Cockpit detailing help needed

No gloss coat for me. My preferred method is to drybrush over the flat colors I paint the cockpit with.

This is not only how I pick out small details like knobs and switches, but also how I mimic wear and tear in the cockpit. In the real-life cockpits I've seen, the patterns of wear and abuse seem to lend themselves more to drybrushing than to washing - boot scuffs on the deck and kickpanels, paint worn off the corners of consoles, etc. Just my $.02....

Like Karl, I never used to gloss coat the interior. After building Accurate Miniatures Avenger I modified my technique. That model has lots of bulkheads, stringers and other interior details. I started my wash on the dull coat and it spread too far away from the recesses. And it would not wipe away, it left the paint stained. I had to gloss coat it to get it to flow properly. I have only had this problem with model master interior and zinc chromate green. Grays don't seem to do this, at least to me they haven't.

Darren

This is my favorite method.

I paint the entire cockpit black. Then I spray the interior color, angling downwards so as not to hit the areas where natural shadows would be. (Under ribs, boxes etc.) Then I do all my detail painting and add washes and/or drybrush where appropriate. To re-justify any shadows that may be lost, I use pastels.

Fade to Black...

That sounds pretty sweet, I'm going to have to give it a try!!!

blackwolfcd,
That is a great technique! Thanks for passing it on. I'm gonna give it a try too!

M.

Thank you very much for the replies. I'll give them a try!