Filtering technique

What are you filtering? Armor/aircraft/etc?

Basically, a filter is heavily thinned paint applied over the surface. It does sort of knock down contrast and tie everything together, and can also bring about slight changes in color, add depth to the paint, etc.

I recently did a very thin raw umber filter wash on a P-47 with multishaded camoflage:

nice p 47 great job and a good answer to that question.Ron 

Hey Doogs,

Beautiful Jug! 

I'm building a  1/48 FW190 F8.  I have finished it in RLM74, 75 & 76 colors.  I  dullcoated the model and then airbrushed the exhaust stains onto the sides of the fusalage with a very thin mix of ModelMaster sand/ black then solid black.  It feathered out beautifully.   It's decalled with an Eagle's head insignia that is a two part decal.  The head portion is applied to the sides of the engine cowl while the rest of the insignia runs down the sides of the fusalage starting at the exhaust panels and running back almost to the wing trailing edge.  My staining is applied over the the second portion of the decal.  When I mounted the cowl onto the fusalage I see a big contrast between the portions of the decal set because of the exhaust stain.  I want to soften this contrast somehow without blowing it.  The problem is that underneath the eagle's head there exists 3 different base colors (mentioned above).  Not sure what tint would be appropriate.  The colors are grey green, grey violet, and a light grey blue.  I'm thinking on the lightest shade which is the grey blue.  How much do you thin your artist oil?

Thanks,

Sienna

With a filter...I'm by no means the expert...but it's thin enough that you could conceivably go with anything. Heck, you go go with red if you really wanted, and the worst you would do would be to give it a slight red/pink cast.

I think a blue/grey would work in your situation, but I wouldn't rule out a raw umber or something either. Sufficiently thinned, it won't overpower anything. The P-47 above is after three coats of filter. The cool thing about filters though is that you can use multiple. 

On the P-47, I filled one of those spare Testors jars you can buy about 3/4 full with Mona Lisa Odorless Thinner, then mixed in a dollop of raw umber. Probably about the size of a pencil eraser or slightly larger. You don't need much.

Hello;

I know this is off topic from the OP but Doogs how do you light your airplane shots to get such soft or should I say nonexistant shadows. Apolagies to the OP but I dont know how to PM .

Bill

Hey Doogs,

I'm going to take the plunge.  Going with the blue/grey.  I checked out your website.  Very cool.  A good source for the Gunze Mr Color I found was Redfroghohhies.com.  They're out of NY.  I use Gunze with their Mr Leveling Thinner.  I get real nice results with the stuff.  If this project merits a photo or two I'll try to post it for you.  Thanks again for the advice.

PS

Your son looks like a chip off the old block!  Handsome young dude!

Later

Sienna (goin' raw) 

wjbwjb29

Hello;

I know this is off topic from the OP but Doogs how do you light your airplane shots to get such soft or should I say nonexistant shadows. Apolagies to the OP but I dont know how to PM .

Bill

Three words. Off-camera lighting. 

I'm currently use four lights, two at the front corners, and two off to the side but elevated about 20 inches. They provide nice, even light and cancel each other's shadows out.

Here's a pic when I was just using the two-light setup. Still gave me highly decent shots...