Hi all.
I build aircraft, primarily 1/48 scale, US WWII and later (main focus on Vietnam and modern jets). I am puzzled when I see the incredible jobs done on cockpits, especially aftermarket cockpits such as Black Box and Aires. How do you get the fine, crisp lines when painting the black instruments (individual panels on the main panel & the side consoles)?
I start by airbrushing the overall base color (for modern US stuff, dark gull grey), then start with a 2/0 or 3/0 brush, and slowwwwwwwly start painting the instruments flat black (or a dark grimey grey/black), using Model Master enamels (I've tried acrylics, to no avail - see below). But I have great difficulty, the black usually bleeds out onto the grey, or the paint's too thick and it obliterates some (if not all) of the detail.
Do you all know a better technique, such as masking, smaller brushes, thinning the paint, etc.? As far as thinning goes, how do I thin acrylics? I've tried w/ isopropyl alcohol, but the paint doesn't cover well, and when I try to go over and re-cover, the subsequent coats lift the previous coats.
Thanks for your time, and hopefully help!
Mitchell Cooke
MACooke@fuse.net
On Bench: AM P-51B, Tamiya 1/48 F4U-1A
On Deck: Hasegawa F-14's (too many); Tamiya P-47D; Academy P-47N;