate glass. I drybrush Future on semi-gloss surfaces, such as leather. Although this is a Verlinden resin cockpit, the same techniques also apply to good old styrene. Hope this helps, and welcome back to the hobby !

hey pix,
That cockpit looks great. what scale and model?

wibhi2 - That's the Promodeler 1/48 Bf 110 G4. I like the kit, and the Verlinden set is wonderfully crisp. Glad you like it ! Pix.